Tabla de contenidos para April 2023 en Boating

The MJM 4 looks to be an impressive day yacht. Its plan shows four social zones and a galley-up layout. Belowdecks, it has a large V-berth, as well as a double berth amidships. This is another versatile layout from a builder known for boats appreciated most by experienced boaters. With the protection of an indoor-outdoor pilothouse, an innovative, spacious layout and exceptional stability, this boat is about style, comfort and fun. Combining rugged yet lightweight, high-tech composite construction, a svelte beam-to-length ratio, and triple Mercury 300 Verado outboard power, the MJM 4 delivers 54 mph at its top-end, spirited handling, and efficiency at all speeds. Accommodations include a full private head with a shower. There is also a daybed in the aft cockpit and a business-class helm sofa. Outboards deliver…

The higher a marine VHF antenna is mounted, the greater the distance its VHF radio can transmit and receive. That means one of the best installation locations for top radio performance is overhead on a boat’s hardtop, an increasingly popular feature on today’s boats. This location on the roof of a hardtop can also result in high stresses on the mounting surface and the antenna base, especially when using an 8-foot-long fiberglass VHF antenna, one of the most popular styles on today’s boats. There can be wind resistance on the antenna while the boat is at speed or in stormy conditions. Also, rough seas can induce a whipping motion of the antenna as the boat pitches and rolls while traversing waves, or even while just sitting still in a beam…

We get it. Our favorite boats combine competent function with graceful lines—they give good dock. And so, we were drawn to the Burnham, a new handcrafted wooden runabout from Grand Craft. From the curve of its prow to its tumblehome aft, the look is Great Lakes classic. This boat was not shaped to pop out of a mold. And any boat made of wood is unique simply because the tone and grain of each piece of planking is unique. The beauty of classic wood boats always sparked childhood memories for Patrick Gallagher, who spent his youth boating in his family’s Streblow runabout. In 2020, at age 49, Gallagher was a third-generation co-owner of Gallagher Asphalt in suburban Chicago. After 20 years and needing a change, he cashed out and in…

Some of my earliest boating experiences took place aboard flybridge cruisers, on which the only spot to pilot the boat was a cramped topside station, cabin accommodations were limited, and the only power available consisted of inboards and sterndrives. Oh my, how things have changed. The new Jeanneau NC 1295 Fly that I tested bears an only faint resemblance to those traditional flybridge cruisers. Amenities both above- and belowdecks are innovative and posh. This 41-foot-2-inch length-overall pocket cruiser also handles and performs much differently, thanks in large measure to using triple outboards. This flagship of the Jeanneau NC series is in nearly all respects a thoroughly 21st-century take on the flybridge concept. A walkthrough is like touring a custom home with so many places to explore and marvel at. For…

Unfortunately, our sea trial of the Ocean Sport Roamer 30 on the Chesapeake did not challenge the Roamer 30. Soft landings in a couple of large boat wakes hinted at how smoothly its sharp bow and 20-degree transom deadrise would come down in gnarlier stuff. The boat did maneuver well as I simulated careful jigging maneuvers in current eddies around large bridge pilings and over oyster reefs. The Roamer 30’s large cockpit lends itself to all kinds of fishing. The transom holds a 30-gallon bait tank, with raw- and freshwater washdown bibs and a stout door to the broad transom platform and engine bracket. Padded bolsters line the pit at thigh height, with fiberglass toe rails below that also function as shelves for gear such as boat hooks. I admired…

WHETHER IT’S THE LINE TYING YOU TO A DOCK, THE CHAIN LEADER CONNECTED to your anchor, or the rope that pulls you while water-skiing, rope and chain are a vital part of boating. No matter how you enjoy time on the water, doing so would be impossible, or at least a lot more challenging, without rope and chain. But just how many different types of rope and chain are there? What’s the difference between them? And why might you choose one over the other? You want to boat as safely and conveniently as possible, right? Well, get your geek on. We can’t describe everything possible about rope and chain in this article. But you’ll learn more about rope and chain than you can shake a shackle at. Let’s get started.…

Here you can buy a fully functional aluminum-hulled multispecies boat to chase after bass, walleye or whatever floats your boat. The boat has twin bucket seats—one at the starboard helm station protected by a windshield on the console, and one for the co-angler on the port side. A third seat mounts just aft of the portside seat, so you can bring along another friend. The boat features fore and aft casting decks with pedestal seat mounts, a bow mount for an electric trolling motor, a rod storage locker, and a livewell in the transom casting deck. The gunwale topsides have tracking groove system so you can mount accessories and customize your rig with extra rod holders, downriggers or other amenities. Set it up how you like to create your own…

When Tracker Marine introduced the first Tracker Classic bass boat in the late ’70s, it was a revolutionary concept. Before Tracker, boaters had to buy a boat, buy a matching motor, buy a matching trailer, buy a matching trolling motor, and get all of that assembled by a dealer. They even had to mount and install their own sonar. But Johnny Morris, who co-founded Tracker Marine, believed this should all be done before the boat owner ever walks into the showroom. That’s why the Tracker Classic was the first ready-to-fish bass boat on the marketplace. And Morris did it at a bargain price. Today he’s introduced the new Tracker Classic XL, a 16-foot-8-inch bass boat with a 50 hp Mercury ELT outboard, an electric trolling motor, and a custom matching…

With the new FR-10 and FR-12 stand-alone color LCD radar displays, Furuno has taken a step back to the future, and here’s why. Until now, you needed one of Furuno’s NavNet TZtouch MFDs to run the brand’s popular DRS-NXT radar systems. But some boating anglers prefer a dedicated radar display, and that’s what these new displays provide. The 10.4-inch FR-10 and 12.1-inch FR-12 radars are engineered for compatibility with DRS-NXT solid-state Doppler radar models, but are also versatile enough to use with Furuno’s traditional X-Band magnetron radar systems. In addition to the benefits of Doppler Target Analyzer with the NXT radar, the new displays also feature Risk Visualizer, which provides a graphic representation of potential collision hazards. The displays feature bright, color LCDs and ergonomic key panels (non-touchscreen). $2,800 for…

What exactly is the Slab Lab? It’s a private lake that my dad and I have worked on for nearly 28 years. It was originally a trophy largemouth bass lake. But after a fish kill in 2018, we decided to start over. Much to our surprise, we realized we had some very special coppernose bluegill in our lake. So we thought, let’s grow those. Is Slab Lab a fishing destination? We do a very limited amount. Right now we have universities studying our bluegill, as well as the USDA and the American Sport Fish Hatchery. They’re trying to figure out what’s happening, how our fish grow so large—even for being pellet-fed. Did you grow up fishing? My entire family fishes [and have] for as long as I can remember. When…

CASE BONE-HANDLED TRAPPER THE SHARPEST EDGE: The “gentleman’s knife” is back, and no other brand is more associated with the knife style than Case. The finely crafted knife has two blades: the clip, a pointed blade for piercing and providing excellent cutting control, and the spey, historically used by stock men for, well, castrating livestock. In the hands of a sportsman, the spey blade offers a highly polished stainless-steel cutting tool without the piercing point that may be a detriment to inflatable boaters. We like the knife for its reassuring heft, crisp, positive opening, and locking spring. The blades are forged, ground and polished, then honed to perfection. ANOTHER POINT: Dual blades increase utility without the added bulk of less frequently used tools, making the knife more convenient to carry.…

The Intrepid 41 Valor is three boats in one: a cabin cruiser, a dayboat entertainer, and a competent fishing boat. It is also the result of increasing the length of the 409 Valor, introduced in 2020, by about 2 feet and the beam by 7 inches to accommodate larger outboards. At the same time, the design was tweaked based on customer input. The most noticeable improvement? The wraparound swim platform. It is unobstructed by hoses or cables and features a new transom door. There’s more space in the aft cockpit, boosting fishability. The new center console is larger to accommodate larger electronic displays, such as the 22-inch Garmin MFD on our test boat. Owners also wanted a better companionway, so Intrepid borrowed the cabin door design from the 438 Evolution.…

For evidence of the Diamante 23B’s style, check its unique, wide extruded aluminum rails; bi-level, matte-finished panels that reveal a pop of metallic glimmer on closer inspection; and bold chrome logo and accent trim. As to quality, its ¼-inch C-channel cross members are spaced 16 inches on center—and closer at the bow and stern—to handle increased loads. Welds are robotic MIG and handcrafted TIG. A custom bumper protects against inevitable dock encounters. The 23B’s angular furniture and minimalist color scheme inspire reclining on parallel bow lounges; add a pedestal table for hors d’oeuvres. Two-part hinges allow seat cushions to pivot out of the way, making it easy to access items from guttered storage in the vinyl-wrapped seat bases. Note the attention to detail within. Viaggio covers speaker backs in plastic…

It’s a refrain we hear all the time in our travels: New boats have gotten so expensive that they’re no longer accessible to most people. To that, we offer the following rejoinder: There are plenty of great boats out there that will get you on the water at a reasonable cost if you know where to look. The following eight boats provide solid evidence that there’s a new boat out there for you, no matter your budget. Bayliner was on the forefront of building affordable boats for first-time buyers a few years back when it introduced the first Element E16. These boats are designed to bring families onto the water for an entertaining day of boating with little to no hassle and expense. The M15 continues that concept with another…

There’s no haggling when you buy this 16-foot-5-inch runabout from Tahoe Marine. Its nationally advertised price includes a custom trailer, a 60 hp outboard motor, a Bimini top, and a TurboSwing on the transom. The TurboSwing is an expensive option on most boats but standard on this one. It balances the load as the skier cuts back and forth, giving the passengers a much better ride and a more fun one for the rider. The seating inside is spacious, with seats that convert forward to aft-facing at the bow, and a swim platform for getting on your skis or reboarding with the ladder. The dashboard includes a sporty three-spoke wheel and a 7-inch digital display for reporting engine functions like temperature, water pressure and voltage, and operating the Kicker KMC1…

OLD TOWN SPORTSMAN AUTOPILOT 120 Although technically a kayak, we’re going to grant this Old Town powerboat status since it’s propelled by a 12-volt Minn Kota trolling motor with 45 pounds of thrust. The motor is mounted through the bow, where it won’t interfere with your fishing spread. Price: $4,349.99 (with 12-volt Minn Kota) OLD TOWN GENUINE WATERCRAFT Old Town, Maine; 800-343-1555; oldtowncanoe.com CAROLINA SKIFF 162 JLS With the Carolina Skiff 162 JLS, you get a certifiable saltwater center-console at a reasonable price. It comes with an aft livewell, fore and aft casting platforms, vertical rod holders along both sides of the console, and gunwale rod racks. It comes in over $30,000 when you add the engine, but still represents an affordable boat in today’s market. Price: $26,000 (base boat)…

Maretron’s new WSO200 is a marine ultrasonic weather station that accurately measures wind speed and direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, windchill factor, heat index and dew points. Wind measurements are calculated using six ultrasonic sensors in a delta configuration, with no moving parts to wear out. The WSO200 is NMEA-2000-certified, which allows for display on an MFD using N2KView software. The compact WSO200 sensor mounts on a standard marine pole mount, and it has an IP67 waterproof rating. The WSO200 was named Best New Product by a panel of judges at the National Marine Electronics Association conference in late 2022. $595; maretron.com…

Melding the luxury and performance of a high-end runabout with the watersports thrills of a wakesurf boat, Sea Ray intends to let buyers own the best of both worlds with an SLX 260 Surf. Its deep-V hull will turn gracefully and handle chop well. But that hull also aids in the watersports aspect of its mission because the deeper V displaces more water and builds larger surf waves. Coupled with a ballast system and proprietary wave-shaping software, the SLX 260 Surf should create waves to please even experienced riders. For surfing safety, the 350 hp 6.2L ECT MerCruiser engine (a 430 hp 8.1L is also available) mates to a forward-facing Bravo 4S sterndrive. An electric watersports tower with a Bimini is standard. A pump-out head is available. Inside, the boat…

Last winter, the story of a diver in the Florida Keys who had gotten separated from his dive boat and later rescued by his family really struck me. While there are many seamanship and safety lessons involved in how he got separated from his friends in the first place, I couldn’t shake one particular aspect of the whole episode. In the article I read about the thankfully happy ending, the reporter mentioned that when first responders evaluated the young man, his only medical issue was a low core temperature. Yes, despite the fact that he was wearing a wetsuit in near-tropical waters, the rescued diver was in danger of hypothermia after just a few hours. As a lifelong boater, I’d always considered hypothermia to be an issue in colder climates,…

ROLLERS First, you’ll need a roller frame. Then, depending on the size (allowing you to cover more real estate with less work), you’ll need a compatible roller cover. You’ll want to select a short-nap roller with a solvent-resistant core. Pettit Paint’s Tuff Coat rollers are a good choice. Their design is specifically for antifouling paint and comes in various widths. BRUSHES For detail and cut-in work, it is a good idea to purchase a couple of 2-inch and 4-inch chip brushes, like those from Redtree. They are inexpensive, disposable, and feature square-trim boar-hair bristles with sanded wood handles. They are available in various sizes, but four-brush assortment packs are also available. PAINTER’S TAPE Fineline or painter’s masking tape makes the job easier. Scotch fine-line tape from 3M provides the crispest…

Axopar’s 45 XC Cross Cabin is based on the same hugely successful formula as its smaller sisters, the 37, 28, 25 and the entry-level 22—but this one’s on steroids. Deep walk-around decks and the chunky virtually all-glass cabin with its forward-raked windshield all shout “any-weather adventure.” Likewise, the slightly reversed stem and 900 heavy horses on the transom all scream “let’s go!” That go-anywhere appeal was reinforced the afternoon we joined our test boat, the first one afloat, at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival. It glinted in the sunshine, complete with a kayak and an erect electric mountain bike strapped to the hardtop. The cabin is a Swiss Army knife of features. Stuff slides and glides back and forth, folds up and down, and pulls and pushes in and out,…

Hanover Yachts, a decades-old Brazilian boatbuilder, has made inroads in North America with its new 375 (Mark II version). This 36-footer is remarkable on several fronts, including quality, comfort level and price. The standard equipment includes an Onan 5 kW genset, an electric sunroof, cockpit air conditioning, and an outdoor galley. At 43 mph, it offers a good turn of speed from twin 350 hp Merc 6.2 sterndrives. The first impression was it’s a great dayboat, with two L-shaped settees, a lounge next to the helm, and a galley with a grill on the transom for easily tossing charred burgers. The wide swim platform also offers removable stools for sandbar use. The foredeck features two sun pads with flip backs and the hidden anchor windlass, all surrounded by welded stainless-steel…

If racing improves the breed, the proposed E1 World Championship, a competition series for foiling boats powered by an electric outboard, might propel development of a practical electric-powered pleasure boat. Pushing technology forward is one reason Mercury Racing says it chose to join the E1 Championship effort as its official Propulsion and Propeller Partner. The premise of the UIMsanctioned E1 World Championship is a series of inshore circuit races featuring one-design boats held in glamorous urban venues—think Monaco, Venice, Paris or Manhattan. Testing of the prototype boat and motor have been conducted in Italy, and the race-boat fleet should be constructed this summer, according to E1, with the first race planned for late 2023 at a location to be determined. Investors commissioned the design, construction and development of the 24-foot…

Veer is a roto-molded craft specifically targeted at first-time boat buyers, with the aim of being affordable and easy to maintain and operate. It’s ideally suited to pair with Mercury’s Avator 7.5e electric outboard, or you can order it with a tiller-steered 9.9 hp Mercury gasoline FourStroke. The gas outboard comes with a 3-gallon fuel tank, and the electric outboard is powered by a 1 kW battery. Both choices are economical and lightweight, giving the boat a shallow 6.3-inch draft, so you can sneak into the skinniest water. The roto-molded plastic body is easy to maintain and can survive rookie mistakes around the docks or boat ramp without needing a fiberglass repair kit. The X13 features an aft two-seat bench and a shallow cockpit with a SportTrak mounting system to…

The smallest version of our 2022 Boat of the Year, the 13 Sport offers the same handle-bar-style controls. Punch the trigger throttle as you crank into a turn, and it displays much of a PWC’s excitement and quick-reflex maneuverability. Approach a dock or launch ramp, and Sea-Doo’s Intelligent Brake and Reverse (iBR) system provides intuitive, low-speed maneuverability and control not found on pontoons. You can load this boat on a trailer or place it into its slip with precision and ease. The trademark feature of the Sea-Doo Switch is the reconfigurable floor plan. Nearly all seating and components can release from the deck in Lego-like fashion and reposition elsewhere around the boat in seconds. This approach allows the owner to change the boat’s focus, going for social-cruise seating one day…

The new Halo 2000 and 3000 open-array, pulse-compression radar systems from Simrad feature higher power, greater detection ranges and improved software, making a host of new functions possible, including Bird+ Mode on the 3000 series. Bird+ Mode calibrates the radar to focus on maximizing 130 watts of power on targeting and identifying flocks of birds that can lead to fish at distances up to 8 nautical miles. Simrad is the first to use pulse compression at that range for birds, a distance on par with a 25 kW magnetron radar, heralding a new era of bird detection. Yet the Halo 2000 and 3000 radars offer much in terms of pulse-compression refinements. The Halo 2000 (available with 3-, 4- and 6-foot arrays) offers 50 watts of power, ensuring visibility out to…