For the last 18 months or so we have all seen the ads,
read the articles and maybe even seen the Sea Spirit Passagemaker 60 at a couple
of boat shows. So where did this boat and new company come from and why is Sparkman
& Stephens taking such an active role in the project? More questions: if a canoe
stern is so good, why did they put a swim platform on it, and, finally, what is
the world’s most famous sailboat design firm doing designing a powerboat? For answers
to these questions and some eye-opening performance revelations --
New Boat
Regal 44 Sport Coupe:
Performs As Good As It Looks?
Regal Yachts' new 44 Sport Coupe has been getting a lot of attention lately. There
are two good reasons for this. First, she’s reported to be a great handling boat,
as well as being good looking. Secondly, the feature that is garnering even more
attention, is her new pricing structure that has this boat being delivered to her
customers at an unbelievable price -- even fully loaded. We’ll be bringing you a
walkthrough of this newsmaker shortly, but first things first. We sent Capt. Steve
to check out the handling and performance of this beauty and report the numbers
back to us. We’ll also tell you how Regal Yachts can hand you the keys at such a
low price.
Come aboard --
The Meridian line of sedans and motoryachts is the only builder in the world that
has what is known as “Docking On Command.” This is a clever control system by which
the skipper can activate the boat’s bow thruster, stern thruster, or both at the
same time to dock the boat. Ever try to dock when there is a cross-current, or a
diagonal current sweeping below the pilings? Worse, try entering a narrow canal
or marina where clearance is 8” on either side of the boat when the tide is going
out! It is at times like those that you will be thrilled to have “Docking On Command”
in addition to your main engines. While it is not as sophisticated as the Axius
or Zeus drive systems, it also costs far less. We asked Capt. Steve to test a Meridian
341 with the system and give us a video report. Take it away captain -- dock the mouse
Doral continues to impress us with its high style and good
craftsmanship. Now the builder is adding
more features into its luxury express cruiser.
The boutique builder’s craftsmen lavish attention on every boat they build so getting
one is almost like having a custom boat built. Doral built the Mediterra with
the specific goal of utilizing the power and control of Volvo’s IPS drive system which
means its hull was designed to take
full advantage of IPS power. Check out her performance
numbers and you’ll see what we mean. We asked Capt. Rob to put this beauty through
her paces. Come aboard as Captain Rob takes a look at the Doral Mediterra.
Rampage is well known to offshore fishermen and often is
the choice for professional fishing boat charter captains. The Rampage 41 Express
can get you out to wherever the big sport fish are lurking and get you back safely
even in some rough seas like you often find in the Gulf Stream. If you are looking
for a tough fishing yacht, you owe it to yourself to consider the Rampage 41 Express. Check out the video review of the Rampage 41 Express --
When it comes to building bigger boats Grady-White has historically
been a follower, not a leader. The reason for that is because Grady has been around
a long time (this year is its 50th Anniversary) and intends to keep it that way.
As a result, a number of very good builders have gotten a march on Grady-White in
the lucrative 30’+ offshore center console fishing market. But now -- in one fell
swoop -- Grady has announced for 2010 its new Canyon Series with models 28’, 30’,
33’ and 36’ – and at the same time has leap-frogged much of its competition. At
the top this all-new line is the impressive Grady-White Canyon 366. The first boat just came out of the factory, and we’re going to
give you a sneak peak. Capt. Steve reports --
Carolina Classics’ 32 is the company’s newest boat and she
is designed to go where the battlewagons tread, but at far less cost. Carolina Classic
specializes in express fishboats, building four models from 25’ to 35’. Yard owner
Mac Privott is well known in the Carolinas as being a no non-sense boat builder
who makes a good boat and stands behind his products and their components [read:
engines] even when some of the component-makers won’t. That’s why we like the guy.
There are a number of express fishboats on the market in the 34’ to 40’ range, so
Privott has cleverly come in with a smaller and therefore less expensive product
that he hopes will appeal to center console folks who are looking for more boat.
To see
if she has the right stuff to handle the job, we sent Capt. Steve to give her the
once over. Capt. Steve’s review --
Many of our members and visitors have told us they would like to purchase a new
boat this year, but are apprehensive about moving
forward in this economy. That
is why the team at BoatTEST.com has created a strategic partnership with the folks
at
Maxum called the "Factory-Backed" Program. Through this program, BoatTEST will ensure
that our members receive world class customer service and consideration as well
as the piece of mind that the factory is behind the deal all the way. The fact is,
due to the economy there has never been a better time to buy a new boat. If you
live near the area and are interested in this or any Maxum model, get connected here.
Sabre started out in life building sailboats in their Maine facility back
in 1970. They’d enjoyed a successful run in the ‘70s and early ‘80s and were generally
considered to be the best production sailboat built on the East Coast at the time.
In 1989 the company discovered power boaters. Their first stinkpot was a tri-cabin
36’ “Fast Trawler” made in the downeast design. It was an instant hit and more models
followed. The latest of the company’s now six model lineup is the 52 Salon Express
Motor Yacht which is about two years old. We asked Capt. Steve, our dyed in the
wool New Englander, to give us his take. Put aside yah lahbstahs and check out ah
review --
In the 1980s this innovative company broke tradition and
created a line of sleek, user-friendly sailboats that captured sailors’ imagination
and won their hearts. Jeanneau now is the largest builder of sailboats in the world.
If the past is prelude, will they do the same thing in the powerboat field? For
the last eight years Jeanneau has been building powerboats and now has ten 30' to
50' express and flying bridge models in their line. Jeanneau calls its powerboat
line “Prestige.” They are modern and innovative and because the company is trying
to break into the U.S. they are comparatively low priced. If you are interested
in something a little different with a European flare you should check out Jeanneau's
Prestige line. Watch
video review of the Prestige 38 S--
If you had asked me ten years ago what I thought of a Volvo marine diesel, I would
have told you that it belongs on a farm tractor in Sweden, not on a boat. The last
few years have seen a marked change. So much change, in fact, that I’ve become a
real fan of the engines coming off of Volvo’s production lines. And it’s not only
me. As a professional yacht captain and a marine surveyor, I get the chance to hear
lots of scuttlebutt. From owners to brokers to mechanics, it seems that all I hear
are positive comments about these motors. Read Capt. John's complete article --
Mainship’s Pilot 45 is an affordable way to go coastal cruising for two couples
or a small family. This 38,000 lbs. displacement boat has a 15’6” beam and is powered
by twin 440-hp Yanmar 6LY3-STP diesels which give her a WOT of 29.3 mph at 3380
rpms. We found best cruise to be at 2750 rpms where the boat goes 22 mph and has
a fantastic range of 632 miles. If you are looking for low cost operating expenses
and twin diesels, you need to know more about the Mainship 45 Pilot. We asked Capt. Rob to give us an in-depth, detailed video look at
this boat --
Even though we have heard for decades that synthetic motor
oil can enhance an engine’s performance we paid that advertising little mind, and
used whatever the boatyard or the marina was selling. But the claims of Royal Purple
finally became too strong for us to resist, so we decided to put the oil to the
test early this summer. We made a video as we were testing in situ to document what
we discovered. As regular readers already know (we have been leaking the news out
because we couldn’t resist), the tests were surprising. The engines we used had
115 hours on them. We put in conventional oil and ran the engines for one hour before
testing to get our control numbers. Then, we changed oil and the oil filter, using
Royal Purple products, and tested once again. What we found was a impressive 6.3%
increase in WOT speed and an improvement in fuel efficiency at best cruise of 9.3%
with Royal Purple synthetic motor oil. Take a look at the test documentary video--
For the last couple of years Yanmar engineers and those at ZF have been
working hard
to mate ZF’s tried-and-proven Zeus pod drive and joystick system to Yanmar’s diesel
engines from 380-hp to 500-hp. In November Yanmar began shipping their diesels with
Zeus pod drives. This is good news for boat buyers because it means they can now
have the lightweight, low profile and cost advantages of Yanmar diesel power and
a pod drive/joystick system, too. Our head-to-head testing of boats has repeatedly
shown that at best cruise speeds diesel-powered boats are 20% to 49% more fuel efficient
when they employ pod drives vs. conventional inboard drives.
See Capt. Rob’s video --
This week we are taking a look at the Shurhold Fishing Gaff. This attachment, which
is one of forty such accessories, is cut from one piece of stainless steel and includes
a safety spring guard. The gaff connects quickly and easily to any Shurhold handle
by utilizing the exclusive SHUR-LOK quick release system that is available on all
Shurhold handles. Knowing their fishing brethren are very particular, Shurhold has
designed a fishing-specific handle series that does everything the original handle
does, but have designed this one with a black body with gold accents wraps and fishing
rod style grips to match the rest of your fishing gear. For more information about Shurhold's Fishing Gaff --
Raymarine has made a voluntary
recall of its SPX5 Sport Pilot.
Raymarine has initiated a voluntary recall of the Raymarine SPX5 Sport Drive Pilot,
according to an alert from the company. Raymarine said it has identified a potential
component problem with the device, which it has sold since February. As a result
of the problem, the device's mechanical clutch assembly may fail, causing the steering
of the vessel to lock in one direction, Raymarine said. Customers should stop using
the products immediately and arrange de-installation and return to the retailer/dealer
where it was purchased. Because it is often difficult to track products bought to
their owners, if you know of anyone who may have this product, please pass this
notice on to them.
Over the years the team at Bertram Yachts has been the first to include many innovations
on their production models including the aft backing station, internal spiral stair,
and the fiberglass centerline fuel tank, to name a few. They were also the first
to offer the Mitsubishi ARG or anti-roll gyro on production sport fishing yachts.
Spend some time with Capt. Robert Smith as he goes behind the scenes at Bertram.
It is a buyers’ market in used boats as well as in new, but there are many more
pitfalls awaiting the unwary used boat buyer. Getting a truly good deal is not as
easy at it seems. Finding a knowledgeable broker who has your interests in mind
and no hidden agendas will be a good start, even for small boats. But ultimately,
after the contract is signed you will be the person who has to live with the decision,
so you need to look out for yourself. Here are a few tips that will help keep you out of shallow water
--
We picked up the July issue
of Car & Driver magazine recently and discovered
that the man who was the greatest editor ever of a special interest magazine is
back as a monthly columnist. His name is David E. Davis, Jr. He spawned a generation
of editors in other fields of special interest magazines struggled (and some still
do)
to bring to their readers truth, criticism, insight, sass and entertainment
instead of the pap
and mediocrity. Davis proved that an “enthusiast” magazine
which relied upon the very companies it covered for its income could also be
truthful, have integrity and in the
case of C&D, be the canary in the coal mine. The coal
mine was Detroit and you know what happened to the canary. What does Davis have
to do with testing boats? More than you know --
When seeing the above pictures the first thing that came to our mind was: “Not ready
for Prime Time.” As most Florida boaters know, there is one thing you do not want
to do and that his harm the sea grass in the Florida Keys. Doing so can result in
state and Federal fines that can result in personal bankruptcy faster than you can
say Lehman Brothers. Recently the Fleming 55 “Freedom” reportedly owned by a Jupiter,
Florida resident, plowed a channel 4/10ths of a mile long off Islamorada. What,
no chart plotter? No depth sounder? No eyes? No brains? It all goes to prove what
we have been saying for years: anyone -- no matter how poor or rich -- can go boating.
Find out more about this channel dredging -- keelhaul your mouse
We couldn’t make this stuff up. Four boaters went cruising on the Indian River on
the east coast of Florida, and were attacked by bees which swarmed from a hive located
on the boat. The intensity of the unprovoked bee attack forced the four boaters
to jump overboard to escape the terrorist bees. It was not reported whether or not
the victims were wearing PFDs. Local observers suggested that perhaps the bees had
become seasick or had objected to the hip-hop music the boaters were blasting from
their stereo. Rescue units saved the four boaters. We have video proof-- sting your mouse
This week Capt. Steve goes over thirteen new lessons and guidelines on how to be prepared
for a man overboard emergency. Having practiced this drill ahead of time with your
crew or passengers is important since they happen so quickly that people have very
little time to react. Capt Steve will go over how to pick someone up in the water
and position the boat downwind, how to improve your chances of getting rescued,
what a Williamson Turn is, and how to treat someone once they’re back aboard for
hypothermia. 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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