<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?><rss version="2.0" xml:base="http://greatlakesboating.com/features" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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    <title>Features</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/features</link>
    <description></description>
    <language>en</language>
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    <title>Contender</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/contender</link>
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              By:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
                    Lee Stewart        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For nearly 30 years, Contender has redefined all that a sportfishing boat can be. The original hull design of its classic 25-foot model has evolved into the sophisticated power and performance of today&amp;rsquo;s tournament-proven winners. The company prides itself on following a traditional &amp;ldquo;hands on&amp;rdquo; boat-building philosophy while using the most advanced modern materials and quality components. Contender is seeking to expand its market and dealership presence in the Great Lakes area and supply serious anglers with models that combine optimum performance with greater fuel-efficiency and environmental friendliness.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;39ST Center Console&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-filefield field-field-imgfiles&quot;&gt;
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                    &lt;a href=&quot;/features/boat/contender&quot; class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/teaser/2011/08/contender/contender_main.png&quot; alt=&quot;contender_main&quot; title=&quot;Contender&quot;  class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser&quot; width=&quot;90&quot; height=&quot;64&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/contender&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
     <comments>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/contender#comments</comments>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat">Boat</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/issue/online-only">Online Only</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/author/lee-stewart">Lee Stewart</category>
 <pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:53:44 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>glbm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">3176 at http://greatlakesboating.com</guid>
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  <item>
    <title>Contender</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/node/3175</link>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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mso-bidi-font-family:Times&quot;&amp;gt;For nearly 30 years, Contender has redefined all that a sportfishing boat can be. The original hull design of its classic 25-foot model has evolved into the sophisticated power and performance of today&amp;rsquo;s tournament-proven winners. The company prides itself on following a traditional &amp;ldquo;hands on&amp;rdquo; boat-building philosophy while using the most advanced modern materials and quality components. Contender is seeking to expand its market and dealership presence in the Great Lakes area and supply serious anglers with models that combine optimum performance with greater fuel-efficiency and environmental friendliness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/node/3175&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
     <comments>http://greatlakesboating.com/node/3175#comments</comments>
 <pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:52:22 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>glbm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">3175 at http://greatlakesboating.com</guid>
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  <item>
    <title>Contender</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/node/3174</link>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; /&gt;
none;text-autospace:none&quot;&amp;gt;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times&quot;&amp;gt;For nearly 30 years, Contender has redefined all that a sportfishing boat can be. The original hull design of its classic 25-foot model has evolved into the sophisticated power and performance of today&amp;rsquo;s tournament-proven winners. The company prides itself on following a traditional &amp;ldquo;hands on&amp;rdquo; boat-building philosophy while using the most advanced modern materials and quality components. Contender is seeking to expand its market and dealership presence in the Great Lakes area and supply serious anglers with models that combine optimum performance with greater fuel-efficiency and environmental friendliness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/node/3174&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
     <comments>http://greatlakesboating.com/node/3174#comments</comments>
 <pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:49:47 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>glbm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">3174 at http://greatlakesboating.com</guid>
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    <title>Cajun Country Rebounds</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/port-call/cajun-country-rebounds</link>
    <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-content-taxonomy field-field-author&quot;&gt;
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            &lt;div class=&quot;field-item odd&quot;&gt;
                      &lt;div class=&quot;field-label-inline-first&quot;&gt;
              By:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
                    Ned Dikmen        &lt;/div&gt;
              &lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot;&gt;
                      &lt;div class=&quot;field-label-inline&quot;&gt;
              By:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
                    Karen Malonis        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nearly one year af ter the disastrous BP oil spill, Louisiana is still trying to overcome not only the direct aftermath of the incident, but the widely-held view that the entire coastal area of the state has faced devastation. Truth be told, the coastal parishes (counties) of southwest Louisiana, which embody a good chunk of Cajun Country, were never damaged by the oil spill: no tar balls, no damage to the marshes, no fouling of the oyster beds and no of fensive odors tainting the seafood. In fact, the locals have never stopped eating the area&amp;rsquo;s seafood or drinking its water, and they want to spread the word that, despite the recent misfortunes, their culture and lifestyle is alive and well. Visitors, especially Great Lakes boaters who are looking for some outdoor activities during the of f-season, will enjoy the many activities awaiting them in Cajun Country.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TAKE A RIDE&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-filefield field-field-imgfiles&quot;&gt;
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                    &lt;a href=&quot;/features/port-call/cajun-country-rebounds&quot; class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/teaser/2011/03/cajun-country-rebounds/029_lacassine_pool.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;029_lacassine_pool&quot; title=&quot;&quot;  class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser&quot; width=&quot;90&quot; height=&quot;60&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/features/port-call/cajun-country-rebounds&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
     <comments>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/port-call/cajun-country-rebounds#comments</comments>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/features/port-call">Port of Call</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/related/louisiana">Louisiana</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/related/travel">Travel</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/issue/mar-apr-2011">Mar Apr 2011</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/author/karen-malonis">Karen Malonis</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/author/ned-dikmen">Ned Dikmen</category>
 <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:41:35 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>glbm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">2920 at http://greatlakesboating.com</guid>
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  <item>
    <title>Future of Boat Shows</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/feature/future-boat-shows</link>
    <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-content-taxonomy field-field-author&quot;&gt;
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              By:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
                    Ron Hein; Executive Vice President; Foresight Research        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aboating industry executive recently asked me about the future of boat shows. He said, &amp;ldquo;You are a marketing guru who studies how people shop for big ticket items like boats; tell me your thoughts on the future of traditional boat shows.&amp;rdquo; Well, maybe that&amp;rsquo;s a question for the millions of power boaters, sailors and anglers, and their friends and family, who are now flocking to exhibit halls to see and board the boats of their dreams. Are these folks just out for a good time at manufacturers&amp;rsquo; and dealers&amp;rsquo; expense? After all, if a person is really shopping for a new boat, can&amp;rsquo;t they find all the specifications, safety information, quality and pricing they want on the boat brand&amp;rsquo;s web site? Further, they could consult with friends or current owners via social media web sites like Facebook to discuss performance and satisfaction. So, why have shows?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-filefield field-field-imgfiles&quot;&gt;
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            &lt;div class=&quot;field-item odd&quot;&gt;
                    &lt;a href=&quot;/features/feature/future-boat-shows&quot; class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/teaser/2011/03/future-boat-shows/open_shot.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;open_shot&quot; title=&quot;&quot;  class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser&quot; width=&quot;90&quot; height=&quot;68&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/features/feature/future-boat-shows&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
     <comments>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/feature/future-boat-shows#comments</comments>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/features/feature">Feature</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/related/boat-show">Boat Show</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/related/industry">Industry</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/issue/mar-apr-2011">Mar Apr 2011</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/author/ron-hein-executive-vice-presid">Ron Hein; Executive Vice President; Foresight Research</category>
 <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:20:57 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>glbm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">2919 at http://greatlakesboating.com</guid>
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    <title>Princecraft</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/princecraft</link>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Since 1954, Princecraft has been building upon a foundation of the highest-quality aluminum boats. The company&amp;rsquo;s mission is to create unparalleled experiences on the water for ﬁshing and boating enthusiasts with &amp;ldquo;professionally rigged and ready&amp;rdquo; packages of aluminum ﬁshing boats, pontoon boats and deck boats. The aluminum ﬁshing and pontoon boats featured here are a sample of Princecraft&amp;rsquo;s lineup for 2011.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Like all Princecraft boats, the models proﬁled here are covered by a transferable lifetime limited warranty on many items. The boats&amp;rsquo; design and construction are certiﬁ ed by the Canadian Coast Guard and the National Marine Manufacturers Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Platinum SE 186&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The meticulously designed Platinum SE 186 delivers maximum performance, comfort and amenities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-filefield field-field-imgfiles&quot;&gt;
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            &lt;div class=&quot;field-item odd&quot;&gt;
                    &lt;a href=&quot;/features/boat/princecraft&quot; class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/teaser/2011/03/princecraft/platinumse_186lac_2028.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;platinumse_186lac_2028&quot; title=&quot;&quot;  class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser&quot; width=&quot;60&quot; height=&quot;90&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/princecraft&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
     <comments>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/princecraft#comments</comments>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat">Boat</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/related/princecraft">Princecraft</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/issue/mar-apr-2011">Mar Apr 2011</category>
 <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:49:03 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>glbm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">2918 at http://greatlakesboating.com</guid>
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    <title>Cruisers Yachts</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/cruisers-yachts-0</link>
    <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;With the new, stylish 48 Cantius Sport Coupe, Cruisers Yachts has created an innovative product without compromising comfort or function.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The upper salon is complemented by the walk-through windshield, power actuated 71-by-71-inch sunroof with manual sun shade and upper salon glass door for 360 degrees of visibility. There&amp;rsquo;s also an air vent on the walk-through windshield door to allow for natural ventilation. Standard features of the upper salon include a wet bar, including sink, bottle storage and trash receptacle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cruisersyachts.com&quot; title=&quot;www.cruisersyachts.com&quot;&gt;www.cruisersyachts.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;48 Cantius&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-filefield field-field-imgfiles&quot;&gt;
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            &lt;div class=&quot;field-item odd&quot;&gt;
                    &lt;a href=&quot;/features/boat/cruisers-yachts-0&quot; class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser imagecache-linked imagecache-teaser_linked&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/teaser/2010/12/cruisers-yachts/cruisers_48cantius_j5t3973.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;cruisers_48cantius_j5t3973&quot; title=&quot;&quot;  class=&quot;imagecache imagecache-teaser&quot; width=&quot;90&quot; height=&quot;60&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/cruisers-yachts-0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
     <comments>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat/cruisers-yachts-0#comments</comments>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/features/boat">Boat</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/related/cruisers-yachts">Cruisers Yachts</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/related/industry">Industry</category>
 <category domain="http://greatlakesboating.com/issue/jan-feb-2011">Jan Feb 2011</category>
 <pubDate>Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:08:43 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>glbm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">2609 at http://greatlakesboating.com</guid>
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    <title>Bodrum&#039;s Gulets: Charter/Ownership/Festival/Regatta</title>
    <link>http://greatlakesboating.com/features/port-call/bodrums-gulets-charterownershi</link>
    <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-content-taxonomy field-field-author&quot;&gt;
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              By:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
                    Ned Dikmen        &lt;/div&gt;
              &lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot;&gt;
                      &lt;div class=&quot;field-label-inline&quot;&gt;
              By:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
                    Karen Malonis        &lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bodrum, described by the Greek poet Homer as &amp;ldquo;the land of eternal blue,&amp;rdquo; is the crown jewel of Turkey&amp;rsquo;s southwestern Aegean coast, and is known worldwide as a resort that offers the best in seaside living. &amp;ldquo;Bodrum&amp;rdquo; refers not only to the town, but also to the peninsula on which it is situated. The area has an abundance of architectural and historical signiﬁcance, including the 15th-century Castle of St. Peter located on the harbor front; ancient windmills; white, dome-shaped cisterns known as gümbets where travelers and their animals used to stop and quench their thirst; and classic wooden sailing boats known as gulets that ﬁll the harbor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With accommodating weather, Bodrum is surrounded by natural beauty and preserved antiquities. About 2.9 million tourists visit the area yearly, mainly during the summer. And Bodrum is becoming increasingly popular in early fall.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field field-type-filefield field-field-i