Sommaire pour February 2018 de Water Ski

DIY+Weekend Workbook The skeg of an outboard or sterndrive gear case provides much directional stability and steering ease. Whether caused by running aground or due to some land-bound calamity, a broken or damaged skeg adversely affects handling. In some cases, a welder can repair your skeg. When I needed to repair the bent skeg of the Yamaha outboard that powers my Edgewater 228 CC charter boat, I elected to do it myself using a Megaware SkegGuard. Made of mirror-polished stainless steel, a SkegGuard works as long as at least 3 inches of stub remain of the broken skeg. Here’s how I did it. SKILL LEVEL 1 OF 5 FINISH TIME 2 Hours TOOLS AND SUPPLIES • Megaware SkegGuard ($99.95, various sizes)• Jigsaw with bi-metal blade• 3M Scotch-Brite pads (green or…

HOW BIG IS IT? At 65 feet LOA, HCB’s 6500 Estrella, depicted in this rendering, represents the largest outboard-powered center console boat. Outboard-powered center console boats continue to grow in size, but a colossus now under construction is scheduled to best them all. Boating gained an exclusive inside look at the mind-boggling, multifaceted effort underway to design, refine and build the HCB Center Console Yachts (formerly HydraSports Custom Boats) 6500 Estrella — which represents the world’s largest CC. With a test center in Islamorada, Florida, and manufacturing facilities in Venore, Tennessee, HCB is known for building big center console boats. Its 5300 Sueños set the record for the largest CC a couple of years ago. The Estrella will beat that in spades with a hull featuring the same exclusive Mil-Toughrated…

European powerboat designers often show above-the-water flair that North American boaters associate with exotic locales like the French Riviera, but they also pack compact but comfortable living spaces into their creations. They like speed, but in a land where fuel can cost twice as much as in North America, they relish efficiency. And they believe that we will like that combination too. That’s why Jeanneau intends to become a major powerboat player on this side of the pond (the French company already has two manufacturing plants in the U.S.). A couple of test runs aboard its Leader 10.5 showed us why. For speed and efficiency, the Leader 10.5 boasts a sophisticated version of Michael Peter’s patented Stepped-Vee Ventilated Tunnel hull. Though the main photo shows Mercs, our tester sported twin…

At each and every test of a Scout boat, the attention to detail, the quality and the level of innovation in each new model just get better. No baloney, and speaking as someone who runs many different boats per year, this company and the boats it builds are just really good. The 235 XSF proved not to vary from that assessment. This 235 XSF will be a perfect fit for those boaters seeking a boat that falls between tow-size milestones. These folks want more than 21 feet in length for the additional space and enhanced ride quality yet need less than 25 feet for reasons pertaining to tow vehicles, dockage and economics. Our tester was rigged with big power, Scout’s maximum recommendation, in fact: the Yamaha F300 V-6. The Yammy…

Joystick Piloting for Inboards (JPI), from Mercury Marine, makes docking easier for boats powered by single or twin inboards. JPI relies on bow and stern thrusters for yaw control and coordinates with the thrust from the prop to achieve the same 360-degree control we’ve come to expect from joystick systems connected to steerable propellers. Mercury debuted JPI aboard Sea Ray’s SLX-W 230, and I trialed the system recently at DuSable Harbor on the Chicago lakefront. Sea Ray pitches the SLX-W to families anxious to join the wakesurfing craze. Its inboard prop is buried safely under the hull, but the nonsteerable prop also makes it less agile at low speeds than the same boat with a sterndrive. For $10,000 added to the boat’s $107,000 base price, the issue is solved by…

BOATINGMAG.COM FEBRUARY 2018 ON BOARD WITH ... CAPTAIN’S TEST FOR COMPARISON’S SAKE 5 THINGS NEWS ON BOARD WITH ... SCAN ME To read the full interview online, scan this tag or go to boating mag.com/travis-moye. What’s it like having three private lakes at your disposal every day? It’s a lifelong dream come true. The first day we were there and riding, I honestly could have cried. It felt like I’d officially made it. I’ve been working in coaching for a long time. I’ve had a lot of coaches help me over the years and influence the way I do things. I love doing it and really feel like I’m living a dream. I had a guy a couple of weeks ago who was a total beginner with a ton of…

The technology behind autonomous (self-driving) cars has been accelerating at a wicked pace, but autonomous boats may be part of the everyday seascape much sooner. In September 2017, Sea Machines Robotics announced the release of the East Boston-based company’s first product, an autonomous control system for commercial marine vessels, the Sea Machines 300. According to the company, its technology, which is intended for commercial vessels, enables remote and autonomous control of conventional boats. Direct remote command offers remote joystick control of a boat, with a 1-kilometer range. In autonomous command mode, the Sea Machines computer control pilots a boat on a preplanned or routine long-duration mission with real-time self-awareness to keep the vessel on plane, on course, and away from obstacles. “The Sea Machines 300 opens a new world of…

Factors to keep in mind when waiting for a drawbridge CHECK SCHEDULES Some bridges open only at set times, such as every half-hour. Be sure to check the schedules for the bridges in the area where you boat. CLEARANCE Always read the clearance board, which is a graduated scale posted at water level on the right side of the bridge opening that shows the vertical clearance at the time. Skippers should know their vertical clearance and only request a bridge opening if they cannot pass under when the bridge is closed. HAIL ON VHF Learn the hailing channel for requesting passage for the drawbridges in the area. Most bridges monitor VHF Channel 13 and 16. In Florida, bridges monitor Channel 9. Do not hail the bridge tender until you are…

An express cruiser like the new Glastron GS 259 OB is designed for weekend getaways, and outboard power adds to its versatility by enabling more stowage space within the boat than a sterndrive would allow and making it easier to extend the season. Outboards also may make more sense for coastal boaters since, unlike a sterndrive, the engine can be tilted completely clear of the water, and so will better thwart corrosion. However, for the traditionalist cruiser buyer, we’ll note right here that forward of its transom, the GS 259 OB is identical to the sterndrive-powered GS 259 that’s been in the Glastron line for a decade. There’s lots of lounging space in the cockpit, with a pivoting backrest on the aft seat that can also fold flat to create…

Imagine you are the leader of an engineering team tasked with creating a new engine. It must be as light and compact as possible. It must make strong bottom-end torque, reach — but not exceed — a specified peak horsepower rating, and be able to withstand extended operation under tremendous load. It must meet future emissions and sound standards and be compatible with a range of controls and electronics. And here’s the kicker — you have no idea what vehicle this engine will power. This is the very challenging everyday mission facing marine-engine designers: Please meet each of these criteria and, by the way, your new engine could end up on a bass boat or a pontoon, a heavy deck boat or a featherweight aluminum skiff. When an engineering team…

1. What should you do with the boat’s fuel supply before putting the rig up for winter? A. Nothing; today’s fuels are clean enough and won’t go stale. B. Treat the fuel with fuel conditioner. C. Run all the fuel out of the engine by disconnecting the fuel line and letting the engine run out of fuel. D. Treat the fuel with fuel conditioner and run the engine for at least 15 minutes to ensure the treated fuel gets into the engine thoroughly. 2. What should you do to the engine to help keep injectors and combustion chambers clean and free from stale fuel and carbon deposits? A. Run engine with Marvel Mystery Oil. B. Run engine with Dawn dish-washing detergent. C. Nothing; you will harm the engine by injecting anything…

The weather report stated wind from the northwest at 17 to 23 mph, gusting to 34, with seas of 2 to 3 feet — borderline conditions for a boat like mine. The plan sounded good. I would cross Chesapeake Bay aboard my 16-foot outboard-powered Dory skiff for a weekend of hanging out with friends during Downrigging Weekend, an annual event held the last weekend of October in Chestertown, Maryland. The weather report stated wind from the northwest at 17 to 23 mph, gusting to 34, with seas of 2 to 3 feet — borderline conditions for a boat like mine. But I balanced this against my years of experience operating small craft. Besides, my John Dory skiff is seaworthy for its size. I had made all preparations and communicated my…

POLYURETHANE Polyurethanes, like 3M 5200, are best for hardware above and below the waterline, like cleats and prop struts, with little need for removal in the future. Fast Cure 4200 from 3M, roughly half as tenacious as 5200, provides more than enough adhesion for most applications above or below the water but is more easily removed with a stiff putty knife. (Read about four solvents you can use to remove 5200 at boatingmag.com/marine-solvents-forremoving-5200.) POLYETHER AND SMP Polyurethane yellows in the sun. Silane-modified polymers (SMP), like 3M 4000UV, and polyethers, like Star brite Boat Caulk or West Marine Multi- Caulk, offer good adhesion while still being removable, but UV rays won’t discolor them. Skin-over and cure times are similar to fast-cure polyurethane. POLYSULFIDE BoatLife’s Life-Calk is the sole polysulfide on the…

The Tiara Sport 38 LS, for Luxury Sport, the first-ever outboard-powered Tiara boat, marks the launch of its Tiara Sport line, a new series of outboard-powered boats. The name Luxury Sport perfectly describes this new Tiara. Although it possesses a centerline helm station located at about amidships, along with a wave-smushing hull and a self-bailing cockpit, this entry into the center console pond is no Spartan plastic fishing boat. No, the moment you step aboard the 38 LS, you realize this is a mini yacht, from the syrupysmooth teak trim to the stitched Ultraleather on various surfaces. The 38 LS carries all the upscale Tiara DNA, but in a different vehicle. SCAN ME To view our online photo gallery of the Tiara Sport 38 LS, scan this tag or visit…

Debuting in the 60th anniversary year of Boston Whaler, the 240 Dauntless Pro puts a greater emphasis on fishing than any of its five Dauntless sister ships. How so? For starters, this is the only Dauntless model with a tower, and it’s standard. Featuring an elevated second station, the tower melds seamlessly with the new center console. Steps on the port side offer an easy ascent, and a SeaDek pad atop the console provides cushioned nonskid footing. An expansive forward casting platform measures 86 inches long by 65 inches wide. A huge central locker under the foredeck is flanked by two equally cavernous lockers. An optional jack plate, trolling motor and Power- Pole shallow-water anchor enhance the fishing mission. There’s a 38-gallon livewell under the spacious aft deck. A second…

Here’s an amazing statistic from BoatU.S., the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters: About half of the 12 million registered boats in the United States are not covered by insurance. Because you are a Boating reader, we know you are smarter than average and have purchased an insurance policy on your boat. But are you well-covered or just sorta covered? With the input of insurance experts at BoatU.S. (which has been owned by insurance giant Geico since 2015), we’ve identified six key policy features often overlooked by boat owners — details that could mean the difference between paying significant costs out of pocket or coming out of a claim in good financial shape. Study the fine print on the declarations page of your boat policy or consult a marine-insurance agent…

A difference you can see This M605 features one of the largest (and the only color) display on a VHF. A 4.3-inch color TFT LCD provides nearly a 180-degree viewing angle with high-resolution characters. A night-mode screen offers easy viewing in the dark. This radio received the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s Product of Excellence award in the marine VHF category at the 2017 NMEA Show. With an IPX8 waterproof rating, the M605 includes a GPS receiver and is also available with an integrated AIS receiver. NMEA 2000 compatibility lets you output the M605’s AIS data to a third-party chart plotter. We had a chance to sea-test the M605 AIS model on a recent trip to Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California and enjoyed the audio clarity and…