Nordhavn N60 | Front Runner 39 CC | Tahoe T16 - 04/23/20
BoatTEST Newsletter April 23, 2020
BoatTEST Reports Episode #3
Airs Tonight at 8 PM EST
Tonight, on BoatTEST REPORTS, Capt. Steve covers an important boat-buying subject that all boat buyers should be aware of, in addition to giving the weekly wrap-up of important boating news from around the country, plus give sneak previews of three boat tests, and much more. Tune in on BoatTEST’s Facebook page at 8 PM EST to see it “live.” If you missed episode #1 or #2, catch up here...
New Editor's Report
Front Runner 39 CC:
Bluewater Center Console
The Front Runner 39 CC is a center-console designed with hardcore offshore anglers in mind. Company owners Mark Lacovara and Phil Mahn are saltwater fishermen who started doing re-powers and eventually opened a full-service facility in Northern Florida. They then started their own boat company, Front Runner Boats. The first model is the 39 CC, a twin-stepped center-console designed by naval architect Erwin Gerards, who is known for his work with Rybovich and Garlington. More...
Test Video
Nordhavn N60:
More Room on Deck + 1/3 Knot
The Nordhavn N60 has the same interior as the N55, but the manufacturer of long-range expedition yachts extended the vessel’s cockpit and lazarette by 5’ (1.5 m). This provides more space for activities like diving and fishing as well as for entertaining, plus creates more storage space below. It also allows the boat deck to be extended. Our test model carried a 14’ (4.27 m) Novurania RIB and a 16’ (4.88 m) Twin Vee cat. She was also equipped with kayak and paddleboard racks. On the water, Nordhavn says the extra length is good for about a third of a knot because of the extended waterline. More...
Test Video
TAHOE T16:
3D Tooling Creates Affordable Boat
Tahoe gets a high-five from BoatTEST for creating a very low-cost affordable boat. That brings our favorite sport to a wider audience – and many of those owners who are in for a penny will stay in for a pound. One reason why it’s hard for manufacturers to produce a quality boat at a low price is because of the man-hours that go into tooling the molds. Tahoe found a way to lower the production costs for its T16 – by 3D-printing the mold. This saved the company countless hours in tooling production and the result is that each unit produced carries a lower pre-production burden. For $15,995, the T16 comes with a 60-hp Mercury four-stroke outboard on a trailer. She is designed for small lakes and protected water, and is good starter boat for kids, or a boat for grampa to tool around in. More...
Schedule a Test Drive Dealer Contact Request Pricing Request
Building Advocacy
Help Lobby Governors to Open Boating
State officials concerned about the COVID-19 virus being spread at public gathering areas continue to threaten access to the nation’s waterways by restricting or closing ramps and marinas. We believe that recreational boating with one’s family is a healthy, safe way to endure what is otherwise a claustrophobic existence. Recreational boating businesses support the economy and boating is a great way to safely isolate with our families and get some much-needed fresh air. Go to boatingunited.org to add your name to lobbying efforts organized on boating’s behalf to make sure that access to recreational boating remains open.
Boating Access
Cautious Optimism on Illinois Waterways
Thousands of families enjoy boating on the Chain O’ Lakes in Illinois’ Lake County.
In Lake County, Ill., recreational boating is big business on Fox Lake and the Chain O’ Lakes. Boaters look forward to Memorial Day as the annual start of the season and this year is no different. “People are itching to get outside and enjoy the (water),” said Joseph S. Keller, executive director at the Fox Waterway Agency in Fox Lake, Ill. “Everything is primed and looking good for a May start.” That is good news so long as boaters use common sense and keep a safe distance from other people. More...
Giving Back
Chaparral/Robalo Donate $100,000
Chaparral builds a full line of family boats at its headquarters in Nashville, Ga.
Marine Products Corporation, the parent company of Chaparral and Robalo, is donating $100,000 through the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation to The Caring Place, a non-profit organization in Nashville, Ga., which is the longtime home of Chaparral. The Caring Place is a community-based organization dedicated to helping people not just survive, but to thrive. It is supported by 53 local churches and 14 dominations. In addition, Chaparral has donated hundreds of N95 masks to local medical facilities in south Georgia to help in the COVID-19 crisis. More...
Safe, Healthy Boating,
Wave of the Future
Send your pictures in that show “Safe, Healthy Family Boating” to [email protected]. Each week, we’ll pick a winner who will receive a coveted BoatTEST hat personally signed by Capt. Steve.
Expert Boating
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