trips around the region to see their kids and even attend a Baltimore Ravens game has been part of the action. While wintering in Naples, Florida, they enjoy visiting Marco, Goodland, Everglades City and the Ten Thousand Islands to the south, and Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach are within easy reach to the north. Jim explains he has owned several other center console brands, and enjoys driving them as much as possible up and down the Mid-Atlantic ICW, even as far as Charleston, SC. While he hasn’t taken the new 34 from Naples to the Florida Keys yet, they plan to make that trip in the immediate future. What does he like most about the 34? Besides being named Unregulated, Jim shares that the boat has earned another nickname—the Beast. “I have had it in some serious sh-t,” he explains. “The 31 was great, but the 34 is heavier, longer and wider. When the Bay is washboarding it gets so short and choppy, and she absolutely crushes it.” When you use a boat as much as the Belliveaus, you’re inevitably going to be faced with some challenging conditions, and the Regulator 34 provides the confidence to tackle just about anything Mother Nature can serve up. Other features unique to his 34 are the additions of FLIR and Starlink systems. The FLIR infrared helps them get back and forth from the beaches and other destinations safely after dark. The Starlink connection provides the peace-of-mind of always being within hailing distance of his business and employees, no matter where their boating excursions take them. These upgrades are in addition to many of the factory standard features offered by Regulator, including the Garmin Offshore Package and Yamaha Helm Master joystick controls, Yamaha digital boat control system and EX Autopilot—all aimed at making the boat as easy and fun to operate as possible. FACTORY TUNED Ordering both of his new Regulators through Bluewater over the last 5-6 years, Jim enjoyed visiting the Regulator Marine factory to check up on the construction of both boats. While doing so he got to know Customer Service Representative Ramsey Skinner and Joan Maxwell, Co-Founder of the company. “Regulator has a great team, and Bluewater is a great support team during and after the sale.” “I loved working with Scott [MacDonald] and Vera [Sohovich],” of Bluewater’s Annapolis office. Scott James in Hampton gets a nod too, for bringing a buyer for the 31 MacDonald listed. After enjoying each others company at boat show parties, Regulator Rallies and orientation in Florida, Jim adds, “Scott MacDonald provided outstanding sales and service to us and everyone I met at Bluewater is now counted among my friends.” Expanding on his growing appreciation for Maxwell and the Regulator brand, he describes recently driving across Alligator Alley from Naples to the Miami International Boat Show to see the debut of the all-new Regulator 35. “They did such a great job marketing and teasing the new boat, I had to go see it. I got to crawl all over it and hope to sea trial one in Annapolis,” he reports. He came away impressed with all the new technology packed aboard, including the Lithium battery system and the newest innovations in gyro stabilizers and attitude systems. He alluded that some of these features may have him thinking about another step up to a new Regulator in the coming years, but for now he’s happy to wait for them to build more hulls of the new model and work out any potential kinks. Plus it’s abundantly clear that in the meantime he’s thrilled to continue enjoying the 34 as much as possible. “We just had her out on Sunday [which was a very windy Easter in Southwest Florida], running to Goodland and back to Gordon’s Pass without a problem,” Jim concludes. His enthusiasm makes it readily apparent he’s looking forward to putting many more miles under the Beast’s hull. I’ve Been Everywhere, Man: Naples | St. Michaels | Baltimore | Chesapeake 9 2025 SEASON
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzI5NTg=