Larson has been coming on strong the last few years with innovations, up-grades
and strong styling and their latest new boat -- the 1750 – is the line’s “starter
sportboat.” We’re told that the new model has gotten a good reception at retail
and as we surf the net we see that Larson dealers all over the country have them
in stock and are making deals that range from $19,500 to $15,000, depending
on the engine and options installed. One dealer even says that for a $175 a month
a new 1750 can be all yours. No wonder this model is off to such a strong start
-- the pricing is certainly sharp. We can’t remember the last time we saw a good
brand name like Larson selling new for as little as about $1,000 per foot, but evidently
that’s what’s going on these days. To find out more about the Larson 1750 and what’s going on in the
market --
Regal claims in its introductory promotional download that
its all-new 2100 sportboat will “set the benchmark for small runabouts in every
significant category.” Normally our eye quickly passes over that sort of promotional
hype. But Regal management means what it's promotion is saying: “With hundreds of
models in the 19’ to 22-foot sportboat segment, each using nearly identical claims,
how to tell when a new model truly stands apart?” Then they answer their own question
listing four criteria: “Best Performing,” “Most Comfortable,” “Most Innovative,”
and “Highest Quality.” We can’t wait to test this boat and find out if Regal is walking
the talk. In the meantime, take a look --
According to Ted Haigler, Director of Albemarle Sales and Marketing, for years their
prospective customers had been saying, “If you build an outboard express fishboat,
we’ll buy it.” Well, last year Albemarle started building the 288OBXF and anglers
are buying them, just as promised. In the process Albemarle, which heretofore had
only built inboard boats, discovered a huge new group of anglers who would only buy
an outboard-powered boat. Builders like Pursuit, Contender and Grady-White had long
known that and now they have some serious competition from a North Carolina builder
which is as fishy as they come. Last year, Albemarle left the “Hatteras Collection”
(Hatteras, Cabo and Albemarle – all Brunswick companies) and is now on its own once
again which means that its management can be more nimble and not have to worry about
knocking on Cabo’s door. Finally, the 288 is one of the few boats we can think of
that has virtually everything included in one standard price! Find out more about
the exciting new 288 --
Before you hit the water it’s important to follow these
safety guidelines for PWC use provided by the Personal Watercraft Industry Association
(PWIA). Rules of the water don’t just apply to boaters, they also apply to PWCs
and you must remember that you’re sharing the water with other boaters, swimmers,
skiers and all manner of water lovers out there. These videos cover the basics of
PWC use such as riding rules, what to wear, how to operate defensively, and safety
information. The more you know about your watercraft and how it operates, the safer
you are as a boater. Safe riding!
We love checking out new boats. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes
a new model that breaks the mold and makes you say “why didn’t I think of that?”
You can imagine what their competition says when they are caught with their thinking
caps off. The folks at World Cat are not letting the economy slow them down and have
not only brought out an innovative new model, but a few months ago they also bought
their stiffest competition – Glacier Bay. So now there is a tremendous amount of
cross-pollination going on between the two staffs, the two design approaches, and
now between their two huge cat customer groups, as well. The new 290 CC is the first fruit of this
aggressive approach to the offshore cat concept and it has so many good features, we stopped
counting.
We asked Capt. Steve to take a look and give us a full report --
Perhaps we’re a little more sensitive to the potential debilitating effects of ethanol
in fuel because when it was first introduced to Long Island Sound marinas (BoatTEST.com
is located in Stamford, CT) it caused a summer of hell for many boat owners around
our office. For
some owners of outboard engines we know, the summer was pretty much ruined as dealers
struggled to fix a problem they didn’t understand. When ethanol is placed in marine
fuel it can infect your engine with troublesome maladies too numerous to mention.
Let’s call them ETDs (Ethanol Transmitted Disease). ETDs include clogged fuel filters,
fouled fuel systems, vapor lock, cracked valves due to a lean fuel mix, and even
worse things. Happily you can avoid the worst, and keep your boating
summer running smoothly, if you take some simple, low-cost, precautions --
Believe it or not, 86% of the runabouts sold these days are bowriders. They have
lots of room for passengers and kids love them. Nevertheless, we still have a fond
spot in our institutional heart for the traditional cuddy cabin runabout. Maxum
has managed to capture some of the elegance, style and class of the old cuddies
with their 2100 SC3. We think the Maxum designers have done a good job of styling
a modern boat, yet one that remembers its traditional roots. Just look at that picture
above. Note the beautiful black hull (no Clorox bottle here), teak swim platform,
the graceful bustle in the stern curving down to an ever-so-modern seat on the transom.
Join us as we listen to what our readers have to say about Maxum, sort through engine
considerations, and take a look at some of the features that set this boat apart
--
Not surprisingly, in the highly competitive field of center consoles, the brand with
the lowest price also has the highest sales. But what is even more surprising is the fact
that the second highest selling brand has one of the highest price points!
What
does this mean? Without putting too fine a point on it, it simply means there are large
numbers of buyers who buy on price alone, and a large number who buy quality and brand reputation to
the exclusion of most anything else. In the middle are most of the center console
boat builders who try for a balance of price, quality, features, warranties, and
customer service. If we charted the brands on a four-quadrant grid, in our opinion,
the Hydra-Sports 2000 CC would be next to two or three other brands at the high-quality
end of the low-priced cluster. So if that is what you are looking for, perhaps you should learn
more about the Hydra-Sports 2000 CC --
If you have a young family and you’re waiting until you can afford that shiny new
Cobalt 24, we have some advice: don’t lose this precious summer waiting to be able
to afford it – spring for the Bayliner 245 now. The reason is, that one of the unfortunate
aspects of kids is that they grow up all too quickly – and the summer of 2009 will
only come once. That’s why we are unabashed fans of Bayliner – this builder’s mission
in life is to get as many people on the water for as low a price as possible.
We believe in the
concept. And, we keep saying, if you haven’t seen the new breed of Bayliners, you'll be surprised when you do. The 245 will be able do provide your family with
most any water sport activity from towing, to skiing, wakeboarding, to swimming
to just hanging out with friends and family away from the one-eyed monster. Best
of all this boat is incredibly affordable. To find out more -- hug your mouse.
One of the simple items we look at during a survey are the hose clamps at every through-hull fitting and on any hose below the waterline. What we are looking for, specifically? First, we check to see that all connections
below the waterline are double clamped. We often find that they are not. Hose clamps are not all created equal, and some are
more prone to failure, as you’ll see. If a hose clamp fails and it doesn’t have
a second one as a backup, the vessel is in danger of sinking fast. Learn more --
Each year over 650 Americans die in boating accidents, most of which are due to
operator error. Moreover, boaters all around the world are notoriously careless
when it comes to having required safety gear aboard. Marine police – both paid and
volunteer – are on the water to make it safer for you and your family, so when you
are stopped don’t cop an attitude. As you have seen on these pages, there are some
pretty bad actors on the water. To find out how to deal with marine police and minimize hassle --
heave to here.
This week Capt. Steve goes over ten new video lessons and guidelines on how to trim your
outboard or stern drive boat. You’ll learn about the advantages of trimming your
drive correctly, how to reduce bowrise, when to raise your drive, what to look out
for, and making sure you never run your engine dry. Capt. Steve also talks about
getting weather forecasts before heading out and the importance of having a barometer
aboard, even if it’s a cheap one. These are basic procedures which all recreational
boaters should be aware of. The videos presented this week are part of Capt. Steve’s
USCG-approved boating course called “Smart Boating.” Watch Capt. Steve's video boating
lessons every week on BoatTEST.com.
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