Posted: June 1, 2013
When assigned a sea trial, I perform some prep work before I even step on board the vessel. Typically, Ill check the builders website to understand a bit of what Im getting into.
Posted: June 1, 2013
As I stood on the dock, I noticed how the new Carver 34 Fly didnt look at all its size. With a wide bow and a long flybridge, it seemed bigger, somehow more substantial than its length suggested.
Posted: May 1, 2013
While some yacht manufacturers are essentially selling legacy models due to the great slowdown that has dried up many RD budgets, Prestige Yachts is moving forward with seven new models this year. The 620 S is the flagship of the Express line currently in production (the builder just announced a forthcoming 720) and is an overachiever in practically every aspect.
Posted: May 1, 2013
The Cutwater 30 is the latest vessel from the Livingston family, Pacific Northwest builders who have earned a worldwide reputation as designers and builders of trailerable pleasure vessels. In fact, the Cutwater stable mate, Ranger Tug, was an early leader in that market segment.
Posted: May 1, 2013
The call came. The mission: Get on the new Sunseeker Predator 80 for a sea trial and report back. Did I choose to accept it? Yes! Five seconds later, the phone solely for the purposes of this intro self destructed.
Posted: April 1, 2013
Anyone who watched Monty Pythons Flying Circus will remember the segue they used when transitioning to another unrelated sketch: And now, for something completely different. That sentiment seems to be the perfect introduction to Pursuits new coloring-outside-the-lines model: the Sport Coupe 365i.
Posted: April 1, 2013
We were backing down on a fish that didnt exist. Or maybe it did, but we didnt have a line in the water, so we werent hooked up to it. We were backing down in the waters off Corona del Mar because I wanted to see how well the McKinna 48 Express Sportfisher performed the task and how quickly it got rid of any water in the cockpit.
Posted: April 1, 2013
It is sleek while at the same time looking strong and sturdy. The pointed bow leans forward, anxiously awaiting power from the triple Volvo Penta IPS 600 D6 diesels, which provide a combined 1,305 hp. The hull stripe, which looks either bronze or silver depending on how the light hits it, starts low at the transom and moves upward to the point of the bow.
Posted: March 1, 2013
Selene has gone after long-range cruisers since it came on the scene in 1999, and that hasnt changed. Boaters who buy a Selene 42 EuroDeck trawler will be able to chase their boats namesake for nights on end, following her through almost two main phases, thanks to the new yachts Cummins QSB5.9 230 hp diesel and a 2,500-mile range at about 8 mph.
Posted: March 1, 2013
From the dock, I first noted its unique flybridge/window styling. While the bottom of the wrap-around salon windows have a slight rise going forward, which is in line with the side styling, the overhang of the flybridge sweeps downward, giving the yacht the appearance of a scowl.
Posted: March 1, 2013
Leave it to the Germans to combine precision building and high styling with ultimate ease of handling in one sweet package and really make it work. The new Hanse 415, a wolf in sheeps clothing, is a no-nonsense, good-looking speedster but is so easy to handle, it comes off as a tame family cruiser.
Posted: February 1, 2013
You know the fit of those worn-in shoes or your favorite pair of jeans? Comfortable, right? Sometimes a car or a smartphone just fits your life, too, but its a rare quality, one that makes you feel good right from the start. Thats how I felt as we headed out of San Diego Bay, bringing a new Sabre 38 Salon Express to Newport Harbor.
Posted: February 1, 2013
The Hampton 620 is based on the successful 580 model and comes in two flavors a pilothouse with a hardtop on the flybridge, and an optional skylounge model that eliminates the inside helm and moves it up to the flybridge...
Posted: January 2, 2013
You could describe it as the funny-looking boat with the funny-sounding name, but that would be a vast oversimplification of the Zeelander Z44. Its a 44-foot boat that doesnt look like anything else, especially given its very noticeable hull colors...
Posted: January 2, 2013
The hull color is an eye-catching feature a gunmetal hue the builder calls tungsten silver. Combine it with the tinted twin wrap-around windshields on the main cabin and the flybridge, and the large amidships hull window, and the overall package is striking.
Posted: December 1, 2012
What do you do when, about 20 years after you retired from the boat-building industry, you get bored? I guess you could retire from retirement and go back to building boats. But what octogenarian would want to make that drastic decision?
Posted: December 1, 2012
Taking advantage of an extra day in Seattle after the Boats Afloat show - and a beautiful day it was - I hooked up with Lake Union Sea Ray's Steve Thoreson to test the Meridian 541 Sedan. I'd had my eye on the 541 for a while, since seeing it at the Miami International Boat Show, and was glad to be able to test a new one.
Posted: November 1, 2012
Knock knock. Whos there? Micromanager ? Now you say Micromanager who? For the most part, micromanaging is a bad thing, but when you apply it to yacht building like Maritimo does, then its all good.
Posted: November 1, 2012
I first saw the Beneteau Oceanis 45 sailboat at a boat show, where crowds were lining up to see the nearly full-width transom drop down electrically and form a swim platform, thereby adding almost 3 feet to the cockpit.
Posted: October 1, 2012
Kadey-Krogen has been building comfortable trawlers for more than three decades and during that time has built more than 550 boats. Krogens have developed a reputation as solidly built, capable vessels, with plenty of interior space, and owners have found them to be excellent liveaboard boats and long-range cruisers.
Posted: October 1, 2012
Every now and then, a boat tester runs across a feature that causes a thats a great idea reaction. It can be something as small as a stainless steel cap on a fiberglass wear point such as the transom door sill. That example, while not significant in the overall cost of a boat, shows that either the designer or the builder has hands-on boating experience something all boat owners like to see.
Posted: October 1, 2012
San Francisco Bay was creating quite the scenic backdrop for our test drive of the Journey Cat 47LRC (Long-Range Cat). It was one of those days that would have made Mark Twain recant his "the coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco" comment.
Posted: September 1, 2012
The new flagship of the Tiara Coronet series, the 3600, is, in a word, elegant. When looking at its lines from the dock, it would be easy to assume that its all about the style with this boat, and dont get me wrong, its gorgeous.
Posted: September 1, 2012
As I stepped aboard the Chaparral 327 SSX, I realized I'd seen this boat before. In fact, I was on the NMMA Innovation Awards judging team that gave the prototype an award for most unique and cutting-edge features.
Posted: September 1, 2012
Tom Nuxoll of CA Yacht Sales in San Diego stood in the cockpit and gracefully guided the Navigator 5100 JMS to the dock and set the Hold Position function so I could step aboard for our sea trial.
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