New Palm Beach 70 | Greenline 39 Solar | Buying a Sport Boat - 10/30/19
BoatTEST Newsletter October 30, 2019
New Features Video
Palm Beach 70:
Elegant w/Rich Fit-and-Finish
For those who enjoy the elegance of finely-crafted and flawlessly-finished solid teak, the interior spaces of the Palm Beach 70 will be hard to beat. The amidships master as well as the two other en suites get the full treatment, as does the salon, the galley, the lower helm, and pretty much every interior space. High-gloss contoured wood trim is even continued on the aft deck in door and window treatments. She’s designed for extended cruises, and she includes a dedicated laundry room, which is also fully dressed out in solid teak, of course. See the inspection of this brand new flagship here...
Test Video
Schaefer Yachts 510 Pininfarina:
Easy Handling in the Harbor and Out
Schaefer Yachts 510 Pininfarina
Experienced owner/operators will find the Schaefer Yachts 510 Pininfarina an easy yacht to handle around the harbor thanks to her IPS steerable pod drives and standard joystick control. Captain Steve reports that this Brazilian-built yacht provides excellent visibility both forward and aft from the flybridge helm. She reached a top speed of 32.5 knots at 2800 rpm, burning 57 gallons (215.7 L) per hour with a range of up to 217 nautical miles. Best cruise was achieved at 2600 rpm and 28.7 knots, burning 46.5 gallons (176 L) per hour, giving a range of approximately 234.9 nautical miles with her 423-gallon (1,601 L) fuel capacity. Our test boat came up on plane in an average of 7.9 seconds, and reached 20 mph in 9.6 seconds. More...
Test Video
Monte Carlo Yachts 70:
Designed for the Owner/Operator
The Monte Carlo Yachts 70 offers crew quarters aft, but she’s well set up to be operated by an experienced owner. Check out the brightly-lighted engine room with 6’4” (1.93 m) of headroom, walk-in doors from the transom and the crewman’s quarters as well as plenty of space between the twin 1200-hp MAN V8s for daily maintenance. Both V-Drive and ZF pod drive options are available. A one-button, station-keeping function greatly eases the captain’s chores when it’s necessary to hold position as a drawbridge opens and joystick low speed control makes docking a non-issue. More...
Test Video
Neptunus 650 Flybridge:
Thoughtful Engine Room Design
& Organization
Captain Steve was particularly impressed with the engine room of the Neptunus 650 Flybridge, where well-organized and well-labeled components should make it easy for an experienced owner/operator or paid skipper to handle daily maintenance as well as righting minor glitches that occasionally occur on longer voyages. Fully encased 24v emergency lights supplement the 110v fluorescent lights in the engine room, and headroom is 5’8” (1.75 m). There’s walk-in access from the crew quarters at the transom or from a hatch in the aft deck, which is a safer entry while underway. More...
Captain's Report
Galeon 560 Skydeck:
Hideaway Flying Bridge Creates Express Look
The Galeon 560 Skydeck has a fully-functioning flying bridge complete with a full helm plus electronics and seats for plenty of guests. She maintains the sleek look of a Euro-styled express cruiser thanks to the collapsible plexi windscreen and the console, which is also collapsible and conceals at the push of a button to accommodate the carbon-fiber Skydeck cover. There’s also a panoramic sunroof above the main-deck helm and salon -- a rarity in a flybridge yacht. More...
Features Video
Greenline 39 Solar:
Emissions-Free Coastal Cruiser
The Greenline 39 Solar that we tested had four 300-watt solar cells on her roof, providing enough power to run every electrical system aboard -- including A/C -- without the main engine or a generator running and with excess charge going into large storage batteries. The transom folds out, as in some sailing vessels, to form a swim platform. She includes clever touches with a fold-up window and fold-out bar that provides easy access from the galley to the cockpit. An asymmetrical layout on deck creates added living space in the interior with the walkway to the bow on the starboard side of the house. Below, both the master and the guest staterooms feature sliding single bunks that can become doubles when desired. More...
Boat-Buying Tips
Buying a Sport Boat
Here’s a basic primer on choosing a multi-purpose day boat, termed a “sport boat” by the author, to match the needs of family and friends. Considerations are the load you’ll carry and where you’ll do your boating, what sort of performance you’re hoping for, fuel economy, noise levels and more. It also looks at how the number of passengers carried and the propeller chosen can drastically affect performance in small boats. More...
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