MIAMI - Boating Writers International today honored the industry's top marine journalists with the presentation of its annual writing awards.

The contest drew 365 entries in 16 categories from 146 writers, and $16,000 in awards were handed out to first ($500), second ($300) and third ($200) place winners.

Soundings writers took four first-place awards:

• Tom Neale's "Precious days with Cap'n Wilson," Boating Profiles
• Peter Swanson's "Taming the Tehuano," Boating Adventures
• Jim Flannery's "Fading glory of working waterfronts," Boating Issues, News and Analysis
• Eric Sorensen's "Good - or not so good - vibrations," Technical Writing

Here are the first, second and third place winners in each category:

• Boating Columns

1st, "Horton At Large," by Tom Horton, Chesapeake Bay Magazine

2nd, "On the Wind," by Chris Caswell, Sailing

3rd, "The Pin End," by Chris Caswell, Ocean Magazine

• Boating Lifestyles

1st, "There and Back Again," by Nica Waters, Chesapeake Bay

2nd, "Making Tracks On Moosehead Lake," by Mike Lee, Cruising World

3rd, "When They Wished Upon a Star," by Ben Zartman, BoatU.S. Magazine

• Boating Profiles

1st, "Precious Days with Cap'n Wilson," by Tom Neale, Soundings

2nd, "Bill Zinser Has His Cake," by Kevin Koenig, Power & Motoryacht

3rd, "Splash," by Jody Schroath, Chesapeake Bay

• Boating Travel or Destinations

1st, "Where Might & Majesty Meet," by Alvah Simon, Cruising World

2nd, "The Sea Less Sailed," by Alvah Simon, Cruising World

3rd, "Pearls Around The White Continent," by Deborah Shapiro, Cruising World

• Boating Adventures

1st, "Taming the Tehuano," by Peter Swanson, Soundings

2nd, "Closing the Circle," by Herb McCormick, Cruising World, Nov.);

3rd, "Escape from the Island of Doom," by Marlin Bree, The Ensign

• Boat/Engine Care and Maintenance

1st, "The Great Chesapeake Engine-Break-In Cruise," by Wendy Clarke, Chesapeake Bay

2nd, "Three Days in the Hull," by Jeff Hemmel, Boating

3rd, "What Happened to My Motor?" by Jeff Hemmel, Boating

7. Electronics

1st, "Wonder Who's Out There?" by Ben Ellison, Cruising World

2nd, "Testing Small-Dome Broadband Sat-Coms," by Gram Schweikert, Cruising World

3rd, "Rewriting the Book on Lightning Protection," by Peter Swanson, PassageMaker

• Ethics and Environment

1st, "The Sting," by Marty LeGrand, Chesapeake Bay

2nd, "Dying From Seas of Debris," by Herb McCormick, Cruising World

3rd, "Salvation on the Half Shell," by Marty LeGrand, Chesapeake Bay

• Fishing

1st, "America's Meanest Freshwater Fish," by Pete McDonald, Boating

2nd, "Net Game," by Jane Meneely, Chesapeake Bay

3rd, "Release the Beast," by Ron Ballanti, Salt Water Sportsman

• Boating Issues, News and Analysis

1st, "Fading Glory of Working Waterfronts," by Jim Flannery, Soundings

2nd, "9 Innovations We Want Now," by David Seidman, Boating

3rd, "Life Will Never Be Completely the Same," by Elizabeth Ellis, Soundings

• The Business of Boating

1st, "Inside the Genmar Bankruptcy," by Michael Verdon, International Boat Industry

2nd, "To Protect Your Ship's Interest Take Control of Insurance Claims," by Lucy Reed, The Triton

3rd, "The Stuff of Legends," by Jennifer Chesak, Whaler Magazine

• Seamanship, Rescue & Safety

1st, "Training Day," by Pete McDonald, Boating

2nd, "Knowing When to Doubt What You See," by Jim Flannery, Soundings

3rd, "Weathering a Bay Squall," by Tom Dove, Chesapeake Bay

• Technical Writing

1st, "Good - Or Not So Good - Vibrations," by Eric Sorensen, Soundings

2nd, "Tricking the Water," by Pete McDonald, Power & Motoryacht

3rd, "Bust Rust," by Lenny Rudow, DIY Boat Owner

• Boat Tests

1st, "Passion Play," by Chris Caswell, Yachting

2nd, "HMCS Regina," by Craig Ritchie, Boatguide Canada

3rd, "J/95 Slips Into Shoal Waters," by Darrell Nicholson, Practical Sailor

• Gear, Electronics and Product Tests

1st, "Underwater Cameras," by Bill Springer, Cruising World

2nd, "The Smash Factor," by Lenny Rudow, MadMariner

3rd, "Generation Gap," by Jim Barron, Trailer Boats

• Megayachts

This category had insufficient entries to be judged.

• Original Online Content

1st, Panbo.com - The Marine Electronics Weblog, by Ben Ellison

2nd, CharterWave.com, by Kim Kavin

3rd, Boating Local.com, by Tom Richardson

In addition, the writers of another 53 submissions were awarded Certificates of Merit.

Click here for the complete list of winners and the issue dates of the stories, as well as comments from the judges.