Grand Banks 60 | Pursuit DC266 | Seakeeper 1 - 03/01/20
BoatTEST Newsletter March 1, 2020
Most Popular Boats and Products of the Week
Every week BoatTEST publishes news items on about 25 boats and products. Readers have asked which ones are the more popular each day, so below you can find the answer – by day.
Monday #1
Boston Whaler 325 Conquest:
New Hull Design, Accommodations for 4
The Boston Whaler 325 Conquest has a 10’8” (3.25 m) beam, as much as 8" (20 cm) wider than some in this genre, adding lots of usable space in the cockpit for fishing as well as entertaining. Designers make good use of all that space with features like a fold-away seat in the transom, a stowable table and a slide-out grill in the back of the leaning post, allowing the decks to be cleared when the mission is strictly fishing. There’s a hullside door on the starboard side, with a stainless-steel clip-on dive ladder that stores under the transom seat when not in use. Belowdecks, the dinette converts to a berth and there’s a galley, an amidships berth and standup head, as well. She rides on an all-new hull design, with sharp chines for quick planing and stability. She has a 20-degree deadrise aft for a good compromise of an easy ride and better fuel economy than extreme deep-vees. More...
Tuesday #1
Hatteras GT45X Open:
Compact Battlewagon for Big Game Fishing
The Hatteras GT45X has all the bluewater fishability of a much larger sportfish battlewagon, but in a smaller, more-moderately-priced package. She’s easier on fuel, less costly to dock and insure, and she won't require a paid crew to keep her shipshape. She’s also more agile when it comes to chasing offshore heavyweights like bluefins and blue or black marlin. The cockpit is all about the action, with a large centered baitwell with a viewing window on the transom, a tuna door on the starboard side, and the natural teak caprail and deck ready to take whatever the fish and the sea throw at it. The aft-facing mezzanine seats are just right for rod-watchers, and the reinforced deck can secure a rocket launcher or fighting chair. There’s adequate room in front of and behind the fighting chair for crew to assist an angler in the heat of action. We tested a model with a full tuna tower, powered by the optional 985-hp Cat C-12.9s, which topped out at 36.1 knots. At a trolling speed of 600 rpm and 6.7 knots, she used just 4 gph, allowing many hours of pulling baits without much impact on range. More...
Wednesday #1
Pursuit DC266:
Premium Dual Console Ready for Leasing
Capt. Steve and friend try their luck in the roomy cockpit of the Pursuit DC266.
Regular readers know that BoatTEST is partial to dual consoles because they are comfortable family cruisers as well as being able fishing boats. The Pursuit DC266 is a fine example of a premium dual console that is designed for entertaining, cruising, fishing, and even watersports – all in comfort. The particular boat we tested is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is managed by our sister division – BoattestLEASING – and is ready to lease from 15 days to 40 days per year. So, this test and boat report is on a boat that people in the Tampa - St. Pete area can actually lease, and of course, can buy new all over the country. To see the video and learn more about leasing it, click here...
Thursday #1
Seakeeper 1:
Compact, Lightweight Stabilizer
for 23' to 30' Boats
The Seakeeper gyro system has proved itself on large boats. The company introduced its smallest model a few weeks ago, the one many people have been waiting for – the Seakeeper 1. The new unit is designed for open boats in the 23' to 30' (7 m to 9 m) class. It measures just 22.9" L x 23.56" W x 15.68" H (58.16 cm L x 59.84 cm W x 39.82 cm H), small enough to fit under a seat or into a storage compartment of many boats – importantly, it does not have to be mounted on the centerline. It weighs only 365 lbs. (166 kg). Seakeeper says it uses less electrical current than your stereo cranked up on high. Housing the motor, bearings, and flywheel in a vacuum allows the flywheel to spin up to three times faster and halve the power consumption while also reducing flywheel weight by 2/3. A patented glycol/seawater cooling system enables the flywheel to operate in a vacuum without overheating. It is quiet, which is important on a fishing boat, maxing out at around 75 dBa, we’re told. The price is about $14,900, plus installation. See the details here...
Friday #1
Grand Banks 60:
Lighter, Stronger & LRC
We have been waiting a long time for the Grand Banks 60, and when she finally arrived, she did not disappoint. Clearly designed to maintain the much-admired classic lines of the brand, we think that she is possibly the best Grand Banks ever built. Gone are many of the quirky details that former Grand Banks boats often had. Under the skin she has been re-engineered to make her lighter, stronger and more stable than previous models. The twin 900-hp Volvo D13s and tankage are carefully placed to keep the entire waterline length in the water both at displacement speed and on a semi-plane, contributing to efficiency and ride quality. The low center of gravity and the 19’2” (5.85 m) beam add to her stability. The tankage is a single, full-beam 1,530-gallon (5,800 L) tank sitting athwartships ahead of the engines, which is enough to give her range in excess of 1,200 NM at 10 knots. The superstructure is lightweight carbon-fiber, and the joinery is Burmese teak with veneers in some areas to keep the weight down without sacrificing the impressive flow and beauty of the woodworking. Below the waterline, the hull is resin-infused e-glass with a Gurit closed cell foam core. More...
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