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Last Week's Top Boats and News Items

Axopar 45XC

On the 45 XC Cross Cabin, Axopar leans into flexible deck use without losing protection. The enclosed helm stays usable in poor weather, then opens wide with dual sliding doors and roof panels. 

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Good Thing They Planned Ahead

What happens when an engine drops out miles from anywhere useful. The Boomershines push on at reduced speed, thread a crowded marina approach, and track down a fix after a long string of dead ends. 

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Eastern Boats 27 Tournament

Eastern’s 27 Tournament sticks to a working-boat mindset. Her high bow, hard chines, and spray rails keep the ride dry when conditions turn. 

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The Marina Choice Checklist

Picking a marina sounds simple until the trade-offs start stacking up. Drive time, slip exposure, service access, even who ties up next door all shape how often a boat actually gets used.

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Yellowfin 42 Offshore

Midnight Rider is a 2017 Yellowfin 42 repowered in 2025 with quad Mercury V10 Verado 400s covered under factory warranty through September 2030.

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West Marine Wobbles

Bloomberg reports West Marine is exploring Chapter 11 while weighing store closures and debt restructuring. The story traces how a garage rope business became the country’s biggest marine retailer, then got pulled through years of private-equity ownership

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Wellcraft 28 T-Top

The 28 T-Top has the widest beam in her action/adventure class at 9'6", which shows in the cockpit. She comes in three layouts: an L-shaped lounge, a sun pad, or the Barracuda fishing setup with livewell and fish box.

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Sharrow Goes Wide

Greg Sharrow’s prop design has lived mostly in test data and word of mouth. Now, with up to 1,000 certified dealers across the U.S., buyers can see them, test them, and even bundle the cost into a new boat loan at purchase. That shift could move these looped-blade props from aftermarket upgrade to standard consideration.

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Bennington QSBAX2 Swingback

Twin Mercury V10 400s on a 30-foot tritoon with 76 hours is a combination that doesn't come up often. She has two Minn Kota Power Poles, Simrad GPS and sonar, Mercury joystick docking control, a swingback seating layout, and a Rockford Fosgate system.

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When Captains Skip The Briefing

Boca Bash draws some of the biggest boats in South Florida and, apparently, some of the least prepared captains. Wind, current, and close quarters do the rest. 

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