New Test Video

Schaefer Yachts 580 Fly:


1st Production Yacht Sans Steering Wheel

Schaefer Yachts 580 Fly

The Schaefer Yachts 580 Fly is the world's first production yacht without a steering wheel on the main deck helm. We tested the full joystick control system on this Brazilian yacht and found that it is remarkably easy to get used to. With the throttles on the left armrest of the captain's chair and the joystick on the right armrest, it all felt natural after an hour of driving. Pushing a button on the base of the joystick converts control from slow-speed docking to high-speed running mode. There's a conventional steering wheel on the flying bridge and one can be ordered as an option on the main deck helm – but it’s not really needed.

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New Review Video

SiriusXM Weather on a


Garmin Multi-Function Display

GARMIN Satellite Weather Receiver

The GARMIN Satellite Weather Receiver turns a Garmin multi-function display into a full-featured SiriusXM weather service that includes up to date satellite weather imagery with the boat’s exact position overlaid on your working electronic charts and displays wind direction and speed, wave height, sea surface temperature and lots more.


The SiriusXM Weather service reaches up to 200 miles offshore, far beyond the coverage of cell phone weather apps. It also displays much larger imagery and is “on” at the touch of a button. SiriusXM radio service can be enjoyed using the same weather receiver and added at a discounted rate.

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Test Video

Riviera 68 Sports Motor Yacht:


Multi-Mission Sport Yacht

Riviera 68 Sports Motor Yacht

The Riviera 68 Sports Motor Yacht is designed to be a go-anywhere, do-anything yacht capable of a variety of missions from serious sportfishing to leisurely and extended island cruising. She has plenty of reach at displacement speeds with the standard 1550-hp MAN 12V 1550s, with a range over 1,000 NM at 10.7 knots in our tests. When it’s time to outrun the weather, she can top out at 31.3 knots. At a cruise of 2000 rpm and 26.9 knots, her range is around 338 NM. She has good manners at idle as well: the joystick system linked drives and thrusters seamlessly in the harbor, simplifying the docking process during our test.

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Test Video

Everglades 340DC:


Soft, Dry Ride Plus 53.4 MPH WOT

Everglades 340DC

We tested the Everglades 340DC on a day with winds to 25 knots and found that her sharp forward entry and 20-degree deadrise did a good job of softening the waves. The upswept sharp chines carried all the way forward and the high bow helped keep down spray. She’s solidly built via the company’s “Ram-Cap” construction technique which mates hull and deck under vacuum pressure. Everglades is one of the few companies that guarantees level flotation in writing. She was a strong performer with the new Yamaha XTO 425 V8s, getting on plane in just 3.2 seconds and topping out at 53.4 mph.

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ABYC Standards

Staying in Control with

Electric or Electronic Steering

The electronic steering system inherent in a Volvo Penta IPS system must meet strict ABYC standards if the boat is to be NMMA Certified as is this Cruisers Yachts 46 Cantius.

Many boaters have learned to swear by electronic and electrical steering systems. After all, it’s hard to beat the reliability and response time of today’s well-designed systems, not to mention the feel at the wheel, which can be tweaked to user preference. But these critical systems have to adhere to strict ABYC standards that help to make them safer. To see the standards that electronic and electric steering systems must meet to achieve NMMA certification,

click here...

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