Valhalla V-33 | Sea Ray 250 SDX | Hatteras GT65 - 10/15/21

Virtual Boat Show

Valhalla V-33

Center-Console w/Viking Bloodlines

The V-33 center console is one of the least costly ways to get into a Viking-built boat. The same standard-equipment list found on the larger V-37 and V-41 is available on the twin-outboard V-33. Highlights include a 24-degree deadrise, double-stepped bottom, 52-gallon (196.84 L) livewell, five self-draining fish boxes and a hull built to take twin Mercury Verado 400s or 450s or twin Yamaha 300s. If you want to know more, visit Valhalla's website...

Industry News

2021 NMEA Award for Satellite Communications Antenna: KVH TracPhone V30

One of the key features of the V30 is the compact size of the antenna and hub.

This summer the founder of BoatTEST used the KVH TracPhone V30 on a cruise along the Maine coast. He, along with his daughter and son-in-law, kept at least three businesses humming as his two grandchildren never tired of jumping off the boat into the icy waters of Penobscot Bay. Work and play at the same time is the best way for busy people to enjoy their boating investment – and their family. We can report that the KVH TracPhone V30 hooked up to the boat’s Wi-Fi worked flawlessly.

That’s why we were pleased recently when the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) named the TracPhone V30 the winner in the Satellite Communications Antenna category for 2021.

More...

Test Video

Sea Ray SDX 250 OB

Breaking with 60 Years of Tradition

Sea Ray’s SDX 250 OB: Kudos to the design team at Sea Ray for breaking more than 60 years of lemming-like design in bowriders, which invariably put the passageway to the bow straight down the middle of the boat. This bifurcation could only create sameness in the entire bowrider genre. And it did – for more than 60 years. But, in one fell swoop Sea Ray has created something very different with a lot of utility – for example, three people can sit forward of the helm without stretching both legs out forward. A parent and child can sit together at the helm in the extra-wide seat. The view from the helm is not marred by the frame for the fold-over windshield.

Now, we’d urge the designers to take matters a step further and widen the helm seat for three people and reduce the port seat to regular size. She has a deep cockpit for the deckboat type and that is important to keep the young ones aboard. This detail necessarily makes the boat more expensive than boats with less material in them, but how much are your kids worth? Finally, she is the smallest boat that Sea Ray builds in the SDX lineup, so she's probably one of the least expensive in the Sea Ray line. We’d say she’s a bargain. More...

Outboard Engine Buyers' Guide

Mercury Pro XS 300

Power by the Pound But Who's Counting?

There are 10 engines rated at 300 hp in our Outboard Engine Buyers' Guide, but only one weighs in at less than 510 lbs. (231.33 kg). The Mercury 300 Pro SX has its weight listed at 505 lbs. (229 kg). That’s 7 lbs. (3.18 kg) lighter than the 300-hp Mercury Racing 300R, which is the next lightest in class. This translates to 1.68 lbs. (.76 kg) per hp, which makes the engine attractive for bass boats and similar application. So, what do the other 8 engines weigh? Find out here...

Test Video

Maritimo X50

Balanced for Comfort and Speed

Maritimo founder/owner Bill Barry Cotter is one of the most successful offshore powerboat racers in the sport’s history in Australia, so it’s no surprise that the X50 is designed with a focus on performance. Her Volvo Penta straight-shaft inboards are installed farther forward in the boat than on other sport yachts. This improves fuel efficiency, shortens planing times, produces a better running attitude, and is more comfortable in a seaway. She comes with both a stern and bow thruster. For people looking for a yacht in this size and price range, the Maritimo X50 should be on their shortlist. More...

Captain's Report

Hatteras GT65 Carolina

Built to Run Offshore

The GT65 Carolina has a beam of 20’0” (6.10 m), which is unusual in any type of boat this size, much less another convertible. That extra foot or two means a wider cockpit so both the wire-man and gaffer have room to bring the trophy aboard. It also means more living space inside. Why not visit the Hatteras website and learn more...

Navigation Equipment

10 Things Capt. Steve Loves

About Simrad's NSS EVO 3S

Capt Steve has written: “I’ve been working with Simrad MFDs for years now. When you find something that works well for you, you just stick with it. Now, this isn’t to say that others don’t do a good job, they do. But they do it differently and I just find that the things I need to do are harder with other units. Probably after spending a good deal of time with other units, I might feel differently. For now, and for several years, in fact, I’m a Simrad fan.  So in no particular order, here are 10 things I love about Simrad's NSS EVO 3S."

Cruising Destinations

Lake Superior, A Can't-Miss for Loopers

The northern segment of the Great Loop route on the U.S./Canada border encompasses four of the five Great Lakes: Ontario, Erie, Huron, and Michigan. For some “Loopers,” however, cruising this far without exploring Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, would be like a road trip through the western U.S. without seeing the Grand Canyon; the experience would be incomplete. Here’s why you must go boating on Lake Superior. More...

Guru Video

A Good Samaritan and a Teaching Moment

We always ask why someone can manage to hold a camera during an emergency, but not lend a hand. In this video, the Broncos Guru tells of a solo captain who fell overboard with his boat in gear. This time, the folks behind the camera did more than just film it. More...

Riviera Beach Offers World Class Diving

Dive or snorkel world-class reefs and wrecks from your own private boat. Equipped with triple 300-hp outboards and a side dive door, Sovereign Boat Club’s Edgewater 370CC is fully equipped to get you to your dive spot. The membership is only for Nov. through April in this boat, so the cost is half price. Check out the 370CC membership plan at SovereignBoatClub.com or call 727-200-3474.

Photo Of The Day

"Chilling out in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada before winter sets in."

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