Boating

THE AMAZING MOTORS POWERING U.S.
COAST GUARD BOATS p56

NMEA 2000
EXPLAINED
HOW-TO:
PWC PERFORMANCE
IMPROVEMENTS
MARINE PROPULSION SPECIAL ISSUE
CERTIFIED
BOAT TESTS
CARVER C37 COUPE
PURSUIT DC 325
LARSON ESCAPE 25 TTT DC
EBBTIDE 2460 DC FC
COMPOSITE YACHT BITTEN 22
STINGRAY 192SC
p38 p76
Sea Rays SLX series combines sophistication and performance to beautiful effect.
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for a noticeably more comfortable atmosphere. The social cockpit and plush, expansive
bow seating foster social connections and complete relaxation. All this combines with
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THEAMAZINGMOTORSPOWERINGU.S. COASTGUARDBOATSp56
NMEA2000
EXPLAINED
HOW-TO:
PWCPERFORMANCE
IMPROVEMENTS
MARINEPROPULSIONSPECIALISSUE

Tests
6 B O AT I N G M A G . C O M OC T OBE R 2 0 1 4
Pursuit
DC 325
Fish or cruise, or both, to
your hearts delight on this
versatile outboard-powered
dual console. p. 42
Departments
12 Making Waves
X SUP to Alaska
26 The Boat Doctor
X Michael Mick Hannock
answers all the questions you
have about your boats.
34 Boat Doc Special
X Mercurys new midrange
outboards pack a lot of punch.
56 Motorhead
X Keeping your engine well-lubed
even at extreme angles
76 Electronics
X Are you breaking the law?
78 Short Casts
X Reel maintenance and dealing
with line twist
80 BoatingLAB
XCameras with a point of view
Columns
10 Editorial
What paddling a canoe can teach
you about seakeeping
24 Seamanship
How to get home when your
steering fails you
98 Following Seas
Why LOA is an inaccurate measure
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ALSO:
X CARVER
C37 COUPE
p. 50
X STINGRAY
192SC
p. 52
X EBBTIDE
2460 DC FC
p. 54
X COMPOSITE YACHT
BITTEN 22
p. 55
FEATURES
58
Build Your Own Boat
Three DIY builders share their experiences, from the idea to the water.
BY R ANDY VANCE
64
The Ultimate Boating Tips List
52 tips to better boating, one for every week of the year .
BY T HE B OAT I NG T ECH T E AM
70
The Parts of a Propeller
What you need to know about the blades that make your boat go.
BY J OHN T I GE R
Larson
Escape 25 TTT DC
Place a radical new triple
tube design underneath a
super-stylish deck plan and
this is what you get. p. 46
BOATING
XOCTOBER 2014
W ON THE COVER
The Pursuit DC 325: a beautiful
multifunction display. Photo:
Bill Doster
34
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MISS
OCTOBER
ALEXA S. / PURSUIT DC 325
SCAN HERE TO VIEW ALL OUR
COVER GIRL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
www.boatingmag.com/cover-girl
BOATING
PRESENTS
PHOTO GALLERIES VIDEOS
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By Kevin Falvey
Editorial
I
RECENTLY ADDED A CANOE
to the Falvey fleet. While I
expected rediscovery of skills
and joys first honed as a Boy
Scout, way back on the front nine of
life, the lessons gleaned that apply to
powerboating proved a nice surprise.
Let me state that the many
subtleties required to master solo handling
of a canoe, particularly a big tripping model
such as mine, did not come rushing back like
a Bay of Fundy tide. They came in dribs and
drabs, as the skills were required to meet the
challenges my home waters presented on any
given day.
One of these incidents was when I tried
a mile crossing in a stiff breeze all by myself.
I set out paddling backwards; that is
kneeling in front of the stern seat, facing aft
and paddling in that direction. Doing so, I
had remembered, places weight more toward
amidships, helping to sink more of the boat
on its lines and thus helping to counter to
a degree, anyway the winds ability to blow
the bow around. It also provides a sort of
weathercocking effect. The end of the boat a
solo paddler sits in sinks, raising the empty
end, which, sticking higher in the breeze,
acts sort of like the feathers on an arrow or
the flights on a dart. A canoe is a small boat,
but I can assure you that the high recurve
stem of a Grumman 17 is huge, relatively
speaking. Loaded down with the whole
family, it handles pretty nicely, even on open
water. But solo? The boat is a bear.
Anyway, after a few hundred yards of
falling off downwind, realizing empirically
that using the back as the front wasnt
worth spit paddling solo in those conditions,
another memory bubbled up like chowder in
a pot: Canadian style!
Canadian-style paddling involves sitting
amidships and heeling the boat quite a bit
while keeping your torso 90 degrees to the
water. This shortens the waterline, sinking
what waterline length remains deeper, and
thus makes a lightly loaded long boat handle
like a properly loaded short boat. It also puts
the paddle right under the boat, so its more
effective, and get this you can paddle on
just one side and the boat will go straight!
This paddling technique is not without its
costs, though. Heeling the boat over has the
effects described in additon to reducing
freeboard considerably on the side to which
you are heeled. So conditions and the
canoeists inherent ability are the ultimate
determinants of whether to use it.
Canadian-style paddling like boating
skills as diverse as marlinespike, low-
visibility navigation and docking is easier
to describe than to accomplish. Mastering
the subtleties of these skills is the key to their
usefulness and requires tempering in the
forge of experience. But once gained, such
skills can turn a challenging day aboard into
one of exuberance.
Kevin Falvey, Editor-in-Chief
editor@boatingmag.com
The Finer Points
BOATING IS LIFELONG LEARNING.
Mastering the subtleties
of these skills is the key to their
usefulness and requires tempering
in the forge of experience.
1 0 B O AT I N G M A G . C O M OC T OBE R 2 0 1 4
www.tnyachts.com 401-247-3000
A Division of USWatercraf, LLC. Te Home of New England Crafsmanship Built in the USA
Tr ue Nor t h 14 Tr ue Nor t h 14 Out boa r d Lx pr e s s Tr ue Nor t h 18 Tr ue Nor t h s0
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unique and authentic to the real downeast style. Best
of all, the True North embodies the values rooted in its
native waters. Simplicity. Honesty. And dependability.
Its what boating should be. Again.
Simple. Honest. Dependable.
Its easy to see where we got our inspiration.
Where Are You Headed?
TRUE NORTH
See True North at the
Annapolis US Sailboat Show
Making Waves
ON BOARD WITH ...
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How did you determine your route?
I planned to begin on the Russian main-
land, but there were complications
acquiring a visa, and also with weather
and the currents. I decided to start 15
miles south of the Russian island Big
Diomede, and finished a couple of miles
north of Wales, Alaska.
How did the weather affect
your journey?
The water was 38 degrees but I kept
warm too warm, in fact in a drysuit
with one layer of long underwear and
one layer of neoprene spandex. It was
calm when I started but a crossing
headwind quickly began to kick up dur-
ing the last half of the crossing. With an
SUP, downwind is ideal, but because of
the direction of this specific crossing, Id
never get favorable prevailing winds, so
I had to wait until north and south
weather fronts switched to catch the
calm in between. The last three hours of
my trip were brutal. The north front
started blowing, and the crossing head-
wind created 2- to 3-foot chop in the
last nearly 2-mile-wide current.
How did you adapt?
I had been averaging around 3.4 knots
for the first seven to eight hours, but
those last 4 miles because I was only
paddling on one side to fight the current
took me three hours. I paddled my
brains out to get through.
How did you stay fueled
and alert?
During the trip I drank a liter of water
and ate half a PowerBar and two gra-
nola bars. I would take a five-minute
break on my board every one to two
hours. Id just take short breaks, do
some yoga stretches and re-evaluate
what I was doing.
Re-evaluate as in ask yourself
What was I thinking?
I think that its incredibly valuable to
take time to recognize the experience
that youre having. Dont just barrel
through it, but really appreciate the
moment that you are in. There were two
support vessels out on the water with
me, but I asked them to hang back
about half a mile. The trip was
challenging and I needed the peace to
stay in the groove.
Did you see a lot of sea life?
During the first few hours, the fog was
incredibly heavy. Thick fog made it diffi-
cult to navigate, so one of the two sup-
port vessels led with a handheld GPS. As
the fog began to lift, a large male orcas
fin surfaced about 20 yards off of
the vessel.
What did you do?
Well, the two support vessels signaled
and came in very close together. I stayed
on my board, right alongside one of the
vessels. The idea was to create a larger
surface area and give the orca the illu-
sion that we were one giant vessel. I
never saw it surface again, so I guess our
plan worked.
How did you occupy the time
while you paddled?
I counted my strokes five on each
side. Your feet and knees begin to ache
and so there is a tendency to focus on
your musculature. I also did some sing-
ing. Rocked out to a few golden oldies,
Bob Dylan, Barry White. I like to mix it
up a little bit.
So what is your go-to
karaoke anthem?
Oh, thats easy. Marcy Playground, Sex
and Candy.
Sonya
Baumstein
SUP
Adventurer
Sonya Baumstein, a
29-year-old Orlando,
Florida, native and former
collegiate rower for the
University of Wisconsin,
made history last August,
when she became the first
person to steer a stand-up
paddle board (SUP) across
the Bering Strait. Her
nearly 27-mile journey on a
14-foot Starboard Ocean
Racer, which took her
through strong currents
and heavy fog and past an
orca, took only an impres-
sive 11 hours. Heres her
story. Stephanie Norris
To read the full
interview online, go
to boatingmag
.com/supadventure.
READ
MORE!
F O R C O M P A R I S O N S S A K E
Making Waves
Simple Green
All-Purpose Cleaner
With a minty yet slightly
acerbic smell, this green
liquid cleaner is one of
the original biodegrad-
able soaps. Its nontoxic
formula is safe to use on
gelcoat, canvas, stainless
steel and aluminum, but
Simple Green advises
against use on unfinished
wood, such as teak deck-
ing or covering boards.
RECOMMENDED
CONCENTRATION: One
ounce per cup of water
for general cleaning; one
to one ratio for heavy-
duty cleaning
EFFECTIVENESS RATINGS
(diluted for general
cleaning)
Fish blood: Good
Grease: Great
Salt crust: Good
Squid ink: Fair
$9.97 per gallon
thehomedepot.com
Star brite
Sea Safe Boat Wash
This thick, phosphate-
free, aqua-blue liquid has
a fruity aroma vaguely
reminiscent of kiwi. The
super-concentrated bio-
degradable soap is safe
on all marine surfaces and
gentle on the wax finish
of gelcoat, according to
Star brite. Its low-sudsing
formula is designed to
help conserve water while
washing your boat, an
important consideration
in the drought-stricken
Western states.
RECOMMENDED
CONCENTRATION:
Three capfuls per bucket
of water
Fish blood: Great
Grease: Good
Salt crust: Great
Squid ink: Fair
$9.95 for 32 ounces
starmarinedepot.com
Meguiars
54 Gel Wash
With the captivating color
and aroma of cherry bub-
blegum, this viscous soap
is formulated with biode-
gradable, pH-balanced
detergents that wont
strip away wax protection
yet produce high-sudsing
action to remove surface
contaminants, according
to Meguiars. It features a
convenient squirt-top, so
you dont have to unscrew
the cap, making it easy to
dispense the soap.
RECOMMENDED
CONCENTRATION: One
capful, or one good squirt
from the dispenser top,
per gallon of water
Fish blood: Good
Grease: Good
Salt crust: Great
Squid ink: Good
$6.81 for 16 ounces
wholesalemarine.com P
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Biodegradable
Boat Soaps
I can think of two good reasons to use biodegradable boat soaps versus harsher
formulas such as dishwashing detergents that contain phosphates and other
harmful chemicals. Eco-friendliness ranks high on the list, plus these soaps are
also gentler on common boat surfaces such as gelcoat, canvas, carpet, clear
enclosures, vinyl, high-density plastics and your boats wax nish. But do they
actually clean? To nd out, we tested three bio-d soaps on the gelcoat of a boat
left with a gnarly mess after two days of ocean shing. Jim Hendricks
Scroll, Tide
Nobody is more addicted to smartphone
and tablet apps than boaters, especially the
hassle-free kind we can use on the water to
improve our boating (or that we can click
on when were stuck in the office and we
wish we were boating). Outside of weather,
the thing we like to check most often is the
tide. The MyTide app lets boaters check the
tide in their favorite places, even when no
cellphone coverage is available. This is no
small benefit, because often the best places
to boat have the worst cell reception.
Click on the app to get quick views of the
latest tide information for your favored
places, or scroll through more detailed
charts and tide station maps to garner as
much tidal information as desired. You
can get current tidal information or buy
a paid upgrade to plan ahead, with tidal
information for future dates available via
the calendar too.
Right now its only available for iPhones,
but the app developer hopes to have an
Android version soon. Its free on iTunes or
the company website, mytide.com.
Spare a
Light?
It took me two seconds
to set up the Stanley
FatMax portable
tripod light out of the
box, and after charging
it, I set it up in my
basement. I clicked on all three lights, which
can operate independently of one another,
and the LED bulbs bathed the dark room
with light equal to the high hats overhead.
This tripod light produces up to 2,400
lumens and is great for setting up on deck
aboard anything from a sport-fisherman
to a pontoon boat, or for illuminating the
dock or launch ramp. Each light can last
up to 10 hours when fully charged, and the
lithium ion batteries can hold a charge for
up to a year. (Store it in your house during
hurricanes.) The lights rotate 90 degrees
and can be detached individually. The stand
adjusts from 3 to 6 feet in length. $270; vari-
ous retail outlets. Pete McDonald
THE CARVER C34 COMMAND BRI DGE
Unobstructed views fore and aft from the expansive
bridge, plus 360-degree views from the roomy
salon. Enjoy onboard living and cruising with the
kind of comfort and safety you can clearly see.
ALL AT YOUR COMMAND. ALL AT YOUR COMMAND.
MORE ROOM. BETTER VIEW.
See The Difference.
See the complete line at carveryachts.com
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SCAN
ME!
X Captains Test
Navigation Lights
We all know there are little red and green
lights on our boats that we need to ip on
at night, but theres more to know than
that. Take the test to see if you should be
heading out on the water when the sun
sets or if you should be staying at the
marina. Eric Colby (Answers on p. 18)
1 You decide to install new
sidelights on your boat, and
youre going to mount them
separately on each side of the
hull. Which side should the red
light be on?
A. Port
B. Starboard, like red,
right, return
C. By law, you cant mount
them separately.
2 Instead of sidelights, you
consider installing a combina-
tion light, which has red and
green lenses in one fixture, on
your boat. What is the longest
boat on which you can use this
type of light?
A. 65.6 feet
B. 39.4 feet
C. 50.6 feet
D. 55.6 feet
3 AccordingtotheNavigation
Rules, redandgreennavigation
lightshave aspecifiedarc of
visibilitysoother boatscansee
youat night. What isthat arc?
A. 110 degrees
B. 180 degrees
C. 112.5 degrees
D. 360 degrees
4 A white light placed over the
fore-and-aft centerline of the
vessel showing an unbroken
arc of visibility of 225 degrees
is called what?
A. An anchor light
B. A safety light
C. A mast light
D. A masthead light
5 If youre installing a combi-
nation light on a boat shorter
than 39.4 feet, what position
does it need to be as close as
possible to?
A. The bow
B. The helm
C. The centerline
D. Its up to the installer.
Scan this tag to learn ve
essential tips for nighttime
navigation or go to
boatingmag.com/5-lessons-
night-navigation.
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Making Waves
Which is why we strive to make products that keep our waterways
clean. Bel-Rays antimony free eco-friendly gear lubricant is an
industry rst, offering superior performance over traditional gear
lubes. Next time you change the lubricant in your lower unit,
insist on Bel-Rays Semi or Full Synthetic gear lubricant.
Learn more at BELRAY.com
2014 BEL-RAY COMPANY, LLC
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(ANSWERS FROM P. 16)
1 A.
2 A. Its based on 20 meters.
3 C. And thats for each side.
4 D.
5 C.
Psst ...
Want
to Buy
a New
Toon?
All the pontoon
news thats fit to
(digitally) print
Pontoons are currently one of the
hottest segments of the boating
market. Even people who already
own a top-notch fiberglass vessel
are looking at toons as a family-
friendly second boat for the lake
house. Where to start? Go to
boatingmag.com or itunes.com to download this special iPad-only pontoon boat buyers guide
and read our reviews on 25 of the best new pontoon boats on the water. Then decide whether
youre ready for some heavy metal. The Boating Tech Team
55
Average coastal
water temperature,
in degrees
Fahrenheit, on
Oct. 1 in
Bar Harbor, Maine
83
Average coastal
water temperature,
in degrees
Fahrenheit, on
Oct. 1 in Virginia
Key, Florida
Making Waves
Making Waves
Are you interested in the all new
277 Walk Around? Tell us on Facebook
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BOATS BUILT FOR THE WAY YOU LIVE
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Coming November 2014
For those who love the amenities and comfort
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and easier to trailer, the 277 can be the perfect
boat for you and your family.
See Belzona Marines all new 277 Walk Around
for the rst time at this years Fort Lauderdale
International Boat Show in booth number 2020
inside the convention center.
t LOA 27 2
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t Draft 24
t Deadrise 21
t Aft Cockpit Area 34ft.
2
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Jack Sparrow
Bogie
Quint
Ahab
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5 THINGS FIVE FAMOUS NAUTICAL BEARDS
WHEN WE DEMANDED PERFORMANCE
OUR ENGINEERS SAID, LIGHTEN UP
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LIKE ALL SUZUKI OUTBOARDS,
THE DF200A USES STANDARD BOLT
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CONTEMPORARY DESIGN
NEW COWLING IS FUNCTIONAL AND LOOKS
GREAT. AVAILABLE IN WHITE
OR TRADITIONAL SUZUKI BLACK
If youre looking for a new outboard that delivers power,
performance and impressive fuel economy, youll like
what you see in our new DF200A.
Our new inline 4-cylinder 200 is compact and lightweight,
yet its packed with innovative
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New engine sensors monitor key
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up to 32% less fuel used when
compared to our original V6 200.
Once again, Suzuki is shining a
bright light on 4-stroke outboard engine innovation.
For more details, see your Suzuki Marine dealer or visit
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2014 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. Suzuki, Suzuki S and product names are or trademarked. Dont drink and drive.
Always wear a USCG-Approved life jacket and read your owners manual.
All-New 200 Horsepower Inline 4-Cylinder DF200A
Delivers V6-Like Performance In A Compact, Lightweight Outboard
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Online This Month
Now is the time to know all you can about marine propulsion. Looking for a new boat? 1 Check out our comparison of a sterndrive
versus an outboard versus a jet drive at boatingmag.com/versus. 2 Need to do some work on your outboard engine? Youll learn some
great tips from our tech expert Bill Grannis at boatingmag.com/tags/tech-talk. 3 Dont forget about propellers. Take a look at how
your performance changes with a three-, four- or five-blade propeller at boatingmag.com/performance-props.
Making Waves
I F YOU ENJOY THE FI NER THI NGS I N LI FE, DEMAND THE VERY BEST!
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Safety Nets
CONSIDERATIONS FOR FAILED STEERING
I ONCE STEERED A BOAT FROM 20 MILES OFFSHORE, THROUGH AN INLET,
and then proceeded down a winding channel all the way to my marina.
Some of you might think of this feat as no big deal. But let me reveal
that the task was accomplished using a landing net.
After a morning of drift-shing, my dad and I red up the engine to head
in, only to discover that the cable steering had locked up tighter than a clam.
Get the paddle, said Dad.
With 20-something nautical miles to the sea buoy, I looked doubtfully
at the paddle hanging in the cuddy. But I had misunderstood the old
mans reasoning. He intended that wed use
the paddle as a rudder, not for propulsion.
(Insert lightbulb over head.)
He put the engine in gear and I dropped
the paddle over the side. The boat turned,
but the force against the blade was so
strong I couldnt hold the paddle for very
long. So we tried the net.
With the hoop end of the net in the
water, and me riding side-saddle on the
gunwale, I placed my foot against the hoops
frame and held on to the handle. My leg
muscles were stronger than my arms, and
the water passing through the net provided
enough resistance to create direction change
even at somewhat higher speeds. Control
was imprecise, what with me having to shift
sides as we oversteered rst one
way and then the next.
But three hours of S-turns later,
we were in front of our marina.
Now, not everyone can use a
net to steer a boat. Some boats
and some conditions wont allow
it. The incident taught me that
its imperative to have a backup
steering plan.
For inboard boats, a tiller can
be fashioned that connects to the
rudderpost. This enables steering
by stationing a crew member in
the engine room. It may even be
possible to fabricate a vertical
extension of the rudderpost that
extends above cockpit level to
which the makeshift tiller can be
attached. Were talking pipe and/
or lumber here; nothing fancy.
Outboard-, sterndrive- and
pod-powered boats require a
different setup. I have seen the
aftermath of a gaff handle, duct-
taped to an outboards cowling,
having been used as a tiller. It got
the boat home, but the cowling
was toast (and may not have
held up at all had the seas been
rough). So for any boat, I suggest
the bridled bucket as emergency
steering gear.
You can make your own by
cutting the bottom off of a drywall-
compound bucket and replacing the
wire handle with a handle made of
stout line. Next, make a bridle with a
length of line thats twice the beam
of your boat by tying the bucket
to the middle of this line and each
line end to corner cleats, transom
ring or other sturdy, tow worthy
deck ttings.
To use the bucket, simply
shorten up the bridle on the side
you need the boat to turn. Build
the thing and practice with it.
You may be surprised how much
control it will give you.
At the least, youll impress the
hell out of the towboat captain or
good Samaritan who arrives after
hearing your call of lost steering.
By Kevin Falvey
Rudimentary
knowledge of
disconnecting a
steering system
will be needed
before you can
use a makeshift
steering system.
A reliable engine is almost
useless without steering.
Check your steering annually
and have a backup plan.
B O AT I N G M A G . C O M OC T OBE R 2 0 1 4 2 4
EVERY BOAT NEEDS A PROTECTOR.
1.800.PROGRESSIVE / PROGRESSIVE.COM
The Boat Doctor
Q&A
ASKTHEMASSESGo to boatingmag.com/forums to ask fellow boaters
your questions, or to answer theirs.
By Michael Mick Hannock
A-Tach Problem
[ Q ] I recently installed two new Faria
tachometers to monitor my twin 1986 190 hp
MerCruiser inboards. I have two questions.
On the back of each tach are sync terminals
labeled port and starboard. The one
marked port is also the terminal to which the
coil of the engine it monitors is connected.
But what is the other function of these
terminals, and what do they connect to?
Second, the engines sound like they are in
sync, but one tach reads 400 rpm higher than
the other. Is there a corrective action that I
can take?
JOHN P. LANGLAIS
Elk River, Minnesota
[ A ] John, presuming you have set the
switch on the back of the tachs to the correct
setting (number of engine cylinders), you
might still need to calibrate the high-reading
tach. This requires hooking up a shop tach,
or remote tach, so you might find it more
cost-effective to have the job done by a shop
rather than doing it yourself, particularly
if you dont have or cant borrow a shop
tachometer. You ll also need a handy helper
for this job.
You ll find a sticker or taped paper covering
a small hole on the back of the tachometer.
This is for a five-sixteenths hex (Allen)
wrench. With the shop tach hooked up and
the boat at cruising speed, insert the hex
wrench, and adjust the boat tach readings to
match shop tach readings.
As for the port synch/star synch tabs,
these are outputs from the tachometers to
provide a signal to an engine synchronizer.
Long Time Gone
[ Q ] Ive owned boats since I was 12 (for 48
years) and just purchased my first PWC. Its a
1996 Yamaha 1100 Venture. It runs fantastic.
However, after it warms up, if I shut it off and
engine with oil
properly, yet,
over time, your
dipstick shows
more oil than
you started
with, your
engine could
be making oil,
slang for uid
intrusion of the
crankcase.
If gas is the
culprit, you can
often smell it on
the dipstick.
In any event,
an overlled
crankcase
means not
running the
engine and
immediately
diagnosing the
situation.
Kevin Falvey
go to start it, all I get is a click from the
starter solenoid or relay. After a short
cool-down, it starts back up. I located
the relay and discovered that one needs
to be a contortionist with a f lashlight
and mirror just to see the thing. Theres
no obvious corrosion, and I cant really
get a socket or wrench on the studs to
check the connections. The only other
connection I can think to check is at the
starter, but again, this is buried.
If the starter relay is clicking, does that
mean it has to be good? Do you know of
a way to test the solenoid or do you know
what else to check?
HARRY COTTRILL
Linwood, New Jersey
[ A ] Like many PWCs of that era, yours
requires the removal of the exhaust
system to work on the starter.
The solenoid clicking is not enough
you need to know if its getting a full 12
volts. It can click on low voltage. To do
that you need to get a multimeter on the
positive terminal of the solenoid/relay
and try to start the ski: The meter should
read 12 volts or else there is a problem
with the ignition wires.
Remove the ignition switch wire
from the relay and, using an insulated
screwdriver (or a trace of wire with
alligator clamps), short the solenoids
positive post to the terminal where the
ignition switch connects. Doing so will
apply 12 volts directly from the battery.
This should activate the solenoid, and
the starter should crank the engine. If
the ignition switch isnt delivering quite
enough juice, the solenoid can stick.
But given the age of this WaveRunner,
I would bet that both starter and relay
need replacement.
Underpowered?
[ Q ] I have a well-maintained 1982
Bayliner 2260 Trophy, and Im
considering replacing the engine. I know P
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#$%
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The Boat Doctor
from an economic sense it would
probably be better for me to sell it
and then try to buy a newer boat.
However, I like the design so much,
and I really havent been able to find
anything like it in newer models.
I have only two things against it:
One is the drive setup a Volvo 125
four-cylinder, which is only 117 hp.
Its been a good engine, but mine is
a fairly heavy boat at 3,600 pounds.
I think its underpowered; with four
crew on board, my cruise speed is
about 10 knots.
The other is the low-speed
handling. At lower speeds, you have
to steer the boat continually because
it walks off easily. I dont know if this
is because of the outdrive or not. Its
strange because it does have about a
foot of keel.
Ive been considering removing
the current sterndrive, beefing up
the transom supports and glassing it
over, and then hanging a new 150 or
175 hp four-stroke outboard on it.
Id appreciate any advice you can
give. Thanks and keep them f loating.
JACK KINSEY
Glen Burnie, Maryland
[ A ] In many cases, a boat powered
by a sterndrive can be refitted
to accept outboards. I must add
that I have not seen it done with a
2260, but the process is common
enough. I would caution you to get
good advice regarding engineering
the changeover.
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Vaavud Smartphone Wind Meter
As the first tropical storm of the season spun
up off the coast, I decided to give the Vaavud
wind meter a whirl. Finding and installing the
app was quick and easy in iTunes as well as
Google Play. With the wind meter plugged into
my smartphones headphone jack and the app
running, I was able to get real-time information
and compare it to that of other Vaavud users who
logged results nearby. In addition to providing
accurate data, the small-form factor makes the
wind meter easy to carry. All in all, the Vaavud
wind meter is an easy-to-use tool for any boater
checking the weather before hitting the water.
vaavud.com; $50 Brian Daugherty
I NTRODUCI NG THE ALL- NEW
BY
The Escapes exclusive Tapered Tube Technology employs a forward angle that allows the hull to plane more quickly,
while the sharp-angled nosecones reduce drag and wave impact to give you superior stability, tracking and control.
( WE T E S T S T U F F )
Typically this is done to open up
the cockpit and regain the space lost
to the inboard engine(s). Outboards
also give the advantages of less
weight for the same power (resulting
in increased performance and
efficiency), and the ability to tilt the
motor completely clear of the water
for shallow-water operation and
corrosion resistance.
I cannot advise you because
I would need to know your boat
specifically, not just the generalities
of a make and model but I will
offer food for thought on what I
think you should be considering.
Id look at a 200 hp motor,
probably. Having some knowledge of
these conversions, Im confident in
stating that you might be looking at
$5,000 to $7,000 in fiberglass work.
Then another $15,000 to $20,000
for the outboard, rigging controls
and mounting bracket.
Assuming the boat is otherwise
structurally solid, you will own a
35-year-old boat with new power.
Thats a great boat to own, but one
that will be hard to sell or trade in.
The same plus-or-minus $25,000
buys a 10-year-old boat, probably in
need of a repower but also probably
in good structural shape and it
will be easier to sell or trade because
it is not decades old.
The low-speed wander might be
improved a little with an outboard
because outboards have less free play
at idle. But you still have a relatively
high-side, single-engine boat. Time
and practice usually heal all such
boat-handling quirks.
Boom
[ Q ] Hey there! I have
a friend who has a
bass boat. The trolling
motor on this 16-foot
Lund is connected
directly to a marine
battery. One day we
discovered the positive
terminal had blown
right off it. Would you
know why this would
have happened? If we
can find the cause, we can prevent it
from happening again.
COBY BUDGELL
via Facebook
[ A ] Batteries pack a lot of energy.
Some boaters may tend to take
batteries for granted because they
are so common. But batteries can
and do explode, start fires and weld
jewelry or dropped tools. What could
have happened with your fishing
buddys battery is hard to say without
knowing more details. For safetys
sake, it behooves
boaters to become
informed about battery
types, maintenance
and installation. The
American Boat and
Yacht Council (abycinc
.org) and Nigel Calders
book, Boatowners
Mechanical and
Electrical Manual, are
good places to start
when seeking this
information.
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To learn more, and to locate your nearest dealer, visit
WWW. LARSONESCAPE.COM
NOT BY CHANCE, THE ALL-NEW
ESCAPE
IS ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL.
Escape 25 Escape 23 Escape 21
BY
The Boat Doctor
Hot, Hot, Hot
[ Q ] I recently purchased a 1971
Sea Ray 192 running a MerCruiser
165 hp Chevy in-line-6. I had a local
Mercury dealer replace the outdrive
water pump and tune up the engine.
I replaced the circulating-water
pump on the engine, as well as the
thermostat. Running it on a hose
in my driveway, everything seems
fine: The temperature gauge shows
about three-quarters, and the water
temperature out of the prop is right
at 125. When I put it in the water,
everything is fine until I bring it up
to speed at maybe 2,500 rpm. Then
the temperature moves right up to
red, and when I idle it down, the
temperature slowly moves back into
the high green. I have tried running
it at idle without the thermostat.
The temperature is low green but
jumps up to red under power. I
have checked for water in the oil,
and everything looks fine there.
Also the engine runs smoothly with
no missing. Any thoughts on what
could be the problem?
FRANK KERES
Via email
[ A ] Frank, the symptoms you
describe sound like bad exhaust
manifolds and/or exhaust elbows.
These get clogged with scale and
gunk over time. Heres a link to an
introductory article I recently wrote
that should help you get on track:
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B O A T C R A F T
How to Coil a Line

Anyone can coil a rope
or dock line. The first
thing to remember is
not to twist the line into
round coils like a cow-
boys. Most lines used
in boating are twisted
together from multiple
strands, so they already
have a natural built-in
twist. If you attempt to
coil them like a landlub-
ber, youll get kinks or
tangles when you need
to pay out the line. In-
stead, learn how to fake
your lines, coiling them
in a loose figure-eight
pattern rather than
crisp loops. Note that if
the line is unsecured,
you can start with
either end.
If it is cleated off or
tied to something, you
should always start
from the fastened end
and work your way to
the free tip. Otherwise
you will end up with a
tangled mess.
Heres how to coil a
line like a real boater:
1. Overhaul the line,
running it through
your hand from
one end to the oth-
er. This works out
twists and adapts
it for coiling.
2. Grab a length of
line with your
right hand and
pass it to your left,
coiling in a clock-
wise direction.
The line should
naturally fall into
a figure-eight pat-
tern; make each
coil the same size.
Those figure eights
might not look as neat
as a perfectly round
coil, but they pay out
without kinks. Theyre
also the sign of a true
salt. David Seidman
Want some cool things for kids to
do? Check out McGraw-Hills The
Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon and 101
Other Things for Young Mariners to
Build, Try & Do on the Water, by
David Seidman and Jeff Hemmel.
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T
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The Boat Doctor
boatingmag.com/tips-exhaust-risers-
and-manifolds.
Follow-Up
Boat Doctor, with your suggestions
I pulled the manifold and riser, and
found not much rust, but I did find a
bad manifold gasket allowing some
water into all of the intake ports, as
well as some heavy blockage in the
water intake hose. Thanks to your
accurate suggestions, I believe you
saved me from some major repairs. As
a precaution, I have also pulled the
head, and sent it in to be checked and
repaired if needed.
FRANK KERES
Via email
Another A-Tach
[ Q ] I have a 2003 Monterey 248 LS
boat, and the tachometer stopped
working. I bought a new tachometer
and installed it, but that is not
working either. Is there a sensor or
fuse that I am missing?
WALTER JUDD
Cape Coral, Florida
[ A ] The tachometer gets its
signal from the engine (the coil,
specifically). There is a sender on
the engine that creates the signal.
But before you start looking for your
sender, I suggest you try this: With the
engine running, disconnect the I-wire
at the back of the tach you should
have voltage there with engine on
(use a multimeter). If not, check that
wire for a break (using the continuity
function of the meter) or simply
for corrosion.
Do the same thing for the G input
and wire on that tachometer. That is
the ground.
Often its as simple as cutting back
the wires a few inches to get to clean
copper, and then crimping on new
connectors.
Good luck!
ASK THE DOCTOR
Send questions with your name and address
to: boatdr@boating.com or The Boat Doctor,
Boating, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200,
Winter Park, FL 32789.
Back For More
[ Q ] Hi, Mick. I have a 1971 MerCruiser 165 hp in-line-6
engine. Would you be able to tell me the torque specifica-
tions for the manifold?
FRANK KERES
Via email
[ A ] The torque for the bolts securing the manifold to the
head is listed at 23 foot-pounds in the Clymer book.
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www.raymarine.com
Imagery for illustrative purposes only
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B O A T D O C S P E C I A L
The Boat Doctor

O
NE-THIRD OF
Mercurys engine
market share goes to
the midrange engines with 75-,
90- and 115-horsepower output.
So, once it had a full line of highly
efcient four-strokes, including
Verado outboards to 350 hp, it
was no surprise when Mercury
circled back to these popular mid-
range engines.
After all, pontoon boats,
one of the hottest segments of
recreational boating today, rely
almost solely on midrange out-
boards. Add shermen poised to
mount them on aluminum bass
boats and bay boats up to 19 feet,
plus catamaran fans planning to
power smaller cats, and you have
a sizable market. Did we mention
that Mercury offers this new 115 in
a counter-rotating gear case?
Mercurys goal in this lineups
redesign was to rene and retool
its four-stroke offerings to have
higher output, lighter weight
and lower emissions with less
maintenance cost.
Maintenance costs of four-
strokes substantially spike over
those of two-strokes because
most require expensive valve ad-
justments. The costs can range to
$100 or more per cylinder. That is
a big bite to take after 200, 300
or even 500 hours of operation
especially in twins.
Only Mercury avoids
this sobering expense in
its high-performance four-
stroke engines by offering
self-adjusting valve trains.
So we werent surprised to
see self-adjusting valves
in these new 75-, 90- and
115-horsepower models.
Besides that, when the motors
returned from the fat farm they
came back in a svelte streamlined
shape, visibly more trim than in
the previous model. They lost
weight too, making the 115 the
lightest outboard in its class
and with big, smooth-running
four-cylinder displacement.
They meet all the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) and
Environmental Protection Agency
requirements, naturally, and after
test-running the powerful 115s
near the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin,
factory, we think they are a hit.
Mercury powered a number
of boats including bay boats,
pontoons and runabouts. We ran
a pair of Carolina Skiff 218s with
berglass casting decks and a
center console. Even these solid,
full-beam boats stepped up on
plane quickly with the push of
the 115s and maintained planing
speeds down into the midteens.
Mercury also offered a new
gear-case option for these motors
called Command Thrust. Its a re-
nement of its BigFoot gear cases,
popular among pontoon boaters.
The bullet is a little bulkier than
the standard gear case, but the
new 2.38:1 ratio and powerfully
husky gears noticeably added
more midrange thrust and control
than the test boat with the new
115/standard gear-case setup had.
On our test boats, though,
Command Thrusts added torque
came with noticeably more
steering feedback than that from
the standard gear case. That
makes hydraulic steering a worth-
while investment in our book.
Hydraulic steering is denitely
needed at 150 horsepower and up,
and 115 horsepower is normally a
judgment call driven by the hair
on your knuckles.
Wed say, in a boat with a rec-
ommended horsepower range of
115 to 150, the 115 with Command
Thrust and hydraulic steering
would give smooth power and
control and a fatter wallet. To say
we were impressed is an under-
statement. Randy Vance
Mercury Marine
Introduces
Midrange Motors
CAN MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPS PACK
HEAVYWEIGHT PUNCH?
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QUICK
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Bow hatches on cabin boats add two advantages:
illumination from above (whether closed or open )
and fresh air when open, be it a cuddy, cruiser or
walkaround. Some hatches are also large enough
that you can use them to access the bow from
inside to man the anchor, for example.
If your cabin lacks a hatch overhead, its easy to
add one from a company such as Bomar, Lewmar,
Taylor Made or Vetus. Hatches come in a wide
range of sizes and shapes. For this project, we use
the rectangular Lewmar Low-Prole size 30, which
measures overall 15
3
8 inches long by 20 inches
wide and requires a minimum deck thickness of
ve-eighths inch. It has friction hinges (with ad-
justable tension) that hold the hatch open without
the need for gas-assist struts. When unlocked, it
can also be latched or unlatched from outside and
inside. Jim Hendricks
GIVE YOUR CABIN LIGHT AND
FRESH AIR WITH A BOW HATCH.
Installing
a Bow Hatch
2
MARK THE CUTOUT Cover the
working area of the bow deck
with masking tape to prevent
scratches and chipping, and to give you a
surface on which to scribe. Lay the hatch
down and position it exactly where you
want it; then carefully mark the outline
of the frame in this case, 12
7
8 inches
long by 18 inches wide with a 1
11
/16-inch
radius at each corner. If youre using a
Trimkit, expand the outline perimeter by
one-eighth inch.
3
CUT THE OPENING Check the
interior for interference with wires
or hoses. If the ceiling has carpet
or vinyl, use a razor to cut and peel away
the covering from the affected interior
section to prevent snagging or tearing
it with power tools. Then, from the
outside, use a 1
11
/16-inch hole saw to cut
holes to match the radii in the corners.
Using a jigsaw, cut along the rest of
the outline to create the nal opening.
Remove the masking tape.
1
PICK THE AREA AND SIZE You
need a at surface on which to seat
the hatch. The surface can be slop-
ing or level. Also, check for interference
from objects as the hatch swings open.
If you want to use the hatch for access,
pick one that accommodates an adult.
With thin decks, the ange on the frame
may protrude into the cabin. With thick
decks or ceilings with headliners, a Lew-
mar Trimkit gives the interior a nished
look (see Screen Play).
Hatches should
not be opened or
closed more than
necessary before
being mounted
to the deck, as
this can warp the
aluminum frame.
Also, when
wiping up seal-
ant, do not use a
solvent such as
acetone, which
can damage the
acrylic window.
The Boat Doctor
GETTING
STARTED
SKILL LEVEL
3-4 HOURS
TIME TO COMPLETE
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES
X
Lewmar Low-Profile bow
hatch, size 30 ($241.76,
jamestowndis tributors.com)
X
No. 10 stainless-steel
self-tapping screws
X
-inch stainless-steel bolts, nuts
and washers
X
Marine silicone bedding compound
X
Tape measure
X
Phillips screwdriver
X
Open-end/box-end wrench set
X
Power drill and bits
X
1
11
16-inch hole saw
X
Jigsaw with fine blade
for fiberglass
X
Masking tape
X
Sharpie marker
X
Shop rags to wipe up sealant
4
INSTALL THE HATCH Test-t
the hatch before applying seal-
ant. (Most hatches are installed
with the hinges aft.) If you are installing
a Trimkit, center the frame to leave a
one-eighth-inch gap between it and the
deck. Mark the screw holes, remove the
hatch, and drill the holes. Apply marine
sealant where frame contacts deck and
on both sides of the fastening holes
on the frame. Use No. 10 self-tapping
screws (short enough that they dont
protrude into the cabin) to secure the
frame, except in the hinge areas, which
should be through-bolted with quarter-
inch bolts and nuts with washers on the
underside. Wipe off excess sealant.
SCREEN PLAY
If you boat in an area where insects pose a nuisance, think also about
a screen option. Lewmars Trimkit ($99.99, westmarine.com) for the
interior side includes a removable screen. J.H.
QUICK
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Q U I C K S T U D Y
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The days of 50 mph top speeds and better lean to the
outside or youll spin out handling are long gone in the
personal watercraft market. Todays flagship performers,
like the Sea-Doo RXP-X260, flirt with 70 mph, leap out of the
hole and corner with the aggressive lean of a superbike.
Ready to go, Speed Racer, go? Here are seven features to
look for in a high-performance watercraft. Jeff Hemmel
High-Performance
Personal Watercraft
1
LARGE DISPLACE-
MENT ENGINE Todays
agship performance
craft typically feature
four-cylinder, liquid-cooled
engines between 1.5 and
1.8 liters, like the 1,494 cc
Rotax shown in this Sea-Doo
RXP-X260. Look for beefy
cast pistons, reinforced crank-
cases, and also high-capacity
fuel pumps.
2
SOFT CHINES Look
for a hull deadrise of
about 22 degrees to
slice through waves and
corner with tenacity. Soft,
rounded chines will allow
the hull to roll more easily
into a corner with an intuitive
inside lean.
3
ELECTRIC TRIM Trim
adjusts the nozzle,
pivoting it down to
lower the bow and put more
of the hull in the water for
turns or pivoting it up to
reduce wetted surface during
straight-line, high-speed runs.
On the RXP-X, two favorite
positions can be pre-set.
4
HIGH-VOLUME
PUMP WITH TOP-
LOADING INTAKE
Look for diameters of 155 to
160 mm, multivane intake
guides to regulate ow,
and race-inspired impellers
that promise instantaneous
acceleration.
5
ADJUSTABLE
SPONSONS Spon-
sons tailor a crafts
personality to the riders
preferences for operation.
Lowering the trailing edge, or
moving it toward the stern,
enhances aggressive han-
dling. Raising the sponson,
or moving it forward, softens
the response for a more
playful ride.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME
While often unauthorized by PWC makers, speed-obsessed riders sometimes seek aftermarket accessories to
push performance limits. Modifications may include a freer flowing air filter and exhaust, impeller and ride plate
modifications, and electronic overrides of the crafts stock electronic control unit (ECU). Higher-end mods include
upgrades to the fuel pressure regulator, intake manifold and even replacement intercoolers. Check out Riva
Racing (rivaracing.com) for kits that range from under $1,000, to push into the 70 mph range, to $7,000 super
kits that promise speeds in excess of 80 mph. J.H.
6
SUPERCHARGER/
INTERCOOLER
Combos have
become the gold standard
for increased performance.
Superchargers pack more air
into the combustion cham-
ber. The intercooler pre-cools
the air, further increasing
its density. More air means
more fuel and a larger, more
potent explosion.
7
TRIM TABS Fixed
trim tabs lengthen the
running surface and
can affect the running angle
of the craft while underway.
Trim tabs also stabilize the
PWC laterally when running
and can be changed in posi-
tion to t a riders handling
preferences or accommodate
weight distribution.
To attain top
speed, trim the
bow of your PWC
up above the
neutral setting,
and mimic the
body crouch of a
horse jockey.
1
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4
6 2 5
3
The Boat Doctor
QUICK
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WHAT T O L OOK F OR
The Boat Doctor

T
HERE ARE ONLY TWO
ways you can be sure
you are getting the best
insurance policy for your boat:
Pick the best underwriter and pick
a knowledgeable agent. Its just
that simple. Most important, do
not let price enter into the search.
At the end of the day, the extra
bucks dont mean a thing when
your boat hits a rock.
For example, I know of a very
well-heeled guy whose four-year-
old $81,000 boat was continually
serviced and pampered by a rst-
class yard. Money was never an
object. Circumstances developed
in which the boat was wrecked,
not due to anything he did wrong.
His insurance company, a well-
known underwriter, refused to pay
off, saying that it wasnt properly
maintained. It took him a year of
persistent pestering, cajoling and
threatening before it nally paid
him the policys agreed value
plus an additional $3,000 for
accumulated expenses.
Another guy made the unfor-
tunate mistake of assuming that
his longtime friend who handled
his home and auto policies could
also write a policy for his boat.
Wrong. The policy
as written did not
take into account
one of the basic
caveats of marine
insurance: agreed
value as opposed
to actual cash
value. To his dis-
may and surprise,
when his $100,000
boat sank, the
company offered
him $68,000 be-
cause that was the
value at the time
of the incident.
When choosing an
agent for marine
insurance, that
person should have
familiarity with boats as a bare
minimum and, more important,
represent a recognized, well-
respected marine insurer.
How do you effectively nd
the right underwriter and agent?
Between the yacht
club/marina bar, the
boatyard and the
Internet, you should
be able to come up
with the right com-
bination. Ask the
guy who handles
your personal poli-
cies (health, auto,
business) if he has
experience with
boats or if he knows
someone who does.
Chat up the owner/
manager at your
yard and nd out
which company
pays the best with
the least hassles.
Visit as many online
forums as possible and see what
everyone is saying good or
bad about a broker, agent or
underwriter. Post your own inquiry
on a forum that seems to be on
the right page not one with
guys trying to be funny or letting
off uncontrolled steam. The infor-
mation is out there, and its up to
you to do your homework.
Here are some of the things
you should be looking for when
purchasing a policy. If you plan
to leave your home cruising
grounds, be sure youre covered.
This is especially true if you plan
foreign cruising to the Caribbean,
Canada or Mexico. You might
need an endorsement. Look for
an arbitration clause under the
claim settlement section. Its your
guarantee that, when you get into
a difference of opinion, youll have
a third party to help make a fair
call. See what the deductible is
and if it varies depending on the
claim issue, like hurricane cover-
age. Understand what salvage is
and how if affects your claim.
Your boat is possibly the
second-largest investment youll
ever make. Take the time to
explore and understand your in-
surance options, and remember,
price should not be the issue.
Does everyone need insur-
ance? Yes and no. At some
point, insuring a boat is just a
waste of money. As the value
of the craft approaches the
cost of the annual premium,
its time to re-evaluate. Even
so, you should never be without
adequate liability insurance.
Accidents do happen, and you
could be in a situation in which
someone is seriously hurt or you
caused major damage to another
boat or facility. A minimum
coverage of $500,000 is recom-
mended, and based on your
individual situation, it could
be considerably higher. We live
in a litigious society, and your
agent should be able to suggest
realistic and meaningful coverage
to keep you protected in case of
an accident.
Insurance Assurance
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Do you live in a
hurricane area?
If you do, your
insurance pro-
vider may expect
you to present a
contingency plan
for removing
your boat. Make
sure your policy
is clear on what
damages it will
pay for from a
weather event.
While it sounds like the same thing, buying boat insurance is an entirely dif-
ferent animal from buying car insurance or a homeowners policy. Heres the
lowdown on properly insuring your boat. Joe Friedman
Tests
W
HEN IT COMES TO BOATING, IM AFFLICTED
with a split personality, consisting of half
obsessive angler and half family day cruiser. I
suspect Im not alone.
Perhaps this is the reason for the popularity of dual-
console boats such as Pursuits new DC 325. The Yamaha
outboard-powered model features a newly designed
deep-V hull with a resin-infused fiberglass structural-grid
construction system. With beaucoup seating, this supersize
dual-console ranks as an ultimate day cruiser. Yet it also has
a livewell, rod holders and fish boxes.
My laid-back side took hold as I settled into the wide
captains chair with fold-down armrests and a flip-up bolster.
Nice, but so is the aft portion of the lounger on the port side,
with fold-down armrests and a backrest angled comfortably
when facing forward. You can also face aft on the same
lounger. Bow loungers (each with fold-down armrests) are
surrounded by high
freeboard for security
when kids ride up front.
In the aft cockpit,
theres an aft-facing seat
on the port side and two
fold-out bench seats
(one across the transom
and another one on the
port side). Coaming
bolsters rim the aft
cockpit (except the
transom door).
The port and
starboard swim
platforms extend far
astern nearly to the
back of the outboard
cowlings. This allows you
to step farther back (via
the starboard transom
door) to take a dip or
work a hooked fish around the outboards. The starboard
platform also has a pull-out Garelick boarding ladder.
The DC 325 comes standard with a rod holder in each
gunwale, with an option for three more one additional
rod holder in each gunwale and one in the center of the
transom. There is also an under-gunwale horizontal rack for
rods, gaffs, boathooks and brushes on the starboard side, and
lockable storage for four rods inside the port console.
Pursuit
DC 325
( # 2 8 5 0 )
NOT E WORT HY
The Pursuit
DC 325 also
has a step in the
motorwell forward
of the outboards,
allowing you to
comfortably
walk across from
one extended
swim platform
to the other.
Day cruisers will adore the optional galley and wealth of seating; anglers will
revel in the space allowed for electronics and the standard transom livewell.
P
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J
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Pursuit DC 325
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T BOATING Certified Test Results
XLOA: 34'6" XBeam: 10'10" XDraft (motors down): 2'8" XDisplacement: 14,363 lb.
XTransom Deadrise: 20 degrees XBridge Clearance: 8'2" (to hardtop) XMax Cabin
Headroom: 5'0" XFuel Capacity: 300 gal. X Max Horsepower: 600 XAvailable Power:
Twin Yamaha outboards to 600 hp total
XPrice: $361,595 (with test power)
HOW WE TESTED
ENGINES: Twin Yamaha F300 300 hp outboards DRIVES/PROPS: Outboard/Yamaha
Saltwater Series II 15" x 18" SDS 3-blade stainless-steel GEAR RATIO: 1.75:1 FUEL
LOAD: 250 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 565 lb.
AVAI L AB L E P OWE R :
OUT B OAR D
High Points
XWe loved how the integral hardtop merges with the windshield to protect
the bridge deck.
XExtra-long swim platforms make it easy to take a dip or work a fish around
the outboards.
XDual-action companionways keep you from banging your head on
overheadhatches.
XHigh freeboard offers extra security for passengers riding in the bow.
Low Points
XCould use more rod holders, such as along the aft supports for the hardtop.
XInability to follow a fish from bow to stern, as with all DCs along the sides
means keeping the boat moving when you hook a big fish.
XWed like to see more livewell capacity or an optional second livewell.
The hardtop on our test boat featured a retractable electric
sunshade. Once deployed from inside the hardtop, this
option ($14,860) extends the shade of the hardtop aft over
the cockpit, a feature the laid-back half of me appreciated.
Our DC 325 had twin Raymarine e125 HybridTouch
multifunction displays, a CP300 sounder module, a
Raymarine 4 kW high-definition color radar with a dome
antenna, an autopilot, and a 55-channel VHF radio. The
Raymarine autopilot was interfaced with the optional
Yamaha Helm Master system ($20,530), with a special
gateway for seamless steering control of the twin outboards.
While Pursuit had offered electronics packages as factory
options in the past, the company now leaves all electronics
installations to the dealer and customer.
When we punched the throttles, the DC 325 climbed to
30 mph in 10.9 seconds. At wide-open throttle, the twin
Yamaha F300s pushed the DC 325 to an impressive top
speed of 49.4 mph, while carrying 250 gallons of gasoline, 30
gallons of fresh water, ice, drinks, food and three adults.
No matter what direction we ran, the DC 325 offered
a smooth and pleasing ride, though I cant say we found
anything approaching rough seas. Handling proved superb.
She banked predictably into hard turns without any sliding
or tripping.
To shield us from wind blast, we closed the walk-through
portion of the tinted wraparound windshield, which reaches
all the way to the leading edge of the hardtop. To circulate a
bit of fresh air, you can open a visor at the top of the center
panel. To completely close off the bridge deck, there are
doors for the lower portion of the walk-through. These
recess in both sides of the walk-through when not in use.
You can ice drinks and sandwiches in the built-in cooler
under the portside aft-facing seat in the cockpit. Order the
DC 325 with the cruising option ($30,210), and you can
cook on a 120-volt electric grill in a galley module abaft the
captains chair. This package also includes a small Isotherm
refrigerator/freezer, two air-conditioning systems (for the
bridge deck and two cabins) and a 4.2 kW Fischer Panda
diesel generator.
The DC 325 offers a cozy berth within the port console.
In the starboard console, we discovered an enclosed head
appointed with a vacuum-flush toilet, a shower and a vanity
with a Corian countertop.
Pursuit Boats Fort Pierce, Florida; 800-947-8778; pursuitboats.com
SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION
naut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.95 5.70 2.60 1.91 2.19 514 592 0 66
1500 6.60 7.60 4.10 1.61 1.85 435 500 1 69
2000 8.52 9.80 7.00 1.22 1.40 328 378 2 72
2500 9.73 11.20 10.70 0.91 1.05 246 283 4 78
3000 11.95 13.75 14.50 0.82 0.95 222 256 4 83
3500 16.64 19.15 19.80 0.84 0.97 227 261 6 85
4000 28.20 32.45 25.50 1.11 1.27 299 344 2 86
4500 33.50 38.55 35.10 0.95 1.10 258 297 2 87
5000 37.58 43.25 42.00 0.89 1.03 242 278 2 89
5500 41.45 47.70 50.60 0.82 0.94 221 255 2 91
5800 42.97 49.45 52.40 0.82 0.94 221 255 2 96
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED
The companionway to each console compartment features
a dual-action doorway in which the overhead hatch slides
out of the way as you swing open the door. Ive banged
my head on overhead hatches enough to appreciate this
engineering feat.
Looking for a comparison? The Grady-White Freedom
335 ($406,190 with twin Yamaha F350 outboards) is a
popular dual-console that rivals the Pursuit DC 325 in
features, performance and handling. Its 9 inches wider but a
foot shorter than the DC 325.
Whether you choose to swim, dive, cruise, raft up or fish,
Pursuits DC 325 is up to the task. It represents one of the
few boats that satisfy both sides of my split personality.
Jim Hendricks
For more photos of the Pursuit DC 325,
go to boatingmag.com/2850 or
scan this tag.
SCAN
ME!
LESS WEIGHT. GREATER PERFORMANCE.
PREMIUM POWER HAS JUST BEEN REDEFINED.
Volvo Penta is setting the standard with the new V8-430. Offering more
power and 20% greater fuel-efciency. All while reducing engine weight and
maintaining our legendary quiet ride. Learn more at volvopenta.com/us
Tests
I
N A BOATING MARKET JAMMED WITH ALUMINUM
pontoon models, standing out poses a serious challenge.
Yet, once I climbed aboard the new Larson Escape
25 TTT Dual Console with triple tubes and advanced the
throttle, I recognized its unique qualities.
The triple-T designator stands for Tapered Tube
Technology, and therein lies the key to the performance
of this tri-toon. All three of the aluminum tubes are
comparable in diameter to 27-inch round tubes, but each is
formed and shaped to include reverse chines for greater lift
and planing performance, V-hull-like deadrise for stability
and smoothness while underway, and outside hull chamfer
to enhance cornering. The center tube sets 4 inches deeper
than the outer tubes to optimize cornering characteristics.
Larson engineered the hull to maximize the potential
of todays most powerful outboards. Propelled by a single
Mercury 300 Verado outboard, our test boat popped onto
plane in 1.7 seconds and
vaulted to 30 mph in 7.1
seconds with three adults
on board and 49 gallons
of gas in the tank. These
are sterndrive runabout-
type numbers.
As we raced across the
choppy waters of San
Diego Bay toward a top
speed of nearly 46 mph, I
marveled at the solid feel
of this 25-foot-4-inch
luxury toon. The tubes
are welded together to
create a unified hull.
Each tube is formed with
0.090-gauge aluminum
(same thickness used in
other pontoon brands
such as Premier and
Harris FloteBote) but
also with 0.125-gauge tube caps, a gauge thicker than most.
Theres also a 0.180-gauge full-length keel beam.
Adding structural integrity is a stringer system inside each
tube, with six internal bulkheads per tube. About the only boat
noise I could hear came from the retracted Bimini top frame
as it creaked side-to-side while at speed. The addition of a
sway bar would help secure the top and eliminate this noise.
The TTT design responds delightfully to outboard trim.
Larson
Escape 25 TTT DC
( # 2 8 5 1 )
NOT E WORT HY
Our Escape
25 TTT Dual
Console featured
a classy, round,
teak-top, pedestal
snack table for
the bow area
with fold-down
sides, allowing us
to easily slide by
when needed.
Larsons 25 Escape TTT DC offers performance akin to a runabouts and looks
good doing it. Dual consoles offer function and the boat is rife with amenity.
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XLOA: 25'4" XBeam: 8'6" Draft: 2'8" (engine down) XDisplacement: 4,345 lb. (dry, no
engines) XTransom Deadrise: 15 degrees XBridge Clearance: 5'8" XFuel Capacity:
49gal. XMax Horsepower: 300 XAvailable Power: Outboards up to 300 hp from
Evinrude, Honda (250 hp max), Mercury, Suzuki or Yamaha
XPrice: $84,900 (as tested)
HOW WE TESTED
ENGINES: Single 300 hp Mercury Verado outboard PROPS: Enertia 14" x 17" 3-blade
stainless steel GEAR RATIO: 1.85:1 FUEL LOAD: 49 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 560 lb.
OUT B OAR D
High Points
XDistinctive dual-console design shelters guests in the aft cockpit.
XContoured fiberglass corner pieces add unique styling flare.
XTTT triple-tube design lifts and corners like a V-hull.
Low Points
XBimini needs a sway bar when retracted to cure the creak.
XWhile as big and beamy as a fiberglass dual-console boat, this pontoon
lacks a dedicated head compartment, though you can equip the pop-up
canvas changing room with a portable head.
XNo dedicated cooler storage means dragging it out of the console each
time you want a beverage.
The hull lifts noticeably, and speed climbs, encouraging
you to pour on the throttle. We turned at high speed and
found that it banks comfortably to the inside during lateral
acceleration, whether cornering gradually or turning hard.
The dual-console layout features a wraparound tinted
windshield that spans the Escape 25s full 8-foot-6-inch
beam, with a walk-through panel between the molded
fiberglass consoles.
A door pulls out from a special compartment in the
starboard console to block the wind from the lower portion
of the walk-through on chilly days. Close the center panel on
the windshield, and you have complete wind protection. I
also found that it substantially reduces wind noise. The Merc
300 Verados integral power steering and digital throttle and
shift made easy work of handling and docking maneuvers.
Looking for a similar toon? Premiers 250 S-Series RF
with the optional 36-inch PTX tri-toon package ($77,578
with a 300 hp Mercury Verado) uses 0.090-gauge aluminum
for tubes and 0.100-gauge for the nose cones and has a dual-
console layout but no center windshield panel.
Seating at the consoles of the Escape comes in the form of
plush, swiveling high-back captains chairs with articulating
armrests. All of the upholstery on our test boat reflected an
optional upgrade to soft-touch Ultrafabric Brisa Distressed
High UV vinyl.
In the bow youll find twin forward-facing loungers with
angled backs, headrests and articulating armrests. Separating
them is a stainless-steel boarding gate, which provides access
to the forward platform. Add the optional filler to create a
U-shaped bow lounge and social gathering spot.
A pop-up changing station with canvas enclosure is built
into the back of the port lounger, while an oversize tilt-
out trash receptacle is accessible from a hatch behind the
starboard lounge.
There are latching aluminum boarding gates forward
of the windshield on each side of the Escape 25 TTT Dual
Console. I like the idea of offering guests the convenience of
boarding from either side.
Behind the captains chairs youll discover two aft-facing
lounges. These are great seats for watching the action as
youre pulling tubers with the Escape 25s anodized aluminum
ski pylon thats mounted over the engine. Abundant storage
resides in the molded fiberglass bases under all of the lounges.
I did not see a lot of drink holders on our test boat, though
our preproduction boat was missing the portable slide-in
armrests for the loungers, which have built-in drink holders.
Larson Boat Group Little Falls, Minnesota; 320-632-5481; larsonescape.com
1000 0.26 0.30 1.00 0.26 0.30 11 13 0 68
1500 1.04 1.20 1.70 0.61 0.71 27 31 0 71
2000 2.43 2.80 2.90 0.84 0.97 37 43 0 71
2500 6.34 7.30 4.40 1.44 1.66 64 73 2 74
3000 11.73 13.50 5.90 1.99 2.29 88 101 4 83
3500 17.90 20.60 8.30 2.16 2.48 95 109 4 81
4000 20.94 24.10 10.50 1.99 2.30 88 101 5 78
4500 25.16 28.95 13.20 1.91 2.19 84 97 2 80
5000 29.50 33.95 18.10 1.63 1.88 72 83 2 82
5500 33.59 38.65 24.80 1.35 1.56 60 69 2 83
6000 38.67 44.50 52.60 1.33 1.53 59 68 2 89
6200 39.89 45.90 30.00 1.33 1.53 59 67 2 91
Id also like to see dedicated, slide-out stowage for a portable
cooler. As is, you can stow coolers inside either console.
In addition to the side and bow gates, theres a stainless-
steel boarding gate astern, leading to the aft swim platform
and stainless-steel, fold-up, four-step boarding ladder on the
starboard side. Both the aft and bow platforms on our test
boat featured padded faux teak deck coverings, while the main
deck had contemporary, marine-grade sea-grass-style flooring.
The Escape 25 TTT DC earns distinction points by
blending aluminum sides with contoured fiberglass corner
pieces to replicate the sheer lines of a fiberglass boat. Each
bow corner piece incorporates standard LED docking lights,
designed to be similar to the look of those on a sports car.
With the Escape 25 TTT Dual Console, Larson has taken a
bold step in the evolution of pontoon boats. In terms of both
styling and performance, it is most definitely a standout.
Jim Hendricks
Check out more photos of the Larson
Escape 25 TTT Dual Console. Scan this
tag or visit boatingmag.com/2851.
SCAN
ME!
Tests
E XT RA POI NT
T
HE CARVER C37 COUPE STANDS OUT AS
unique in the realm of coupe cruisers for two
reasons. First, whereas most coupes in this range
have some version of a vented hardtop or a covered bridge
deck thats fully open aft, the C37 Coupe offers a fully
enclosed cabin, complete with glass doors between the
salon and cockpit. Second, in contrast with most of the
boats in this class with slim V-hulls that taper to a point
toward the stem, the C37 opts for a plumb bow design
that carries the beam
farther forward in a
more rounded fashion.
The result is a wider
foredeck and more living
space in the forward
cabin below.
The plumb bow
design allows Carver to
design the C37 with a
large master stateroom
with 6 feet 5 inches of
headroom and a queen
bed set lower down
into the bow so that its
easier to get in and out
of, compared to boats
with more tapered bows.
To port theres a full
head with a separate shower stall and a bench seat, which
is a fantastic use of space on a 37-foot boat. A midship
stateroom to starboard can be outfitted with twins or a
queen. The salon upstairs can convert to beds, providing
sleeping space for six on board.
All of these amenities help the C37 meet and exceed
its mission statement: to provide day-boaters who prefer
gasoline sterndrives an upgrade to a weekender-style boat
that offers a little more than the typical express cruiser. As
competitors in this category offer pod-drive propulsion
with joystick controls, Carver offers the option for the Axius
sterndrive joystick system. Our test boat had it, which made
inching in and out of our extremely tight slip at the marina a
stress-free affair.
Once underway, the C37 Coupe touched speeds just under
40 mph while showing the agile handling afforded by the
twin counter-rotating dual propsets. While some may view
the wide beam as a performance detriment, the plumb bow
puts more of the hull in contact with the water, and it held its
own in manufactured head and quartering seas. Plus, with
the raked windshield, broken sheer line, extended hardtop
and stylish windows, it looks pretty up on plane and with a
look all its own. Pete McDonald
Carver
C37 Coupe
( # 2 8 5 2 )
Theres a
cavernous storage
space built under
the salon sole that
can be equipped
with an extra fridge,
an ice maker or a
wine cooler or
just used to store
extra provisions
for cruising.
High Points
XHead has a separate shower stall with a bench seat.
XRetractable electric Webasto sunroof comes standard.
XMercury SeaCore comes standard with the Bravo Three sterndrives.
Low Points
XThe captains seat at the helm is not adjustable, though it does have a flip-up
bolster (as does the passgenger seat).
XEnclosed helm inhibits view while backing into a slip.
Toughest Competitor
XThe Pursuit SC 365 is a sleek sports coupe that adds belowdecks space by
using outboard power hidden in the transom. It starts at $436,615 with twin
Yamaha F350s.
XLOA: 37'8" XBeam: 13'0" XDraft (max): 3'6" XDisplacement (approx.): 18,500 lb.
XTransom Deadrise: 11 degrees XBridge Clearance: 12'4" XFuel Capacity: 250 gal.
XWater Capacity: 90 gal. XMax Horsepower: 670 XAvailable Power: Gas and diesel
HOW WE TESTED
ENGINE: Twin 320 hp MerCruiser 377 MAG gasoline sterndrives PROP: Bravo Three
24-pitch propsets GEAR RATIO: 1.65:1 FUEL LOAD: 123 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 600 lb.
Carver Yachts Pulaski, Wisconsin; 800-231-8978; carveryachts.com
To see a photo gallery of the Carver C37 Coupe,
visit boatingmag.com/2852.
MORE ONLINE
1000 5.52 6.35 3.80 1.45 1.67 327 376 1 68
1500 6.65 7.65 6.20 1.07 1.23 241 278 3 72
2000 7.60 8.75 10.20 0.75 0.86 168 193 5 74
2500 9.25 10.65 16.00 0.58 0.67 130 150 6 77
3000 14.08 16.20 20.00 0.70 0.81 158 182 4 78
3500 20.12 23.15 24.00 0.84 0.96 189 217 3 80
4000 27.63 31.80 28.00 0.99 1.14 222 256 2 81
4500 30.63 35.25 38.00 0.81 0.93 181 209 2 83
4940 33.85 38.95 46.00 0.74 0.85 166 191 2 84
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E XT RA POI NT
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PPLYING THE DECK BOAT CONCEPT
meant to maximize interior lounging space to
a 20-foot hull is not the easiest of engineering
feats. Thats why few builders attempt to pull off small
deck boats. But Stringray is one that does, and if the new
192SC is any indication, it does it very well.
Stingray makes the most of the 192SCs 8-foot-4-
inch beam, especially when boarding via the molded-in
steps on the port side, opposite the helm. The gunwale
topsides sports nonskid, and the two integrated steps
down make for easy dockside entry. The steps are molded
in just forward of the
entertainment center,
which includes a
freshwater sink and a
dedicated storage space
for a trash can.
On the starboard
side, the ergonomic
helm console features
plenty of space to flush-
mount electronics;
an attached eyebrow
protects the screen and
the gauges from glare.
When I throttled up
during testing, I noted the unobstructed view while on
plane and making lock-to-lock turns at 30 mph. The
192SC employs the same Z-plane hull that Stingray uses
on all its runabouts. Instead of traditional protruding
lifting strakes, the Z-plane uses recessed strakes that are
stacked on top of one another like roofing shingles. The
design increases lift and efficiency and helps the driver
execute smooth, predictable turns. The fact that I could top
40 mph with a 115 hp engine speaks to this.
Back to the space: The L-shaped lounge in the aft cockpit
can seat five, and with full beam carried forward, no one
sitting in the spacious bow lounge will knock knees. Deploy
the cockpit table for dining at anchor, or get the optional filler
cushion to convert the bow lounge to a sun pad.
Our test boat included the optional fishing package
which includes a built-in livewell, rod holders and a trolling
motor mount. My two favorite things? The extended swim
steps. Most outboard boats have small steps to either side of
the outboard a compromise for the power choice but
the 192SCs are massive. They provide fantastic access to the
water, with the swim ladder to starboard angled away from
the prop, and the acreage rivals a sterndrives swim platform.
It all adds up to quite a package, and a deck boat that gives
you what you need. Pete McDonald
Stingray
192SC
( # 2 8 5 3 )
As with all its
boats, Stingray
adds a subfloor over
the stringers for
additional structural
support, resulting in
more stability and a
rattle-free ride.
High Points
XExtended swim steps to either side of the outboard are gigantic for
a20-footer.
XCheck out the five stainless-steel cup holders built into the transom.
XTheres great service access to the automatic bilge pump and the batteries.
Low Points
XWe wish the flip-up bolster on the helm seat came standard.
XThree-step boarding ladder on the bow would be preferable.
Toughest Competitor
XThe Starcraft Marine 1915 OB (starts at $23,895 with a 115 hp Evinrude) is a
comparably sized deck boat that also offers a fishing package.
XLOA: 20'1" XBeam: 8'4" XDraft (max): 2'8" XDisplacement (approx.): 2,600 lb.
XTransom Deadrise: 20 degrees XBridge Clearance: 4'2" XFuel Capacity: 46 gal.
XWater Capacity: 3 gal. XMax Horsepower: 150 XAvailable Power: Single Yamaha or
Mercury gasoline outboards
HOW WE TESTED
ENGINE: Single Yamaha F115 four-stroke outboard PROP: 13" x 19" 3-blade aluminum
GEAR RATIO: 2.15:1 FUEL LOAD: 23 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 400 lb.
Stingray Boats Hartsville, South Carolina; 843-383-4507; stingrayboats.com
To see a photo gallery of the Stingray 192SC,
visit boatingmag.com/2853.
MORE ONLINE
1000 3.65 4.20 0.40 9.12 10.50 378 435 1 56
1500 4.95 5.70 0.80 6.19 7.13 256 295 3 60
2000 6.08 7.00 1.30 4.68 5.38 194 223 3 63
2500 6.95 8.00 2.10 3.31 3.81 137 158 5 67
3000 8.86 10.20 3.10 2.86 3.29 118 136 6 70
3500 16.25 18.70 3.50 4.64 5.34 192 221 4 71
4000 21.90 25.20 4.10 5.34 6.15 221 254 2 72
4500 26.07 30.00 5.80 4.49 5.17 186 214 1 78
5000 28.85 33.20 7.10 4.06 4.68 168 194 1 81
5500 32.85 37.80 8.60 3.82 4.40 158 182 1 84
6000 35.71 41.10 10.10 3.54 4.07 146 168 1 85
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Ebbtide
2460 DC FC
WE SAY: With four chine vents and
Kevlar reinforcement in the layup, its
easy to see that Ebbtides 2460 DC Fun
Cruiser goes for the gusto with respect
to technology and innovation. The
Z-Trak hull delivered the subtle and
smooth transition to plane its designers
promised: Its fast without excessive
bow rise. But I noticed other, harder-to-
see details that showcase the builders
expertise and experience.
For instance, foam lining the hull
sides created a solid feel and a quiet
landing that I appreciated when I
got rambunctious and decided to
jump some wakes. The Bimini top
is extra wide, extending out past
the inner gunwales its extra long
too providing superb protection
from the sun. I counted four coolers
aboard our test boat, so consider the
libation quotient met. The fact that
hatches aboard the 2460 DC FC feature
gasketed lids and deep draining gutters
assures us that gear stowed within will
stay dry. The enclosed head proved easy
to access, even for this 6-foot-tall boat
tester. Interestingly, the head opens
on the bow lounge, not the cockpit,
as is more typical. Especially in these
times of questionable fuel quality, I
appreciated that a screw-down soft
patch allows access to the gas tank,
though I would have liked to see this
caulked in place instead of just fastened
with screws. Kevin Falvey
WHOD WANT ONE: Boaters seeking
one of the most thoughtfully equipped
runabouts on the market.
ANOTHER CHOICE: Regal Boats 24
FasDeck ($71,281, with similar power).
BOTTOM LINE: $68,425;
ebbtideboats.com
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HOW WE TESTED
ENGINE: 300 hp MerCruiser 350 Mag DRIVE/PROP: Bravo
Three/20-inch pitch stainless-steel B3 propset GEAR RATIO:
2:1 FUEL LOAD: 60 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 500 lb.
XLOA: 24'6" XBeam: 8'6" XDry Weight: 4,750 lb. (without
engine) XSeating/Weight Capacity: 14/2,100 lb. XFuel
Capacity: 70 gal.
1,000 4.69 5.40 1.40 3.35 3.86 211 243 0 74
1,500 6.43 7.40 2.60 2.47 2.85 156 179 1 76
2,000 7.20 8.60 4.50 1.60 1.91 101 120 4 82
2,500 13.47 15.50 5.90 2.28 2.63 144 166 4 82
3,000 21.03 24.20 7.30 2.88 3.32 181 209 3 84
3,500 26.76 30.80 9.70 2.76 3.18 174 200 2 83
4,000 30.94 35.60 12.00 2.58 2.97 162 187 2 87
4,500 35.41 40.75 15.60 2.27 2.61 143 165 2 88
5,000 39.15 45.05 20.80 1.88 2.17 119 136 1 90
5,310 41.54 47.80 23.90 1.74 2.00 109 126 1 92
( # 2 8 5 4 )
CALL (800) 508-6494
Visit us at www.scherpanda.com, or e-mail us at sales@scherpanda.com
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Tests

Composite
Yacht
Bitten 22
WE SAY The Bitten 22 center-
console from Composite Yacht sports
a Carolina-style raised sheer with
broad flare. Its hull is laid up with
knitted fabrics and Corecell and then
vacuum-bagged to produce a strong,
lightweight boat. This low weight
combines with wide chines, lifting
strakes and a planing pad to allow it
to hop onto plane at an outrageously
low 12 mph. Mercurys 150 FourStroke
pushed us to a top speed of 38 mph.
Fuel consumption at an easy cruise of
20 mph required less than five gallons
per hour. Its sharp bow easily cleaved
seas, but as with most Carolina-type
hulls, we discovered that the best ride
comes from learning to dial in the
boats speed and trim.
The interior on our test boat was
simple, with a large steering console, a
leaning post with rocket launcher, and
a sturdy freestanding top fabricated
in-house by Composites pipe shop.
This Bitten 22 is destined for serious
fishing, with a large on-deck livewell.
Composite can, however, offer a broad
range of custom fishing and day-
cruising features, as well as several
power options from Mercury and
Yamaha. Capt. John Page Williams
WHOD WANT ONE A coastal angler P
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looking for an elegant, able, efficient
fish boat thats easy to customize.
ANOTHER CHOICE TideWaters 230 CC
Adventure offers Carolina flare and a
wide beam.
BOTTOM LINE $49,900 (with test
power); compositeyacht.biz
HOW WE TESTED
ENGINE: 150 hp Mercury FourStroke outboard PROP: 14" x
15" 4-blade stainless steel GEAR RATIO: 1.92:1 FUEL LOAD:
45 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 420 lb.
XLOA: 22'0" XBeam: 9'0" XDraft: 1'0" XDisplacement:
1,800 lb.
1000 3.56 4.10 0.80 4.45 5.13 301 346 0 71
1500 5.13 5.90 1.30 3.94 4.54 266 306 1 72
2000 6.17 7.10 2.10 2.94 3.38 198 228 2 76
2500 7.82 9.00 3.10 2.52 2.90 170 196 4 80
3000 13.73 15.80 4.00 3.43 3.95 232 267 4 85
3500 18.25 21.00 4.90 3.72 4.29 251 289 3 86
4000 22.25 25.60 6.40 3.48 4.00 235 270 3 86
4500 25.46 29.30 8.10 3.14 3.62 212 244 3 94
5000 29.28 33.70 10.50 2.79 3.21 188 217 3 96
5500 32.41 37.30 13.60 2.38 2.74 161 185 3 98
5700 28.70 38.20 14.20 2.02 2.69 136 182 2 100
SCAN
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SUZUKIS 200 LIGHT
Suzukis compact new 200 hp outboards feature in-line four-cylinder blocks and Lean
Burn Technology that optimizes the fuel-to-air mixture. The DF200A weighs 498
pounds, 12 percent less than the V-6 version of Suzukis 200. J.H.
A
T AGE 14, I GOT A MINIBIKE WITH A 3 HP BRIGGS & STRATTON
engine, and one day I decided to lay it over to clean the mud
from underneath. Big mistake. By the time I came back with
cleaning materials, motor oil was pouring out of the engine and had
drenched the combustion chamber, manifold and carburetor, not to
mention our family patio.
That taught me to keep four-stroke engines upright. Yet, how
does that apply to marine engines that are subjected to pitch and roll,
sometimes in the extreme, like the U.S. Coast Guards 47-foot MLB (Motor
Lifeboat) that can roll over, right itself and keep running?
Spin Move
A new class of rollover rescue boat,
the Nh1816 built by Royal Neth-
erlands Sea Rescue Institution in
Holland, is powered by a pair of
MTU Series 2000 M94 V-8s
driving Hamilton water jets via
ZF 2000 transmissions.
The 63-footer rights itself
within 30 seconds if overturned.
Yet supplying lubrication to the en-
gine during one of these episodes
poses a big challenge.
Each 1,200 hp MTU features
a deep oil pan with an oil pickup
circuit to maintain adequate
pressure at extreme angles even
upside down, says Gary Mason,
senior public relations manager for
Michigan-based MTU America.
In addition,
bafing in the oil pan
minimizes sloshing in
rough sea conditions,
he reveals.
Gravity Falls
To keep oil from
spewing out, MTU
integrated a valve in
the crankcase breather that closes
when the vessel heels over but
opens when the vessel returns to a
less severe angle.
To guard against too much
pressure, theres a second breather
on the lower portion of the gear
case housing.
A solenoid valve in the breather
system prevents oil from entering
the cylinders during a rollover.
Since a diesel engine can run on
its own motor oil, this prevents
uncontrolled combustion.
During a rollover, a switch dis-
engages the drive and reduces rpm
to idle to prevent over-revving and
minimize stress on the drivetrain.
Once the boat rights itself, the
captain can re-engage the gears
and throttle up.
Your Engine
What kind of angles can your en-
gine endure? Mercury Marine de-
signs its inboards for a maximum
sustained angle of 20 degrees, says
Daniel Clarkson, Mercurys director
of product integration.
If youre in the boat,
that much angle feels
pretty uncomfortable,
Clarkson says.
Yet, Mercury is working
to increase maximum
angles for wakeboarding
enthusiasts, who shift
weight to one side, forcing
the boat to heel over on
its gunwale and create a
unique wake shape. Its
about as extreme a static
angle as you will nd
on a recreational boat,
Clarkson says.
Mercury uses a
deep-sump oil pan with
bafing to control oil
sloshing. The oil pickup
is also placed as deep as
possible in the oil pan.
Clarkson also works with Mer-
cury boat-partner companies to
design fuel tanks with sumps and
pickups set deep to avoid starving
the engine of fuel at extreme
angles. Jim Hendricks
Roll Call
KEEPING MARINE ENGINES
WELL
OILED AT EXTREME ANGLES
To learn more
about special
engineering
features that
help compensate
for pitch and roll,
scan this tag or
visit boatingmag
.com/roll-call.
Motorhead
Just like every journalist has the next great
American novel unwritten in the back of his
mind, every boater worth his salt is struck at
some point with the idea to build his dream
boat from scratch. But is that such a good idea?
If youve got the time, why not?
We caught up with three boaters none of them naval
architects who bought boatbuilding plans and took, or
are taking, the concept from paper to water. Read their
stories and find out what it takes to build your own boat.
Should you? Could you? Would you? Three boaters share
their home boatbuilding experiences.
By Randy Vance
Build Your Own Boat
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Roberta HegysTorpedo
FINISHED COST (EST.): $35,000 (INCLUDINGPOWER)
Some people might say Roberta Hegy has
too much time on her hands. Shes rein-
vented her career three times and simulta-
neously built and sold two planes, a hydro-
plane and a woody outboard runabout and
is in the process of building her third boat,
a Glen-L Torpedo. The Torpedo is Glen-L
Marine founder Glen L. Witts most recent
design, and Robertas prototype build is
currently proofing the inboards plans. Her
launch date is Memorial Day 2015.
Now, Im in process of painting the
bottom, Roberta reflected. I was sure she
was running her finger along a calendar as
she spoke. Then I ll let it set up. Then I ll
do a bit of compounding and buffing. Im
hoping to have The Flip by Labor Day.
The Flip is a momentous occasion among
boatbuilders. Their dream boat begins
upside down on a frame or rack called a jig
or strongback. They painstakingly fit and
assemble the ribs, stringers and plywood or
plank skin to complete the structure and
hull. The hull finish is applied, and then the
hull is flipped.
After The Flip, Roberta has her winter
planned out.
I ll install an engine and fuel tank, do
interior, electrical, then decking and other
systems by Christmas. I ll deck it by spring
and then finish the top and put on all the
bling, she said.
Roberta makes it sound easy. But then
shes done this before. And she has an
insatiable drive to build her skills in career
and hobby. Her husband takes part, more
as a sort of governor, that mechanical
mechanism that keeps an engine from
racing itself to death.
Mostly he keeps me from going
overboard, she said, her tone
complementing his tolerant patience with
her industry.
Youd think since shed built a Searey
floatplane and a Vans RV-7A she was an
engineer or a nuclear physicist.
I was a noncredited engineer, she joked.
Robertas day job was working with We
Power in Wisconsin. She was in equipment
repair and servicing, a self-taught welder
who saw a cool opening at a nuclear plant.
I wanted to know what it would take to
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GLEN-L MARINE
Gayle Brantuk is vice president
and owner of Glen-L Marine, the
company founded by her father,
Glen L. Witt, in 1953.
When my dad and his brother
were younger, they liked to
boat and build boats. It was the
Depression and they built them
from scraps, Gayle said. The lack
of plans available at that time gave
him an idea for a business. But he
got drafted during World War II.
He took a correspondence course
on naval architecture. After the
war, he made metal prop shafts,
struts and other parts for boats.
Dad missed designing boats
and started designing them with
the amateur builder in mind, Gayle
said. Glen-L Marine has always
been a mail-order business. As
the Web came about, we got online
early. It was a perfect t for us.
Gayle added that the Squirt,
a 10-foot runabout, is the most
popular model. It looks like a
mini Chris-Craft, she said. The
No. 2 seller is the Zip, a 14-footer.
I would guess we sell between
1,000 and 2,000 plans a year,
Gayle speculated. The other half
of our business is kits for hardware,
fasteners, sails and tackle.
My husband and I are building a
boat in our shop. It is a secret.
Then there is the other big
Glen-L secret. The owner is just
the VP? Dad turns 96 on Aug. 22,
2014. He still comes in every day.
Clearly the president is in.
Roberta Hegy is proof-building
Glen-Ls latest plan, a traditional
woody inboard. With her help
the plan will be available soon.
WW
work there, and the supervisor said, Get a
degree and I ll hire you. So I got an associate
degree in fluid power. Roberta raced
through the degree going to night school
and snagged the job.
So shes tech-minded, but pretty realistic
about building boats.
Dad and I used to do a lot of
woodworking. I always loved mahogany,
and the look of the old boats. I was thinking
of building a barrelback, Roberta said,
a reference to a style of runabout that
amounts to a symphony of curves, but she
decided to dip her toes in a smaller way
before plunging in on a classic style like that.
She found a Glen-L Spartan, a small
hydroplane abandoned by a local builder,
and bought the partially constructed project
for a pittance.
I think boatbuilders should start out
small. That way if they lose interest, there
is little to lose by walking away from it,
she advised.
After the Spartan was a success, she
began the Zip, Glen-Ls second most popular
design. The 14-foot outboard runabout
appealed to her love of woodworking,
mahogany and the classic Chris-Craft look
no boater can avoid admiring.
I was going to call her the SeaBay,
Roberta joked. Most of the hardware on it
came from browsing eBay. She gathered the
cleats and eyes and chrome trim she wanted
and had them refinished.
What will Roberta do with the Zip when
she finishes the Glen-L Torpedo?
Ive got to make room. I ll sell it, she
lamented. Judging from the sleek look of
her boat, and her experience selling her
homebuilt airplanes, it wont be hard.
Wade Stephans OB19
FINISHED COST: $12,000(NOTINCLUDINGPOWER)
Wade Stephan is a physical therapist by
trade. Five years ago he had an itch for a
center- console, and he clearly wanted it
to be one of a kind. It took him 2 years
of part-time work, wedged in between his
career, grass cutting and family tending, to
finish the boat he uses to ply Pine Island
Sound, Florida, between Cape Coral and
Captiva Pass.
I didnt log my hours, Stephan said. I
didnt want to know!
For most boatbuilders, thats only part
of the truth. They dont want to know how
much cash they invested in it either. It can
be a bargain if you count your time invested
as given to play, but if you just want to go
boating or fishing, you can achieve that goal
faster rewiring and repainting somebodys
backyard birdbath. Boatbuilders find the
woodworking therapeutic.
In the first two years, I put in about 20
hours a month. After two years of that, I had a
boat and suddenly got really motivated. Then I
was putting in 20-plus hours a week, he said.
Wade started with a kit from bateau.com.
All the parts were pre-cut with a CNC router
with only a few tabs left to hold them in
their respective sheets of plywood.
The kit got me to where I had a basic
boat and it was up to me to finish it, Wade
said. I took console measurements from a
23 SeaCraft, and a friend helped me design
that and I built it in. Now Bateau has a plan
for a console.
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I always loved
mahogany,
and the look
of the old
boats. I was
thinking of
building a
barrelback.
J
Its not quite a yacht finish but way more
than a workboat finish. The last 10 percent
of a smooth glassy finish is 40 percent more
work, Wade warned. I built it upside down
on a jig. I had no clue what I was doing and
used too much fairing compound. Apply,
sand off, apply, sand off. But by the time I
flipped it, I understood what I was doing and
the inside went faster.
Two questions everybody asks home
builders are Why not just buy one? and
What made you think you could do it?
I dont know exactly why I built one but I
always thought it would be interesting, and I
studied its [bateau.coms] forum a year and a
half before I started. I wasnt sure it would be
feasible, but I saw normal people with normal
jobs making good progress so I decided I
could do it. It was the biggest one project Ive
ever done. Two and a half years on one thing
was a lot. To some extent its woodworking
but its not always fine joinery. Its getting
things to fit right and then epoxy to fill. You
dont want fine joinery work because you
want gaps for epoxy to adhere within.
For Wade, the hardest part was setting
up the jig, a sort of frame the hull rests on
upside down while under construction. Made
right, the jig ensures a true hull that rides
beautifully. Made wrong, the hull is not only
hard to fit, but it also warps and runs poorly.
The strongback has to be a perfect
rectangle all corners are 90 degrees. You
have to get the frames, cross members and
beams in exactly the right distance from the
transom. Measure from the forward face
of them. Then use a square to square them
and lock them in with temporary screws.
Then lay stringers. They are all notched to
fit down into each other. That done, you are
90 percent of the way to having a true boat.
Wade overpowered his boat, his friends
said, with a 115 Yamaha four-stroke.
Everybody said a 70 or 90 would be good,
but I didnt want that.
It is a little heavy at the transom,
Wade said, but he compensated, putting a
57-gallon fuel tank amidships. Its a really
solid boat. Ive been super happy with it. I
like it a lot. It tops out at 39 knots and floats
high in the water, and if you keep the prow
down, it will run through 2-foot chop.
Joel Shines Jetabout RB18
FINISHED COST: $9,500 (INCLUDINGPOWER)
Joel Shine is not an engineer or a carpenter
and wasnt even really a woodworker when
he started building boats.
I was a finance major and eventually an
MBA, Joel said. He built a mortgage com-
pany and opened a branch in Florida so he
could return to his childhood fishing waters.
Id built the free canoe plan and the boat
came out beautifully. It was fun because you
can almost build it in a weekend. Then I
wanted a flats boat. I bought the plans from
bateau.com but never built it.
When he returned to Florida, he found
that Jacques Mertens-Goossens (founder
of bateau.com) was only 10 miles from his
new home and bought another plan set for a
flats boat. One thing led to another and soon
Joel was working part-time for Jacques. Not
long after that the mortgage business wasnt
as lucrative as the online boat design and
building supply business.
I bought the plans for a Phantom16 flats
boat, Joel said. I built it from foam core.
It was only going to be 150 to 200 pounds
lighter than a plywood build and a lot more
difficult to build, but I was stubborn and
wanted to do it.
Joel had built several skiffs and canoes
when he tackled his jet-powered RB18, but
this was his first runabout.
It was a novelty, something nobody else
had done accept a couple of hobbyists, Joel
said. His build would end up being the basis
for a new plan now available at bateau.com.
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Wade Stephan wanted a center-
console, but he wanted it to be
something unique.
I wasnt
sure it
would be
feasible, but
I saw normal
people with
normal jobs
making good
progress so
I decided I
could do it.
You can have this boat for under
$10,000, he said. I paid $4,500 for a Jet
Ski and used every part, gauges, gas tank,
exhaust; cut the bottom of the Jet Ski out
and spliced it into the hull.
The design sounds complicated but
it really wasnt. Joel built the standard
outboard version of the RB18. Then he
found a reliable but not desirable Jet Ski
and cut the bottom out of it. He cut a
smaller opening in the bottom of his RB18
and laid the Jet Ski hull into it.
We glassed it in and faired it out, and
then flipped it and did the same from the
bottom. It was far easier than building
engine mounts and stringers and other
systems, he said. The new plans even have
cutting patterns for a typical sacrificial
personal watercraft (PWC).
The design uses the old Jet Skis ride
plate and the assembly makes a sort of pad
out of the PWC that the boat rides on, he
said. Using the Jet Ski ride plate in this
fashion eliminated cavitation a common
problem home builders discovered while
installing a fully disassembled jet pump.
Ultimately the design is pretty simple.
We assume the builders know nothing and
design the plans to accommodate them,
said Joel. Putting in a jet drive would
have been very complicated if wed tried to
mount it ourselves.
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Joel Shine converted an
outboard runabout plan
and a used Jet Ski into this
retro-rad jet-powered runabout.
BATEAU.COM
Jacques Mertens-Goossens built
his rst boat nearly 50 years ago.
It was a kayak and a lab project for
a college course in yacht design in
Belgium. He never stopped building
boats and made hull design his
career. But his career as a boat-
plan designer and seller was slow
to start.
Before the Web, I just gave
my plans away. I found a couple
boat chat groups and we talked of
boatbuilding. I created a le with 10
boats in it and gave it away, he said.
He was teaching himself computer-
aided design (CAD) and ultimately
used his skills at Cigarette, Kady-
Krogen and Pursuit Boats.
One boat was the D3, a pram
used as a tender, rowboat and
sailing vessel. Some say there
are over 100,000 of those built
today, Jacques said. I see
them everywhere.
Then, in 1993, Jacques created
his rst website (bateau.com) and
began selling his plans online. It
was so successful he had to buy
his own server in 1995. That was
pretty cutting-edge time in online
commerce, but Jacques plans were
distinctly traditional, retro styles
reminiscent of the early days of
wood-built boats.
I mustve built at least 20
boats with my own hands,
Jacques said. The largest was a
41 and I sailed the ocean on it. My
favorite is always the next one I
am designing!
THE
ULTIMATE
By the Boating Tech Team
Photos by Bill Doster
If you own a boat,
every bodys got a tip for
you at the ready. Some
of them might actually
be helpful . Well , we ve
culled some of the best
tips you ll hear and
read, ones that work.
Whether you run a 15-
foot skiff or a 50-foot
battlewagon, we ve got
tips to help you be a
better boater. We re list-
ing 52 of them here, one
for every week of the
year. So read on, keep
calm, and carry on.
6 4 B O AT I N G M A G . C O M OC T OBE R 2 0 1 4 6 4
I NG
52
tips for enjoying
better boating
1 4 3 2
CLEANING
CLEANI NG
SEAMANSHIP
MAINTENANCE
SERVICE
TRAILERING
CRUISING
SAFETY
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SAFETY
Add a dollop
of grease to
the end of a
screwdriver
to temporar-
ily hold a
screw onto
it to get it
into hard-to-
reach places.
For remov-
ing tricky oil
lters that
dont seem to
budge from
the strap
wrench,
try placing
a piece of
sandpaper
between the
strap and the
lter to get a
better grip.
8
EXPERT TIP:
For those tricky
oil lters that
dont seem to
budge from the
strap wrench,
try placing a
piece of sand-
paper between
the strap and
the lter to get
a better grip
while you turn
the wrench.
whether its better
to let the storm
pass rst.
15 If caught of-
shore in a head or
following sea, you
can make the ride
more comfortable
by tacking back
and forth to make
quartering sea
conditions.
16 Boats have
a kill switch on
the ignition for a
reason. Use it.
17 When ap-
proaching a dock,
make sure crew
members know
not to help unless
instructed by you.
Sticking arms or
legs out to fend
the boat could
result in bruised
or broken limbs.
18
Keep a manual
bilge pump on
board, along with
a bucket, to help
bail the boat if you
have a breached
hull or if the bilge
pump fails.
9 Use only A-
rated fuel hoses
inside an engine
compartment.
10 Put grommets
or padding in all
bulkhead holes
used to run wiring.
11 When buying
electrical wiring
for your boat, look
for brands labeled
BC-5W2 to ensure
its marine quality.
12
In the event of an
onboard re, point
a re extinguish-
ers hose at the
base of the re,
not at the top of
the ames, for the
best efectiveness.
13 Sea Tow
ofers automated
VHF radio checks
for free in many
coastal areas.
Before you head
ofshore, get the
full story at seatow
.com/boating-
safety/automated-
radio-checks.
14 Caught of-
shore in a storm?
Sometimes its
better to wait it
out than to try
and run a tricky
inlet in dangerous
conditions. Assess
the sea state in the
inlet to determine
THROWABLES
The Coast Guard requires boaters
to carry a Type IV throwable PFD
on board. Its best to carry a ring
buoy with 50 feet of rope attached.
7
SERVI CE
33
52
tips for enjoying
better boating
MAI NTENANCE
22 When using
an orbital bufer,
make sure to move
it along the boat in
the same direc-
tion it rotates
typically clockwise
to prevent
kickback.
23 The night be-
fore painting your
boats bottom, ip
the can of paint
upside down to
get the solids into
the solution.
24
Drilling a hole into
berglass? Place
masking tape over
the area to be
TOWI NG
Put a twist in trailer
tie-down straps to keep the
wind from rattling them
and chang your boat.
drilled to prevent
chipping.
25 Apply a little
lanolin oil into
shackle threads to
prevent seizing.
26 Test the
smoothness of
your propellers
blades by gently
running a cotton
ball along the
blade edges. If
cotton catches,
you should recon-
dition the prop.
27 Regularly
clean the contacts
of navigation
lights with a pen-
cil eraser to keep
them free from
corrosion.
28 A week
before you pull
your boat for
winter storage,
put some fuel
stabilizer into the
tank so that it
runs through the
engine as you use
it. Try Star brites
Star Tron marine
fuel treatment.
29 An engines
water pump
impeller should
be changed every
three years, at
a minimum, to
prevent failure.
30 Ordinary
household clean-
ers can dam-
age electronics
screens. Try a
marine-specic
cleaner such as
19 The Coast Guard
Auxiliary has a free
vessel safety check
program. Find one
in your area to make
sure your boat is
up to snuf. Go to
boatingmag.com/
uscg-i-want-a-vsc.
20
For boats with gaso-
line engines housed
in compartments,
always run the
blower for ve min-
utes before turning
the ignition key, to
clear any potential
gasoline fumes.
21 To prevent
sinking in case
of a through-hull
breach, match a
wooden bung to the
diameter of each
through-hull below
the waterline to plug
it in an emergency.
Purosols Sport/
Marine cleaner
($9.95 for 1-ounce
bottle; purosol
.com).
31 Check the
zincs frequently.
If a zinc has lost
more than half of
its size, replace it
with a new anode
certied to Mili-
tary Specication
A18001K.
32
After cleaning the
battery terminals,
coat them with
a thin layer of
petroleum jelly to
prevent corrosion.
52
tips for enjoying
better boating
MAI NTENANCE ( CONTI NUED)
38
Need to pre-mix oil
into gas? Heres the
magic number. For
a 50:1 ratio, add 2.5
ounces of oil to every
gallon of gas. This is
a common ratio for
two-stroke engines.
39 You should back
up all the stored
waypoints in a chart
plotter by storing
them on an external
memory card. Most
plotters accept the
same memory cards
as those used in
digital cameras.
34
Use a socket
wrench or nut
driver to tighten
hose clamps,
because a screw-
driver is more
likely to slip in
tight boating
connes.
35 Havent used
your boat in a
while? Check the
oil. Know that
boat engines that
dont re up very
often are prone
to oil leaks as
gaskets and seals
dry out.
36
T-clamps provide
more even hold-
ing pressure
for hoses than
screw clamps,
spring clamps or
the ubiquitous
stainless-steel
band clamps.
37 Place a
resealable zip-
pered plastic bag
around a side-
mounted oil lter
when changing
out to a new ele-
ment in order to
avoid spillage.
For tip 36, note
the difference
between a
T-clamp (left)
and a screw
clamp (above).
40 When planning
an ofshore cruise
or shing trip,
remember the rule
of thirds for fuel
consumption. Allot
one third to get out
and another third to
get back, and keep
a third of the tank
in reserve.
41
Cooler sliding
around the deck?
Lay a damp towel
underneath it to
hold it in place.
42 Adding chain to
an anchor rode will
increase its holding
power: Aim to add a
length of chain equal
to half the length of
your boat.
CRUI SI NG
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K

(
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SEAMANSHI P
TRAI LERI NG
43 Mark the anchor rode
with colored tape at vari-
ous depth intervals such
as red at 25 feet, green at
50 and blue at 100 so
your crew can easily tell
how much scope to let out.
44
When stowing gear and
supplies, be sure to dis-
tribute the weight evenly
around the boat to afect
the ride as little as possible.
45 When reading a nauti-
cal chart, its helpful to
know that a nautical mile
49 Make sure the tires
on your tow vehicle are
designed to handle wet
of-road conditions for
the ramps. Look for an
open tread pattern with
open shoulder blocks and
traction ridges.
50 An engines ip-lock
support bracket is not
designed to support the
engines weight during
long-distance highway
towing. Invest in a load
bearing device such as
Attwood Marines Swivl-
Eze 4000 Transom Saver
($59.95; basspro.com).
51
Make sure you carry a
jack that can support the
weight of your trailer and
fully loaded boat should
you need to change a
trailer tire on the go.
(Also, be sure to carry a
spare trailer tire.)
52 You put a cover on
your boat but what about
your ball hitch? Yep,
its prone to wear and
tear too. Protect your
ball hitch from rust or
weather damage with a
snappy ball hitch cover
like Fastways tethered
ball cover ($5.95;
fastwaytrailer.com).
Dangers such as
rocks in less than
66 feet of water
are shown on an
electronic (ECDIS)
chart with a circle of
black danger dots
and are colored
light blue and show
a sounding depth
inside the circle.
is equal to approximately
1.15 statute miles or one
minute of latitude. By us-
ing dividers one can walk
of miles taken from the
lines of latitude.
46 NOAA nautical charts
can be downloaded for free
in PDF form at nautical
charts.noaa.gov/pdfcharts.
47 Docking? Note that
boats with propellers aft
of the transom (outboards
and sterndrives) have a
wider turning radius than
boats with propellers
forward of the transom
(inboards and pod drives).
48
YY
By John Tiger
BladeFace
HUB
What It Is: This is the center round
portion, sometimes called the barrel,
or boss, of the propeller.
What It Does: It is the attachment
point for the blades and for some
props; the hub also includes the cen-
ter hub, which is typically splined to
mate the prop to the propeller shaft.
On many propellers, the engines ex-
haust exits directly through the hub.
INNER HUB
What It Is: Many propellers have a
sacricial composite center between
the hub and the splines.
What It Does: Should the propeller
strike a hard object, the inner hub

drivetrain. When this happens, one is
said to have spun the hub.
OUTER HUB
What It Is: On through-hub exhaust
propellers, the exterior hub surface is
in direct contact with the water.
What It Does: The outer hub forms
the attachment point for the blade
roots and, along with the inner hub,
creates the tunnels that are the
exhaust passages. Sometimes it has
exhaust ports as well.
RIB
What It Is: On through-hub
exhaust propellers, the ribs are the
connections between the inner and
outer hub.
What It Does: Ribs create the
exhaust passages in a through-
hub exhaust prop. Ribs are usually
either parallel to the propeller shaft
(straight) or parallel to the
blades (helical).
DIFFUSER RING
What It Is: Its a ared rim on the
aft end of a through-hub-exhaust
propellers hub.
What It Does: A ared boss aka
diffuser ring prevents exhaust gas-
es from feeding back into the blades
and diminishing thrust. It does so by
creating a pressure difference.
KEY
What It Is: A key is a rectangular
piece of metal machined to t in
the keyway.
What It Does: The key transmits
the rotational forces of the prop
shaft to the propeller; it could be said
the prop is prevented from spinning
free by the key.
KEYWAY
What It Is: This is a machined slot or
groove in the hub of a propeller.
What It Does: The keyway allows
the prop and shaft to mate to each
other; corresponding machined slots
on each are lled by the key, a
rectangular piece of metal.
LEADING EDGE
What It Is: That is the forward
part of the blade adjacent to the
forward part of the hub.
What It Does: The leading edge
of the propeller advances toward
the water ow, allowing the prop
to enter and deliver water across
the blade face.
TRAILING EDGE
What It Is: This is the aft edge
of the blade adjacent to the aft
portion of the hub.
What It Does: The aft edge
of the propeller blade retreats
from the water ow. It must
allow water to cleanly release
from the blade face for maxi-
mum efciency.
BLADE TIP
What It Is: The tip is the part
of the blade farthest from the
propeller hub.
What It Does: The blade tip
travels the most distance in a
revolution and therefore performs
most of the work done by the
blade in propelling the boat.
BLADE ROOT
What It Is: The point at which
the blade attaches to the hub is
the blade root.
What It Does: The root describes
the smallest diameter circle, thus
traveling the shortest distance in
a revolution. Its the point where
the nominal pitch is measured
on the propeller blade.
BLADE FACE
What It Is: The face is that
side of the blade facing aft, also
known as the pressure side.
What It Does: The pressure
face is the part of the blade that
pushes water when the boat is
moving forward.
BLADE BACK
What It Is: The side of the blade
facing forward, known as the
negative pressure, or suction, side
of the blade is the blade back.
What It Does: The blade back
is the rst part of the propeller
to meet the water in a revolution
and is usually shaped like a foil in
cross-section to create a differ-
ence in pressure.
Hub
Outer Hub
Diffuser Ring
StraightRib
Keyway
Inner Hub
BladeTip
TrailingEdge
LeadingEdge
BladeBack
BladeRoot
WHY THREE?
A single-blade propeller
would be the most efficient,
even though it transmits
less thrust, since it would
create the least drag
if the vibration could be
tolerated. As blades are
added, efficiency decreases,
but so does the vibration
level. Most propellers are
made with three blades as
a compromise for vibration,
convenient size, efficiency
and cost.
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DIAMETER Diameter is the
distance across the circle swept
by the blade tips. Generally, the
larger the diameter, the more
boat-driving control (especially
in rough water) that the propel-
ler will provide and the more
power it can absorb from the
engine and transmit to the
water. However, diameter will
be limited by the engine gear-
case size, draft considerations
and aperture clearances, and in-
creased diameter also increases
drag while it increases thrust.
As a result, in many instances,
smaller propellers, which run at
higher rpm, are used instead of
larger-diameter props running
at lower rpm.
PITCH Pitch is best described
as the distance that a propeller
would move in one revolution
if it were moving through a
solid, like a screw in wood.
Theoretically, a propeller with
a 21-inch pitch would move
forward (taking the boat with
it) 21 inches in one revolution,
though in reality the actual
distance is somewhat less. It
is important to note that pitch
is not the blade angle and
in fact, most prop blades have
a varying angle in order that
the pitch is kept constant. This
is because the root sweeps a
smaller circle than the tips,
and so the tips are given a
shallower angle than the roots,
resulting in the characteristic
twist of most propeller blades.
In general, more pitch means
faster speed but decreased
rpm; less pitch means
decreased boat speed while
raising engine rpm. Its key to
mating most props with most
boat-engine combinations.
RAKE Rake is the angle at
which a propellers blades are
set relative to the hub. Blades
that tilt back radically from
the hub are said to have high
rake. Blades that are set per-
pendicular to the hub are said
to have little to no rake. Higher
rake angles improve the ability
ITS AN ANTI-VENTILATION PLATE
Ventilation occurs when air from the waters surface or exhaust
gases gets drawn into the propeller blades; the propeller over-revs,
losing much of its thrust. Outboards and sterndrives have anti-ventilation
plates to prevent this (the boats bottom serves this function with
inboards). At lower pressures water boils at lower temperatures.
Cavitation occurs when water boils at the lower pressures on the back of
the blade, creating bubbles that can explode and actually damage the
prop when they reach the high pressure on the blade face.
of the propeller to operate
in a surfacing condition (like
on performance and racing
boats). When surfacing, higher
blade rake can better hold the
water as it is being thrown off
into the air by centrifugal force,
and it creates more thrust
than similar but lower rake.
On lighter, faster boats, with a
higher engine or drive transom
height, higher rake often will
increase performance by hold-
ing the bow of the boat higher,
resulting in higher boat speed
due to less hull drag.
CUP When the trailing edge of
the blade and/or part of the tip
is formed or cast with an edge
curl (away from the boat), it is
said to have cup. Cup permits
the propeller to hold water
better and typically adds about
a half-inch (12.7 mm) to 1 inch
(25.4 mm) of pitch. Originally,
cupping was done to gain the
same benets as just described
for progressive pitch and
curved or higher rake. However,
cupping benets are so desir-
able that nearly all modern,
recreational, high-performance
or racing propellers are cupped.
Cupping usually will reduce
full-throttle engine speed
about 150 to 300 rpm below
that of the same pitch propel-
ler with no cup. A propeller
repair shop can increase or
decrease cup to alter engine
rpm to meet specic operating
requirements on most propel-
lers. Cup also allows sterndrive
and outboard props to run at
higher mounting heights and
trim levels because, basically,
it provides more grip on the
water. Ventilation is also re-
duced by cup. Cup is usually of
little value on propellers used
in heavy-duty or work applica-
tions in which the propeller
remains fully submerged.
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Electronics
LEGAL
LINKS
Are You Breaking
the Law?
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VHF Radio Law
Communicate only on
channels authorized for
recreational boating use.
See the channel guide in
your owners manual.
Always identify yourself

by radio call sign or boat
name at the beginning
and the end of every
radio communication.
Never call for a radio

check or carry on a con-
versation on Channel
16. Use Channel 9 to call
another boat, and then
switch to any ship-to-
ship channel such as 68,
69, 71 or 72.
Dont make a general

call such as Calling any
vessel for a radio check.
You must call a specic
vessel or station. Contact
a boat operator you
hear on the air after he
concludes a conversa-
tion. You can also call a
land-based station, such
as a yacht club, or a local
commercial service, such
as Sea Tow or BoatU.S.,
that may welcome radio
checks as a public service
for boaters.
Using Mayday,
Pan-Pan and
Security Properly
A mayday broadcast
may be made only when
there is immediate
danger of loss of life or
danger to the boat itself
(i.e., a person on board is
badly burned or the boat
is sinking).
Pan-pan is used to
announce that you are
concerned but neither
crew nor boat is in imme-
diate danger. (Perhaps
youve lost power and
are awaiting a tow.)
Security is reserved
to warn of a navigation
danger (i.e., a submerged
oating log or other
hazard in the channel).
You need a ships radio
station license in the
following situations:
Your boat is 65 feet in

length or longer.
You have a single

sideband radio (SSB)
installed on your boat.
You charter your boat

and have six or more
paying passengers
on board.
You visit a foreign port

including Canada,
Mexico or the Bahamas.
On-the-Water Use Only
Use of your handheld

VHF on land is prohibited
by law. All marine radios
are for use on water only.
If you need to communi-

cate with crew members
on both the water and
on land, there are a few
radios that are type ac-
cepted for use on both.
The Icom M88 and Stan-
dard Horizon HX400 and
HX370 have the ability
for land and sea use.
Pleasure-boat users can
legally have ve special
MURS (Multi-Use Radio
Service) frequencies
programmed into these
marine VHF radios.
MURS operation does
not require a license and
is open for public use.
Every activity has its rules, and boating is not exempt. Here
are some legal requirements concerning use of marine elec-
tronics, some of which might surprise even veteran captains.
Ken Englert
Dos and
Donts of
EPIRBs, PLBs
and DSC

Dont activate an
EPIRB (emergency
position-indicating
radio beacon) or
PLB (personal loca-
tor beacon) unless
you are in a life-
threatening situa-
tion or facing the
loss of your boat.
Remember, activat-
ing an emergency
device is equivalent
to dialing 911. False
activations can
result in nes.

Failure to register
your EPIRB or
PLB can cause
signicant delays
by rescue respond-
ers. Registration
is simple and can
be done online at
beaconregistration
.noaa.gov.

Ever been tempted
to press that DSC
emergency button
on your radios front
panel? Dont do it!
This will sound out
a mayday alarm on
all DSC-equipped
ra dios within VHF
range. Instead,
check the ra dios
DSC function by
using the test call
feature present
on many newer
radios. With it you
can transmit a test
signal using the
U.S. Coast Guards
test MMSI number
(003669999) set
up for this purpose.

If your radio does
not have this
feature, you can
also conrm the
DSC operation by
sending a DSC test
signal to another ra-
dios MMSI number.
See your owners
manual on perform-
ing both procedures.
Sea Tow offers an
automated radio
check service in
several parts of
the country.
Learn more at
seatow.com.
You can obtain
your own personal
MMSI ID number
at boatus.org or
seatow.com.
FORMULAS NEW 330 CROSSOVER BOWRIDER is sure to please as a bold, new
CBR feet addition to the widely popular 350 CBR. Day boating and overnighting come
together for those who want the best of both worlds. The 330 CBR expands the fun into
the bow and aft areas while maintaining the ever-important fush cockpit plus a day-into-
night cabin with full standup headroom.
The cockpit maximizes space, comfort and style. The roomy
portside lounge and U-shaped lounge aft take full advantage
of the clever helm seat convertibility to expand seating and
entertaining activities. The rear-facing, aft sun lounge with
convertible backrests adds to the sunbathing space. Storage
is abundant on the 330 CBR, and 22 drink holders offer ease
and convenience at every turn. The molded cockpit wetbar
features an integrated sink and picnicware bin while stunning
blue LED lighting adds a dramatic fair as you entertain.
Forward, the deep bow section is a seamless transition from
the cockpit. Seating is plentiful, yet convertible to a spacious
sunlounge with starboard double-wide seating and two dual
height tables. Two integrated, under-seat coolers through-
out the cockpit keep drinks and snacks chilled and ready.
Entering the cabin, the L-shaped Ultraleather lounge features
a dual position backrest, perfect for sitting or converting to a
queen-sized sleeping area. The cabin features six-foot head-
room, Bluetooth stereo, roomy storage forward, a portside
cabinet and HDTV and microwave options. The spacious
head with sink, shower and VacuFlushunit makes the 330
perfect for overnight trips or taking a break from the sun.
This smart combination of bow and cabin space in the
amenity-packed Formula 330 CBR can take you wherever
you want to go.
BY FAR THE BEST THE FORMULA 330 CBR!
QUICK
TIP
Raze Rods
Cousins Tackle Corp. launched a new series of 35 rods
suitable for a variety of freshwater and inshore coastal
applications. Hand-wrapped, they feature high-modulus
graphite blanks. $145-$275; cousinstackle.com K.F.
Spray It
Reels used in salt water should
be lightly rinsed with fresh water
applied from a spray bottle. High
pressure from a hose may drive
salt and dirt into the reels work-
ings. If you must use a hose, lock
the drag down tight and use a
spray setting.
Clean It
Rubbing alcohol,
aka isopropyl
alcohol, is a mild
solvent that
removes dirt, old
grease and grime
but does not harm
nishes. It also
evaporates, and so
cant contami-
nate. Apply with a
toothbrush and/or
cotton swabs.
Grease It
Anglers have a tendency to believe
more is better. That may be true
for livewell capacity or number of
rods or engine horsepower, but too
much grease can inhibit free-spool
and thus casting distance and
subtle presentations. A dab will
do ya.
Rebuild It
Lay out reel
components
in the order of
disassembly to
make reassembly
easier. Work on a
surface covered with
a light-color cloth to
provide contrast and to
prevent dropped parts
from bouncing onto
the oor and into
neverland.
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Reel Maintenance Tips
Taking care of gear makes sense. Here are four tips that, along with
your owners manual and the support of a knowledgeable tackle
dealer, will help ensure your reels keep catching. Kevin Falvey
Twist and
Shout
If you fight tuna,
tarpon or any big fish
on spinning reels, youll
inevitably have to deal
with monofilament
line twist. There are
tricks you can use,
however, to minimize
the effects of line twist
and rid yourself of
those frustrating loops,
coils and knots.
Ron Ballanti
FIGHT RIGHT
Turning the handle
while a fish pulls line
throws twist into the
line and the longer
the fight goes on,
the worse it gets. If
you hear the drag,
stop reeling.
LET IT SPIN
When casting, pause
at the end of each
retrieve and let the lure
hang. This allows twist
created by the lure
action to unwind itself
before it gets too bad.
TAKE TIME
TO UNWIND
Letting line out behind
the boat (essentially
trolling with no lure or
bait) will clear severe
twists. At first, water
pressure will keep the
line tight as you wind
in. Near the end, keep
the line tight with
your fingers.
To prolong the
useful life of drag
washers and
ensure maximum
performance,
always back off
the drag when a
reel is not in use.
Short Casts
F
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B
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BY RANDY VANCE
* 3.15 oz.
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Action cams, those tiny
little video and still cameras
that record your point of
view (POV) during extreme
sports from mounts on a
helmet, a head strap or a
boats helm or tower, are so
popular among boaters, ski-
ers and anglers that marine
stores and fishing tackle
retail vendors carry them on
prominent end caps.
Boaters want them
to record anything from
drag races (with GPS and
accelerometer data overlaid
on the thrill ride) to water-
skiing ventures to capture
of the fish of dreams. In
truth, cameras are so avail-
able today that hardly any
noteworthy event goes by
undocumented. Here, after
extensive on-water use, are
our favorite four hero cams,
along with what we see as
their strongest attributes.
Hero
Cams
POV Camera Test
Sony
HDR-AS100V $299
Sony was the first to incorporate, as a standard, Wi-Fi control and
sharing apps in its POV cam, and it held pace with Garmins Virb
Elite when it added GPS to this weatherproof cam. The Wi-Fi app
offers easy hookups to smartphones or tablets and clear control of
shooting and sharing modes even in the field. An optional live-view
remote control is available. An external microphone port improves
sound capture when waterproof action isnt required.
IN THE BOX: Camera, battery, -inch by 20 threads per inch tripod
mount socket and dive case with x 20 mount, and flat and curved
adhesive mounts.
UNIQUE TO MODEL: Stereo sound recording, a Carl Zeiss Tessar
premium lens coupled with a 13.5 megapixel Exmore CMOS chip, and
the patented, proven SteadyShot stabilization give crisp sound and
exemplary image clarity. Overlay the internally generated GPS data
on action video to spice up presentations.
AUTOMATIC
EXPOSURE
3
CLOSE
FOCUS
3
IMAGE
STABILITY
3
BATTERY
LIFE
2
SOUND
CLARITY
3
WEIGHT
3
*
RESOLUTION
3
TOTAL
20
SPECIFICATIONS
VIEWFINDER: No
APERTURE: F2.8
EXPOSURE CONTROL: Auto,
spot meter and scene select
WHITE BALANCE: Auto
LENS STABILIZATION:
SteadyShot
MAX JPEG FILE: 13.5 mp
MAX VIDEO RESOLUTION: 2K
or 1,080p @ 30-60 fps
FASTEST FRAME RATE/RES-
OLUTION: 120 fps/240p
TIME LAPSE: 1/5, 1/10, 1/30,
1/60 fps
BURST MAX FRAMES PER
SECOND: 10
WATERPROOF: Splashproof
DIVE CASE INCLUDED?/
DEPTH: Yes/197 feet
Outer-Armor Built by Commercial Sewing covers are built to be
the best covers on the lake. Ask your Cobalt dealer about the best
cover on the market. You dont want to get stuck with a cover that
doesnt protect like a shield.
Boat Protection Done Right
Your boat will thank you.
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See videos taken with these hero cams at boatingmag.com.
GoPro
Hero3+ Black Edition $399
The Xerox of POV cams, GoPro created the craze of video selfies.
The Hero3+ Black Edition is its latest, smallest and lightest cam,
proven by thousands of hours of online video to be perfectly
adept at doing what the name implies making a hero out of its
owner. Its highest-resolution 4K shooting mode renders sparkling
video quality (reproducible on only the highest-quality big-screen
TVs). GoPro Studio is one of the sweetest, low-impact (on your
processor) video editing suites and offers soundtracks and as-
sistance in timing edits to music. Through it, firmware updates
are seamless and the smartphone app gives confident camera
control and image framing.
IN THE BOX: Camera,
dive case, Wi-Fi remote
control, all needed
charging and download
cords, and mounting
options for helmets,
dashboards, surfboards.
UNIQUE TO MODEL:
This is the highest-
resolution 4K shooting
mode and smallest,
lightest personal cam
on the market. Oddly,
its the only cam that
doesnt offer any form
of image stabilization.
GoPros Protune gives
experienced photogra-
phers the most image
exposure control.
IN THE BOX: Camera,
mini USB cable and
wide adhesive x 20
thread ball mount.
UNIQUE TO MODEL:
Tripod mounts (-inch
by 20 threads per inch)
on the bottom and
side give the ultimate
in mounting options,
including side-mount
suction mounts
and side headband
mounts. It is the only
cam to use the easier-
to-handle full-size SD
card. Infinite zoom
control, not just pre-
arranged settings.
JVC
Adixxion $299
JVC is a veteran in video but new to POV cams. It applied its video
knowledge well in this device, making the camera IP-8 water-
resistant for weather and shallow water, with shock and dust
resistance. An LED viewfinder aids in framing the shot, but the
ultimate device is the Wi-Fi smartphone or tablet app. Auto shut-
off turns off the LED screen while recording to save battery life.
Special video effects include sepia, vivid, and black-and-white
recording modes. It comes light on accessories, but because of the
flexibility offered by dual -inch by 20 threads per inch mount
plates, we think that is forgivable.
AUTOMATIC
EXPOSURE
CLOSE
FOCUS
3
IMAGE
STABILITY
BATTERY
LIFE
3
2
SOUND
CLARITY
WEIGHT
2
3
*
RESOLUTION
TOTAL
2
17.5
AUTOMATIC
EXPOSURE
CLOSE
FOCUS
2
3
IMAGE
STABILITY
BATTERY
LIFE
3
2
SOUND
CLARITY
WEIGHT
3
2
*
RESOLUTION
TOTAL
2
17
SPECIFICATIONS
VIEWFINDER: Optional piggyback
APERTURE: F2.8
EXPOSURE CONTROL: Auto, manual
WHITE BALANCE: Auto, manual
LENS STABILIZATION: None
MAX JPEG FILE: 12 mp
MAX VIDEO RESOLUTION: 4K or
2,160p @ 30 fps (30-60 fps @ 1,080p)
FASTEST FRAME RATE/RESOLUTION:
240 fps/standard res
TIME LAPSE: 0.5 to 60 fps
BURST MAX FRAMES PER SECOND: 30
WATERPROOF: No
DIVE CASE INCLUDED?/DEPTH:
Yes/197 feet
SPECIFICATIONS
VIEWFINDER: Color LED
APERTURE: F2.4
EXPOSURE CONTROL: Auto
WHITE BALANCE: Auto, manual
LENS STABILIZATION: Digital
gyro sensor
MAX VIDEO RESOLUTION: 1,080p @
30-60 fps
FASTEST FRAME RATE/RESOLUTION:
120 fps/780p
TIME LAPSE: 1/0.2, 1/1, 1/4, 1/10, 1/30,
1/60 fps
BURST MAX FRAMES PER SECOND: 15
WATERPROOF: IP-8
Optional/131 feet
2.5
* 2.6 oz. * 4.76 oz.
Purchase tickets online and avoid waiting at the gate!
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VIP Parking Packages - convenient on-site parking at the show
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Shop & explore hundreds of exhibitors selling boating gear
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Enjoy free seminars & live entertainment
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Te nations oldest in-water powerboat show
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Trailerables, inatables, antique & classic boats
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Watch for details on Free Tursday Welcome Party
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Explore the center console shing collection
Brokerage Cove
Featuring previously owned brokerage boats in St. Marys Cove
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See videos taken with these hero cams at boatingmag.com.
We mounted the four cameras in our test field on the wake-
board tower of our project boat and then analyzed video side
by side.
AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE
Automatic exposure was tested because most users will opt
for it. We directed the camera at a brightly lit fence to see how
much detail could be captured in the images. We also piloted
through an alternately shaded and sunlit canal noting how
well the camera adapted to changing light and the detail it
provided in shady and sunny highlights. High score was 3, the
average of two test scores.
IMAGE STABILITY
We boated across a ripply lake and selected identical video
footage to analyze, noting shake, jello effects and other
anomalies caused by rapid motion and vibration. We did the
same with boat on the trailer, being towed down brick streets.
SOUND CLARITY
Clear, crisp sound is half of a video's sensory pleasure. We re-
corded the same sentence simultaneously with each camera.
GoPros dive case muffled audio, lowering the score.
RESOLUTION
Using the high-resolution setting, we took a still shot of
Boating magazine from 6 feet away and cropped the image
to show only the magazine. We then analyzed for pixelation.
CLOSE FOCUS
For macro imagery, close focus is important. For clarity at
distance, a longer focus is beneficial. We noted the closest
focus for reference but scored each cam neutrally, noting the
cost/benefit of each value.
BATTERY LIFE
With the cams set to video at HD1080p/30 fps and Wi-Fi
on (because who doesnt want to see what the cam sees on
those remote control apps?), we let them run, noting run
time to shutdown based on length of video.
WEIGHT
We weighed each cam without mounts, but with battery. A
lighter cam on the helmet, fishing rod or ski rope is an advan-
tage, but more battery weight meant longer life too.
HOW WE TESTED
Garmin
Virb Elite $399
Garmins entrance into POVs is insightful and practical. With
aviation a big part of its business, it was a no-brainer that it was
the first to incorporate GPS, accelerometer, horizon and position
sensor data into its offerings that can overlay speed course and
attitude data over the 1080p video. Operation is simple, with a
mechanical slide switch that flicks the camera from off to record-
ing and off again. Additionally, menus are easy to navigate a
hallmark of all Garmin products. Framing the shot is easy with a
1.4-inch-diagonal front-lit Chroma display that is so easy to see
in sunlight. It can be operated with an optional remote.
IN THE BOX: Camera,
battery, mounting cradle,
three elbows, two adhe-
sive mounts and a mini
USB cord for downloads
and updates
UNIQUE TO MODEL: Its
IP-7 water-resistant out
of the box. In addition to
its Wi-Fi communications
and app for easy preview
and operation, it is
Bluetooth-ready for using
external heart monitors
and temperature sensors.
Garmins unique software
allows shooting of 16 mp
JPEGs, even while shoot-
ing video. If the lens is
damaged, it is easily and
inexpensively replaced.
SPECIFICATIONS
VIEWFINDER: Chroma LCD
APERTURE: F2.8
EXPOSURE CONTROL: Auto
WHITE BALANCE: Auto
LENS STABILIZATION: Digital
MAX VIDEO RESOLUTION: 1,080p
@ 30 fps
FASTEST FRAME RATE/RESOLU-
TION: 120 fps/480p
TIME LAPSE: 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30,
60 fps
BURST MAX FRAMES PER SECOND:
10
WATERPROOF: IP-7
Optional/131 feet
AUTOMATIC
EXPOSURE
CLOSE
FOCUS
2
3
IMAGE
STABILITY
BATTERY
LIFE
3
3
SOUND
QUALITY
WEIGHT
3
2
*
RESOLUTION
TOTAL
3
19
* 6.3 oz.
SONY
HDR-AS100V
JVC
ADIXXION
GOPRO
HERO3+
GARMIN
VIRB ELITE
I
ts the summer of
1944 and a weath-
ered U.S. sergeant is
walking in Rome only
days after the Allied
Liberation. There is a
joyous mood in the streets and this
tough soldier wants to remember
this day. Hes only weeks away from
returning home. He finds an inter-
esting timepiece in a store just off
the Via Veneto and he decides to
splurge a little on this memento.
He loved the way it felt in his hand,
and the complex move-
ment inside the case
intrigued him. He really
liked the hunters back
that opened to a secret
compartment. He
thought that he could
squeeze a picture of his
wife and new daughter
in the case back. He
wrote home that now
he could count the
hours until he returned
to the States. This watch
went on to survive some
harrowing flights in a B-24 bomber
and somehow made it back to the
U.S. Besides the Purple Heart and
the Bronze Star, my father cherished
this watch because it was a reminder
of the best part of the war for any
soldierthe homecoming.
He nicknamed the watch Ritorno for
homecoming, and the rare heirloom
is now valued at $42,000 according
to The Complete Guide to Watches. But
to our family, it is just a reminder
that nothing is more beautiful than
the smile of a healthy returning GI.
We wanted to bring this
little piece of personal
history back to life in a
faithful reproduction of
the original design. Weve
used a 27-jeweled move-
ment reminiscent of the
best watches of the 1940s
and we built this watch
with $26 million worth
of Swiss built precision
machinery. We then test
it for 15 days on Swiss
made calibrators to insure
accuracy to only seconds a day. The
movement displays the day and date
on the antique satin finished face
and the sweep second hand lets any
watch expert know that it has a fine
automatic movement, not a mass-
produced quartz movement. If you
enjoy the rare, the classic, and the
museum quality, we have a limited
number of Ritornos available. We
hope that it will remind you to
take time to remember what is
truly valuable. If you are not
completely satisfied, simply return
it within 30 days for a full refund
of the purchase price.
The hunters back
The Ritorno watch back
opens to reveal a special
compartment for a
keepsake picture or
can be engraved.
Stauer 1944 Ritorno
Now only $99 + S&P
800-806-1646
Promotional Code RTN351-02
Please mention this when you call.
To order by mail, please call for details.
For fastest service, call toll-free 24 hours a day
800-806-1646
Learn more about the history of the 1944 classic at www.stauer.com
14101 Southcross Drive W.,
Dept. RTN351-02
Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
Stauer
We Found Our Most Important

Watch in a Soldiers Pocket
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Reproductions
Rating of A+
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Available for over 900 Applications in Black, Tan and Grey
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2014 by MacNeil IP LLC
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LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 1/23/15. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
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QUALITY TOOLS AT RIDICULOUSLY LOW PRICES
HARBOR FREIGHT
500 Stores
Nationwide
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WARRANTY
ON ALL HAND TOOLS
LIMIT 1 - Save 20% on any one item purchased at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. *Cannot be used with other discount, coupon, gift cards, Inside Track
Club membership, extended service plans or on any of the following: compressors,
generators, tool storage or carts, welders, oor jacks, Towable Ride-On Trencher,
Saw Mill (Item 61712/62366/67138), Predator Gas Power Items, open box items,
in-store event or parking lot sale items. Not valid on prior purchases after 30 days
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NOBODY BEATS OUR QUALITY, SERVICE AND PRICE
How Does Harbor Freight
Sell GREAT QUALITY Tools
at the LOWEST Prices?
We have invested millions of dollars in our
own state-of-the-art quality test labs and
millions more in our factories. So our tools will
go toe-to-toe with the top professional brands.
And we can sell them for a fraction of the price
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Come visit one of our 500 Stores Nationwide
and see why now more than ever
IF YOU BUY YOUR TOOLS ANYWHERE ELSE,
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Within 1 Year Of Purchase
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100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Customers and Experts Agree
Harbor Freight WINS in QUALITY and PRICE
SAVE
$200
Item 67421 shown
27", 11 DRAWER
ROLLER CABINET
LOT NO.
67421
61485

$
159
99
INCLUDES:
6 Drawer Top Chest
2 Drawer Middle Section
3 Drawer Roller Cabinet
REG.
PRICE
$359 .99
352 lb.
Capacity
RAPID PUMP

1.5 TON ALUMINUM
RACING JACK
LOT NO.
68053
69252
60569
62160
3-1/2 Pumps
Lifts Most
Vehicles
Weighs 27 lbs.
"The Undisputed King of the Garage"
Four Wheeler Magazine
SAVE
$60
$
59
99
REG. PRICE $119 .99
Item 68053
shown
7 FT. 4" x 9 FT. 6"
ALL PURPOSE WEATHER
RESISTANT TARP
LOT NO. 877/69137
69249/69129/69121
REG. PRICE $8 .99

$
2
99
SAVE
66%
Item 877 shown
2.5 HP, 21 GALLON
125 PSI VERTICAL
AIR COMPRESSOR
LOT NO. 67847
61454/61693
$
149
99
REG. PRICE
$219 .99
Item 67847
shown
"The Perfect Compressor with Powerful,
Quiet and Consistent Airow...
Plus we Love the Low Price"
Street Trucks Magazine
SAVE
$70
SAVE
57%
Item 92623
shown
LOT NO. 92623
60626/69474
REG. PRICE $69 .99

$
29
99

7" VARIABLE SPEED
POLISHER/SANDER

$
19
99

REG.
PRICE
$39 .99
LOT NO.
41005/69780
1000 LB. CAPACITY
SWING-BACK
TRAILER JACK
Item 41005
shown
SAVE
50%
MOVER'S DOLLY LOT NO.
93888 /60497
61899/62399
SAVE
46%

$
7
99
REG. PRICE
$14.99
1000 lb. Capacity
Item 93888
shown
REG. PRICE $69 .99
LOT NO.
68998
69331
130 PIECE TOOL KIT
WITH CASE

$
29
99
SAVE
57%
Item 68998
shown
60" WORKBENCH WITH
FOUR DRAWERS

$
139
99
REG. PRICE $249 .99
LOT NO.
93454
69054
Item 93454
shown
SAVE
$110
2.4" COLOR LCD DIGITAL
INSPECTION CAMERA
Requires four AA
batteries (included). Item 67979
shown
LOT NO. 67979/61839 /62359

$69
99
SAVE
$
80
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$99
99
SAVE
$
80
900 PEAK/
800 RUNNING WATTS
2 HP (63 CC)
GAS GENERATOR
LOT NO. 66619
69381/60338
Item
69381
shown
$139
99
SAVE
$
160
LOT NO. 69684/61776/61969/61970
Item
69684
shown
12" SLIDING COMPOUND
DOUBLE-BEVEL MITER
SAW WITH LASER GUIDE
S
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1" x 25 FT.
TAPE
MEASURE
ITEM 69080
69030/69031
VALUE
$
6
99
Item 69080
shown
marine engine & drive specials
pricing & availability subject to change without notice. some product shown with optional equipment. sales & return policy available by request or visiting www.dougrussell.com
1 SW CUTOFF (rt. 20)
WORCESTER, MA 01604
tel. 508-791-4917
www.dougrussell.com
info@dougrussell.com
fax. 508-753-8992
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complete engine
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volvo penta 8.1
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e-mail: brian.luke@bonniercorp.com
call: 407-571-4788
placement
The Venco Clear X Window Polish & Stain Remover Kit is
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BOATING(ISSN0006-5374) (USPS504-810), October 2014, Volume 87, No. 9. 2014. Boating is publishedmonthly, except July/August andNovember/December, by Bonnier Corporation, 460N. OrlandoAve., Suite 200,
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LOA Makes Me LOL
BUY EM BY THE POUND, NOT THE FOOT.
W
HEN YOU BUY SHRIMP, WHICH BY THEIR NAME
(coming from the Middle English shrimpe, meaning
pygmy) denotes something small, they usually start at large,
then go to jumbo, and then finally colossal. Who are they
trying to fool? If the little crustaceans were really colossal, theyd be lobsters
and cost even more.
While this naming system might be ridiculous, at least the shrimp industry
has a standard of measurement that you can depend on. Which is more than
you can say about boats.
Ever stand on a 48-footer at a boat show and notice that it has the
same amount of room as the 44 next to it? What those numbers are
loosely hinting at are the boats overall length, or length overall (LOA) in
naval-architect speak. Its a measurement that is supposed to be done from
the foremost part of the boat to the aftermost, taking in anything that is
a permanent part of the structure. Its a tricky dimension, yet its one that
builders love.
They can take a 44-foot boat, add a swim platform and bow pulpit, or
add some bow overhang, and call it a 48. Four of those feet wont be of much
use, and the real boat you sit in is still only a 44-footer, but thats OK ... and
legitimate. That is, if you know where those extra 4 feet are coming from,
such as bolt-on pulpits or platforms.
The strict interpretation of LOA
is to include only parts that are
molded into the hull or deck. This is
the standard that was adopted by the
American Boat and Yacht Council
back in 2003 (Standard S-8). We
applaud the ABYC for its attempt to
establish uniformity in describing
boat dimensions. And we also
applaud the builders who follow this
voluntary standard. But even if all
builders played it straight, LOA is still
not much help when shopping. There
are a lot of parts sticking out on some
boats that dont account for its interior
space, which is what most of us care
about when making comparisons.
Id suggest using displacement,
which is a measure of volume, and a
reliable indicator of a boats true size.
Displacement is confusing because,
even though it represents volume, its
given in pounds. Thats because a boat
will settle into the water until it has
displaced (taken up the same space
as) a volume of water whose weight
equals that of the boat. Seawater
weighs 64 pounds per cubic foot.
So as long as there is enough hull to
push aside a cubic foot of water for
every 64 pounds of boat weight, it will
float. Another way to look at it is that
for every 64 pounds a boat weighs, it
needs to make a hole in the water that
is a cubic foot.
True, displacement tells you only
how much boat is in the water. But,
in general, the more boat there is
below the water, the more boat there
will be above. In other words: more
displacement, bigger boat. Thats
why displacement is the best way to
compare size. Its also the best way
to compare prices. Which is why the
next time I see you outside the inlet,
I ll ask if you bought your boat by the
pound, and not by the foot.
W Who are they trying to
fool? If the little crustaceans
were really colossal, theyd be
lobsters and cost even more.
Where do 75 years on the water, changing the rules, redening power, efciency,
and reliability, get you? 3.0L Mercury 150 FourStroke. The highest-in-class
displacement meets lowest-in-class weight. The one engine you can count on
to tackle just about anything and take you almost anywhere. Especially into the
skinny water others cant reach. It gives you blistering holeshot power, fuel-saving
efciency, and extreme saltwater toughness. Plus the condence that comes with
the only 3-year corrosion warranty in the industry. Mercury behind you, the world
before you. Visit your Mercury Dealer or mercurymarine.com.
Get the lightweight
heavyweight behind you.
Mercury Marine
Find out where weve been
and where were going at
mercurymarine.com/75years

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