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FUNNY, BUT REPLACING AN OLD MARINE STEREO WITH A MODERN, BLUETOOTH-CAPABLE SYSTEM IS NOT QUITE AS EASY AS YOU’D THINK

- Capt. Bill Pike

Was she serious? In a routine-looking email, a rep from Clarion U.S.A. was asking if I’d like to replace the Betty Jane II’s old stereo with the latest-and-greatest from Clarion, try it out for a while, and then write up a review in the magazine. Hmmm. I almost hit the delete button—a prank, undoubtedly. Nice stereos are pricey, sophisticated. Why would a stereo manufacturer want to send its latest-and-greatest to a guy who is, I’ll be the first to admit, several nautical miles from being a stereophonic guru?

I twiddled my thumbs for a bit but then—you guessed it—I succumbed to curiosity and called the lady, since she’d included a phone number. And yup, she said the offer was legit. Clarion, she explained, had been seriously into marketing its marine products back in the day. But, over time, the company had shifted its marketing focus towards all things automotive, while reducing its public presence on the marine side. Now, they wanted to make a comeback.