Hello Boater

Last Week's Top Boats and News Items

Axopar 39 Sun Top 

The Axopar 29 Sun Top combines a 50-mph top speed with a layout that keeps changing as the day unfolds.   Rotating helm seats connect with the cockpit table.

Read More ← 

8 Expensive Mistakes

Most first-time buyers know to get a survey. Fewer know that hiring the wrong type of surveyor can be just as costly as skipping one.  The article also covers financing terms & boat show bargains.

Read More ← 

Fleming Yachts 60

 At 8.3 knots and 8 gph, the Fleming 60 has a range of 1,345 NM with a 10% reserve. Push her to 15.2 knots at 2,000 RPM for day cruising, or drop to 7 knots and she goes transatlantic.

Read More ← 

Reading Gel Coat Damage Explained

 Spider cracks near screws and fittings, chips from trailer rash, stress fractures from highway flex... most used boats have at least some of this. 

Read More ← 

Cruisers Yachts 38 VTR EC

Cruisers Yachts put the helm inside an all-glass enclosed cockpit on the 38 VTR EC, with sliding doors and seats that swivel to face a dining table.  She topped 46 mph on test .

Read More ← 

Rethinking Red Right Returning

Bifurcation buoys, yellow ICW symbols, and the real logic behind Red Right Returning all get untangled here. Dave Rowe argues the saying should really be Red Right Rising.  

Read More ← 

Valhalla Boatworks V33

This Long Island, NY-based 2023 Valhalla Boatworks V-33 center console pairs twin Mercury V10 400hp outboards with a Seakeeper SK2 for stability. She's rigged for fishing with a transom livewell. 

Read More ← 

Whale Fins, Better Props

Humpback whale fins are teaching propeller designers something worth noting. Adding natural groove patterns called tubercles to prop blades showed real-world efficiency gains of up to 15% on displacement vessels.  

Read More ← 

Formula 500 Super Sport Crossover

Four 600-hp Mercury V12 Verados push 48,000 lbs to a tested 66.4 mph and hold her on plane at 18 mph. At the docks, the same setup maneuvers without a bow thruster: the engines mount 4 inches apart with only the lower units turning. 

Read More ← 

Used Boat Inspection Guide

Before a surveyor touches the boat, there's a checklist worth running yourself. Milky oil on the dipstick, soft spots in the transom, osmotic blisters below the waterline, and a fuse box full of fuses. 

Read More ← 

Sovereign Boat Fleet:

Meet Captain Jim Noel, General Manager

Thanks for following us!

Questions? Drop us a line: [email protected]

© 2026 All Rights Reserved. Newsletter content may include sponsorships.  BoatTEST strives for accuracy in all published material.  By submitting a photo or reel you grant BoatTEST permission to use it in our newsletter and on our social media. 

[email protected]