Volvo Penta 5.0 // MasterCraft X-35 // 9 More Tests & Reviews
One thing we like about the Porter family, owners of Formula, is that you always know where you stand
Rinker packs so many features aboard their Captiva 186 Bow Rider you might think the boat is bigger than 18' 11" (5.77 m) LOA. There's bow seating for two to stretch out; a comfortable cockpit with helm and companion buckets; and a sundeck roomy enough to sprawl out and work on one's tan lines (or lose them). But the Captiva 186 isn't all show: Rinker builds her with a full fiberglass liner, offers 3.0- and 4.3-liter power options and includes plenty of standard equipment, including a trailer.
The 23' (7 m) LOA 230 Seabreeze Fish from Cypress Cay is a pontoon squarely aimed at anglers. She's a modified 230 Seabreeze cruising 'toon with rearranged seating and a load of fishing gear: pedestal chairs fore and aft, a work station for bait and lure prep, a livewell and rod holders. Depending on power, her MSRP ranges from $14,930 to $24,130, putting her well within the budget of lots of folks.
Some builders choose to build, do it well, despite the added cost, rather than cheaply and one of those builders is Chaparral. From the major components, like Kevlar reinforced keels and hulls engineered for strength and UV resistance, to the details like stainless steel shower hoses that don’t kink and seat latches that you don’t have to hunt for, Chaparral places quality before economy. Yes, their boats cost more money, but so does membership in an exclusive club. Since not everyone can afford one then yours will look that much better.
You’re at the dealership and it’s time to select options. Snap-in carpet – check. Mooring cover – check. Engine? Hmmm. Standard power is a 4.3L, do I really need more than that? Well, if you’re like most boaters and want to either fill your boat, or do a lot of towing, or both, then you’ll be considering moving up to the 5.0. That move will give you a boost from 190-hp to 270-hp at the cost of taking up roughly 50 lbs (22.7 kg) and about 4” (10.1 cm) in length and 3” (7.6 cm) in height, and yes, a bit of dough. Since it’s a decision you’ll likely be faced with, we thought it was time we took a detailed look at the popular upgrade choice, the Volvo Penta 5.0.
We continue to debunk the claims from mono-hull jingoists that cats simply don’t cut it. “They perform differently,” “they lean outboard in turns”... and now it’s “they’re not as spacious as they look.” Okay, let’s see. The only way to disprove
Cuddy-cabin boats like the 25' 11" (7.9 m) LOA Cobalt 243 make excellent dayboats, with the added advantage of basic accommodations. But most cuddies have a major drawback: The head is placed between, or at the foot of, the V-berth, where privacy is non-existent if two people are sharing the cabin. Not so aboard the Cobalt 243, which has an innovative enclosed head compartment separate from the cuddy and directly accessible from the cockpit. How did they do it?
It may be those sleek curves that hook you, or perhaps the center console roominess. Either way, we found the Seaswirl Striper 1905 CC to be a very functional boat that is small enough to be handled by anyone, including the kids, while offering the fishing functionality that CCs are known for. While we found her to be a capable performer with the standard 90-hp, the optional 115-hp will produce a little more speed, and added agility for watersports towing with the family.
FinCraft set out on a goal to provide more for less. This 17 Side Console is sold as a complete package, right down to the trailer and fish finder, so that you can hit the water right after hauling her away from the dealership, perhaps stopping at a gas station along the way. Naturally we had to see what FinCraft’s version of "nicely equipped" was, and as it turned out, it closely matches ours. In fact, the only item on the options list is a cockpit cover. It’s that complete. As for the price, we think $19,782 is competitive indeed, and on par with aluminum boats. So how does FinCraft do it with fiberglass, and what do you get for your money?
Whenever a builder tells us that a certain model is their best seller, we start asking why. Take the Yamaha VX Deluxe for example. Is she Yamaha’s best performer? Not really: she will do over 50 mph but they have faster. Is it because she’s the least expensive? Nope, although she comes in at just $8,999 Yamaha still has less expensive waverunners. Surely she must have the most features then? Hardly, she’s
There's a year-round boat show in Oconto, Wisconsin, where the full Cruisers Yachts and Rampage Yachts lines are on permanent display. Opened in the autumn of 2010, the new showroom is a part of the KCS factory, which is also available for guided customer tours. (KCS is the parent company of both boat builders.) Over the past few months, the showroom has seen a steady stream of boat buyers, accompanied by their Cruisers or Rampage dealers. Most visitors spend all day carefully examining the boats on their short list as well as visiting the factory to see, in detail, how the boats are built. Buyers of either of the two brands can also fly with their dealers to the showroom to select fabrics, woods, granite, other materials and equipment for their new boats before building starts.
It’s a beautiful sunny day, and finally you don’t have to be on call for work, the family is together, and it’s stopped raining for a change. Looks like it’s time to dust off the boat keys and get on the water. But after only an hour run from the dock, suddenly... nothing but the sounds of silence from your engine. Time to call for an assist. Now here’s the question. What’s the difference between calling as a member and as a non-member of Sea Tow? It’s easy just to say “duh, the price,”
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Manufactured with patented NTS Reflex Mesh technology to eliminate kinks, twists and tangles, Shurhold Water Hose adds yet another product for keeping our boats looking great. Holding true to their focus on technology, Shurhold has taken the hose and tweaked it a bit, with Grip-Tite coupling for an easy, leak free connection at the faucet. This 100% lead free hose is drinking water safe and available in three sizes of 25’, 50’ and 75’ with a diameter of 5/8''. We are not sure how to test this for you, but if it holds up half as well as the other products we have tested from Shurhold, you won’t need the lifetime guarantee they are offering on it.
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When we transferred our popular CD boating course over to DVD, we had no idea it would sell so well ...or in so many places. |
Based on the feedback we’ve been getting about BoatTEST.com's Smart Boating Course,
it’s clearly not only for beginners, but also for veteran boaters as well.
Perhaps that is why the NMMA started promoting the course after just one look.
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| Capt. Steve brings us the basics. |
Capt. Steve covers some of the basic rules of the road in these new lessons which all recreational boaters should be aware of. You’ll learn about lines of demarcation, traveling at safe speeds, how to determine your risk of collision, why one should steer clear of large vessels and who has the right of way. Part 1 is the first installment of a multi-part series on Basic Rules of the Road. These are basic procedures which all recreational boaters should
be aware of. The videos presented this week are part of BoatTEST.com’s Boating Course
which is USCG-approved. Watch these video boating lessons every week on BoatTEST.com.
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"He hasn't left the flybridge since he discovered his joystick!" - G. Curenton
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"Should we tell him about the low bridge up ahead?" - J. Six Pac
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Take cover girls, there's a reason they call this "Gullapoopagus Island." - D. Lemieux
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