Tested by Capt. Bob Smith

Maxum’s new lineup for 2004 was open for inspection by their dealers recently in Ft. Myers, FL at the Sanibel Harbor Resort Marina. We were invited along to test several of their new models and as soon as we could wrestle away the boats from the dealers, we were off running up and down the intercoastal waterway having a blast and getting some great information for you. My test boat was the 2700 SE, which has a distinctive design and equally agile ride.

Specs

The 2700 SE is 28’1” long overall and 29’2” fully rigged. She carries a beam width of 9’5” and weighs 7,400 lbs with her standard engine package. Her hull commands a draft of 22” and with the drive down, she only needs 39” below her hull. She can carry up to 89 gallons of fuel and has a fresh water capacity of 30 with a 20-gallon waste water capacity.

Layout

Maxum uses the beam forward design which increases entertainment space in the cockpit and enhances room below. You really end up feeling like you have a boat of much larger size than the 28 feet she is. Entering the boat from the fixed pier was ok, but the arch got in the way with its swept back design. There is a good handrail to hang onto and non-skid for sure grip under foot, but remember to duck on entry! The arch has two JBL speakers and two lights mounted in it. The step down to the swim platform was a good one, so boarding from a floating dock is the easiest. There is a storage bin in the stern for fenders and wet lines, as well as a handy rail for balance while hanging out on the stern platform.

The stern platform is 23” deep and has a telescoping ladder with handrail so you can get yourself out of the water without help from aboard. The stern cockpit area has two facing benches with a removable table that fits into the engine hatch. Cup holders and a convenient drainable box with a lid are to starboard and a wet bar is to port.

Engine Access

The engine hatch has two pulls, but really only one is easily reached or necessary. Room down around the engine is fabulous. It’s deep and spacious, and when it comes time to do some engine service, you will appreciate the room here.

The Helm

Back up topside, you have lots of seating room including a port side sun lounger and wide helm bench with slide adjustment and bolster. The U-lounger in back has a filler cushion to make that space another large sun bathing area. Cup holders and top side storage is plentiful. The helm had complete instrumentation including a Danforth flush mount compass, digital depth indicator and full analog gauges as well as a 12vdc outlet for portable devices. The tilt wheel was padded and had power assisted steering.

Three steps lead up to the wide dash and on through the walk-through windshield. Out front is an anchor station with roller and hawser pipe for line going into the locker. A large translucent bow hatch breaks up the expanse forward. The windshield is a wraparound green safety glass and has a starboard mounted windshield wiper.

The Cabin

Back down to the cabin, the entry is through a sliding door and down three steps. You need to prepare to turn to port for the last step or you will take a 20” step down to the floor of the cabin if you step straight ahead. You have about 74” of headroom in the cabin and 39” at the head of the bunk under the cockpit. There’s an abundance of light and room in this layout. The galley is to port with sink, cook top and microwave. The refrigerator is a dual voltage refrigerator so you can keep things cold underway as well as at the docks. The full wet head has lots of room for a stand up shower. There is plenty of room to sit around the table in the bow area, and room enough for two couples or a small family to sleep overnight in the cabin. There are over 100 standard items and another 37 optional items you can choose to add on to this model, many more than I can talk about in such a small space.

Performance

I enjoyed taking her out for testing and the helicopter shoot. She drove through the bumps with ease and handled well in turns. In tight turns, she lost some speed, but that is expected. I got a lot of extra looks from the boats passing by. We found she was out of the hole in only 7.2 seconds and was passing 30 mph in only 13 seconds. Trolling along at idle, she burns .9 gallons per hour and at cruise she is turning 3500 rpm at 24.1mph. At cruise she is burning about 10.2 gph and has a range of 189 miles. We found top end turning about 4800 rpm, which burned 21.1 gallons per hour at 38.5 mph. At top end you can expect to run about 146 miles on the tank. Sound readings ran from a low of 62 at idle to a high of 90 dBa at top end.

Maxum’s 2700 SE has a powerful yet agile ride that is matched with artistic design for a lifetime of family enjoyment underway. She has plenty of room topside for entertainment during the day and lots of room below for a comfortable weekend on the water. If the cruising lifestyle is in your future, be sure to take a close look at Maxum’s 2700 SE.

• Top speed for the Maxum 2700 SE Sport Cruiser is 38.5 mph (62 kph), burning 21.1 gallons per hour (gph) or 79.86 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Maxum 2700 SE Sport Cruiser is 24.1 mph (38.8 kph), and the boat gets 2.36 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 189 miles (304.17 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 250-hp MerCruiser 5.7L.