Social Distancing Out on the Open Water - Engine Builder Magazine

Social Distancing Out on the Open Water

I’ll spare you the Coronavirus recaps and regurgitating all the information we have been constantly bombarded with every day. If you’re anything like me, it’s beginning to get tiresome, though important. What we do know is social distancing and stay-at-home orders are effective and have drastically reduced the impact of the COVID-19 virus. 

I’ve been staying at home as much as possible the past month or so now. It took some getting used to when Babcox Media initially sent us all to our home offices back on March 13, just ahead of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s stay-at-home order, which has been extended to May 1st as of writing this column. It felt like we were in a movie back in mid-March – major events getting cancelled and postponed, restaurants, bars and other small businesses shutting down, sports going on hiatus, no groups larger than 10 people, masks, gloves, awkward situations passing people on the sidewalk and in grocery stores, and so on.

However, as we humans do, we have adapted. I know I have adjusted to working from home. My schedule has changed a little and who I see on a regular basis has drastically diminished, but using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Dropbox, email and all the other tools available to a publishing company like ours, has made the transition pretty streamlined.

Of course, the engine building industry has adapted also. Many shops have been deemed essential and continue to do great work, while some manufacturers have temporarily shutdown to protect their employees or are operating on skeleton crews to keep filling orders. Others with the necessary means, have been changing their manufacturing to help make masks, ventilator units or parts and hand sanitizer for the greater good, and that’s awesome to see! 

It’s great to see an industry like ours work to get through this tough time together. And speaking of social distancing, I’ve been doing my part by getting outside for weekly rides on my bicycle to get some exercise and clear my head. While that’s been my escape, many people around the country with access to oceans, lakes and rivers have had something else on their minds – getting their boats in the water!

I can’t blame them for that, and what better way to socially distance yourself than to leave land in your wake. In that spirit, we give you our April issue devoted to marine engines. Enjoy! EB

You May Also Like

Brand Loyalty – is it a Thing of the Past?

Well folks, it’s late September and summer has officially come to a close. If you’re like me, you’ll miss those warm weather days and longer hours of daylight, but it’s been a great few months of race events, car shows, seeing customers, visiting shops, and of course, creating tons of content. In fact, one of

Well folks, it’s late September and summer has officially come to a close. If you’re like me, you’ll miss those warm weather days and longer hours of daylight, but it’s been a great few months of race events, car shows, seeing customers, visiting shops, and of course, creating tons of content. In fact, one of those content pieces that will be big for us this fall is Engine Builder’s Dream Engine Giveaway – a twin-supercharged 427 small block Ford we are building with Chris Wright of Pro Car Associates / MVT. You can enter to win this engine here: . We’ll be sharing updates via our website, YouTube and social media channels as we get the build done in time to be given away at PRI in December. But, all of that is for another time.

Engine Builder Attends SBI’s 40th Anniversary Gala

If there’s anything that these past couple years has demonstrated, it’s that nothing is for certain in life or in business. In these days of such ever-changing environments, economies, consumer habits and the like, it’s more than impressive when a company reaches a major milestone. In July, the team at S.B. International, located in Nashville,

SBI Gala
Summer Vibes and a Dream Engine Giveaway

How can you not love summer? Sure, it gets hot, but it definitely beats the cold, and there’s so much going on to occupy your time. Here at Engine Builder, our team has stayed extremely busy attending racing events, shows, visiting manufacturers and engine shops, as well as our usual content work.

Think You Got What it Takes to Brawl?

First things first, I’m not referring to a fist fight, but I’m sure most of this crowd could hold their own. Rather, I’m referring to a new drag race event called Builder’s Brawl.

Passion Runs Deep

Having had the distinct opportunity to view this industry from my chair as editor of Engine Builder has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of great things this industry has going for it. However, my favorite thing about it – hands down – is the passion. Related Articles – PRI 2021: What a Show

Other Posts

Klotz Pure Estorlin Marine

Klotz Pure Estorlin Marine is high-performance lubricant for marine four-stroke engines.

EB Takeover: Mesa Balancing Racing Engines

We’ve been following Mesa Balancing Racing Engines and shop owner Lazaro Mesa for a number of years now, and the shop’s engine work never ceases to amaze us. We recently got Laz to takeover our Instagram account (@enginebuildermag) and showcase Mesa Balancing live. Join him on a tour of the shop to see what Mesa

Building Big Block Marine Engines

Find out what it takes to build a formidable marine engine.

Marine Engines
EB Takeover: Grose Racing Engines

Our latest Instagram Live Takeover features Joey Grose of Grose Racing Engines located in Lodi, CA. This engine and machine shop does high-performance work for car and boat racing applications, and just got some new machine equipment as well. Check it out! Related Articles – Wilkins Racing Engines’ 632 cid Big Block Chevy Nitrous Engine