Bet you never saw a personal watercraft like this one before!

It's from Strand Craft who has dubbed this beauty the V8 Wet Rod luxury personal watercraft. I've never owned a PWC, but this one is 16' long, which was the nearly the size of my first boat. And this one has more horsepower, 300 of 'em with a 5.7 liter V8 engine. The top speed is said to be 65 mph and it offers carbon fiber / epoxy construction. About the only thing that seems 'the same as' other PWC is that the propulsion system is a water jet. There's a waterproof luggage box (perhaps for bitcoins?) and an ice box under seat (for champagne and caviar maybe?). All that for a price that starts at just $49,000. You can run the tab up higher with a sound system, wood inlays, an engine chrome dress up kit and wood inlays. It's said to be out in the fall of this year, 2014. The fact that the video on the company website just shows what looks like 'artist conceptions' with no V8 Wet Rod in the water actually running, I think perhaps they're waiting for paid orders before they built them. That's my thought anyway. But they are slick and very James Bond-like, as you'll hear in the background music of their video presentation. 

http://www.strandcraft.n.nu/supercars

Here's an "happy-ending" story via BoatUS about how their EPIRB rental program can save lives.

SOUTHPORT, NC, June 11, 2014 -- Last Saturday morning, the 36-foot catamaran “Cata-Tonic” was 80 miles southeast of Southport, NC in a 20-knot breeze when without warning, the boat’s mast and rig suddenly crashed down on deck, dangerously spilling sails, mast and rigging into the sea. While none of the three sailors aboard were injured, the tangled mess soon became more than a simple inconvenience when it began to drag underneath the boat, its sails catching the sea, threatening to capsize the boat or punch a hole in the hulls. The loss of the mast also meant the loss of the boat’s VHF radio antenna. The captain then did what most sailors hope they never have to do: he activated the BoatUS Foundation rental Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), and grabbed a handheld VHF to call a mayday, knowing that the little radio may not have the power or range to be heard from so far out to sea. “Redundancy is essential for offshore passagemaking,” said owner Jon Rodnon. “But we didn’t see any vessels on the horizon, and we were 40 miles offshore and 80 miles to the nearest port.” Within minutes of its 9:30AM activation, the GPS-enabled BoatUS EPIRB had set the wheels in motion of US Coast Guard response. By 9:40AM, Coast Guard watchstanders hailed Cata-Tonic on the VHF, acknowledging both the EPIRB and VHF distress calls, advising a cutter has already been diverted to the location to investigate. By 10:15AM the cutter was firing a heaving line to Cata-Tonic, and then ferried over hydraulic bolt cutters to assist in cutting away the snarled mast, rig and sails. Once free, Cata-Tonic stabilized and her engines were started. Safely free of debris, she was able to make her way back to port for repairs. Rodnon, who rented the EPIRB from BoatUS, said, “The level of care and professionalism from BoatUS and the Coast Guard, and follow-up from BoatUS was superlative. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. The EPIRB saved us and I can’t think of anything more important than having an EPIRB when going offshore.”

BoatUS Foundation EPIRB Program Manager Ted Sensenbrenner said: “Making emergency equipment available and affordable for those going offshore is one of the key missions of the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation. Our GPS-enabled EPIRBs are available for $65 a week and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) can be rented for just $45 a week, making these life saving devices affordable for any boater looking to make an offshore passage or delivery like Cata-Tonic.”

Boaters can go to www.BoatUS.org/epirb to rent either. Since 1997, the rental program has had 28 EPIRB activations and 69 lives have been saved.

A versatile marine digital media receiver from JVC.

The JVC KD-X31MBS is a Marine (and Motor sports) Digital Media Receiver. With a shallow installation chassis (only 4.2" deep) it can fit into shallow bulkhead areas. Built-In Bluetooth Wireless Technology along with a USB Port, and iPod/iPhone connectivity means you can play your digital music files easily. It can also be connected to an outboard wired remote control and upgraded for SiriusXM Satellite Radio connectivity. It is conformal coated which makes it optimal for outdoor applications such as ATV/UTVs, Motorcycles, and boats.Plus, anti-rust coating for the tough marine environment. Bluetooth wireless technology gives you a lot of control. Here’s a list from JVC: Phone Book Access Profile, Phone Book Transfer, Hands-Free Call, Audio Streaming, AVRCP, Text Message /SMS (Short Message Service) Receipt Notification, Voice Recognition Dialing, Compatibility Check Mode, Simple Secure Pairing, 2 Phones Full-Time Connection, Pandora/iHeartRadio/Internet Radio Control for Smartphone, Siri Eyes-Free-Mode for iPhone). Don’t forget Sirius XM requires a subscription. MSRP is $129.99, but if you do a web search, you can find it for less. 

Here’s the company website with more info: 

http://mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL029328&pathId=208&page=1

Now this is interesting! Especially since it's from BoatUS.

Earn Money by Renting Your Boat

BoatUS and Boatbound, a fully-insured peer-to-peer boat sharing marketplace, have teamed up to give you a way to earn money using your boat. Now launching in the New York City metro area, Boatbound's website allows you to safely earn money by renting your boat within their trusted community of pre-screened, qualified borrowers.

Click Here to Learn More About Boatbound I know nothing about this offer except what's here in the press release, but I've been a member of BoatUS since they started. I think they do excellent work so I wanted to pass this info on. I might consider renting my workboat. I have to think about it.

Like to zoom across the water, but can’t afford one of the current PWC’s?

In that case, here’s what the folks at BomBoard want you to know! (But, as you read, and possibly drool, remember it’s not available until Spring 2015. But you get your name on a list to be notified.)

The world's only modular, high performance jet ski at the world's lowest price. The BomBoard is a radical new high performance personal watercraft specifically designed for action sports enthusiasts. BomBoard will enable you to speed across the water inches from the surface performing stunts and maneuvers captured on video and shared with fellow enthusiasts throughout the world. The BomBoard is priced at only $3,495 ($99 per month) to make ownership a reality for legions of enthusiasts. Not only is the BomBoard affordable to purchase, it is affordable to use because it’s small displacement, highly efficient engine will operate for hours on a few dollars of fuel. Don’t just stare at the lakes, rivers and oceans of the world . . . get out and challenge them and yourself with the adrenaline pumping BomBoard. 

http://bomboard.com/

And there's a video here: http://bomboard.com/bomboard/thrilling-ride