Real Boats for These Readers

My inbox at Soundings is a fun place to drop anchor and hang out. That’s because I meet so many fun and friendly readers of the magazine there. I’m always grateful when they take the time to write with stories about their experiences on the water. And often, they’ll share details about their personal boats. Those letters are particularly enjoyable, because a lot of Soundings subscribers drive cool stuff.

Bob Howie dropped me a note this week, to tell me about the Caribiana Sea Skiff he keeps in a rack-and-stack boat barn in Texas when he’s not pulling it behind a Ford F-250 to places like the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He bought the 23-footer in 2013 after years of running big sailboats. Bob and his wife, Jackie, wanted to downsize and switch to power, to make better use of their time on the water. They also wanted something they could trailer. If you’re not familiar with a Caribiana don’t feel bad. They are what Howie calls “niche boats,” because they’re fashioned after hard-working Caribbean pangas, only with styling that looks the part at a yacht club. “The boat lacks brand name recognition,” says Howie, “and yet we get several calls a year from people who want to know if we wish to sell.”

Howie has been a subscriber to Soundings for years and says he likes the magazine for its “grass-roots approach,” with content about real boats and real boaters. “I particularly like the stories about owners and why they made the choices they did about the boats they float. People ask my wife and I all the time about our boat and why we chose it, so I thought maybe the story was worth telling.”

The story about their boat, and how the Howies came to find it, is an enjoyable read and it’s now on our website. Check it out and let me know what you think. And while you’re at it, don’t hesitate to contact me with a few details about what you’re driving this summer. I have a feeling that you’re behind the wheel of something pretty sweet.

Jeanne Craig, JCraig@aimmedia.com

This article was originally published in the July 2023 issue.