Suzuki 300-HP Dual Prop | Whaler 325 Conquest | Absolute 56 Fly - 10/27/21

The Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show opens today and it will have more than 700 boats new and used on display. BoatTEST’s crew will be taking the measure of many of these vessels, both large and small, in the next five days. You can help us by letting us know which boats you'd like to have us test and inspect as only we can.

Below are several boats that we will be visiting during the show. Please take a look at the ones that interest you and if you would like us to test that boat, please let us know. If you do not see here the boat you have your eye on then let us know the brand and model. We'll try to test these boats as soon as possible.

See You on the Water,

Capt. Steve Larivee

The Azimut Verve 42 Weekender

Debuts Today at FLIBS

The Verve 42 is the latest creation of Azimut Yachts, which is the largest-selling Italian boat brand in America. With triple Mercury Racing 450Rs, this 30,000-lb. (14-t) yacht has a top speed of 28 mph (45 km) according to the builder's website. We have not tested her, but if you would like us to, please click on the button below. To visit Azimut’s website and to read some of the best ad copy we’ve seen in a long time, click here...

Lund’s Fisherman is Back

And Built for Big Water

Lund’s new ad campaign “the ICON is back” is heralding the Fisherman 1875 and 2075 (seen above) that are designed to be used for multispecies on big lakes. The 2075 starts at $53,732 with a 150 Merc. But fish around on Lund’s website and you can find a couple of boats so new they don’t yet have pictures up. The 16’ (4.87 m) Adventurer starts at $22,798.

Sunseeker Predator 74

Represented by OneWater

The growing dealership OneWater now has 17 locations, most near big water in the Eastern U.S. We’ve always thought Sunseekers should be called SunSleekers because that has been its styling concept from the beginning. This boat is in stock and at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show. Visit the builder’s site to see a video of the 74…

Hatteras GT65 is Suitable

For a Billionaire

Hatteras is now owned by Johnny Morris, who is the 134th richest person in America with $6.9 billion according to Forbes. Johnny is one of the humble billionaires and his fishing worms-to-riches story is a classic. Over the years, we have tested virtually every Hatteras convertible, but somehow never caught up with this one. She will be at the Hatteras exhibit at FLIBS this week and if you see Johnny be sure to say hi. To find out more about this rugged fishing machine, go to the horse’s mouth...

See the Builder Video on the Cobalt R4

John Garcia, the product manager of Cobalt Boats, has made an excellent 10-minute video of the R4, which is one of Cobalt’s smallest bowriders, but as he says, it has the same DNA as the largest Cobalts. We haven’t tested a Cobalt in years, but we inspect them at the shows and we agree. See John and learn about this 24’ (7.31 m) bowrider…

Super Air Nautique GS22e

w/More Power than a Tesla

Last year Correct Craft introduced its GS22e to much fanfare. It is powered by an electric propulsion system made by Ingenity, a subsidiary of Watershed, which is owned by Correct Craft. Its 124 kW battery pack is the largest we’ve heard of so far. Her MSRP is $299,583 and the builder says units have been sold both in the U.S. and in Europe. Read all about it on its website…

Twin Vee Steps Up Its Game w/New Models

Twin Vee just launched its new 340 GFX cat last week, so it's too early to see pictures of her or even have any information on the builder’s website, but she’ll be at FLIBS, so look out for her. What Twin Vee does have available to see is its newish 280 CC GFX.

Test Video

Boston Whaler 325 Conquest

Is Base Power the Best Fit?

We tested Boston Whaler’s 325 Conquest with twin 350-hp Mercury Verado supercharged outboards, hitting a top speed of 48.6 mph at 6000 rpm. Best cruise at 4000 rpm and 28.8 mph where she had a range of 306.8 miles. For those wondering about speed with the upgrade to twin 400-hp Verados, Whaler tested the boat with a pair and hit 51.4 mph at 6700 rpm. Best cruise was recorded at 4500 rpm where the boat ran 33.8 mph and the range was pushed to 324 miles. With the base power — twin 300-hp Mercury outboards with the advanced midsection, the boat ran 49.5 mph at 5950 rpm. At 4000 rpm, she ran 31.3 mph and had a range of 376 miles, so it looks like the smart money might be on the base package. More...

Pre-Owned Yacht

2016 Absolute 56 Fly

Dare to Dream

This Absolute 56 Fly could be just what a cruising family is looking for. She has three cabins, two heads and crew quarters. A 2020 upgrade included new Raymarine electronics, smart TVs, a grill on the transom and new exterior cushions. She’s powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS-800s with 480 hours and electrical power is provided by a 20kW Kohler generator. More... 

Formula Boats Chairman Emeritus Victor Porter Passes at Age 90

Vic Porter was one of the most respected people in the recreational boating industry.

Victor B. Porter, the chairman emeritus of Formula Boats and an icon in the recreational boating industry, died on October 24 at the age of 90. He was the patriarch of the family that made Formula into one of the most respected manufacturers in the recreational boating industry worldwide and was inducted into the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Hall of Fame in 2016. More...

Outboard Engine Buyers' Guide

Suzuki DF300B

Twin Props are Just the Beginning

Suzuki’s DF300B is one of two 300-hp outboards the company offers. It’s the only 300-hp outboard engine with dual contra rotating propellers. But when it comes to performance-boosting features, the props are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. To learn more, click away. More...

Fishing Electronics

2021 NMEA Awards

Fishfinder: Furuno DFF-3D Multibeam Sonar 

The Furuno DFF-3D is an innovative tool for efficient fish location and seabed profile surveying, utilizing new multi-beam technology. Highly detailed images are derived from the combination of an advanced signal processing system and an amazingly compact multi-beam transducer. The folks at the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) were impressed with the DFF-3D because they named it the winner in the Fishfinder category in their 2021 Awards program. More...

A Snowbird Special in Riviera Beach, FL

A pristine Edgewater 370 CC is ready for serious Gulf Stream Action.

This will be the second winter that SBC’s Edgewater 370 CC will be open to membership in the West Palm Beach area – in Riviera Beach, FL. The boat is loaded with equipment including triple Yamaha 300-hp outboards, a Seakeeper gyro, sonar, bow thruster, joystick, fishbox freezers, underwater lights and a sleeper cabin with a head and shower. The list of features on this boat is long – but memberships in this well-equipped boat are limited. Terms are for six months, which means membership in this boat comes at a significant discount compared to an annual membership. Her season starts November 1, 2021, and runs to April 30, 2022. Find out more about this Sovereign Boat Club boat by clicking here...

Photo Of The Day

"Late season at Barnegat Inlet in NJ."

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