Captain's Report

Grand Banks 60 Skylounge:


High-Tech Build in a Traditional Package

Grand Banks 60 Skylounge

The Grand Banks 60 Skylounge features a high-tech build in fully-infused E-glass cored with Corecell and Airex foam with carbon fiber reinforcements in deck and superstructure. This results in a lower CG and multiple advantages in strength, rigidity, weight, and performance, according to the company. The relatively light build of 63,380 lbs. (28,750 kg) and an efficient hull design allows impressive performance on moderate power. Twin 900-hp Volvo Penta D13s pushed her to 36 knots in company tests and when slowed to 10 knots and 920 rpm, she burns 8 gph – according to the builder. This would give her a range of 1,721 nautical miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

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Review Video

Evinrude Repower E-TEC G2s:


New 2-Stroke Muscle Restores an Old Favorite

The engines are offset 4” (10.16 cm) further back from the transom than the old engines.

Giving new life to an old boat with new engines is much less costly than buying a new rig. It also allows a devoted owner to hang on to a boat that the family may have grown to love. We swapped out a pair of nine-year-old Evinrude 250s on a Hydra-Sports 2900 CC with twin 300-hp E-TEC G2s and had impressive results. Top speed jumped from 36.4 mph to 52.7 mph while fuel economy actually improved from 0.9 mpg to 1.0 mpg, despite the more powerful engines. At a cruise of 26.7 mph, the new engines got 1.5 mpg vs. 26.9 mph and 1.1 mpg for the old. The new rig shaved a second off hole-shot times. And of course, the skipper benefitted from all-digital shift, throttle, and steering controls as well as a host of other advances in the E-TEC G2.

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Test Video

Chaparral 21 H2O Ski & Fish:


Ready for Family Fun — or Fishing

Chaparral 21 H2O Ski & Fish

The Chaparral 21 H2O Ski & Fish seen above appears to be a stylish and comfortable bowrider totally dedicated to family dayboating and towsports – until she comes leaping out of the phone booth as a full-on inshore/lake fishing boat. Bow cushions are removed to open up the bow casting deck. The trolling motor is put in place up front, swiveling seats are fitted to the bow and stern fishing decks, and the 70-quart baitwell aft is revealed under the upholstery. There are rod racks tucked away below the gunwales and a dedicated space for multiple deep-cycle batteries to feed the trolling motors through pre-installed heavy gauge wiring.

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Test Video

Boston Whaler 380 Outrage:


Optional Tower Doubles Sight Ranges

Boston Whaler 380 Outrage

Like all of the company’s offshore models, the Boston Whaler 380 Outrage seems most at home when the going gets tough — see Captain Steve’s run in 35-mph winds and 8’ to 10’ (2.44 m to 3.05 m) rollers in the video report. The latest version is a redesign of what was formerly the 370 Outrage, 6” (15 cm) longer, 2” (5 cm) wider and 1,000 lbs. (454 kg) heavier, creating an even more seaworthy rig than her predecessor. Note the tall freeboard, sharp forward entry and hard chines, all helping to keep her safe and dry. Deadrise is 23-degrees at the transom, easing re-entry when she takes a bit of air ahead of the push of triple Mercury 350s. Obviously, the tower is only used in appropriate conditions.

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Test Video

Intrepid 475 Sport Yacht:


Quad Yamaha 350s/58 MPH WOT

Intrepid 475 Sport Yacht

The Intrepid 475 Sport Yacht won’t outrun lightning but she will leave pretty much everything else behind. Powered with quad Yamaha 350s, she delivered an impressive performance in our tests, with a time to plane of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 58.0 mph. She can cruise at 37.3 mph and get 0.6 mpg for the best range of almost 300 statute miles. Company COO Mark Beaver, who rides along in the test video, notes that outboard power not only improves the performance and reliability of the package but also makes it more fun to drive and adds lots of storage in those unused spaces where the sterndrive engines would have fit.

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Boating Tips

Cruisers Can Use the U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s ROAM App

When cruisers or anglers head back to U.S. ports of call, reporting in to Customs and Border Protection is now as easy as a few swipes on a smartphone.

Boaters returning to the U.S. from foreign ports or where they visited hovering vessels or received merchandise outside the territorial sea are required to report their arrival to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immediately, but now there’s an app for that. The CBP ROAM (which stands for Reporting Offsite Arrival – Mobile) can help boaters report easily and legally, placing all relevant information in the Pleasure Boat Reporting System. And the best part, the app allows reporting from the comfort of a personal smartphone or a tablet kept at a local business for the purpose.

Learn more about how to use the app here.

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