Here is our list of the top 10 and honorable mention innovations in recreational boating during the past two decades, compiled through interviews with leading designers and engineers:
Top 10
1. GPS and electronic charts
2. Computer-aided design
3. Pod drives and joystick helm control
4. CNC routing
5. Gyro stabilizers
6. 4-stroke outboards
7. Modern diesels
8. Vacuum bagging, resin infusion and all-composite construction
9. EPIRBs
10. LED lights
Honorable mention
• Proliferation of the stepped hull
• Inflatable life jackets
• Night vision cameras
• Automatic Identification System
• Switch from mechanical to electronic engine/steering controls and controller area network, or CAN bus technology
• Lighter and stronger fiberglass fabrics
• Panoramic sliding glass doors and hull-side windows
• Adoption of compound curves in boat parts, windshields and hardtops
• Transition from cotton to Dacron sails
• Boat storage: dry stack and boat lifts
• PWC braking systems
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May 2014 issue
