Wards Way Podcast

Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Clay Crabtree, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the National Marine Manufacturers Association, from the American Boating Congress in Washington, DC, to discuss the policies shaping the future of recreational boating. 

From the Sportfish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund to water access, trade policy, tariffs, and fuel regulations, Kristina and Clay break down the issues impacting boating businesses, conservation, and access nationwide. They also explore how advocacy and industry relationships continue to drive real results in Washington. 

Listen now, subscribe, like, and leave a comment or review to help more boating professionals and enthusiasts join the conversation.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

From the American Boating Congress in D.C., host Kristina Hebert talks with NMMA’s Ben Murray about how state legislation is shaping the future of boating. 

From wake surfing regulations and shoreline setbacks to boater education and protecting water access, Ben breaks down the policies impacting families, dealers, and manufacturers — and why facts, science, and responsible boating matter more than ever. They also discuss the post-boating boom landscape and how the industry is bringing the next generation onto the water.

Subscribe, share this with a fellow boater, and leave a review to help more people find the show and stay informed.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

From a napkin sketch once dismissed as “too small to be real” to a must-have system on modern superyachts, Alessandro Ciolfi of Asea Nautica joins host, Kristina Hebert, at the Palm Beach Boat Show to discuss the future of shore power, energy storage, and yacht electrification. 

This Wards Way Podcast episode explores the technology shaping global cruising — and where superyacht power systems are headed next.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Host Kristina Hebert sits down with Mr. Smith’s, Tjeerd van Groenland, to discuss making yacht AV systems simpler and more user-friendly. They explore how software-first solutions are changing onboard entertainment, streaming, and connectivity at sea. The conversation also dives into the challenges of legal IPTV and commercial licensing on yachts. This episode offers valuable insights into the future of marine AV and onboard technology.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Two companies can compete for years—and still recognize when collaboration becomes the smarter engineering move.

At the Palm Beach Boat Show, host Kristina Hebert sits down with Richard Gaudet, President of ASEA Power Systems & Marine Power at Mission Critical Electronics, and Matthew Scales, Managing Director of Magnus Marine, to unpack the real story behind their new alliance—and what it signals for the future of shore power in the marine industry.

The discussion highlights the product that quickly made the partnership tangible: a dockside shore power frequency converter. ASEA contributes extensive field experience, including designs proven in South Florida hurricane conditions, while Magnus brings higher-power capabilities and expertise in containerized solutions. Together, these strengths create a scalable range of dockside converters—from 75 kVA to 250 kVA and beyond—designed to support marinas serving yachts without onboard frequency conversion. It also explores how demand is emerging at the dock, with operators such as Safe Harbor advancing dockside conversion as a standard offering.

The focus then broadens to examine key trends shaping marine electrical infrastructure. These include evolving configurations like 208V 60Hz split-phase systems, containerized solutions for space-constrained environments, and the potential role of battery energy storage in increasing effective capacity where grid limitations exist. Additional insights address the U.S. superyacht refit market, including the shift of some work to Europe and how improved dockside power solutions could help restore competitiveness among domestic refit yards. The episode concludes with a preview of new technology expected this fall and a potential follow-up at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.

Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the Wards Way Podcast, share the episode with professionals in marine operations or marina management, and leave a review to support future discussions.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Superyachts are often talked about as floating lifestyle accessories, but the reality is more concrete: they are long-lived economic engines that keep paying communities back year after year. From the Palm Beach show floor, host Kristina Heberts sits down with Robert van Tol, Executive Director of SYBAss, the Super Yacht Builders Association, to unpack what the builders see that most outsiders miss.

They dig into what SYBAss does for custom and semi-custom yacht builders worldwide and why scale matters when you’re discussing standards, supply chains, and representation. Robert shares key takeaways from an economic impact study focused on yachts over 40 meters, covering the full yacht life cycle: new build, operations, and the rising wave of maintenance and refit. The pair talks about how yacht operations drive recurring local spending through crews, services, and yacht tourism, and why refit growth is a predictable result of the industry’s strong production over the last two decades. If you care about the blue economy, maritime jobs, or working waterfronts, the numbers are hard to ignore.

The conversation turns to the workforce challenge: superyacht building depends on specialized, high-skill craftsmanship that many schools don’t teach, making apprenticeships and training programs essential. On the policy side, Robert explains SYBAss’s approach to advocacy at the IMO, where regulations built for commercial shipping can create unintended obstacles for yachts with totally different operating patterns. They close with what makes a boat show truly work for builders and how changing buyers are already pushing yacht design forward years before the public ever sees it.

Subscribe, share this with someone who thinks yachting is “just luxury,” and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Yacht interiors are changing fast, but not always in the ways people assume. From the Palm Beach International Boat Show, host Kristina Hebert sits down with Patrick Knowles of Patrick Knowles Design to unpack what “evolution” really looks like in marine interior design, superyacht refits, and high-end aviation work. They talk about the early days of on-site craftsmanship, why build timelines still run into human limits, and how today’s expectations are shaped less by shipyards and more by screens.

Patrick shares how photorealistic rendering, 3D visualization, and AI-driven tools transform client communication. When an interior concept looks finished before the first piece is installed, feedback gets faster, revisions get easier, and the “Amazon effect” of impatience can creep in. The conversation explores how to set healthy boundaries by separating what can move quickly from what is constrained by the realities of engineering, procurement, and installation.

The duo goes deep on designing for the unseen: electrical planning, intuitive lighting design, concealed outlets and charging, and why the owner’s lifestyle should influence load analysis and power management. From hybrid yacht conversations to the idea of blending art and machinery, the takeaway is simple: the best onboard experience comes from teams that share context, not silos that trade blame.

Finally, they get into Patrick’s pandemic pivot into The Quintessential Yachtsman and Yachtlife Brands, including Yachtlife Vodka and Yachtlife Caviar, plus how branding and activations can invite new people into the yachting industry. If you care about yacht design trends, luxury branding, and the future of marine trades, hit subscribe, share this with someone in the industry, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

The American yacht refit market is getting called “soft” more often lately, and we wanted to talk about what that actually means when you’re running projects, advising owners, or trying to keep a yard busy year-round. From the Palm Beach Boat Show, host Kristina Hebert digs into the signals being seen on the ground and in the headlines, and why a slowdown can also be a moment to reset the story and the strategy.

Kristina Hebert is joined by Diane Byrne of MegaYacht News and Patrick Knowles of Patrick Knowles Design to compare the U.S. and Europe, including how “refit” gets defined and why that definition matters for owners, advisors, and the wider superyacht industry. The trio gets practical about what drives long-term competitiveness for American refit shipyards, especially in South Florida and other waterfront hubs: steady project flow, clearer messaging, and confidence that the skilled labor is there when timelines get tight.

From maritime prosperity zones to protecting the working waterfront, they explore how policy and planning can support yacht refit and repair businesses before development pressure erases the space the industry needs to operate. The conversation zooms in on the biggest constraint of all: the next generation of marine trades. Welding, electrical, joinery, and every hands-on specialty are the backbone of refit, and we talk about apprenticeships, vocational programs, and the simple power of telling craftspeople’s stories with consistency and pride.

If you care about the future of American yacht refit, listen through and join the conversation. Subscribe to the Wards Way Podcast, share this with someone in the marine industry, and leave a review!

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Sun, salt, and surge: that’s the surface. Underneath, a living engine of people and craft keeps Miami’s water culture roaring. We head straight into that engine room with Cigarette Racing’s Alex Thompson at the Miami International Boat Show, where heritage meets restless innovation and a legendary name proves why it still draws a crowd. From the aura of Miami to the hum of a tuned-outboard idle, this is a story about speed, design, and the communities that form around both. 

We dive into Cigarette’s global expansion and why Japan, with its tuner car roots and love of power, has become an unexpectedly perfect fit. Alex unpacks how deep customization turns boats into signatures: hand-stitched upholstery, cool-touch materials, disappearing TVs, and layouts that reflect how owners actually live on the water. Events like poker runs and the Lake of the Ozarks rendezvous reinforce that culture, gathering old-school classics and new models in one place to celebrate the brand’s shared DNA. Along the way, we surface the true origin of the Cigarette name, a piece of lore that adds texture to its myth without veering into nostalgia. 

Then comes the new: the 42 Huntress Unlimited, a center console designed to deliver real overnight capability without losing the crisp handling and performance buyers expect. Alex explains how the team balances R&D with restraint, keeping the silhouette and feel that signal Cigarette while iterating where comfort, storage, and tech make the biggest difference. We also talk talent—how long-tenured craftspeople, some over 40 years in, protect quality standards, and why breaking into marine careers often starts with the simplest move: show up, shake hands, be remembered.

 If you love performance boats, luxury design, and the intersection of brand, culture, and craft, this one runs wide open. If this conversation sparked ideas or gave you a fresh view of Miami’s marine world, follow and subscribe, share it with a friend who loves fast boats, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us. 

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

A sunny day at the Miami International Boat Show turns into a masterclass on how boaters and whales can safely share the same ocean. We sit down with Virgil Zetterlind, co‑founder of the Whale Alert app, to unpack the real‑world tools, data, and collaborations that help prevent vessel strikes and keep crews safe. If you’ve ever wondered how marine tech, policy, and industry initiatives come together at the helm, this conversation brings the whole picture into focus.

We trace Whale Alert’s journey from early eNavigation experiments to a multilingual mobile platform that now supports boaters across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Virgil explains why the 10‑knot threshold isn’t arbitrary, how seasonal management areas work for larger vessels, and what happened with the proposal to extend speed limits to smaller boats. Rather than dwelling on gridlock, we highlight momentum: the Whale and Vessel Safety (WAVES) Task Force, led by industry partners like Viking Yachts, is pushing voluntary measures, education, and innovation that meet mariners where they are.

The most exciting breakthroughs are at the chartplotter. PredictWind’s DataHub now ingests Whale Alert sightings and displays them as AIS virtual buoys on your existing navigation screen, turning wildlife awareness into a native part of your route planning. We also preview new NMEA standards for marine megafauna messages, paving the way for consistent, manufacturer‑agnostic integrations. And for anyone who wants to stay informed, SeaReportSave.org launches as a clean hub for best practices, live maps, and the latest tools that fit your style of boating.

Right whales remain critically vulnerable, with fewer than 400 individuals and roughly 80 breeding females, so every avoidable strike matters. The takeaway is refreshingly practical: slow down when advised, keep wildlife layers active, and treat information as essential safety gear. 

Subscribe, share this episode with a boater you care about, and leave a quick review to help more captains find tools that protect both people and whales.

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75