When we first published the plans of Cruisers Yachts new
sport cruiser she was planned to be 46’. In the last six months she has grown a
foot to the 47’ she is now and the builder has added some amenities. The molds have
been made and hull #1 has been started, and Cruisers Yachts has just released the list
of standards and options for the boat which we are going to report on in the jump.
The Cruisers Yachts 470 has 6’4” headroom in the mid cabin, which is the big news. And she has one other important design aspect that sets her apart from most
Euro-styled boats.
There are not many 47’ express cruising boats built in America, so she is something
exceptional. To find
out why the new 470 is so special --
Formula 37 PC Tested:
2 Staterooms & 30 MPH Best Cruise
We’ve talked about the “Formula Difference” time and again
in the pages of BoatTEST. So it should come as no surprise that this new 37 PC is
yet another example of what you get from a company that, -- yes -- charges more for its
boats. While it may not set new standards for innovation, this Formula 37 PC does
give you a solid feel that you’ve justified your choice for buying a real yacht
rather
than yet another plastic fantastic. We asked Capt. Steve to give his critical eye
a once over and report back to us. And true to form, he had complaints, but as we
expected, more compliments, so score one for Formula against Mr. Cranky. Deck shoes only as you come aboard please --
In the mid 1970s Sea Ray did more than any other brand in the U.S. to pioneer the
concept of the express cruiser. That design, called by Sea Ray the “Sundancer”,
popularized the express cruiser concept and that along with the best dealer network
in the country took the Sea Ray brand to market dominance in the 1980s. Sea Ray’s
330 Sundancer is a descendent of those early 1970s “dancer” models. The current
330 was a development of the 320 which was six years old when replaced in 2007.
So even though this basic design is over a decade old she has the staying power to
stay in the Sea Ray line-up. For that reason we think she makes an ideal
benchmark for people in the market for an express cruiser in the 33’ size range.
Let’s
take a detailed look at this classic design, consider alternatives, and compare
her to other, newer boats in class --
Go on BoatTEST.com’s "new boat search engine", scroll down
to “Cruisers” and see
how many 40’ sedans you come up with. They’re few and far between. That’s because
manufacturers seem to have decided that all boaters want an express cruiser. Meridian Yachts decided early that this
just wasn’t good enough and they would build to fill a gapping market void. Virtually their entire fleet consists of sedans and flybridge
motoryachts. And, go figure, they’re selling like hotcakes in this economy. So much
for the competition knowing what everyone wants. We sent Capt. Steve to give us
his opinion of the Meridian Yachts 391 Sedan, and true to form, he’s never short
of opinions.
He says he can see Russia from the bridge deck --
Update
Larson Cabrio 330 DC:
It's a Floating Party Animal
All too often, we see boats that are built to do everything
but fail to excel in any one particular area. You’ll find this most in the 26-35
foot range. Boats in this range typically have galleys, heads and cabins, because
you’ll always want to spend the night whenever you’re on your boat -- right? But
do you ever really spend the night? In many, perhaps most cases, we don’t
think so. So why bother with the cabins? How about converting “sleepability” to
“entertainablity”? It's called a "day boat!" And while you’re at it, toss in a heap of luxury! This evening's attire is “casual elegant” --
The smallest of the Maine built downeasters that has made Sabre Yachts so easily
recognizable, the 34 Express is a one stateroom, one head layout that a cruising
couple will feel right at home with. And in keeping with Sabre’s philosophy of “spend
nights below and days above” she features a galley up layout that leaves plenty
of room for living below. We asked our died-in-the-wool New Englander, Capt. Steve
to check her out and report back to us. Check out his opinion of this classic cruiser
here --
It is well-known in the boating industry that the Regal 44 Sport Coupe is tough
competition for any brand. She is not a new design, but she just keeps getting better
and better with age as Regal updates, modernizes and tweaks its 44, making a good
thing better. This week we asked Capt. Steve – that oh, so traditional downeaster
– to take a video look at the interior accommodations of the Euro-styled Regal 44
so perhaps we can discover what makes her such a giant killer in the 44’ express
cruiser class. Now that Regal has instituted its new program of direct factory involvement
in the 44 sale, prospective buyers are making deposits to own production spots to
insure May 2010 delivery. Watch the video and see why --
Of all the new boats BoatTEST.com has written about this spring, probably the one that got the most reader interest was the announcement of the new MasterCraft 300 -- the world’s first pickle-fork day yacht. Now – after months of sea trials, testing and tweaking by the perfectionists at the Vonore, Tennessee factory – the new MasterCraft 300 will be taken on a grand tour of the U.S. Everyone who salivated at the beautiful lines of this new MasterCraft, or has just been curious, can run their hands over her topsides and take her out for a test drive for the next 100 days. Find out the MasterCraft 300 U.S. Grand Tour schedule and when
she will be visiting a port near you --
There is no place on earth quite like northern Italy, home of the Renaissance to say nothing of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Gucci, Bulgari, Versace, Armani and about any other high fashion product in any field you can think of. It is the home of the finest leather goods in the world, the finest knitwear and its cabinet-making is the envy of carpenters everywhere. In the middle of all of this industry, design talent, craftsmen, and taste, are several boat builders producing, not surprisingly, the world’s most elegant and refined small boats. One of them is Cranchi. Let’s take a look at the Cranchi Zaffiro 36 --
Shurhold Products manufactures “The Complete Solution” handle and accessories kit
for your boat and RV. With beautiful sunshine and 88 degree weather we decided
to test this product and some of its 40+ attachments. Did it perform as advertised?
Swab your deck here.
Several weeks ago we broadcast a video we made of our test on Long Island Sound
comparing Royal Purple synthetic oil with standard motor oil. It was one of the
highest rated videos that week for viewership and our testing methodology also generated
numerous comments from cynics. The irony is that several months ago when Royal Purple first asked us to test their
oil, we, too, were a doubting Thomas.
So we understand the sentiment. But
the test speaks for itself: the twin 5.0L engines when being lubricated with Royal
Purple actually averaged a 10.7% improvement in fuel economy over the rpm range measured Let’s look at the specifics of the test and answer the skeptics
--
Have you ever wanted to spend three months cruising the Med, the Baltic, the Inside
Passage to Alaska, or Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but didn’t want to pay the
exurbanite charter rates to do so? Now with the merger of Dockwise LTD, the company
that submerges its ships so yachts can steam aboard, and Yacht Path International,
a company that specializes in smaller yacht transport as deck cargo, world-wide
yacht transport is easier than ever before. Now you can ship your 40-footer to virtually
any spot on earth and cruise to your heart’s content. Learn more --
As everyone learned in grade school biology, trees take carbon dioxide, which is causing global warming, and turns it into oxygen through photosynthesis. Taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere is just as important as not putting it there
in the first place. Call us tree-huggers if you want, but we think it is about time that Americans think seriously about leaving the “Wood Age” and entering the “Electronic Age.” Not only is electronic communication (such as the one you are reading right now) faster, cheaper, better – it also saves the trees which can help save us from global warming. Food for thought, courtesy of BoatTEST.com -- your comments please.
Believe it or not there are still 300,000 of the old 2-cycle Detroit Diesel engines on the road and in boats all over the world – out of the 3.5 million that were built since 1940. A high percentage of those old diesels are in boats. Just look for the sheen on the waters in any marina with large boats and you’ll be able to find them -- most old DDAs drip oil which gets into the bilge water, which is pumped
overboard. But the Detroit Diesel brand lives on under the wing of MTU and now the company has launched a new website specifically for owners of the old 2-cycle 71, 92, and 53 series engines. This is a god-send to owners nursing these old lumps of iron along as they blow injectors, weep oil from a dozen locations, and refuse to start on a cold morning. In addition to parts service there is also a place on the site to submit your DDA “stories.” Currently there are only three posted – so we are asking for your help to generate more stories of these “legacy” engines! To find out more and to submit your story (best one wins a coveted Ducky)-- diaper your mouse
We have some good news and some bad news about what is
happening this summer in St. Tropez. The good news is that there are still boats
there of all sizes from the smallest to the largest. The bad news (for some people
anyway) is that going topless is now “out of fashion.” Yup, and string bikinis are
gone, too. (Sorry, girls, you missed your chance!) Even in the playground of Europe’s
rich and frivolous, things have taken a decidedly sober turn. That is not to say
that it is now easy to book a table for lunch at Cinquante Cinq (Club
55) which has been the
coolest spot to see and be seen since Bridget Bardot made it famous in 1956. No.
Bookings at the home-away-from-home of Bernie Madoff is still on a who-do-you-know
basis.
To see our photo essay and to find out more about boating in the French Riviera
this summer --
Call us Ishmael. Or, call us Loony Tunes. It comes under
the heading of "we couldn’t make this stuff up", but Kevin Schopfer, a Boston, Mass.
architect, could and has. Now we believe in thinking out of the box, but Schopfer
is clearly farther out than that. Hey, the man thinks big! This creation is supposed
to be 247’ long and cost $95 million. Paul Allen and Larry Ellison already have
boats, and we don’t think they need any more. But what do we know, yachting has never
been about need, anyway. The project promoters claim to have gotten the world-renowned
design firm of Sparkman
& Stephens involved with this fishy stuff. Olin must be rolling over in his grave. See more pictures, it gets even better--harpoon your
mouse
Last week we left the crew of the Nordhavn 57 as they made
their way to Halifax, Nova Scotia on the first leg of their quest for the Northwest
Passage. The trip so far has been a piece of cake, but now the good ship Bagan will
have to start braving the strong tides and capricious weather in the Canadian
Maritimes
and beyond. What is like to power in these waters? What sort of precautions need
to be taken? What sort of weather service do you need? These questions and others
will be answered by the owner of the Nordhavn 57, Sprague Theobald. Adventure starts here --
This week Capt. Steve goes over seven new lessons and guidelines on how to prevent
your boat from becoming swamped and capsizing. Capt. Steve will go over the primary causes and reasons for swamping which include uneven distribution of passengers or weight in
the boat, taking high speed turns in rough seas, overloading a boat, and anchoring
your boat by the stern. If your boat does become swamped remember to stay calm,
make sure everyone aboard has their life jackets on, and do whatever you can to
keep more water from coming-- and get the water that is in the back out
quickly -- until help arrives. 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.
"Yep, it's the new flat stable hull with optional lazy susan and 4-place setting!
The chicks are gonna love this!" - D. Dale
Second Place "Step right up -- Catch ‘em, clean ‘em, and eat ‘em, all from the same
handy-dandy device. Only 4 payments of $19.95!"
- E. Sackman
Honorable (almost) Mention "Introducing hull #1 of the new Hinckley outboard powered picnic boat.
An evolutionary leap forward balancing the elements of seaworthiness and fine dining."
- C. Lincoln
What's Going on Here?
You write the caption! Will you win the coveted "Ducky Award" for best caption?
We do not SPAM, nor do we sell, rent, or give your member information to ANY third party without your permission. You will receive our FREE weekly e-newsletter, which you may easily cancel at any time
Most of our content, boat tests and videos are available for free viewing. However, there is a small charge for access to archived videos and tests.
