When Kevin and Kristy Offerman started dating, boating was one of the things the Florida natives loved to do together. She was new to the sport, but he had spent his whole life around powerboats, including the commercial vessels he ran when he worked as a licensed captain. From the beginning, Kristy always felt comfortable on board with Kevin. “He’s experienced, and he’s always very cautious out there,” she says.
The couple bought their first family boat a few years after the births of their twin boys, Kyle and Kameron. The 42-foot center console by Motion Powerboats served them well for almost a decade. Not long after they sold it, Kevin began research about which boat to buy next. That analysis brought the couple to the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show in 2025 to check out the Mag Bay 43 CC, a center console with a reputation for exceptional finish and detailing.
“That show is where it all went down,” Kristy says. The boat instantly won them over, and the couple made a deposit for a new build. That same day, they celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. “It was everything that Kevin and I wanted in a boat, but at the same time, we had to make sure it was right for our boys.”
Kameron and Kyle are sweet, funny and close-knit 13-year-olds with unbridled enthusiasm for many things, including boats. At the same time, they’re autistic children who sometimes find boat rides challenging. The motion of a vessel, engine noise, wind and a constantly shifting environment can trigger sensory overload and anxiety. And those reactions can make it hard for Kevin and Kristy to keep the boys comfortable while also ensuring they remain safe around decks, rails and open water.
The boys were nonverbal until age 5. When they were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Kevin and Kristy searched and searched for an applied behavioral analysis program to encourage communication, social skills and more. When they found Family Initiative, “their lives changed for the better,” Kristy says.
Based in Cape Coral, Florida, the nonprofit provides training and support for children with ASD and their families.“The group has helped us in so many ways,” says Kristy, who uses the strategies taught by the organization at home and on the water. “Now when we see the boys start to get upset, we have techniques to calm them down and bring them back to a safe spot. If we didn’t have Family Initiative, I’m not sure we would have bought this second boat.”
In their Mag Bay 43 CC, which they named Rockstar Day, the couple recognized standard features that could make the boys feel at ease on board. But there were things the couple wanted to add too, which is one reason they went with this brand. Based in California, this boutique, semicustom builder works closely with owners to accommodate special requests.
The Offermans took delivery of the boat in 2025 and have been running it near their home in Cape Coral. Features that Kevin and Kristy like most for their boys include the cabin in the console, where they can get out of the elements if the stimulation gets to be too much. Locking armrests on the Release Marine helm seats are another plus. “Some autistic children are more comfortable when their body feels contained or supported,” Kristy says. The Starlink gives the boys access to entertainment. So do extra charging ports the couple asked Mag Bay to install. “With autism, if a device gets below 98 percent, it needs to be charged,” Kevin says.
A feature that’s turned out to be a game-changer for the family is the one-piece glass windshield that wraps around the helm. “We didn’t have a full windshield on our old boat, and if there was too much wind, the boys had to wear headphones to make the ride less annoying,” Kristy says. “Sometimes they’d have meltdowns. That hasn’t happened on the Mag Bay.”
The aft-facing mezzanine seat was on Kristy’s bucket list. “On our old boat, she liked to sit backward, but she had to do it from a beanbag,” Kevin says. “That’s not the case here. This seat is big enough for her and the boys, and we had a custom rail installed on the side if they want something to hold on to.”
Kevin sees the 43 as a platform for something else he wants to share with the boys: fishing. His goal is to make their first catch more than just a mundane catfish. “We’re working up for a run out Redfish Pass to do some snapper fishing just a few miles out,” he says. “We tried once, but conditions were rough, so I didn’t mess with it. But that’s the next step.”
Kevin has been fishing offshore for years. He likes targeting dolphin and tuna off Key West, and in recent years he got into deep dropping with electric reels, a few of which are stowed on the 43. Other angling equipment on the boat includes in-deck fishboxes (about 500 gallons of insulated storage), outriggers, teaser reels, a bait-prep area, tackle storage and a hull-side door to help land large fish. There’s plenty of rod stowage too: 44 rod holders in all. Kevin was able to lay those out with the Mag Bay team when he and Kristy traveled to the manufacturing plant to see their boat on the production line.
A 75-gallon pressurized live well is at the transom—and has a funny story. The Offermans love the look of black, and on their 43, it’s everywhere: hull paint, cushion piping, hardtop, outriggers, radar and compass. “When Kristy first saw the finished boat, she pointed to the blue walls in the live well and said a spot had been missed,” Kevin says. “I said we can’t change that, because blue will help keep the fish calm and alive. Then she asked if Mag Bay could just put a black tint on it.”
The 43 rides on Mag Bay’s patented Cross Step hull, which is built to run offshore. “The running bottom maintains an aggressive entry and soft recovery to remain composed in confused seas,” says Capt. Cooper Bisbe, an East Coast representative for Mag Bay who worked with the Offermans on their boat.
Power on Rockstar Days is four 425-hp Mercury V-10 outboards that, according to Mag Bay, produce 70.1 mph at 6450 rpm. Fast cruise is about 48.5 mph at 4450 rpm. At that pace, range is about 489 miles.
Kevin is particularly happy with the acceleration. “The boat just levitates as it comes out of the water and is on plane quickly,” he says. The predictable running attitude makes it easier for him to stay focused on the water and his young passengers.
When it comes to boat handling, Kevin describes himself as a traditional skipper who’s comfortable with throttles, bow thrusters and “splitting the sticks” when maneuvering around a dock. The joystick on the Mag Bay is new to him. “But I’m forcing myself to learn it,” he says. He also likes how the joystick is setup. It’s in a compartment and concealed by a cover when not in use. “That’s good, because the boys want to touch everything they see.”
The Offermans’ boat is hull No. 100 for the builder, and it has all the details expected from Mag Bay. Hatches have gas shocks, for instance, and the bottom of every lid is finished. Hardware is robust, and there’s plenty of stainless steel on board. Most of it is welded in-house and polished to a jewel-like finish.
“That’s one of the things that drew me to this brand,” Kevin says. “Stainless adds weight, but it will last, and we plan to keep this boat for a while.”
Kristy says Kameron and Kyle have a favorite attribute on board, too: “They like speed, and this boat has it.”
Kevin adds: “It took them a little while to get comfortable with that. And then one day when we were out, one of them said, ‘Go fast, Daddy!’ And that just melted my heart.”
This article was originally published in the May 2026 issue.
