Sea Ray SLX 310 OB | Tiara Sport 38 LS | Aquila 32 - 08/03/19
BoatTEST Newsletter August 3, 2019
Most Popular Boats of the Week
Every week BoatTEST publishes news items on about 25 boats. Readers have asked which ones are the more popular each day, so below you can find the answer – by day.
Monday #1
Sea Ray SLX 310 OB:
Fast & Quiet w/2x Mercury 300 V8s
Sea Ray SLX 310 OB with large side swim platforms for launching watersports.
The Sea Ray SLX 310 OB impressed our test team with her soft, dry ride running at speed in rolling seas offshore. With a 10’2” (3.10 m) beam, lots of flair and freeboard up front, and a 21-degree deadrise at the transom, she readily handled sloppy conditions that would keep many bowriders tied to the docks. In calmer water, the twin 300-hp Mercury 4.6 L V8s pushed her to 50.8 mph. The noise level was remarkably low at 84 dBa at full speed, something we rarely see with any outboard. We attribute that to innovations in the new Mercury 4.6 L engine, vibration dampening, and Sea Ray’s “Quiet Ride” sound insulation systems, which were originally made for sterndrive units but demonstrably works by reducing boat harmonics for this outboard rig as well. More...
Tuesday #1
Tiara Sport 38 LS:
High Freeboard, High Performance
OB Bowrider
The Tiara Sport 38 LS, powered with twin Seven Marine 527s, is a fuel-efficient package for the genre, with a cruising speed of 29.4 mph, producing 0.9 mpg. She stays on plane at speeds as low as 13.5 mph, a big plus in rough seas. Her top speed was 54.6 mph. The large DuoProp counter-rotating propellers coupled with Volvo Penta’s joystick system made docking a non-issue, despite winds up to 25 knots during our tests. Now, find out more about the world-class Tiara Sport 38 LS. More...
Wednesday #1
Renaissance Prowler 42:
Quad 300 Evinrude E-TEC G2s, 66.7 MPH WOT
For those who want to get to the fish fast, no matter the sea conditions, the Renaissance Prowler 42 is more than up for the job. Equipped with four 300-hp Evinrude E-TEC G2s, she ran 66.7 mph (107.3 kph) in Evinrude tests. The fast windup of the 2-stroke outboards put the 8,400-lb. (3,810 kg) package on plane in just 4.5 seconds. Dialed back to 3000 rpm, she ran 28.8 mph (46.3 kph) and burned about 31.3 gph (118.4 lph), according to Evinrude, which gave her a range of better than 370 miles (595.4 km) with the 450-gallon (1,703 L) fuel capacity. More...
Thursday #1
Aquila 32:
Twin OB-Powered Cat w/Hydraulic Swim Platform
The big story on the Aquila 32, as with most power catamarans, is usable space. With a 12’8” (3.9 m) beam carried almost all the way to the bow, she has far more interior room than any monohull of similar LOA. On the 32, this translates to a large entertainment area under a hardtop that covers almost the entire deck aft of the dual consoles. She displays many up-market touches including diamond-stitched, multi-density foam upholstery, carbon fiber beverage holders, EVA foam decking in teak pattern, LED accent lighting and two sliding sunroofs with optional power operation. An unusual touch is that the hydraulic swim platform is aft of the twin outboards, making it much more useful for swimmers. More...
Friday #1
Axopar 28 Cabin:
Utilitarian Luxury in a Fast Dayboat
The Axopar 28 Cabin features a sort of post-modern design look that is almost utilitarian. She combines the pilothouse and open commuter/patrol boat concept that is popular in northern Europe with the hull shape and styling that is currently coming out of southern Europe. She has all of the necessary features to function as a comfortable and exceptionally-seaworthy dayboat, with occasional overnights possible. More...
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