Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius | Avid Boats 21FS | Grady-White Freedom 215 - 03/31/20
BoatTEST Newsletter March 31, 2020
The Coming Boating Renaissance
Since our raison d’etre is to educate our readers and help them select the right boat for their needs, let’s focus on how boating may be changed in the new world we are entering. Here is our take on the future of the boating microcosm —
First, no matter how long the COVID-19 health crisis and the inevitable economic trouble lasts, there is little doubt that our social behavior will be altered for years to come. “Social distancing” is the new paradigm.
Second, social distancing combined with the necessity of sequestering creates claustrophobic and depressing isolation. The longer it lasts, the more pent-up psychological demand there will be to escape claustrophobic family cocooning for safe escape to the outdoors.
Third, nothing is quite as safe as family excursions on a boat, fishing trips, cruising, and just plain swimming off the stern and sunbathing.
Fourth, as the COVID-19 crisis persists and rolls around the country, and around the world, the pressure to go boating — and escape the confines of four walls, can only intensify. The last two weeks in Florida has seen an explosion in boating attest to that.
Fifth, the intrinsic value of boating will soar as the wealthy eschew expensive foreign travel, season box seats at sports events, and luxury resorts for the rich and famous. As unsafe social options diminish, the value of safe boating increases.
Finally, we predict that boating can have a remarkable renaissance akin to its emergence in the 1950s in the U.S., when for the first time in two decades Americans had the money to afford a boat, and the time to enjoy themselves. Now, as few times in our modern history, there is a need for the boating escape. Meaningful social change often follows a serious crisis, and our guess is that “shared access” will be that change, making boating more affordable, and available to more people than ever before.
For a primer on the aftermath of the great plague of 1348-1353, click here...
Test Video
Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius:
Efficient at Any Speed
Take a bottom designed by Donald L. Blount and equip it with Volvo Penta’s IPS pod drives and the results should a smooth-running and efficient boat. The numbers in our test of the Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius back up that theory. From 1500 rpm through the boat’s max revs of 2560, she basically achieved .5 nautical miles per gallon. A captain could take advantage of her top speed of 33.9 knots in calm water without burning a ton more fuel. At that speed, her range is 274 nautical miles. To cover more distance, he can back down to the most efficient cruise speed of 2000 rpm, which produced 22.6 knots and a max range of 350 nautical miles. Average running angle was 5 degrees or less, so the view through the two-piece windshield is outstanding. More...
New Editor's Report
Avid Boats 21FS:
For Fishermen by Fishermen
Avid Boats, a new aluminum fishing-boat manufacturer, has produced its first model — the 21FS. She is a bay boat outfitted for fishing and has an LOA of 20’7” (6.27 m). The 21FS has a fiberglass center console and she comes standard with a Yamaha VF115 SHO on a trailer.
Company founder Phillip P. Faulkner is 28 years old but grew up building boats. His father Phillip M. Faulkner started NauticStar, which built fiberglass boats. The younger Faulkner is trying to bring some design elements from the fiberglass side to aluminum boats. “I wanted to bring some of my experience with fiberglass over to aluminum,” says Faulkner. “We’re building a boat that might look like fiberglass but is a more affordable product with added value to it.” More...
Test Video
Grady-White Freedom 215:
Multi-Purpose Dual Console
Grady-White Boats’ Freedom 215 is about providing the versatility, seating and comfort that owners expect in a dual console. For family boating, she has innovative aft jump seats. The bottoms can be converted into non-skid boarding steps and the backrests swing open to provide passage to the swim platforms. To port in the cockpit, a lounge converts into myriad seating positions and the bow has reclined backrests on each console. There’s a private head compartment in the port console. Perhaps most important is the high windshield that wraps around the helm and companion seats. Simply stated: dual consoles are generally much more comfortable than center consoles for cruising and entertaining. Plus, dual consoles can fish almost as easily as center consoles. Anglers working a fish around the boat need to only walk through the open windshield to follow a fish to the bow and back, something that is easy with anything longer than a 2’ (.2 m) fishing rod. More...
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Maximo Marina’s Social-Distancing Program
Bird’s-eye view of the Maximo Marina in St. Petersburg, Fla., where most of its slips are covered.
Boating is one of the few outdoor activities that can be enjoyed with the whole family, and we’re happy to see that Maximo Marina in St. Petersburg, Fla., has a common-sense – and no-nonsense – approach to keeping its marina safe and open. Here are its safety procedures —
- • Office doors are locked, and opened to 1 guest at a time with an appointment
- • Office guests and the public must remain behind the quarantine line, separated by at least 6’ (1.8 m)
- • At the gas dock, credit cards are to be placed on a table provided for transactions
- • The marina will be operated with a minimum of staff to insure lack of contact
- • Physical contact between employees and customers (hand shaking) is prohibited
- • All slips are under 24/7 camera surveillance
- • The marina will advise all slip renters by email of a change in conditions
The newly renovated Maximo Marina is owned by IGY, an international company involved with creating premium marinas all over the world. It is the home to the Pursuit DC266 that BoattestLEASING currently is managing for its owner. A few leases are still available and for more information, click here...
What’s Wrong with this Picture?
This picture was taken a week ago on the West Coast of Florida.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order last weekend that all recreational boats must have no more than 10 people aboard and remain 50 feet (15 m) apart on the water, marinas notwithstanding.
This was because of reports from around Florida of boaters rafting up on sand bars and on beaches and having parties with dozens of people mingling together. In response, some authorities have closed launch ramps, which is, of course, a mis-directed solution.
As the photo above clearly shows the boaters here are not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. This will only serve to worsen the crisis and could make it last longer. While national and local governments have said that contact should be restricted to groups of 10 or fewer — they should still stay at least 6’ (1.8 m) or more apart.
This year, it’s not boating as usual. It’s the year of family boating and of spending more time with them on the water. Irresponsible boaters will only ruin the summer for family boating — to say nothing of the health of the community.
The New Age of Boat Leasing
This 2020 Pursuit DC266 is currently available for lease in St. Petersburg, Florida. Click here for more info on this boat...
When we announced BoattestLEASING in mid-January, we were overwhelmed with the response. Then — just a month later — the world changed. Boat leasing turned from being a good idea for early adapters, into a necessity for many boaters who want to get on the water — or keep their boats.
By sharing boat expenses among owners and leaseholders, boating — despite the tough times ahead — can be affordable.
Please Lease My Boat. BoattestLEASING is an excellent solution for boat owners of late-model vessels who need financial help because of a severe drop in income due to our current financial crisis. BoattestLEASING will manage your boat, if it meets our criteria, and lease it to people in your locale who can’t afford, or don’t want the huge expense and hassles of owning a boat. You pick the number of usage days you want to keep (average annual usage days in the U.S. is 25), and we will advertise the rest to the local market. Income you receive will be “found money” to help cover your costs related to the boat. Leases run from 1 to 4 years. For more info, see below.
I Want a Low-Cost Lease. BoattestLEASING is currently vetting boats all over the country, then leasing them on behalf of their owners at fair and affordable rates — below the cost of renting in most cases. The down payments are much smaller than for buying a boat, and monthly payments are far less as well – and typically include all expenses except fuel. You may lease for as few as 10 days per year. Lease terms: 1 to 4 years. For more info, see below.
For more information, call: 727-200-3474, or...
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