Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i Boating

O’BRIEN 8-SECTION FLOATING SKI COMBO THE PULL: The standard ski rope should be 75 feet in length, but getting a basic one comprised of sections lets you adjust the line length to individual rider preferences. Ski ropes are typically made of polypropylene, and should have a little stretch to allow for slalom riders to make sharper cuts around course buoys. THE DRAG: Stretch needed for skiing is not desirable for wakeboarding. PRICE: $35.99; obrien.com O’BRIEN PROP HANDLE WITH FLAT SPECTRA THE PULL: Wakeboard ropes typically run between 60 to 80 feet to get the boarder into the sweet spot for launching from the wake. Serious wakeboarders use a rope made from Spectra, which has no stretch so it helps the boarder accelerate into the wake and ramp up for tricks.…

We both had sensed a loss of control just before we got caught up, but I was not able to react in time. Late April marks the beginning of perfect weather for fishing the bays, jetties and nearshore Gulf waters on the upper Texas coast. The trout and reds are moving, and we have at least six weeks before the brutal Texas summers limit fishing time to early morning or very late afternoon. Normally, my fishing grounds are the Galveston Bay area and the famous 9-mile-long North Jetty (reputed to be the world’s longest jetty system). A small boat cut about 3 miles out separates the Galveston Channel from the Gulf side and allows small boats to fish the Gulf without having to go to the end of the jetty…

The climate turned wet in Southern California this year, and so I looked for ways to prevent mold, mildew and corrosion in the cabin of my 22-footer. The Davis Instruments Air-Dryr 500 did the trick. Placed on the cabin floor and plugged into a 110/220-volt AC outlet, it heats the air to the point that any moisture is held in suspension, then releases the air through the top vents. Cooler damp air is drawn in, where it too is heated. It runs silently and uses no fan, and it keeps my cabin warm and dry. You can also use it in bilges and engine rooms. A thermal cutoff shuts down the device if airflow is impeded. $65.99; davisinstruments.com…

Cabo Yachts is back, and based on our test of the new Cabo 41, the vaunted brand has not lost its luster. Flashback to the 1990s when Cabo Yachts hit the market with its first sport-fisher, the 35 Flybridge. The company quickly added models and soon earned high respect from serious offshore anglers. But more than 25 years later, in the clutches of the lingering Great Recession, Cabo production was suspended. Now, however, under the management of New Bern, North Carolina-based Hatteras Yachts, the brand returns with the debut of the 41. “Our goal is to pull buyers from the center-console market,” says Jeff Donahue, sport-fish segment director for Hatteras/Cabo. “We’re looking for buyers who want to upgrade with more accommodations such as air conditioning, mezzanine seating, a nice galley,…

The 27 HFC from Sea Chaser by Carolina Skiff shows how many features you can integrate into a 27-foot center-console. Serious anglers will revel in the 40-gallon livewell in the leaning post, and the additional 30-gallon livewell in the port quarter multiplies the joy for fishermen. A covered sink and fresh-water faucet in the middle of the full transom lets anglers clean up after filleting the day’s catch, but can also double as a place to prep snacks. Twin bench seats fold out from the transom. An insulated 52-gallon fish box under the aft deck lets you ice down plenty of table fare. A transom door in the starboard quarter leads to a swim platform and foldout boarding ladder. A beefy inward-opening door on the port side eases boarding or…

The answer is possibly, but in the United States, at least, the process is going to be evolutionary, not revolutionary. Electric power has been growing steadily but silently just like the whisper-quiet engines run. We’ve been in electric runabouts that can hum across the water so quietly, the shush of the water drowns the murmur of the motor. And one motor, Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 50 kW (80 hsp) powerplant, recently earned Top Gun in the world-famous Lake Rescue Shootout at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri last summer. It wasn’t the fastest electric boat on the water, but it was the fastest one with the nerve to enter the shootout. Now the shootout has its own class of electric boats, and there is bound to be more competition in 2019.…

Personal watercraft have long been one of the most affordable ways to get into boating, but in recent years that cost of entry has dropped dramatically. Credit Sea-Doo’s Spark for getting the ball rolling. When first introduced, the Spark ran a mere $4,999 for the base two-seater. Even today, a three-passenger version with a more powerful engine still comes in well under the $7,000 mark. Sea-Doo’s success prompted Yamaha to enter the “Rec Lite” category in 2017 at a nearly identical price point. Within the boating market, that’s not a whole lot of cash. Broken into a monthly payment, it’s less than some consumer’s monthly coffee tab—and far cheaper than most cellphone bills. But are these highly affordable craft truly boats that can please not only the solo pilot, but…

Viking Yachts has debuted a whole new company named Valhalla Boatworks, and the first three center-consoles in the company’s V-Series measure 33, 37 (pictured, right) and 41 feet in length. The V-Series utilizes Michael Peters Yacht Design’s patented Stepped-V Ventilated Tunnel running surface that reduces drag while increasing speed, stability and efficiency. “It’s the most advanced and proven stepped-hull design in the world,” says Viking design manager David Wilson. Viking’s lineage is easy to see. Proud bows, gently sloping S-shaped sheers, double forward chines, helm pods, raised toe rails and mezzanine seating represent some of these hallmarks. The combination of Viking Yachts and Michael Peters Yacht Design finds the Boating staff eagerly awaiting the opportunity to sea-trial these new boats, which are slated to debut in the fall. Below are…

The serious tow-sports boats have dedicated GPS speed-control systems, such as Zero Off or Perfect Pass, as well as other digitally controlled systems that basically let the driver set the boat on autopilot. But what about the rest of us with runabouts and center-consoles that we must drive with our own senses? Fear not, boaters have been pulling riders behind technologically lacking boats since forever. For instance, my family’s 20-foot center-console has analog gauges and a pitot-tube speedometer that hasn’t worked since the Clinton administration, but we still manage to ski, board and tube behind it. Try these tips on how to enjoy tow sports the old-fashioned way. READY FOR TAKEOFF When getting skiers and boarders up behind your boat, it’s important not to gun the throttle. But you also…

DIY + Weekend Workbook SKILL LEVEL 1 OF 5 FINISH TIME Approx. 1.5 hours (per door) TOOLS AND SUPPLIES • Boat Outfitters King Starboard Boat Door ($161.44 for base door and frame for an opening measuring 14 inches wide by 16 inches high, boatoutfitters.com) • Measuring tape • Power drill and bit set • Stainless-steel fasteners (to fasten frames) • 3M Marine Grade Silicone Sealant ($24.99/10-ounce cartridge, westmarine.com) • Phillips screwdriver • Socket or box-wrench set • Shop rags (to wipe excess sealant) You don’t find many new boats with teak companionway hatches or console doors these days, and with good reason. While freshly oiled or varnished teak trim lends a touch of class and visual warmth to an otherwise stark-white fiberglass boat interior, the wood requires constant maintenance or…

Aspen’s C107 jumps right out at boat buyers—it’s a power proa with asymmetrical hulls. Close inspection reveals that it delivers outstanding economy, exhibits excellence in rigging and construction, and is put together by people who really know boats. But just what the heck is going on with two hulls of different sizes? A catamaran is a boat with two hulls, used primarily because long and skinny hulls often prove easier-riding platforms than wider, shorter hulls. (Ever see a beamy go-fast boat?) The aspect of two skinny hulls connected by a deck often delivers excellent ride quality and a beamier boat overall, displacement-to-length ratios, yadda, yadda. But that is the gist. A proa is a catamaran with hulls of two different sizes, like the Polynesian canoes that helped populate the Pacific.…

There seems to be no end to the demand for dual consoles or, as EdgeWater calls its model, a crossover. It is the SUV of salt water, bringing the spacious seating of a bowrider to the fishability of a center-console EdgeWater’s Crossover 230CX is a bull’s-eye in that market both for its size and the features packed into it. For creature comforts, there is ample seating forward with fold-down armrests. Cockpit seating wraps around from the port side to the starboard-side transom door. Adding more versatility is the sliding seatback that will convert the portside lounge from a back-to-back seat to a full-length lounge—just lay the seatback forward for that bonus arrangement. The hardtop is standard on the 230CX, and it brings shade, a spot to hang some rocking stereo…

From afar, the California Delta might not seem like much to most boaters. The narrow, often shallow waterways rise and recede with the tide, making them tricky to navigate. The water is never clear—and is affectionately nicknamed “the Dirty Delta,” and mainly referred to as just the Delta. And even with modern navigation systems and smartphones, the winding sloughs can quickly leave a captain lost, while the oft-similar-looking levee walls and tule reeds only add to the confusion. Along its many waterways you’ll find little in terms of high-end amenities, or amenities at all. The tiny towns that still exist do so at a much slower pace and on less grand of a scale, especially compared the metropolises of the Bay Area and Sacramento. The Delta never made it as…

Now a new generation of electronic charts can show the same thing on a chart plotter. Shaded-relief bathymetry depicts the ocean floor in three-dimensional detail. These charts reveal little-known wrecks, reefs and rocks that boating anglers love to target. Shaded relief is derived from data gathered in hydrographic surveys by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. CMOR Mapping was the first to convert these data-rich files for licensed use in chart plotters, and until recently it was the only company offering such charts (seen above). With a monopoly and high demand, CMOR has commanded prices as high as $1,250 per chart. Garmin and Navico now offer these charts. Garmin’s relief shading will be integrated into its new BlueChart g3 Vision charts (up to $349.99, compatible with Garmin products). Navico—parent company…

The remaining artifact of Frank’s Folly is an aluminum propeller hanging over the door at the Lake View Inn. The boat name is hand-lettered on the blades in red fingernail polish, I suppose because Frank’s wife found that little brush so handy. The story of Frank’s Folly is one of thrift and perseverance, or perhaps cheapness and stubbornness, that begins in a dusty barn. After his Uncle Lester passed, it was Frank Kohn’s responsibility to clear the property, and among the items left in Lester’s barn was a dirty fiberglass runabout and, resting on a pair of sawhorses, a Johnson Stinger 75 outboard. Frank delivered both to Dan the Outboard Man, who called a day later. He was in possession of a 17-foot runabout with a bad sterndrive, and a…

1. What are ways you should check your trailer for road worthiness? A. Visual inspection of the frame, axle and springs for excessive rust, damage and stress bending. B. Check tires for excessive and/or abnormal wear patterns. C. Check coupler and safety chains for proper operation, rust and binding. D. Check wheel bearings for slop, wobble and grinding noises as you spin each wheel over. E. All of the above 2. Are hull tie-downs necessary? A. Only for long trips; if you’re just towing a few miles to the local ramp, they’re not necessary. B. Always; the hull should be secured to the trailer not only with the winch strap and a safety chain to the bow eye, but also always with tie-downs at the transom. C. Not if you…

Solace Boats’ first model, the 345, boasts groundbreaking features, including a daring FishThru transom extension with twin outboards to 850 hp total, set wide. An aft dive door includes a hydraulic swim platform that extends 4 feet farther aft. The transom is flanked by twin 52-gallon pressurized livewells with tuna tubes. A half-tower/second station with seating for two and fold-down top is standard. So is a Seakeeper 3DC gyrostabilizer. Hydraulically actuated mezzanine seating retracts, as does the cockpit sunshade. The three-sided windshield features a hydraulically opening front section. The bait prep/rigging station has twin stainless-steel drawer refrigerators, an electric grill, bait-rigging bin, and freshwater sink with pull-out shower, soap dispenser and paper-towel holder. The console cabin includes a 12-volt DC air-conditioning system (which also cools the helm), microwave and twin…

Tubing is a catch-all term. Whether you a tow your crew atop a six-seater sea serpent, a torpedo for two, or a bona fide single-person tube, tubing provides a ton of fun for all age groups. The skill level required for riders and boat skippers might be less than that required for wakesurfing, wakeboarding or water skiing, but the attention to safety must be maintained. No article can cover all scenarios. But these tips should serve as a primer to those boaters new to tubing and a refresher course for old hands at the helm. KEEP CLEAR Stay at least three towrope lengths away from shore, docks, navigation aids, moored boats, and any other obstructions and shallow water. If your crew wipes out, they can be hurt. THROTTLE BACK Keep…

If you’re under 30, you may never have experienced free TV from a rooftop or TV-top antenna. If you’re over 30, you can’t recall when you gave up free TV to pay astronomical cable TV charges. Here are several marine antenna options that can help you cut the cable and tune back into free HDTV. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The Federal Communications Commission has a cool website that lists the channels broadcast in practical receiving range from any zip code by an antenna posted 30 feet high, assuming line of sight to the antenna is not obstructed by terrain, trees or buildings. Though marine antennas are omni-directional, the website gives the compass bearing to the transmitting tower so directional antennas can be properly aimed. The tool also indicates the…

When first introduced, the Centurion Fi25 turned heads, and for good reason. Not only did it look both sleek and aggressive, but as an addition to the acclaimed Fi line, it came loaded with the wake-making prowess that Centurion has built its reputation on. Much of that wake-making prowess comes from Centurion’s Opti-V hull, which debuted in 2018. With 20 degrees of deadrise at the transom, the Opti-V is designed to displace sizable and symmetrical wakes and waves while also onboard wake-shaping technologies and 5,050 pounds of onboard ballast, those wakes and waves are some of the best in the business and just won an Innovation Award from the Water Sports Industry Association in February. All that weight can be added in just 90 seconds, thanks to the Ramfill system.…

Yes, surfing is the hottest tow sport of the moment, but if there’s one complaint we hear, it’s about the high cost of entry—dedicated surf boats regularly cost six figures. With its MDX 201 IO Surf, Starcraft is looking to lower the pay it takes to play by combining a versatile deck boat with Volvo Penta’s Forward Drive. The drive is configured with the props forward so they pull the boat rather than push it, which means they are tucked safely under the transom. This allows Starcraft, with a few necessary add-ons, to make a surfable deck boat. I had the opportunity to surf the wave behind this boat and, while it has a smaller sweet spot and doesn’t generate the same push as waves from a dedicated surf boat,…