Tabla de contenidos para May 2022 en Boating

TYPE III MUSTANG HYDROSTATIC HIT INFLATABLE THE FLOAT: Type III jackets meet most recreational needs. They can be foam, but our edit staff prefers Type III inflatable PFDs such as the Mustang Hydrostatic HIT. (Automatically inflatable PFDs might also rate as Type III.) They’re comfortable to wear, which we do on our boat tests, and are easily inflated should you fall into the water. THE CATCH: Type III inflatables are intended for recreational use in areas where rescue efforts can come quickly, and they are not required to rotate a user from a face-down position. PRICE: $249.99; westmarine.com TYPE II EXXEL OUTDOORS TYPE II THE FLOAT: Almost all of the life jackets packed into one of those Coast Guard kits is an inexpensive Type II with a bulky collar, such…

FIN-NOR SUNGLASSES Fin-Nor, best known for saltwater fishing tackle, has debuted polarized sunglasses for anglers. Designed by eyewear experts in coordination with fishing guides, models feature Lateral Line lens technology that intensifies color without distortion, reduces blue light, prevents glare and cuts through haze. The glass and polycarbonate lenses feature five- and seven-layer anti-reflective coatings, respectively, to reduce eyestrain and enhance visual acuity, and venting systems prevent fogging. There are 20 different styles, some featuring names of famous guides such as Bouncer Smith and Robert R.T. Trosset. $159 to $209; finnorfishing.com FIX REPAIR PUTTY Fix Repair Putty from BoatLife makes it easy to patch chips, scratches, dings and small holes in a variety of boat materials and finishes. The moldable putty, which dries to a white finish, hardens to the…

I earned my first gold medal at the 1982 USA Barefoot National Championship. I was 20 years old. In 2021, I won a gold medal in the Open division at the USA Barefoot National Championship. I was 59 years old. The strategy that has kept me competitive for four decades primarily consists of three elements: a winning mindset, positive health habits and smart training. Improving each element separately complements and adds value to the other two. For example, in March 2021, I put effort into my on-water training and also minimized sugar in my diet even more than usual. I got leaner and lighter, which made my training more effective, helping me win gold. I believe my healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and not consuming alcohol is part of my…

Q: Dear Boat Doctor, what do I need to install an NMEA 2000 network aboard my boat? Why would I do it? Rich Krysenski Indianapolis A: NMEA 2000 is the National Marine Electronics Association’s protocol for a digital network aboard boats. It refers to the way devices aboard communicate to and from each other. These devices include engines and marine electronics, as well as audio, cameras, and systems like tanks or filters on which networked sensors can be installed. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi gateways allow nonmarine devices, like your phone or tablet, to connect. NMEA 2000 guides the standardized connector types and the architecture for a marine network. A network starts with a backbone consisting of a hub, a power supply and a trunk line. Each device added drops off the trunk.…

Read this primer to help make your next ride fun and as safe as possible. THRUST Before riding any personal watercraft, thoroughly familiarize yourself with the controls. Like a bicycle or motorcycle, handlebars dictate direction. A trigger-style throttle, adjacent to the right-hand grip, controls speed. Drivers should wear an engine cutoff safety (ECOS) lanyard on the wrist or attached to their life jacket. If worn on the wrist, the lanyard must include a wrist strap because a cord alone could slip off. Steering is directly related to thrust exiting the pivoting nozzle. You must apply throttle in order to steer. Releasing the throttle, pulling the safety lanyard or stopping the engine while underway will all result in a loss of directional control, regardless of input at the handlebars. Because drivers…

I admit it. I almost fell into using the threadbare simile often found in boating reviews, where a boat is described as being a Swiss Army knife. It’s shorthand for a boat that does everything well. And I started to use that on the Sailfish 276DC, but realized that would be completely, totally false. It does not do everything well. It will not open a bottle of wine. But the 276 does everything else extremely well. The 276DC (for Dual Console) is a boat for all reasons and all seasons. Pile a bunch of fishing buddies aboard and the spacious cockpit has the openness you’d expect from a center-console, not to mention underfloor rod storage and six rod holders in the transom. For your family outings, the forward seating is…

Four Winns’ H2 runabout delivers value with style, whether you choose the outboard version we tested or the version with sterndrive power and the surfable option of a forward-facing Mer-Cruiser or Volvo Penta drive. The near-vertical stem, the compound curves and graceful arc of the wind-shield, and the taper of the beam aft give it uncommon style. Our tester featured the Elevate Package, which includes special exterior colors of Phantom Gray, Steel Gray and Jet Black ($680), and a deluxe interior ($1,815) in near monochrome black CoolTouch vinyl with leather-like texture, hexagonal stitching and a single, bright rear-seat accent. The H2 Outboard offers a 2-foot-10-inch-deep aft platform forward of the motorwell, with generous space. Four Winns’ boarding ladder, which angles away from the boat and sports wide steps, is one…

HISTORY LESSON This boat’s story begins in 1897, when Alexander Mackay-Smith of Philadelphia commissioned the construction of a 40-foot Naphtha Launch from Gas Engine and Power Company and Charles L. Seabury and Company of New York City. He named the elegant launch Virginia to honor his wife and kept it at a family vacation home on Seal Harbor off Mount Desert Island in Maine. The single-screw craft was powered by a 12 hp, 1,000-pound naphtha engine, a type of external combustion engine developed just before the turn of the century exclusively for powering small boats and yachts after the US Coast Guard required steam-engine operators to be licensed engineers. In 1920, the launch was acquired for Spencer Bay Camps, a fishing resort on Moosehead Lake in Maine, where it stayed…

Of course, safety in boating certainly applies to working on your rig. It always helps to review some safety basics when servicing your boat; many of us work on our own boats, so here it goes. (Answers on page 22) 1. Your hull needs a fresh coating of bottom paint. You’ve done this before, so you’re versed in the how-to. What should you consider to safely complete the job? A. Properly brace and support the hull so it won’t fall on you when you’re underneath it.B. Shop for the cheapest paint and supplies you can find.C. Perform the work outdoors; if indoors, ensure you have adequate ventilation.D. Dress for the occasion; a full protective body suit, eye protection and face mask should be considered the minimum.E. A, C and DF.…

After repowering my twin-outboard 29-foot boat, I was dying to get back on the water—so much so that I ignored common sense and went out to the local river, which was running high and fast. The good news was that my repower worked fine and the boat ran well. The bad part: Swift current plus a large boat equaled disaster. It took no less than a dozen attempts to get the boat remotely close to the trailer at the end of the day. The surging current would sweep it downriver past the trailer. Finally, we repositioned the trailer so it slanted in the direction of the current and finally got the boat loaded. My wife was almost in tears trying to help, and my stress level was off the charts.…

Some say that the worst day of boating is better than the best day at the office. But that’s not true. I’ve endured too many wind-swept, slam-bang days on the water when I pined for terra firma. Such a scenario played out as we exited Miami’s Government Cut for a sea trial of the new Allsalt Shoxs helm-seat pedestal system. Menacing 4-to 5-footers rose up and rolled in as Capt. Jordan Tilton powered through the steep seas aboard a 27-foot center-console Safe Boat. Seated in the port helm seat, I tensed and braced in anticipation of impact as we crested the face of each wave, but the pedestal softened every landing. I was riding on a cushion of air that gives this system its shock-absorbing qualities. Installing a Shoxs pedestal…

In US inland-water collision rules, a rapid-flashing white strobe light is a distress signal, but it isn’t a distress signal under international COLREGS. E-flares, which blink a continuous Morse code S-O-S pattern—a distress signal in all waters—also meet Coast Guard requirements to replace the common handheld flares. “Whether it’s electric distress lights, pyrotechnic flares or orange flags, if they are Coast Guardapproved or certified visual distress signals, they are equal in meeting the carriage requirement,” says Joseph Carro, who works in the Coast Guard’s Offce of Boating Safety. This includes all navigable waters of the US, as well as Coast Guard enforcement aboard US-flagged vessels in international waters. There is a caveat, though. Red handheld pyrotechnic flares fulfill both nighttime and daytime distress-signal requirements; e-flares only meet the nighttime requirement,…

Lens density is a critical choice if you can only own one pair. And for as much as $300 a pair, the trick is selecting the right one for most situations. Frame style plays a big role in glare reduction. Light leaking in around the sides can cause lens flare, making glasses a liability in some cases. You’ll need to choose frames that wrap closely around your face, leaving as few gaps for light as possible. We tested three pairs from each brand represented: one for offshore blue water, one for inshore, and one for low-light conditions. In each brand, we brought our two faves to you in this report. The frames we chose might not work for you, but the lens colors served us well, and we think you’ll…

Aquila’s 28 Molokai Power Catamaran, based on a form from Hawaiian Cat designer Kirk Clark, proved an agile, wave-slicing fishing boat. Its 9-foot-8-inch beam carries from bow to stern and aids in providing great stability. Notable fishing features include two 94-gallon in-sulated fish boxes, a 30-gallon livewell, 15 rod holders and Taco outriggers. There is also a removable cutting board, a sink, pullout tackle boxes and undergunwale rod stowage. The bow offers net-throwing space to spare. Powered by optional 200 hp Mercury outboards (twin 150s are standard), the 28 Molokai takes off with dog-sees-squirrel urgency. We saw an average top hop of 46.5 mph at 5,500 rpm on a choppy day off Pompano Beach, Florida. The wide, deep hull tunnel on the 28 Molokai creates a pocket of pillowlike air…

The FishPro Trophy 170 builds upon Sea-Doo’s first dedicated fishing model by giving serious anglers more of what they want while still offering an affordable craft that’s easy to trailer and store, and thrives in skinny water. Plus, few boats offer the thrill of battling a whopper as up close and personal as a PWC. The Trophy is based on Sea-Doo’s GTX 170 platform, a 12-foot-long, 4-foot-wide deep-V three-seater that can carve a thrilling high-speed turn, excel in bigger waters, and run close to 60 mph with its naturally aspirated 170 hp Rotax 1630 ACE engine without the fuel-consumption hit taken by its supercharged brethren. The hull is exceptionally stable. Put your weight into the port or starboard footwell and you won’t end up in the drink. Stand on the…

I was just settling back in the shade of the porch with an ice-cold Deere beer, my reward for two hours on the mower, when the phone rang. “Are you busy?” My good friend Chuck Larson was on the line. “I’ve run out of gas.” “Where are you?” “In the boat, about 100 yards off Sandstone Point.” The gas gauge on Chuck’s boat has not worked in years, and this would be the third occasion I’ve had to motor a jug of fuel out to him. As I drove to the ramp, I tried to recall the last time—the only time—I was in a boat that ran out of gas. It was in 1993, but it feels like it was just yesterday… This was an exciting assignment for me. I…

BLACKFIN 302 DC Riding the same double-stepped Michael Peters hull that so impressed us when we tested the center-console 302 CC, the new dual-console Blackfin 302 DC promises smooth and effcient performance. The NMMA Yacht Certified Blackfin 302 DC comes with an impressive list of standards. A highlight is the fiberglass hardtop system, with powder-coated pipework, a tempered-glass windshield, a windshield wiper, a rocket launcher, and multicolor LED overhead lights and LED spreader lights. To ease docking stress, a bow thruster is also standard. On the fishing front, Blackfin includes rod holders, rod racks, fish boxes with macerator pumps, raw- and freshwater washdowns, a livewell and more. Shore power and a battery charger are also standard. The head includes an electric toilet. There’s a freshwater transom shower, a swim ladder,…

Fishing ranks as one of the top activities among American boaters, and today it’s more popular than ever thanks to a COVID-19-wrought boom in boat sales and angling. With more boating anglers comes greater potential for conflicts over fishing spots, such as when one boat is fishing a spot and another crowds in to share the action. One example is off the coast of Southern California in mid-summer when anglers hunt off-shore for small floating patches of kelp—known as paddies—that attract mahimahi and other gamefish. Anglers might invest many hours and miles searching for a paddy that can produce great fishing. However, a stopped boat and bent rods attract attention from others, some of whom crowd in rather than finding a paddy of their own. Two stopped boats attract even…

Q: Dear Doc, I broke my boat tachometer’s front glass cover. (Don’t ask.) Is there any way to replace this? It’s an older, now-discontinued gauge and matches the others already in the boat. Mario Valentino Brooklyn, New York A:gauge-maker? Faria, for instance, repairs gauges. If that doesn’t work, I might scour eBay for a used similar gauge and use the glass from that. Or find a direct used or NOS replacement. ORGANIC STEEL Q: Dear Doc, is there a natural, non-toxic polish for stainless steel that I can use aboard my boat? Michael Corea Atlantic City, New Jersey A: Yes, lemon juice. Bonus: It smells nice. Squeeze some juice onto a damp rag, or use halves, quarters or whole lemons to apply, and rub on the citric-acid-laden juice. Wipe off with…

There is no right of way on the water. Every boater is obligated to do what is required to avoid collision. In any meeting of boats, one is deemed the stand-on vessel and the other the give-way vessel. The rules of the road explain the situation more completely and can be learned in a boating safety course. This article serves as a refresher and a reminder on how to handle some common meeting scenarios. MEETING While more common in a channel or narrow pass, head-to-head meetings can happen anywhere on the water. When encountering an oncoming boat head-on, the rule is simple: Each boat is a give-way or burdened vessel and should stay to its right, altering course to star-board and allowing each craft to pass to the port (left)…

The battery is my boat’s de facto fuel tank, determining how far I can travel, how long I can fish, and whether I’ll be able to make it home if the wind cranks up. My power demands made upgrading to a Dakota Lithium 12-volt 100 Ah battery more reasonable. This 100 Ah-rated lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery retails for $899 (including charger). Would the difference be justified when compared to my 98 Ah lead-acid model? LOSING WEIGHT Because I store my boat onshore and take everything home with me, each fishing trip means lugging the battery in and out of the boat. I was accustomed to performing this task with a 59.7-pound battery. The Dakota Lithium 100 Ah weighs in at 31.9 pounds. THE NUMBERS If both batteries are rated at 100 Ah,…

The new Cruisers Yachts 34GLS is the latest iteration of the popular GLS series from Cruisers Yachts, which persists in claiming that GLS stands for Grand Luxury Sport. But I like to think it stands for Great Little Ship. This yacht defines family fun—if you look up “family fun” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of the 34GLS. Well, not really, but you get the idea. The 34GLS is aimed at day outings and occasional overnight adventures, and it has enough speed (45 mph) with twin Mercury Verado outboards to satisfy all the towed Outboards generally preclude a usable transom platform, but the 34GLS has two “wings” extending alongside the engines as well as a comfortably wide walkway forward of the outboards, with all the plumbing and connections hidden…

Compared to your grandparents’ putt-putt party barge, Manitou’s 27 XT SRW seems transported from the future. Its contoured fiberglass exterior offers styling impossible to achieve with classic aluminum fencing. Its twin outboards combine to produce a jaw-dropping 900 hp. And then there are the controls. Rather than rockers or toggles, digital switching is incorporated into twin Garmin GPSMap 743xs touchscreen displays staggered across the boat’s dash. Don’t forget the speed. With a pair of 450 hp Mercury Racing outboards, our test boat powered instantaneously onto plane, reached 30 mph in 5 seconds flat and peaked at over 77 mph. That the boat felt so comfortable at that speed is chalked up in part to Manitou’s solid construction and the patented V-Toon Technology pontoon configuration. A pair of 25-inch tubes to…

Pity the pontooner. The combination of a huge footprint, a wide turning radius, shallow draft, windage, and limited sightlines from the helm can make docking a pontoon challenging, especially in a breeze or current. Mercury Marine hopes to lower the stress level of pontoon captains with the introduction of Mercury Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) for singleengine pontoons. The system pairs Mercury JPO technology with two retractable thrusters to offer 360-degree boat control through a joystick, including the ability to guide the boat directly abeam to snug up gracefully to a dock. Pontoon JPO will only be available for OEM installation on new boats powered by a Mercury Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) outboard from 175 to 600 hp. Mercury expects Harris and perhaps a dozen other builders to offer…

Raymarine calls this integrated network the YachtSense Ecosystem, but it’s the Yacht-Sense Link combined with the new Raymarine mobile app that lets boaters monitor and control onboard systems 24/7 from anywhere in the world. YachtSense Link keeps boaters connected via a 4G LTE cellular plan of their choosing or via Wi-Fi (such as the signal you might pick up in a marina). It switches automatically between the two depending on which is strongest. You can use the app to switch on and off—and monitor—up to four low-voltage devices, such as pumps and lights. It also connects to Raymarine’s Axiom multifunction displays for on board monitoring and control. The waterproof YachtSense Link measures 9.53 inches wide by 6.39 inches tall by 2.48 inches deep (excluding an-tennas). It can also serve as…