Winter, unless you are lucky enough to live in a warmer part of the country, has a special, tortuous way of reminding you that boating season is unfortunately still a few months away. I’ve just come in from shoveling after a 10-inch snowfall with no other priorities in mind than getting on a boat somewhere temperate. Fast.

I’ll get that chance in about a month, when the Miami International Boat Show rolls into South Florida with more than 1,000 exhibitors spread across the city at multiple venues. While Miami is a bit too fast-paced and, well, loud for my taste, I always enjoy the show and connecting with industry colleagues for the first time since November at Metstrade. Miami show organizers have big plans for the event this year, including plenty of options to make it more enjoyable for attendees. You can learn about all the details by reading Kim Kavin’s show reporting on Page 28.

The presidential election is behind us, and we soon will have a more concrete idea about how the new administration’s policies might affect the marine industry. Everything I hear from industry participants and analysts points to good news for jobs, concern about tariffs and some optimism about fewer government regulations. One thing we can count on is the administration pushing to rehome thousands of manufacturing jobs here in the United States, raising the question of whether yacht building might make a return. There are no solid answers to that question yet, but Kavin’s reporting on Page 24 looks at some of the possible scenarios, and whether it is realistic to bring at least some boatbuilding back from foreign shores during the next four years.

“Foreign shores” is the theme of this issue, which is why we interviewed two industry participants who operate on the global scene daily and have keen insights about the worldwide marine trade. Joe Lynch, CEO of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations, spoke with us in early January. You can read the interview on Page 6.

Gabbi Richardson, whom I first met at Metstrade in 2023, is an energetic entrepreneur operating in the startup space from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Her efforts to help marine trade startups get funding, and the way she fosters innovation, are fascinating. Senior editor David Conway connects with Richardson on Page 32.

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas held a successful Dealer Week in Orlando, Fla., in December, attracting more than 1,400 attendees and a record number of exhibitors. I took the pulse of everyone I spoke with at the three-day event and came away feeling as if optimism is what most industry folks are feeling going into the new year. “The election is over, we know what we’ll be getting, and I feel like this new administration will have our backs,” one attendee told me. Another said: “I am not sure what we’ll be dealing with, and while I am optimistic, I am also nervous.” Certainly, time will tell.

Shifting gears, I’ve received plenty of e-mails, texts and other messages about Firecrown Media acquiring Soundings Trade Only and all of Active Interest Media’s Marine Group titles, including Power & Motoryacht, Yachts International, Soundings, Passagemaker and others. Firecrown now collectively owns about 95% of the boating magazines in the United States, including those once owned by Bonnier (Boating, Yachting, Cruising World, Sailing World and Salt Water Sportsman, among others). Early indications are that the show will go on for our talented team, and I’m eager to see what we can all achieve together.

Last, as I type this, I’m planning a road trip to the manufacturing belt in Indiana with Soundings Trade Only Group vice president and general manager Michele Goldsmith. We’re scheduled to visit boatbuilders and businesses such as Lippert and Patrick Industries to learn about crossover products they sell to the RV industry. As you likely know, I am a huge fan of facility visits, and this will be our first one in the new year, with many more, hopefully, to come. The feature will appear next month in our annual RV/marine crossover issue.

Alas, it’s time to suit up and finish my shoveling. I’ll see you in warmer temps at Miami. I’ve got the Hawaiian shirt already picked out.