Every year in Tampa, FL, the International Boatbuilder’s Exhibition and Conference gives us a glimpse at what’s new in the world of marine manufacturing. This conference is attended by most of the major builders, dealers, and countless vendors who make products for new boats, and Boating Writers International judges a competition to award the most innovative new offerings some recognition. This year’s show went off just before the hurricane hit, a lucky break after being cancelled in 2022 due to Hurricane Ian. And a survey of the award winners puts into focus some of the latest ways fishing boat design and construction is changing.
Supersede Marine Board – Designed to replace plywood in boat construction – which has long been a material builders used while knowing its lifespan was limited – Superseded is a rot-proof marine board fabricated from recycled plastic. It offers excellent bidirectional stiffness, has a smooth finish, and is about a third the cost of standard composite marine board. Look for it to begin showing up on new boats in short order.
XPower Seat and Outer Armor Self-Booting Bimini – Taken individually, this electric-actuating seat and push-button Bimini aren’t exactly world-changing, but they do represent a boatbuilding trend we’ve been seeing in recent years: the electrification of, well, just about everything. Sliding coolers, doors, convertible seats, you name it and boatbuilders have been making it electrically actuated. There’s an argument to be made as to whether this is a good thing or not. All those rams and wires greatly boost the complexity of a boat and bring the possibility of failure with them, while also driving up cost. However, they also make it easier to do whatever it is you’re trying to do. Good or bad? That’s your call, but expect to see more and more push-button operated boat parts in the future.
Lenco Pro Control – The latest entry into the dynamic stabilization systems, the Pro Control is a set of trim tabs combined with an inertial measuring unit sensor and a control “brain.” Like the Seakeeper Ride system or Interceptors, it senses pitch and roll as the boat moves through the water and automatically adjusts the tabs in the blink of an eye to keep a boat running smooth and level. Lenco’s claim is a 74-percent stability boost. While all the different systems of this type offer different levels of effectiveness, anyone who’s been aboard a boat rigged with one can tell you that they do vastly improve the ride and not only boost stability, but also make the ride smoother since the hull deadrise is always meeting the waves closer to its designed fashion. Look for these to appear on more and more boats, perhaps eventually replacing trim tabs altogether. One downside: yeas, the do raise the cost of a boat.
What will come in 2025? We can’t yet say, but one thing is for sure: fishing boats may cost a pretty penny these days, but on the bright side, there’s no doubt that they’re also getting better.