World Cat bills their 290 EC as a boat that appeals to fishermen and family weekenders
alike. Well, we’ve heard that before, and what we tend to get is little more than
a fishboat with a V-berth. Not so this time, though. To put the 290 EC to the reality check,
we sent Capt. Steve to give it a look, and it appears as though the folks at World Cat
have a winner on their hands. At least that’s what Capt. Steve tells us. So what
makes this boat so special? It’s not the twin hull. Grab your tackle and overnight
bag and come aboard --
Capt. Steve Says
Formula 292 FASTech:
When You Feel the "Need for Speed"
Formula hasn’t forgotten that the go-fast crowd needs
a quality boat too! That’s why this builder of premium boats has created their
FASTech line. These boats are not your family weekenders, nor are they built in
some gear-head’s garage with chromed headers, a lick and a prayer and a howdy-do.
They are designed for getting you where you want to go before the other guys – safely
and with class. So not only will you arrive in style, get first crack at the prime
dock space, but
you will also be proud of the horse you rode in on. The Formula 292 FASTech
is the smallest entry in the company’s go-fast product line -- but it sure isn’t
entry level.
We sent Capt. Steve to take a look and report back. Strap yourself in and hang on
--
In the current economic downturn Regal Marine has been one of the least affected boat builders. In trying to figure out why, it occurred to us that Regal had released an exciting new product this spring just when many other companies were squirreling away their few remaining acorns. There is nothing like having the newest, hottest product in a category to capture the buyers who are in the market, and Regal has done that this year. We sent Capt. Steve down to Florida to give a full test and wring out the new Regal 2100 RX powered by a 300-hp 5.7 L stern drive engine. This sleek new Regal sportboat is a three-ring watersport circus.
Join Capt. Steve aboard --
Our opinion of the new ProStar 214V is that of the old one. This is a machine built
for the pros, as well as the serious enthusiast. The team at MasterCraft tells us
that they have repositioned the engines to open up a new design for the cockpit,
and to our eye it works great. Even though this is still the same hull, the 214V
is a new boat, with oversized port side ski locker, standard under-seat cooler
and a much roomier floor space. Another note for the model is the optional Barefoot
Training System (BTS) windshield combined with the forward removable ski pylon.
Captain
John Wenz gave this model a thorough shack down, so kick it here to see his report.
Over the last five years or so Tahoe has been the fastest growing new brand in boating. But why? Certainly one reason is that is it owned by the Tracker Marine organization which has over 200 dealers, including many giant Bass Pro Shoppes. But there is more to Tahoe’s popularity than retail outlets or even its “No Hassle” low price structure. The fact is that Tahoe has packed about every function imaginable into this 195 I/O deckboat, and has done it in a professional, good-looking way. Watch our video --
Yanmar Marine USA Corp recently introduced this program to provide savings for boaters
up to $1,700 per engine when they repower with Yanmar. This applies to all retail
repower engine sales between June 8 and August 31, 2009, with the purpose of giving
a pleasure boat customer who is thinking about repowering a reason to act now.
Yanmar offers an extensive range of recreational and commercial diesel engines from
9.1 to 900-hp. This rebate is only available through participating Yanmar dealers/distributors
in North and South America.
Packing heat in the form of a 1,498cc 260-hp rated supercharged
power plant, this high-end PWC was obviously designed for riders who know what they’re
doing. At just over 7,700 rpms it produces a max thrust of 1,585 lbs. through its
155 mm jet pump. Weighing in at 1,062.8 lbs. (wet) that’s a thrust-to-weight ratio
greater than 1:1 -- can anyone say F/A-18 Hornet!? Kawasaki is #3 in PWC sales but the
company is trying to change that with this new machine which has to be fast out of
the blocks.
There’s plenty that we like under the hood and only a few things we don’t. Squeeze your throttle here --
The team at BoatTEST has spent the last few weeks searching for new and non-current
boats which are exceedingly good values and are available at prices that you will
not find anywhere else. BoatTEST is very familiar with the Albemarle model line
and in addition to locating a 290XF that is a "Special Find, we also had Capt. Steve
conduct a
review. To see Captain Steve's full report, come aboard here.
Wellcraft is over 50 years old and has built more than 100,000 units, an impressive achievement that few boat builders can match. Wellcraft’s 7-boat “Coastal Series” has been quite popular the last few years and we think that is for two distinguishing reasons: 1) they are all express fishboats, even the 21, 23, and 25-footers; and, 2) all except the 360 are outboard powered and there are hardly any outboard express competitors. Further, Wellcraft simply doesn’t have a lot of competition in this niche with any kind of power and as a result it is getting all of the anglers who want to move from center consoles or walkarounds to the advantages of an express design.
Take
a look at the details on the Wellcraft 270 Coastal --
Have you ever run your finger along the face, or edge, of a prop and felt a pitted area? If you have, then you know what cavitation can do to a prop. Given enough use, that pitting will only get deeper and you will end having to replace the prop. The causes of cavitation have always been somewhat of a mystery to us, so we asked the experts at PowerTech!, to give us the technical explanation for this phenomenon.
You’ll be surprised at what really happens --
Fishing offshore requires a boat that has the muscle to
get you out and back safely. For decades anglers have gravitated toward 23’ center consoles
because they are not too expensive, yet they are big enough to feel comfortable
going offshore. The Pro-Line 23 Sport comes from a pedigree of hard working boats
that never cringe at getting the job done, and have a good reputation with anglers
from Florida to Maine. We sent Capt. Steve to climb aboard and give the Pro-Line
23 Sport a look-see and then report back to us. Check out his findings here --
The team at Shurhold has been at it again, this time their
aim was to improve on an old favorite, the buffer/polisher. With many boaters turning
to a more DIY approach over the last year, Shurhold wanted to give them something
to help out. This new Dual Action Polisher is a marine specific professional grade
tool designed for everyday boaters to provide the ability to buff, wax, and polish
their boat like a professional. Plug it in as we take a closer look --
One of the most important functions of the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association)
is to safeguard consumers by making sure that boats built and sold in the U.S. meet
ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council) standards. Before you buy, look for proof
of NMMA Certification. (Not all boats and boat brands are certified!) There are
many critical areas of boat construction, that if not done right could lead to accidents,
and that is why certification is so important. For example, all seats and seat installations
in NMMA Certified boats are actually tested to make sure they can withstand both
static and shock loads. All steering and throttle controls must meet rigid ABYC
criteria for installation reliability. Electrical capacities of breakers and fuses
must not exceed the tolerance of appliances and wiring, all of which are checked
by NMMA inspectors on a model-by-model basis. Watch this short informative BoatTEST video on NMMA Certification,
it is eye-opening --
Chartering
Chartering
in Maine
This Grand Banks 36 is well-maintained and purrs along like a kitten at a steady 8 knots at 3000 rpm. You’ll spend much more money on lobster than fuel.
One of the best cruising grounds in the world is Maine and the best time to do it is in August and September. Yes, September, is one of the state’s best-kept secrets. We chartered there last September and had a great time chugging around Penobscot Bay in a Grand Banks 36 that has two surprisingly large staterooms with en suite heads. The single-engine diesel is easy to handle. Rates for the GB 36 are $4k for August and $3.5k for September per week, and $500 less for the GB 32. Charter fees will be prorated if you just want a boat for a few days. Contact Jerry or Lois at Buck’s Harbor Marina, www.bucksharbor.com;
207-326-8839.
The folks at Royal Purple claim their products deliver superior protection and improve performance in both gasoline and diesel marine engines, two-stroke or four-stroke.
They also say that their synthetic oil increases horsepower, reduces engine wear and emissions. We can’t attest to any of that, but we can say that in tests conducted by BoatTEST of Royal Purple compared with conventional oil, engines with Royal Purple recorded 10.7% better fuel economy on average over a normal rpm operating range. Learn more about Royal Purple oil for marine applications --
We publish an “Accident of the Week” from time to time to inform our readers about dangers in boating or improperly using a boat in hopes that it will help prevent accidents in the future. Boating safety starts with understanding what can happen. We also hope that our readers will pass on what they have learned to their boating friends. Our duty is to inform. So it is with a deep feeling of regret that we relay
the following news item of an accident that occurred last Monday in northern Indiana.
Read the story --
Now that we’ve seen how successful the Federal Government’s “Cash for Clunkers”
program was for auto dealers and Detroit, isn’t it about time that the feds help
boat dealers? After all the boat business is in far worse shape than the auto industry.
And why should the taxpayer help only one class of dealer and not another? What
ever happened to equal opportunity at the public trough? Just think of the
benefit to the environment of getting rid of all the derelicts you see permanently
moored in people’s yards, or rotting in boatyards around the country? And think
of the benefits of getting rid of all of those old 2-stroke engines which spit oil
into the waterways? Why not have the government pay $4500 each to every new boat buyer
who turns in a derelict boat? What do you think --
Boating Education
"BoatTEST.com's Video Boating Course"
by Capt. Steve Now FOR SALE
For the last year we have played Capt. Steve’s educational videos on boat handling, piloting, seamanship, navigation and rules of the road. This weekly feature has been so successful that we have collaborated with Capt. Steve to bring you the “BoatTEST.com
Video Boating Course” which covers everything you need to know to go boating with confidence and expertise. The course has over 300 video clips – the same ones you have been seeing in our weekly newsletter and on the BoatTEST.com website – as well as many that you haven’t seen. The course also incorporates far more than we have shown on BoatTEST, including tests, check lists, Rules of the Road, a Nautical Dictionary and much more. Now you can get the complete course on 8 interactive CD-ROMs to play on your computer at home for just $69.95, plus $5 postage and handling. Find out more and how you can get this incredible video learning package --
For nearly 500 years mariners dreamed of finding and traversing the Northwest Passage.
Over the years more than 300 men died in pursuit of this holy grail and some of
the best arctic tales have come from its quest. With the advent of global warming,
the Northwest Passage is now expected to be ice free long enough to permit yachts
to
travel its wondering course. Indeed, this year no fewer than seven yachts are attempting
to make the passage, five going from east to west, and two going from west to east.
Two of the seven are powerboats. This is the story of one of them, the Nordhavn
57 Bagan. Installment #3 from Greenland to Beechy Island --
This week Capt. Steve goes over seven new lessons and guidelines on what to
do if you run aground. Your first reaction may be to panic, but try not to, as you
may damage the hull even more by trying to back your boat out or move the boat too
aggressively. Assess the whole situation carefully. If you run aground on a sandbar
at low tide, your hull may be fine, you can set out an anchor and wait until the
tide rises. Capt Steve will go over what to do in different scenarios should you
find yourself in shallower than desired water. 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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