Facts About Boat Covers | Oceanis 62 Sailboat | Merc 300 or 350 Outboard?
Let’s face it, large sailing yachts are just more comfortable and safer in all seas than a small one. Nothing could drive that point home better than this picture of the new Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62. Note her wide cockpit that has twin helms and is far aft. Not only is it an excellent layout for entertaining, but it also provides security when conditions get nasty. Behind the dual helm stations, the bench seat covers the top of a hydraulically-lifted console that has a grill and sink. The hydraulic transom lowers to launch a 10’ (3.1 m) Williams jet tender that comes as optional equipment. She has a CE A rating.
Everybody likes to eat when out day boating, but nobody wants to cook. The al fresco galley of the Formula 400 Super Sport Crossover puts the chef in the middle of the party, just a step away from the dining table as well as from the three-across helm seating. The refrigerator is in the lower section of this console, there are four storage drawers, and there’s a swing-out door with paper towels and a trash can. Even that Cuisinart blender has a dedicated storage space.
For years we have pointed out that on many Euro-styled boats, the driver cannot stand at the helm because there is not enough headroom. The designers of these boats want to make the boats look sleek, so they rake the windshield and keep the coach roof as low as possible forward. When we drive an express cruiser we like to be able to sit, lean or stand at the helm, and on long hauls we regularly do all three. While an owl can perch on a limb and revolve its head 270-degrees, when sitting we are lucky to be able to turn our head 180-degrees. As a result, when backing into a dock we like to stand and face aft. When driving the Cruisers Yacht 46 Cantius, the operator can sit, stand, lean, and face any direction wanted – yet its Euro design also manages to be sleek.
Polished ss double doors, large, sofa-to-ceiling side windows, and an overhead mirror soffit all work together to give the salon of the Ocean Alexander 85 Motoryacht a feeling of even greater space. The CruisAir system utilizes unobstructed air conditioning vents above the windows and the system can be powered by two Kohler 32 kW generators.
Since Mercury Marine introduced its new V-8 naturally-aspirated outboard engines this summer, we have gotten lots of mail asking our advice about specifying a new boat with the new twin 4.6 L V-8 300s or the older Mercury supercharged 2.6 L 350s. It is a good question but one that we don’t yet have enough apples-to-apples tests to know the answer. We do know that on the 12,440 lb. (5,643 kg) Sailfish 320 CC with a 10’ (3.05 m) beam, powered with twin Mercury 350 Verados, our test boat topped out at 54.4 mph and got 1.8 mpg at best cruise. And that is not bad.
In our mailbag this week we received this question: “Would you please ask Capt. Steve to discuss the use of canvas covers in trailering boats. Will covers improve air dynamics going down the highway at speed or is it better to go without? If so, how do you keep stuff like seat cushions and other things that you must have from blowing out? Any other boat canvas advice would be gratefully received.” Find Capt. Steve’s detailed answer here...
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