A Better Boat for the Boys
Kevin Offerman at the helm of Rockstar Day. Jeanne Craig
A Mag Bay 43 gives a couple the thoughtful design they need to keep their twin boys at ease on the water.
By Jeanne Craig published on soundingsonline.com
When Kevin and Kristy Offerman started dating, boating was one of the things the Florida natives loved to do together. She was new to the sport, but he had spent his whole life around powerboats, including the commercial vessels he ran when he worked as a licensed captain. From the beginning, Kristy always felt comfortable on board with Kevin. “He’s experienced, and he’s always very cautious out there,” she says.
The couple bought their first family boat a few years after the births of their twin boys, Kyle and Kameron. The 42-foot center console by Motion Powerboats served them well for almost a decade. Not long after they sold it, Kevin began research about which boat to buy next. That analysis brought the couple to the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show in 2025 to check out the Mag Bay 43 CC, a center console with a reputation for exceptional finish and detailing.
“That show is where it all went down,” Kristy says. The boat instantly won them over, and the couple made a deposit for a new build. That same day, they celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. “It was everything that Kevin and I wanted in a boat, but at the same time, we had to make sure it was right for our boys.”
Kameron and Kyle are sweet, funny and close-knit 13-year-olds with unbridled enthusiasm for many things, including boats. At the same time, they’re autistic children who sometimes find boat rides challenging. The motion of a vessel, engine noise, wind and a constantly shifting environment can trigger sensory overload and anxiety. And those reactions can make it hard for Kevin and Kristy to keep the boys comfortable while also ensuring they remain safe around decks, rails and open water.
The boys were nonverbal until age 5. When they were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Kevin and Kristy searched and searched for an applied behavioral analysis program to encourage communication, social skills and more. When they found Family Initiative, “their lives changed for the better,” Kristy says.