New Galeon 640 Fly | Regal 26 XO | Affordable Family Toon - 03/30/20
BoatTEST Newsletter March 30, 2020
A Word From BoatTEST
As a sport and recreation, boating and yachting have been around since at least the mid-1600s in the Netherlands (“yacht” is from the Dutch word “jacht”). It spread to other European nations (Peter the Great of Russia had his own sailing sloop), then to the U.S. after the American Revolution. All of this is to say that the sport that we all love is here to stay, through feast and famine, war and peace, sickness and health.
Indeed, the proof of this is the increase in boat research traffic we have seen in the last two weeks. Boat owners, future boat buyers, and just armchair dreamers are flocking to BoatTEST to research, compare, and enjoy the boats that they dream about owning in the future. Our staff of dedicated captains, copy editors, video editors, videographers, Internet techs and support personnel, each working from their own home, are actively keeping BoatTEST up to date and even enlarging our database.
In mid-April, BoatTEST will launch “VirtualBOATSHOW.com” that expands our coverage to well over 2,500 boats and yachts built world-wide. It will truly be the largest boat show in the world, and it will replace the “actual” boat shows that are now being canceled world-wide. No one knows when those shows will be re-instated, so until then, VirtualBOATSHOW.com will have the most comprehensive selection of boats available.
After the pandemic has passed, boaters can then once again go to boat shows armed with information to touch and see the boats. Our mission remains the same as always – to help educate and inform – and bring objective and fair reviews of boats, expert videos, and in-depth Captain's Reports to the world.
New Test Video
Galeon 640 Fly:
Designed to Entertain
From her spacious flybridge to the ease with which her salon and cockpit can be merged to create one large area, the Galeon 640 Fly is ready to entertain. With the push of a button the cockpit can be extended by nearly 8’ (2.44 m) with bulwarks that fold out and create outdoor bars. The sliding glass door and aft window in the galley open, merging the salon and cockpit into one large entertainment space. For safe passage from the salon to the bow seating area, the center section of the windshield opens electrically. Aft, the hydraulic swim platform lowers into the water and has integrated stairs. Up top, the flybridge is one of the largest we’ve seen in class with large aft and forward lounges plus a bar to starboard. For accommodations, private passageways access the full-beam master aft and the VIP in the bow and their cabins have end-suite heads with separate showers. Owners can choose between one or two guest cabins and there are crew quarters aft. Upper and lower helms are logically laid out around multifunction displays and the 640 Fly is powered by twin Volvo Penta D13 1000-hp inboard engines. More...
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...
I Have a Boat to Lease I Want to Lease a Boat
Test Video
Regal 26 XO:
Sea-Worthy, Trailerable Weekender
The Regal 26 XO is a family-oriented weekender as well as a day boat with the capability to run out along the beach when conditions are right. She has far more freeboard up front than many in this LOA, and that along with the fully enclosed bow will allow an experienced captain to take on the occasional gnarly inlet without concern. A bolster on the doublewide helm seat positions the captain to look over the windshield and the high bow to keep a close eye on the seas ahead. Belowdecks she has a convertible V-berth at the bow as well as a mid-cabin berth for two, a compact galley, dinette and standup head. With an 8’6” (2.59 m) beam and a fueled weight of around 6,680 lbs. (3,033 kg), she’s trailerable behind full-sized vehicles. More...
Schedule a Test Drive Dealer Contact Request Pricing Request
Boaters Stay Active:
Florida Marinas Say Business is Good
The Harborage Marina in St. Petersburg is open for business.
The auto club AAA says the national average price for gasoline at land-based stations is averaging $2.15 for 87 octane, which is the lowest since December 2016. Fuel prices at many marinas are also attractive and boaters are taking advantage. It’s still a little early for boaters in most parts of the country to be getting back on the water, so Boattest.com spoke to facilities around Florida. We found that most boating enthusiasts are working within recommended guidelines to stay open and help people can get on the water. More...
Test Video
SUN TRACKER® BASS BUGGY® 18 DLX:
Well-Equipped for Family Fishing
SUN TRACKER® BASS BUGGY 18® DLX
The Bass Buggy 18 DLX is designed to put a family on the water for angling action at a very competitive price. The base package is just $17,395 including a 40-hp Mercury FourStroke. She’s well equipped for the price. The bow deck has two fold-down fishing chairs, rod holders and rail-mounted drink/tool holders as well as a baitwell and a center door where a trolling motor can be mounted. The aft deck also includes a baitwell, fold-down fishing chair, rod holders and tool rack. An L-shaped couch provides a place to relax on multi-density foam cushions, and the large Bimini with Quicklift system allows easy raising and lowering. An AM/FM Bluetooth®-capable stereo with two speakers is also standard. More...
Schedule a Test Drive Dealer Contact Request Pricing Request
Monte Carlo Yachts Part #3:
Hull Construction and Rigging
Monte Carlo Yachts Part #3: Hull Construction and Rigging
Monte Carlo Yachts constructs its hulls with composite materials and modular techniques. Kevlar and carbon fiber are used in strategic locations to provide strength and keep down weight. Longitudinal stringers and lateral supports including full bulkheads and partial transverses are all bonded in place to create a unified construction. Tapped steel plates are encapsulated in fiberglass to provide specific mounting locations for plumbing, hydraulic, electrical and fuel system components. Additionally, the steel motor mounts are bonded to the stringers with fiberglass and tapped to receive the installation bolts. To keep noise and vibration to a minimum, the engine-room bulkhead is coated in sound-deadening insulation that also absorbs noise and reflects heat that can be removed from blowers in the compartment. When all the hull rigging is complete, the bottom is ready for the interior modules to be installed. More...
Expert Boating
BoatTEST.com's
4-DVD Boating Course
Sometimes it's not what you know, but what you've forgotten. We have the perfect solution for you.
Based on the feedback we've been getting about BoatTEST.com's Video Boating Course, it's clearly not only for beginners but for veteran boaters as well. Perhaps that is why the NMMA started promoting the course after just one look. It's the most complete boating course available... period. Order your 4-disc box set...
Watch the trailer...
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All articles, Captain's Reports, video content or other material which appear on BoatTEST.com and in its newsletters are accurate and factual to the best knowledge of BoatTEST.com and its staff. All findings, beliefs, experiences or endorsements presented are the honest opinions of BoatTEST.com or its contributors. In compliance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255, BoatTEST.com advises its readers that the content which appears in its newsletter or on its website may have been produced for compensation or the prospect of future compensation. BoatTEST.com makes no claims for the veracity or motivation of reader comments, Owners' Reports and other contributions which are all clearly labeled as such.