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Garmin International has developed the GPSCOM 170 Marine Navigator, the world's first handheld combination satellite-navigation/communications transceiver designed for mariners. The GPSCOM 170 is battery-powered and about the size of two packs of cigarettes.

Jersey speed skiffs are flat-bottomed racing boats based on fishing boats of the 1920s and '30s. Small-block Chevrolet engines power the skiffs to speeds of 80 to 83 mph. Rule changes in 1996 will require the boats to be equipped with harnesses and roll cages.

The US Marine Corps' rigid raiders units are small assault teams which enter hostile territory using 18-ft. Boston Whalers. The small Boston Whalers allow the raiders to conduct fast and effective assaults.

A boating enthusiast who wanted to be a boat test pilot narrates his experiences while training to a test pilot at Outboard Marine Corp. He soon realizes that the job of test pilot is not as exciting as he had thought it would be.

A trip to Grand Bahama Island to complete a scuba-dive training course is described. Scuba training focuses on safety, and a diver must take a course and get a certificate in order to rent an air tank or get one filled.

Hydroplane racing is an exciting but dangerous sport because hydroplanes are fast and difficult to control. A well-known hydroplane racing family narrates some of their experiences in the sport.

Two inflatables are compared: a Goodyear GZ-20A airship and a Zodiac Yachtline 600 recreational boat. The blimp has more seating, but the boat is less expensive and more versatile.

Electric boats lack the speed that most powerboat enthusiasts want, and they have their own environmental drawbacks. Existing batteries are too heavy and inefficient, and recharging the batteries is too time-consuming.

Drag racing boats can reach speeds as high as 220 mph, but the sport has become much safer since safety capsules became mandatory. There is a wide variety of classes, including hydros, tunnel hull and jet drive. A meet in Marble Falls, TX, is described.

The theft of a boat to demonstrate the lax security found at many marinas is described. Antitheft devices for boats in the water and in dry storage are discussed.

The US championships of jet-boat racing are held each year in four rivers in the Northwest. It is an exciting sport in which boats reach speeds of 80- to 100-plus mph and wrecks are not uncommon. A race on the Salmon River is described.

Paintball is a recreational war game in which opponents try to eliminate each other with water-soluble paint shot from pump guns. A Florida competition using deckboats is described.

Police diver, tugboat captain on the Intracoastal Waterway, rescuer of marine mammals, harbor pilot and hydroplane driver are five of the 10 most difficult marine jobs. The remaining five are also described.

A boater can help his wife to enjoy boating by encouraging her to help select equipment, considering her interests, sharing the operation of the boat and running the boat conservatively. Safety and bathroom facilities are important to most women.

Presents several companies involved in the boating industry. Information on Martin Gyorgy's Premium Parasail Boats; Boatbuilding business of John Yank; Services provided by Boatside Services International.

Features the 1996 Professional Racing Outboard Performance Tour Formula One (F1) tunnel-boat race series in Bay City, Michigan. Greg Foster as `Madman Across the Water'; Engines of competing F1 boats; Other entries.

Focuses on the United States military use of Boston Whalers. Description of Boston Whaler; Boston Whaler's importance in Marine training; Outstanding performance of the Whaler; Discrimination of the Marines by the Army and Navy; Military Boston Whalers difference to standard version; Design and construction; Price including motors; Comments of Lieutenant Joe Seitz; Others.

Focuses on the training of Outboard Marine Corp. (OMC) test drivers for outboard engine testings conducted at the Ralph Evinrude Test Center in Florida. Background on the Ralph Evinrude Test Center; Endurance-test driver tests; Rough water handling technique; Key to being a good test driver; Kinds of failure to avoid; Requirements for graduation; OMC's plans for their engines.

Discusses concern over the environmental hazards posed by electric boats. Efforts to manufacture a rechargeable battery; Lack of new-technology storage battery; Other drawbacks for electric launches.

Recounts a weekend of round-the-clock riding with the Florida Marine Patrol in Ft. Lauderdale. Officer Louis Rodriguez, a former air-traffic controller; Marine Patrol Academy; Mega-yachts; Boaters with bad attitudes; Stops, arrests and safety inspections.