About Best Boat Report - Best Boat Report

Welcome! Best Boat Report is a website for boaters written by boat owners. Our team collectively has over sixty years of boat-owning experience that range from canoes, kayaks, bowriders, wake boats, center consoles, sport fishers and live aboard sailboats and cruisers!

At BestBoatReport.com we have content for boaters of all levels from beginner to advanced. We even cover related topics like towing a boat, water sports, fishing, and gear you might want to consider for a fun day on the water with family and friends.

About Kern

Hi, I’m Kern Campbell, the founder and primary voice behind Best Boat Report. I built my first boat at the age of nine with two other kids in my neighborhood. It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it floated and it sparked a lifetime passion for boating and being on the water.

Since then I’ve been at the helm of Jon boats, ski boats, center consoles, sport fishers, and my current power catamaran.

Kern Catching a Blue Marlin on a 55 foot Jarrett Bay Sportfisherman Boat in Nags Head NC — Kern catching a white marlin off the coast of North Carolina

I started my boating experience on the lakes of North Carolina and Virginia, but I married into a coastal family and now spend my time offshore fishing and boating in saltwater along the North Carolina coast.

With over 30 years of boating experience, I’ve learned a lot and want to pass along my passion for being on the water. I hope you find the articles my team and I have written helpful and informative.

Kern and Ashley boating in bad weather on a trip to Ocracoke NC — Kern and Ashley are in their rain gear while boating in bad weather. This was a recent trip from Morehead City to Ocracoke NC.

What You Will Find On Best Boat Report

Today, my blog and brand Best Boat Report reflect a more diverse range of boating topics. When I started the blog in 2018, my goal was to help people find the best boat for their needs. As time went along, I realized there are so many other topics that people were curious about so the site has grown to be all about boating and “boatlife” in general.

Thanks to my amazing team, we have published over 400+ boating-related articles across 8 main categories!

Buying A Boat

About Best Boat Report 1 — Here’s a photo from the factory when they were building our 2021 World Cat 280 cc-x. The boat was just about ready for delivery at this point.

Find answers to key questing about buying a new or used boat. Some of our reader’s favorite articles include:

Boat Care

Already own a boat and looking to keep your boat running well and looking good for years to come? We have several great resources for boat maintenance and upkeep:

Boating FAQ

As boaters, we have thousands of questions and there is so much to learn. Every boat has its own unique set of challenges and setup. As a result, we never quit learning during our years of owning boats. In our boating faq section, we aim to answer many of the most common boating questions.

Sailboats

My wife grew up going to sailing camp and both of my girls have been going to sailing camp as well. However, I know just enough about sailing to be dangerous – ha! For that reason, asked my friend Coral to write the sailing content for the site. She grew up living on a sailboat with her family and is an amazing resource.

Water Sports

Everybody loves a day on the water. Here are a few popular water sports articles you may want to review.

Fishing

This is the newest category on the website. I considered making it a standalone blog, but decided to start writing fishing articles here on Best Boat Report. Here are a few you may want to explore:

Towing

You buy a boat and now you’ve got to find a way to get it to the water. That brings us to the ever-popular and often debated topic of towing a boat on a trailer. Check out these popular topics:

Recommended Gear

With every boat purchase comes the need for lots of gear. Some gear is required for safety and by regulation. Other gear is just wanted to have a good time on the water. I went so far as to spend $3000 buying a dozen popular waterproof Bluetooth speakers and testing them to see what the best option would be! That’s the crazy stuff we do to give you the best info regarding our recommended gear.

*Note – The below anchor is amazing for any boat. Not just pontoon boats. For 90% of boaters, this would be an amazing anchor. I use mine as a stern anchor when anchored up at the beach/sandbar and it has never failed me and it is super lightweight!

Fun Facts About Kern

I still own the first boat motor I ever owned. It was a 7.5 hp tiller motor passed down to me from my grandfather along with a 14 ft jon boat. The boat is long gone but the motor is still here.
My boat’s name is “Elevation” because two of my passions have me changing elevation throughout the year. In the Spring and Summer, I spend my free time at the coast fishing and having fun on the boat. As soon as college football season starts, I head up the mountain every weekend to cheer on my Appalachian State Mountaineers!
I didn’t really “get” fishing as a kid. The biggest fish I ever caught growing up was a 2.5-pound carp on a cane pole during a cub scout campout. However, I married into a serious offshore fishing family and after my first trip to blue water in the Gulf Stream I WAS HOOKED! (pun intended – ha!)
While I really enjoy fishing, I truly love being at the helm and putting friends and family on fish, helping them reel in their first Mahi, wahoo, or maybe even a billfish! That’s what gets me excited even more than being the angler.

About Best Boat Report 2 — 7.5 hp Johnson Outboard