Fountaine Pajot MY 37 | Tahoe 450 TS | Palm Beach 50 Fly - 08/27/19
BoatTEST Newsletter August 27, 2019
Test Video
Fountaine Pajot MY 37:
Lots of Yacht in 37’
Three staterooms, two heads and four entertainment areas all in under 37' (11.3 m) LOA? It’s not only possible but adroitly done in the Fountaine Pajot MY 37, thanks to her 16’8” (5.1 m) beam and twin hull design. She not only has the features, gear and storage necessary for extended cruising, but she also has the range. Powered with twin Volvo Penta D3 220s, she had a reach of better than 1100 NM at 6.2 knots, and this is on fuel tankage of just 316 gallons (1,196 L). More...
Test Video
TAHOE 450 TS:
Entry-Level Bow Rider w/ Seating for 8
The TAHOE 450 TS, with a package length of 20’3” (6.2 m) including the standard trailer with fold-away tongue, is small enough to fit into most garages -- cutting the potential cost of storage. She is light enough at 3,025 lbs. (1,372 kg) with less fuel and equipment to be towed by mid-size cars. She’s not only easy to buy, at a base price of $24,595 with a 90-hp Mercury Four-Stroke and trailer, but also inexpensive to operate. With the optional 115-hp Mercury Four-Stroke (+$1,000) used in our tests, she got 6.1 mpg at 21.5 mph. More...
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Test Video
Palm Beach 50 Fly:
Fine Fit-and-Finish, Intelligent Design
The Palm Beach 50 Fly is not only a finely-finished cruising yacht, but she is also intelligently engineered, with the twin 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS 600 engines positioned amidships and connected to the IPS drives via jackshafts to balance the boat. This arrangement not only allows her to plane very easily, just 4.5 seconds in our tests, but also allows her to stay on plane at lower rpm -- increasing fuel efficiency. As in most IPS systems, fuel consumption is linear, but she got 1.0 nmpg at 20.1 knots for a range of over 400 NM. Just as impressive, though the engines are under the aft portion of the salon decking, sound-proofing kept noise levels to just 76 dBa at 20 knots and 80 dBa at her WOT speed of 31.4 knots. See the full performance test here...
Test Video
Boston Whaler 230 Outrage:
Ready for Anything the Sea Brings On
Want to see what a Whaler is all about? Test her at speed in 4’ to 6’ (1.2 to 1.8 m) seas as Captain Steve did, and you’ll find out. With a 21-degree deadrise and sharp forward entry, she eased the ride in all but the most severe jumps off the wavetops. She and her components can take much more than her operator. The high freeboard, bow flair and wrap-around glass at the T-top kept things dry at the helm. She is relatively stable in beam seas thanks to her hard chines. The solid ride is also a well-known Whaler feature thanks to the foam-filled construction. Her hull sound is solid, not hollow. See this salty test ride here...
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Test Video
Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht:
Cruising Yacht w/Transom Garage
Though it’s very useful to have a dinghy handy for going ashore, towing one astern is often a headache. The Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht neatly solves the problem by fitting a Williams center console inflatable (or another dinghy) with a 90-hp Rotax jet engine into a transom garage. The tender is easily launched when needed via the hydraulic swim platform. A hatch in the cockpit just ahead provides direct access to the tender, allowing it to be loaded from above before ever coming out of the garage. More...
Factory Video
Hatteras Electrical Systems:
Possibly, the Best in the Business
Hatteras Electrical Systems: Possibly, the Best in the Business
Over the years, the engineers at Hatteras Yachts were instrumental in developing the electrical standards for the ABYC -- the standards now certified by the NMMA for recreational boat construction. Because it was the first builder of fiberglass yachts for cruising, they were the first ones to encounter electrical challenges in class -- and the first to find the solutions, decades ago. For example, the entire electrical system is bonded together to prevent electrolysis. Hatteras uses a 2” (5.08 cm) wide copper bonding strap that goes from stem to stern. Everything from all of the underwater gear to any heavy metal devices is bonded to this strap. Like many other quality touches, this sort of engineering results in a yacht that promises many years of reliable duty. More...
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