Power & Motoryacht – June 2017

18 POWER & MOTORYACHT / JUNE 2017 WWW.PMYMAG.COM

Boat of all Trades “We got caught off guard,” says Tom Mitzlaff , referring to the video of his Solo Skiff ($1,850)—a

cross between a skiff , fi shing kayak, and a SUP—that had over six million views aft er he posted

it to Facebook. “Nobody makes a video thinking it’s going to go viral.”

But viral it went. And now demand for the Solo Skiff has skyrocketed. Mitzlaff , a Jacksonville, Flor-

ida resident, says he was inspired to create a “swamp-proof boat,” one he could launch out of his truck

and bring anywhere. When we shared it on our Facebook page, comments ranged from incredulity

(“Okay I have offi cially seen it all”) to excitement (“Very cool!”) to what best describes our feeling as

well: longing (“I want one”). It’s available in three colors and with plenty of stowage. soloskiff .com U

Bugs Be Gone

What is the deadliest creature to man? If you

guessed the lowly Anopheles—the mosquito—

you’d be correct. Put an ixnay on the little critters

crashing your family’s boating enjoyment this sum-

mer with Th ermacell’s MR450 Repeller ($35). Designed

to repel all manner of mosquitoes and their biting ilk, the

MR450 creates a 15-foot by 15-foot zone of bug-free protec-

tion (enough to ward bugs away from the fl ybridge or sundeck).

Simply switch from “Off ” to “On” and a ZoneCheck Monitor

shows in blue when the device has been activated. On the move

grabbing docklines or back and forth for refreshments? A belt clip

makes attaching it to your person easy. thermacell.com

As far back as the nineteenth century (and possibly even ear-

lier), fi refi ghters took to the sea to fi ght fi res along the country’s

coastline. “Waterfront blazes seldom were small,” writes Wayne

Mutza in the introduction to American Fire Boats: Th e History

of Waterborne Firefi ghting and Rescue in America ($50, schiff er

books.com) due, in part, to the multitudinous industrial buildings

along the ports. Mutza traces the evolution of these craft , from

battleship-size wood-and-iron fi reboats—so powerful their water

cannons could reduce concrete structures to rubble—to today’s

nimble, high-tech aluminum vessels. But it’s not just about the

boats. Mutza also pays heartfelt tribute to fi refi ghters who served

with purpose and pride, and continue to answer the call of danger.

Fired Up

It’s Electric!

Starting next

summer along

the Tokyo Bay

waterfront, Toyota

will be conducting

a feasibility study

of hybrid boats

leading up to and

coinciding with

the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Utilizing two

types of power generators—a 256-horsepower gas inboard and

a 48-horsepower electric motor—the PONAM-28V could be a

sign of big things to come across the entire industry. (For more on

hybrid boats, see our test of the Greenline Hybrid 36 on page 66.)