Does Your VHF Distress Button Work? | Ocean Runner 29CC | Scarab 255 ID


BoatTEST Newsletter June 11, 2018
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Boattest.com: Tests You Can Trust


New Test Video


Ocean Runner 29CC:


Hardcore CC w/2x Evinrude E-TEC G2 300s


Ocean Runner 29CC
Ocean Runner 29CC

With twin 300-hp Evinrude E-TEC G2 outboards, the Ocean Runner 29CC had a 3.6-second time to plane and reached an impressive top speed of 57.6 mph. The boat is a hardcore fishing platform with a dry weight of just 3,800 pounds (1,724 kg), contributing to her excellent performance, as well as a maximum fuel economy of 1.8 mpg at 27.9 mph, for a range of 400 SM.

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Test Video


Hatteras GT 70:


Tested at 40 Knots in 3’ to 5’ Seas


Hatteras GT 70
Hatteras GT 70

We got some bumpy conditions on the day we tested the Hatteras GT 70, and in 3’ to 5’ (0.91-1.52 m) seas we were able to run at 40 knots, thanks to the optional 2,600-hp MTUs doing the heavy work. Hatteras has been building offshore performers for a long time, and the company makes no secret of its winning combination of hull shape, light weight, and power.

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Test Video


Scarab 255 ID:


Twin-Jet Performance, Seats for 13


Scarab 255 ID
Scarab 255 ID

With twin Rotax 4-TEC 250-hp jet power, the Scarab 255 ID is a spirited performer, with a 3.1-second hole shot and a top speed of 53.2 mph. A hinged wakeboard tower is standard and comes with board racks and an integrated Bimini top, and there's seating for up to 13. She makes the most of her engines with the Intelligent Shift and Throttle fly-by-wire control system.

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Features Video


Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius:


Smartly Engineered and Styled


Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius
Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius

The aft deck of the Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius features a two-seat bar, grill, refrigerator, and ice maker as well as a wide transom settee with dining table. An optional retractable sun shade makes this an enjoyable spot all day. With her exterior design by Italian Patrizio Facheris, interior by Luiz deBasto, and bottom by Blount and Associates, one of boating’s leading naval architects, the Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius makes the most of the latest design concepts.

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Review Video


Mercury Glass Dash:


Touch Control for All Marine Systems


Mercury Glass Dash
Mercury Glass Dash

Mercury Marine partnered with Simrad Electronics to produce a state-of-the-art Glass Dash that integrates the engine systems along with the boat functions, navigation functions, fishfinder, radar, chartplotter, and anything else that has NMEA 2000 connectivity. It's available with 16" 19" and 24" multiple screens, all touch-controlled, but also with a remote keypad for wet, bumpy days in an open cockpit.

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Ask A Question

How Do I Test the Red Distress Button on My VHF?


uscg report

This DSC-enabled Standard Horizon Matrix GX2000 is equipped with the distress button behind the red door. Don’t ever press it unless help is needed, and that includes testing the device.

One reader saw our recent article on programming a VHF with an MMSI number, and asked us, “I understand the distress button on my VHF and have my MMSI number in my VHF. But how do I test the distress call system?” To test, DO NOT PUSH the red button.

Here’s how you test your DSC-enabled radio...

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