Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i Boating

WHEN BELZONA FIRST INTRODUCED its 325 Center Console, and later its 327 Walk Around, it received plenty of attention for its innovative features, most notably the inwale dive doors that work on a retractable slide system. While the new 277 Walk Around doesn’t have the same setup, it does have a well-constructed dive door in the starboard gunwale of the cockpit and many of the other features that Belzona implemented in its bigger boats. EXTRA POINT The molded fiberglass helm tilts for easy access to the electrical system behind the dash. It’s got the forward-raked windshield that’s integrated into the sturdy hardtop, which in turn is further supported by a fiberglass beam that nests in the leaning post. It’s a stout construction technique that helps keep the boat rattleand flex-free…

WE SAY When you see the Regal 2000 ESX fly by with its cool graphics and profile enhanced by the Power Tower, you’ll be impressed. In this newly designed 20-footer, many other attributes back up that first impression. Start with what you can see. Regal designed this boat to maximize seating space while making it convertible as well. In the cockpit, the corner seats along the transom bench have built-in notches to create more legroom. The backrests are also angled to increase comfort. The seating in front of the port console has an adjustable backrest to face forward or aft. It also slides on a track system to create a deeper seat whichever way you face. The bucket seat at the helm also rotates fully around so the driver can…

▸ Spare tire ▸ Boat-trailer jack ▸ Small jack stand ▸ Wheel chocks ▸ Lug wrench (I prefer a torque wrench and a deep socket matching the lug nuts.) ▸ 12-volt air compressor and tire-pressure gauge ▸ Hammer and small block of wood (if the trailer is equipped with Bearing Buddy protectors, to aid in removal and installation) ▸ A set of wheel bearings (Even if you have someone else replace your failed wheel bearings, having the right set of bearings with you is an advantage.) ▸ Bearing grease ▸ Bearing/spindle nut socket extension and ratchet (or large slip-joint pliers) ▸ Needle-nose pliers (for pulling a cotter pin) ▸ New cotter pins ▸ Roll of paper towels or rags, and plastic bag for disposal ▸ Hand cleaner ▸ Flashlight or,…

Jeppesen’s C-MAP 4D electronic cartography is now compatible with a wide range of Raymarine multifunction displays (including the new eS series MFDs), bringing boaters who use these products a host of innovative tools. One of the most remarkable is a navigational planning feature called “Easy Routing.” As most boaters know, GPS will create a course to a waypoint, but sometimes it cuts directly through an island or point of land, forcing you to manually plot a route around such hazards. Easy Routing, on the other hand, does this automatically. When enabled with C-MAP’s 4D MAX+ chart data (a feature you activate in the menu), it plots the shortest and safest course based on a vessel’s draft, beam and height, creating a route around a landmass , shoals and other fixed…

Not everyone needs a chart plotter with a 12-inch touch screen, backed by six black boxes and networked to two or three more displays. Sometimes, a single, simple screen on the dash with sonar and GPS is elegantly functional. In reviewing the marketplace, we identified units with far more than just a chart and sonar reading. We found four for under $600 and matched them up to help you decide what you need. Humminbird HELIX 7 DI GPS $499 The Skinny Humminbird quietly nibbles away at the competition with new product innovation, great features and a wide screen. It may be too quiet; it’s easy to forget Humminbird was a frontrunner with side-scanning sonar and scroll-back features associating GPS position data with sonar data. HELIX 7 DI GPS is a…

Here at Boating headquarters, we think it’s time to think about your boat’s trailer and tow vehicle. 1 For trailering pointers and to take a closer look at tow ratings for a new tow vehicle, you’ll find our Ford Tow Guide an incredible resource at boatingmag.com/tow-ratings. 2 Also, there’s some salient advice on selecting the right boat trailer at boatingmag.com/selecting-boat-trailer. 3 If your current trailer just needs a little TLC, learn how to rewire it at boatingmag.com/rewire-your-boat-trailer.…

On launch ramps with steeper inclines — say around 20 degrees or more — getting the boat off the trailer is relatively easy. Yet not all ramps are userfriendly. What about ramps with more gradual slopes? There are a surprising number of such ramps on lakes and rivers in the Midwest. Getting the trailer in deep enough for the boat to float can also put your tow vehicle in dangerously deep water. The task turns even more difficult when launching singlehandedly or on slippery pavement. Here are five ways to deal with launching on shallow ramps. 1 GET A ROLLER TRAILER On very shallow and unimproved ramps, a roller trailer might prove the only way to launch. Unlike bunk trailers, roller trailers let you slide the boat off when there’s…

IF I COULD SUM UP THE ESSENCE OF THE Carver C43 Coupe in two words, they would be living space. That’s because, just as it did with the C40 and the C37 before it, Carver seeks to maximize usable space belowdecks, in the salon and also in the aft cockpit. It starts with Carver’s plumb bow design. Instead of the heavy taper at the bow seen on most modern planing boats, the plumb bow carries the hull sides almost vertically down to the water, maximizing the beam forward. This design element allows for the spacious master stateroom with a private en suite head. Though still nestled in the stem of the boat, the island berth sits lower than it would on a boat with a tapered bow, allowing for easier…

BAY BOATS HAVE PROLIFERATED IN RECENT years. Most, however, have retained the angling equivalent of a game face; they’re serious fishing machines. So is the Crevalle 25 Bay. Yet designer and company partner Nick Engels also gave this bay boat a softer side, revealed in touches such as a 40-inch-wide bench seat with an angled backrest that hides under the 80-inch-wide aft casting deck. EXTRA POINT Optional extended swim platforms — one on either side of the transom — with a boarding ladder on the port platform are great for play days on the water. Most bay boats offer an expansive forward casting platform, and the Crevalle 25 Bay is no exception. Measuring 73 inches at the widest and 50 inches along the centerline with toe rails for safety, the…

INSTALLING NEW ENGINES IS A GREAT WAY OF REJUVENATING OLDER BOATS. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU can replace or upgrade related systems. Thanks to technological advancements in marine propulsion, your choices are greater than ever, giving you a lot more to think about than just swapping out engines. Let’s look at seven points to consider in your next repower project. POWER UP Find out the maximum horsepower rating and go for it. That’s where your boat will perform at its best and get the best fuel economy, because the engines aren’t struggling. No one complains about too much horsepower, but you may rue the day you decided to cut back. For sterndrives, you might also need to upgrade the drive with a beefier unit that will accommodate additional torque. AIR…

Most boaters I know rarely bother with the route function in their chart plotters. If they have to run a circuitous route and can’t eyeball it, they enter a waypoint for each leg. Utilizing electronic chart data, a route function on a plotter does the same thing but allows you to plan your trip, so you aren’t fiddling with your electronics while underway — a distraction from maintaining a prudent lookout. Touch-screen displays make route planning simple. Many plotters allow you to tap the screen to create points around charted hazards such as shoals and headlands, and then the machine connects the dots to create a course. It’s even easier with advanced chart plotter/electronic chart combinations such as Garmin BlueChart g2 Vision and Raymarine C-MAP 4D. The Auto Guidance and…

ASK THE MASSES Go to boatingmag.com/forums to ask fellow boaters your questions, or to answer theirs. A Step Ahead [ Q ] Hello. I am the owner of a 1990 Sea Ray 230 CC. I love this boat and I’ve made many great memories on it. Due to my health, I need to replace the factory two-step, underplatform ladder with a three-step. The original equipment manufacturer is no longer in business, so I purchased a Windline three-step ladder. It was the closest to original and the one Sea Ray recommended. My problem is the mounting bracket holes don’t line up. Due to the way the platform is designed, I can’t use a backing plate, and the factory will not tell me what is in the core of the platform. Any…

Shopping for a boat trailer can be daunting. You have to make myriad decisions. Take a look at this list, which provides a synopsis of the features you need to look for when buying a trailer for your boat or assessing the value of a trailer that comes with a new boat. Size The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum weight the trailer is rated to carry. Include boat and engine weight, as well as your normal complement of gear and fuel, when considering size. For safety, add 15 percent more weight. Single Axle Trailers with one axle can cost less and require less maintenance than dualaxle trailers. They are also easier to move “manually” around driveways and into garages or other tight spots. 1 Multiple Axles Trailers…

THE WIND BLEW 20 KNOTS EVERY DAY DURING the annual Jeanneau sea trials in Cannes, France. The waters were just plain sloppy — perfect conditions for wringing out Jeanneau’s new Leader 36. The Leader 36 is the little sister of the builder’s wellregarded Leader 40, introduced in 2014. The builder brought both versions of the 36 — an open and a sporttop — to the trials for comparison. They handled nearly identically and very well in those conditions, thanks to the brilliant Michael Peters-designed running surface. Pushed at high speeds, the Leader 36 knifed through the rough stuff with aplomb. As every sport cruiser should, the boat answered the slightest correction, making it easy to change direction and avoid the deeper hollows between wave crests. With the exception of some…

WE SAY The Buddy Davis brand conjures up images of big Carolinastyle battlewagons. The Davis 28 Center Console isn’t as large, but the broken shear and wide flare hint of the distinguished family connection. The hull sides maintain full freeboard all the way aft while the running surface steps up about 2 feet forward of the transom, giving the boat the look of a finned automobile. With 24½ degrees of deadrise aft and a very sharp entry, the 28 can smooth out sizable seas. Divinycell foam coring combined with vacuum-infused, vinylester-resin fiberglass composite construction offers super strength. Anglers will appreciate the vast aft cockpit, as well as a 40-gallon livewell abaft the helm seat and 50-gallon fish locker under the raised foredeck. The 36-inch-wide console panel offers room for flush-mounting…

A PALE LIGHT GLOWED IN THE EAST, and the stars overhead had started to fade. Daybreak wasn’t far away. Still, I couldn’t help casting one final glance at the hotel. If I hustled, I could be back in my warm bed in less than 10 minutes. Instead, I was going fishing. And fishermen like to get up early. REALLY EARLY. AT 5 A.M. the dark marina already bustled with activity as 13 boats prepared to cast off the lines. The Hotel Coral & Marina’s friends-and-family fishing tournament was intended to be a low-key affair, but these were serious anglers, and lively competition was in the air. Want to go offshore fishing? Expect to start the day before sunrise and plan accordingly. Really, there are not many things in the world…

At the top of the launch ramp, the trailer suddenly lurched and fell slightly to one side. In the side-view mirror, I could see one of the wheels cocked at an ugly angle. The axle had broken just inboard of the spindle, leaving the offending wheel hanging on by a thin blade of axle tubing. I was lucky. It would be understandable to ask how having a broken axle left me feeling lucky. I look at it this way: It could have been much worse if the failure had occurred on a crowded highway at 50 mph. So I was lucky to be able to limp to a parking spot where I could work on the problem. Boat-trailer breakdowns happen all the time. The folks at BoatU.S., who keep track…

AAA emergency road service is available 24/7 by calling 800-222-4357. The Plus RV membership costs $125 per year and includes battery assistance, tire change, lockout service and fuel delivery coverage for eligible trailers: “boat, travel, horse, motorcycle, snowmobile, personal watercraft, golf, car or utility” and small rental trailers. BoatU.S. specializes in boats, trailers and tow vehicles, rendering aid through a nationwide network of more than 20,000 roadside-assist companies. The 24/7 dispatch center is reached at 800-391-4869. For BoatU.S. members, the additional cost for trailer-assist coverage is $14 per year. That buys assistance for flat tires, fuel delivery, lockout service, jump-start and 100 miles of towing assistance for the boat trailer and tow vehicle (while trailering the boat) to a repair facility or safe location of your choice. In the event…