New Yamaha Lineup | The Winner of 2x 150s vs. 1x 300 | Hybrid Greenline 48 Fly - 08/18/21

New Lineup

Yamaha Watercraft 2022

Two New PWCs Plus Accessories

For 2022, Yamaha has updated its FX series of WaveRunners with new touchscreens at the helm, factory-installed speakers and Enhanced Drive Control. An owner can also customize FX series craft with Yamaha’s new RecDeck platform and accessories. RecDeck integrates with the FX’s swim platform and can be used to secure a cooler, rodholders and other gear. It can be further customized with the JetFish, Lounging or Tow Sports packages. Finally, the JetBlaster WaveRunner is a personal watercraft targeted at freestyle riders. It features raised lightweight handlebars and foot chocks. It’s powered by Yamaha’s TR-1 HO Marine Engine and comes with custom-tuned electric trim. More...

Test Video

Greenline 48 Fly

Hybrid Propulsion is the Future

Greenline Yachts’ 48 Fly has a hybrid hull that is an evolution of the manufacturer’s displacement hull design. It’s streamlined to cruise efficiently at displacement and higher speeds and stabilizers affixed to the running surface contribute to her stability. This is important because the 48 Fly will be taken on longer passages that include days at sea. When the ability to outrun weather is needed, her twin Volvo Penta D3 220-hp diesel engines can push the boat to speeds exceeding 20 mph. Slow to 1200 rpm and 5.8 mph and the range leaps to 1,668 nautical miles. More...

Captain's Report

Grady-White Freedom 255

150 Twins vs. 1 x 300

Grady-White’s Freedom 255 can be powered by up to a single 300-hp outboard or by twin 150s. We haven’t tested this boat so, unfortunately, we can’t say what her single vs. twin metrics are. Happily, the techs at Grady have tested the boat both ways and this is what they report: Top Speed – 48.1 mph for the twins; 43.5 mph for the single. Best cruise – 27.3 mph/2.42 mpg for the twins at 3700 rpm; 25.1 mph/2.37 mpg at 4000 rpm for the single. (BoatTEST considers “best cruise” as planing speed that provides the greatest mpg.)

The twins also get the boat up on plane at a lower rpm – the twins were on plane at 3000 going 18.8 mph, while the single 300 was still chugging along at 10.5 mph at 3000 rpm. The boat with the twins weighed 214 lbs. (97.07 kg) more than the 255 with the single plus she had a fiberglass hardtop creating added windage, unlike the single-engine 255. Both factors should have made the going harder for the twins, but they were clearly able to overcome the handicaps of added weight and windage. 

Why is there such a difference when both boats had 300 hp in total? Two important reasons: 1) the 150 Yamahas are 2.7 L displacement each, which totals 5.4 L for both, compared to 4.2 L displacement for the single 300. (No replacement for displacement?) 2) The twins were swinging two 14 1/4" x 18" props, compared to the 300’s single 15 3/4" x 15" props, so the twins simply had much more blade surface in the water than the single. It is blade surface that turns engine horsepower into thrust. Even though the 300 had a larger diameter prop, it couldn’t come close to matching the blade surface area of two slightly smaller props. This also means that the Freedom 255 powered by twins has much more weight-carrying capacity for a given speed than the single engine-powered boat. The final piece of the puzzle is the cost of the engines. Two loose 150s will cost about $4,500 more than a single loose 300. More...

Review Video

ULTRA Anchor

Always in the Right Position

ULTRA Anchors are the product of some serious design. They are all stainless-steel and range from 5 to 360 kg (11-800 lbs.) and the weight details are stamped on the shank along with the serial number. An ULTRA anchor can be used through the stem, integrated into a pulpit or as part of a standard roller setup. Most importantly, the weight is concentrated in the lead-filled tip, so the anchor always falls into an attack position. More...

For Charter

105' Azimut 105 Grande

Available for Charter

The 105' (32 m) Azimut seen above sleeps eight guests in four en suite staterooms and guests are waited on by a crew of five. She was designed for elegant entertaining and her salon is huge, as is her flying bridge, which is set up for stunning sightseeing. Her cost per week is $50,000. At first blush, that might seem like a lot and it is, but when compared with other 5-Star Caribbean resort options with four cabins on the beach and infinity plunge pools for an extended family outing or business trip, it is about the same price – but with a lot more advantages. Families we know typically charter them to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays with children and grandchildren. More...

Cruising Destinations

St. Vincent & the Grenadines –

The Cruising Boater’s Dream

A cruiser looking to expand his/her horizons might want to take a look at the Eastern Caribbean. A string of gem-like islands extends between St. Vincent and Grenada. Technically part of the same country as the island of St. Vincent, the Grenadines stretch along 40 miles in a northeast to southwest direction. BoatTEST considers the Grenadines absolutely the best cruising area in the Caribbean. More...

Boat Maintenance

"Zincs" Are Not an Option

The pitting we see in the image above is minor damage compared to the worst that can happen – a through-hull disintegrating. So for those in particular who keep their boats in a marina, zincs are not an option. (They are generally called “zincs,” but today sacrificial anodes are made from a variety of materials.) Here's what you need to know...

Sovereign Boat Club’s "Share the Wealth" Program

The concept of Sovereign Boat Club is quite simply to share the wealth. It’s a win-win for everyone! A limit of eight members pay a fraction of a boat’s cost to a boat owner who has already bought a premium boat. Each party is sharing what he can afford, and the benefit for both is affordable premium boat usage. Annual memberships in boats ranging from 27’ to 33’ (8.2 m to 10 m) are now available in St. Petersburg and Bradenton, Fla. Check them out at SovereignBoatClub.com or call 727-200-3474.

Photo Of The Day

"Evening cruise on our Stingray 236CC on Flathead Lake, MT."

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