Solar-Powered Cruiser | Ranger Tugs R-25 | Sirena 58 - 12/14/20

BoatTEST Newsletter December 14, 2020 

Editor's Report

Ranger Tugs R-25:

Outboard-Powered Pocket Cruiser

Ranger Tugs R-25

The Ranger Tugs R-25 can easily be a four-season cruiser – after all, she’s built in Kent, Wash. and designed for cruising in all kinds of conditions. She has a full-height glass door that encloses the salon and provides excellent aft views. Inside, the dinette seats four and converts to a berth. The forward stateroom has a berth (see above), opening hatches, reading lights and a TV with a DVD player so a couple could easily get away on an extended voyage. There’s even a single berth under the dinette that kids will love. The private head has an electric toilet, sink and shower while the galley has everything needed to whip up a meal.



For those who have not had the good fortune to cruise the Pacific Northwest, tug boats are a way of life there. Dozens (if not hundreds) of old, commercial tugs have been converted to live-aboards or cruising yachts. They are sea-kindly and economical to operate. The R-25 is a small version of the real thing, but with her 250-hp Yamaha engine she can make speeds commercial vessels can’t come close to. The blunt tug bow is coming into vogue now all over the world, and it allows more room inside and a longer waterline for better performance. East coast boaters might think of the tug as a character boat, but they are not. They are practical vessels with a lot to offer. In this case, the R-25 is an affordable couple’s cruiser. More...

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Test Video

Sirena Yachts 58:

Expedition Yacht w/ 961 NM Range

The Sirena Yachts 58 is designed to cover extended distances at displacement speeds, but she can also get up on plane and run a top speed of 24.4 knots at 2300 rpm when the situation calls for it. At 1000 rpm, we recorded 9.0 knots and a fuel burn of 8 gph, which translates into a range of 961 nautical miles. This gives her the ability to run from country to country in Europe or island hop from North America to South America.

More...

 

New Video

Silent Yachts:

Solar-Powered World Cruiser

A remarkable Austrian couple, the Kohlers, spent years circumnavigating the planet in all types of vessels, power and sail, and came to the conclusion that an electric, primarily solar-power cat would be the ideal world-cruiser. They built a prototype, tested it for four years, then went into business building three production models from 55’ to 80’ (16.76 m to 24.38 m). See a video of their story, how the solar-powered boat works, and their three production models.

More...

 

Test Video

Manitou 23 Encore SHP:

Fast Pontoon Boat w/ Slick Topsides

The 23 Encore SHP is plenty fast, hitting 53 mph with a pair of 200-hp outboards in our tests, so just imagine how fast she would be with 800 hp as shown here. The SHP package includes lifting strakes on the pontoons to improve turning and nosecones that slice through chop. Our test boat carved through hard turns, leaning into the maneuvers like a sports boat. The 23 Encore is set apart from most other toons on the market because of her sculptured fiberglass topsides, rather than cheap-looking fencing most boats in class have.

More...

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Virtual Boat Show

Formula 350 Crossover Bowrider:

58.2 MPH WOT w/3x 350s

Formula has improved the top speed of the 350 Crossover Bowrider by making her available with triple Mercury Verado outboards up to a total of 1,050 hp. The outboards give her the ability to pull up and anchor at a sandbar and they can be raised completely out of the water to reduce the corrosive impact of salt water. Additionally, eliminating the stern drives opens up a massive lazarette-style mechanical room under the cockpit decking, providing excellent access to equipment and voluminous storage.

More...

 Boating Safety

Captain of Dive Boat

Indicted in Fire That Killed 34

The remains of the Conception dive boat after the fire that killed 34 people on board was extinguished.

The captain of the Conception, the dive boat that caught fire last year off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., was indicted on December 1 by a federal grand jury on 34 counts of manslaughter for the passengers and crew member who died in the incident. It was one of the worst maritime disasters in California history. There are important lessons to be learned from this tragedy for all owners of large motoryachts. More...

Boating News of the Week: Episode #33

The word we are getting from virtually all boat builders is that their production is sold out for the next six months – much of it at retail. Two popular brands that we know of have every boat they can build next year already purchased by dealers. This means for the summer boating season you want, decisions should be made now. This week, BoatTEST Reports lets you in on some of the latest new boats launched, and a lot more. More...

Episode #33 All BTR Episodes

 

Photo of the Day

"Anchored in Alicante, Spain on the Mediterranean coast."

We – and our 160,000 newsletter readers – want to see your boating photos and videos! Email us at [email protected] and we may feature your submission in our newsletter.

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Expert Boating

OOOPS!!!

They Should Have Watched Smart Boating!

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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