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Hampton Endurance 658:
3 Staterooms and Ocean-Ready
Docking control aboard the Hampton 658 Endurance is simplified by twin “wing stations” to port and starboard on the aft deck which control the engines and bow and stern thrusters. She has large rudders and is remarkably responsive to the helm, according to our test captain. In every regard she is an owner/operator boat. Nevertheless, our test vessel had a crew cabin, an ideal place for extra guests, a nanny, or delivery captain. When buying a boat like this, an owner can pretty much design the layout. Her interior finish work is up to world-class motoryacht standards, and is ruggedly constructed.
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New Features Video
Yamaha FX Limited SVHO:
New Top-Shelf WaveRunner
The Yamaha FX Limited SVHO combines the best of many models into one luxurious, high tech, high performance ride that's loaded with extra features to improve ride, comfort and safety. Premium features include Cruise Assist and the RiDE system, which allows for shorter stops with a combination of a quickly-dropped reverse bucket and cutting engine rpms. The system also improves handling around the docks, according to our test captain.
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New Test Video
Sea Ray Fly 460:
Fully-Loaded Fly Bridge Yacht
With the cockpit, galley, and salon on the same level and a 14'2" (4.32 m) beam, the Sea Ray Fly 460 is a good candidate for at-anchor or dockside entertaining. She comes fully loaded with everything to make the family at home afloat, right down to a Dyson vacuum system and a zone-controlled reverse-cycle heating and cooling system. The flybridge helm has full Mercury SmartCraft instrumentation with a VesselView screen, a Raymarine es12 12.1” (30.73 cm) widescreen with integrated 4 kW radar, and another full glass cockpit is found at the down helm.
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Test Video
Grady-White Freedom 235:
Salty Styling in a Dual Console
The Grady-White Freedom 235 is set up not only for fishing, but for seating comfort, sun lounging, skiing and family entertaining. The lockable port console compartment is a step up from the usual on a fishing boat, with dome light, portable head, mirror, storage and teak and holly sole. With her trademark “Rybovich” sheer line, even from a distance she is unmistakably "Grady-White,’’ ready to handle open sea as well as the largest inland lakes.
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Features Video
Four Winns TS242:
Dedicated to Wake Surfing
The Four Winns TS242 is a dedicated watersports machine equipped with all the extras necessary for some serious board sports. Its features include huge auto-fill ballast tanks, trim tabs, wakeboard tower, Zero-Off speed control, premium audio system and more. She's powered with the Forward Drive sterndrive system which has the props tucked 26" forward of their conventional location. The TS242 combines the advantages of an outboard tow boat with those of a sterndrive without the expense and disadvantages of an inboard.
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Test Video
Regency 220 LE3 Sport:
Upscale Pontoon Boat w/ Power Top
The REGENCY 220 LE3 is an upscale pontoon boat that includes an 11' (3.35 m) color-keyed Bimini top with power-up and power-down feature, LED lights and storage pockets. She also has a full-width swim platform with simulated teak flooring, ski tow pylon and fold-down reboarding ladder. Twin reclining lounges in the stern let passengers stretch out and watch the action on the tow-line.
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Test Video
Riviera 6000 Sport Yacht:
Flexible Four-Stateroom Layout
The Riviera 6000 Sport Yacht has a flexible four-stateroom layout with luxurious full-beam master, three bathrooms, contemporary and stylish hull windows and portholes, dual electric sliding sunroofs and fixed skylights. Dual stairways access the broad teak swim platform, and there's a "garage" that can handle a tender up to 10.5 feet long under the cockpit. Large hullside windows provide lots of ambient light below decks, while a sliding sunroof brightens the salon.
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Features Video
Beneteau Swift Trawler 50:
Sensible, Stylish and Thrifty
The mission of the Swift Trawler 50 is to provide safe and comfortable passages along the coast and to nearby islands for a couple or a large family at a reasonable price. Powered with twin 435-hp diesels, she had a top speed of 21.3 knots in our tests. At 7 knots, she has a range of 1371 NM on her 714-gallon fuel capacity. She is competitively priced and annual maintenance costs are low.
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Comparison
We Compare 43'-46' Flybridge Cruisers
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Sea Ray Fly 460
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Prestige Yachts 460
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Galeon 430 Skydeck
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Aquila 44
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This week we round up four flybridge cruisers ranging from 43' to 46'. For many boaters, a forty-something-footer without a flying bridge is not worth considering. Not for them the jaunty express, but rather they prefer the wind-in-the-face, sunshine-on-the-shoulders experience of life on the flying bridge. What better place to work on a tan, enjoy a 360-degree view of the horizon, or watch the sunset, cool drink in hand with family and friends? Let’s compare four new boats of the breed.
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New Test Video
Chaparral 227 SSX Surf:
Wake Surf Machine w/ Forward Drive
The Chaparral 227 SSX Surf has a bottom design, ballast system, Malibu Surf Gate™ and a Medallion touchscreen at the helm -- all focused on making her an ultimate wake-surfing platform. The Malibu Surf Gates™ on each side of the hull can be opened depending on which side of the boat a surfer wants the wake enhanced. The cast-aluminum folding arch is standard, as is the Forward Drive, which has forward facing dual props on its sterndrive lower unit.
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Features Video
Cruisers Yachts 60 Fly:
Optioned for Entertaining
Optional joystick control for the twin 725-hp IPS power of the Cruisers Yachts 60 Fly includes stations at the lower helm, the flybridge and in the aft cockpit, greatly easing docking chores. She's built for entertainment, with reverse crescent seating, port and starboard chaise lounges and space for two side-mounted cocktail tables on the bow. The spacious flying bridge is shaded by a hardtop, standard, cocktail table, and lounging areas, and a wet bar, grill and refrigerator is available as an option. Most important, the level of fit-and-finish on Cruisers Yachts is impressive.
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Test Video
MAKO Pro Skiff 21 CC:
XL Flats Fishing Machine w/ 10" Draft
The MAKO Pro Skiff 21 CC floats in just 10’’ of water, making her capable of pursuing reds and bonefish on the shallowest of flats, yet she's got far more fishing space than most ultra-light (and higher-dollar) technical skiffs. Her dry weight is 2,200 lbs. (907 kg), making her easily towable behind most mid-size vehicles, and the galvanized trailer included in the package.
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Captain’s Report
Galeon 445 HTS:
Avant-Garde Styling in a Well-Equipped Cruiser
The Galeon 445 HTS includes numerous extras as standard equipment, including a fold-out Bimini to provide cockpit shade, another for the bow lounges. A hydraulic swim platform and tender garage make her a natural for hauling a small dingy, as well as providing a teak beach for a swim anywhere, anytime. Flush-mounted reboarding stairs on the swim platform automatically fold into place when the platform is lowered.
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Test Video
Sailfish 320CC:
10' Beam plus 24-Degree Variable Deadrise Hull
The Variable Deadrise Stepped Hull of the Sailfish 320 CC has a deadrise that varies from about 22-degrees at the chines to 24-degrees at the keel. The design is aimed at faster planing and stability, as well as a softer ride in choppy seas. With twin 350 Mercury Verado's, she planed in 3.3 seconds in our tests and reached a top speed of 54.4 mph.
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Test Video
NITRO® Z19:
Well-Equipped Basser w/ 68.4 MPH WOT
The NITRO® Z19 gets exceptional speed out of the standard 200-hp Mercury Optimax Pro XS, planing in 2.9 seconds in our tests and topping out at 68.4 WOT—almost as fast as larger bassing machines with 250s, but without the fuel penalty. She's a turnkey package complete with the outboard, Minn Kota® trolling motor, Lowrance® fishfinder and a custom-fitted trailer with swing-away tongue, priced at $33,695.
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Test Video
Scarab Open 195 Fish:
Jet-Powered CC for Fishing & Fun
The Scarab Open 195 Fish can support many different missions from towing water toys, sandbar relaxing, exhilarating jet-boat maneuvers, and, of course, fishing. She has all the basics for angling, including rod holders, baitwell and fish box, and the unique flip-down transom makes a convenient aft casting platform -- or can serve as a swim platform when the mission is swimming or tow sports. She's powered with a supercharged 250-hp Rotax jet, providing speeds to 45.6 mph. And, she has a price that won’t break the bank.
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Test Video
Robalo R242:
Twin Power -- 45.6 MPH WOT
The Hydro-Lift Hull of the Robalo R242 has relatively wide reversed chines which help to put the boat on plane quickly and keep it there at low rpms, an advantage during long runs in rough water as well as for tow sports. They also make the boat more stable at rest. The 22-degree deadrise is a plus for a softer ride. The trim tabs are recessed into the aft edge of the hull, assuring they won't tangle lines.
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New Consumer Article
How to Choose a Boat Trailer
Not only is a boat trailer a good way to save on the cost of a seasonal slip and winter haul-out, but it also means that the world can become your cruising oyster. With one, a boat in the Midwest can explore exciting coastal locations – or, visit different inland lakes and rivers. There are launch ramps everywhere. When you choose a trailer, there are important criteria to note, such as size, tongue weight, and whether the trailer has single or multiple axes.
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