If you are ordering a new runabout this season, you’ll likely have dozens of decisions to make, from the hull color to options like those red-blue-green LED-infused drink holders. However, the most impactful choice on your build-a-boat checklist might be under the heading of power. To wit: outboard or sterndrive? The type of power you choose will influence the personality of the boat, how you can use the boat, and how much you enjoy the boat. The choice between outboard and sterndrive power can also be a big factor in the initial purchase price of a new boat. The new Four Winns H4 models present us with a fresh chance to consider these two power options.

Power Options

Outboard power has been ascendant in the runabout/deck-boat category for a number of seasons. There is still regional demand for sterndrive power north of the Atlanta market, and builders apparently can’t give away an outboard-powered runabout in Canada. The preference for outboard power in coastal markets seems to influence that choice in southern states. With this in mind, the 23-foot-11-inch H4 model is offered in both outboard and sterndrive flavors.

Outboard options for the H4 include Yamaha and Mercury products from 200 to 300 hp. Sterndrive options include twin-prop Mercury MerCruiser and Volvo Penta packages from 250 to 350 hp. For this comparison, we went with bestselling midrange power that would produce equivalent performance: a 250 hp Mercury Verado 250 and the 280 hp Volvo Penta V6-280C Duoprop, each a state-of-the-art powertrain in its propulsion category.

The Mercury Verado 250 is a 4.6-liter V-8 equipped with the vibration-damping Advanced MidSection (AMS), power steering, and standard digital throttle and shift (DTS) controls. It is compatible with an entire suite of Mercury SmartCraft digital technologies and VesselView displays. A highlight on this motor is the Top Cowl Service Door, which provides easy access to the engine-oil dipstick, the oil fill and basic maintenance info, all without removing the cowl—no more excuses for not checking the oil. Another nice feature is the lifetime maintenance-free valve train. It weighs 600 pounds for a power-to-weight ratio of 0.42.

The Volvo Penta V6-280C Duoprop is based on an EcoTec3 LV1 4.3-liter V-6 sourced from General Motors and comes loaded with bells and whistles. The block, heads and oil pan are lightweight aluminum. Continuously variable valve timing broadens the powerband across the rpm range. Direct fuel injection precisely meters fuel directly into the cylinders to optimize combustion over a broad range of conditions. The standard closed-cooling system makes winterization a DIY option for many boaters thanks to Easy Drain, which quickly purges seawater from the heat exchanger system. The DPS Duoprop drive, of course, puts a pair of contra-rotating stainless-steel props in the water for added control in forward and reverse. It weighs 908 pounds for a power-to-weight ratio of 0.31.

Cost Comparison

The Mercury Verado 250 power option costs a significant $9,073 more than the Volvo Penta V6-280 on the Four Winns price list. To put it another way, the Mercury outboard increases the base price by a little more than 9 percent over the equivalent Volvo Penta option. With $9,000, you could buy a lot of gas or add some sweet options to a new H4. Note that on the Four Winns price sheet, a Yamaha F250 with digital control is $1,800 more expensive than the Mercury Verado 250, and the 250 hp MerCruiser 4.5L V-6 and Bravo Three option is about $3,200 less than the Volvo Penta V6-280. So, the higher price is an outboard thing, not a brand issue.

Economy

In each of our test situations, the sterndrive-powered H4 delivered better fuel economy than the outboard model. The sterndrive achieved its best cruising economy of 4.5 mpg at 3,000 rpm, 9.9 percent more efficient than the outboard, but 6.2 mph slower. Because these engines have different rpm ranges, we also measured economy at specific boat speeds and, again, the sterndrive was more economical—by 8 percent at 25 mph and by almost 15 percent at 35 mph. At 35 mph, we noted 3.9 mpg for the sterndrive boat and 3.4 mpg for the outboard, so in absolute numbers, there’s not a huge difference, but over the course of a season, greater fuel costs for the outboard will add up.

Performance

The outboard-powered boat was faster than the sterndrive. At 51.1 mph, the outboard was 3.5 mph faster than the sterndrive. It’s always fun to measure top speed, but we think acceleration is really more important for most family boaters. Testing with a heavy load, the outboard planed off about a second faster than the sterndrive, and it was more than 2 seconds faster from zero to 20 mph, a big seat-of-the-pants difference from the helm. Despite the added stern lift that the Duoprop propellers should provide, we noted more bow rise on acceleration in the sterndrive-powered boat. In the outboard, we never lost sight of the horizon.

Both boats handled well. The Duoprop drive can make pretty aggressive turns without trimming down—the twin props really bite the water. Those contra-rotating props also offer great thrust and control around the dock. Rigged with a four-blade Mercury Revolution 4 propeller, the outboard also made smart turns with ease, although we did trim down a bit if we started to detect a little slippage.

Sound

Does a Mercury Verado even make any noise? Turn the key and you’ll need to check the tachometer to tell if it’s running. It’s incredibly quiet, and because it’s so well-isolated from the boat, no sound or vibration can be resonated or amplified through the hull and deck. Recall that the decibel scale is a logarithmic ratio between two values—a sound 10 times greater in intensity will be measured as an additional 10 dB, and with an increase of just 3 dB, the sound intensity is doubled. So, when we measured 68 dB(A) at 1,000 rpm in the outboard boat and 71 dB(A) in the sterndrive boat, what appears to be a small difference is really noticeable—the sterndrive seems twice as loud to our ears. At 3,500 rpm, the outboard is 7 dB(A) quieter, and at 5,000 rpm, the difference is 10 dB(A). In the sterndrive boat, you can always hear the engine. In the outboard, what you hear is mostly wind and water.

Boat Weight

At about 610 pounds, the Mercury Verado 250 weighs 293 pounds less than the Volvo Penta V6-280 and its Duoprop drive. However, when we weighed the actual test boats on the scales at the Four Winns test center, the outboard boat weighed 4,095 pounds—43 pounds more than the sterndrive. These boats were not identically optioned, and an aluminum tower added about 150 pounds to the weight of the outboard-powered H4 (and no doubt scrubbed a mile per hour or two of speed). The outboard boat also has a high-density polyethylene liner below its rear hatch (where the sterndrive engine would be), plus a pop-up canvas canopy assembly around the portable head stowed there and an electric lift for the seat base. This accounts for the rest of the weight difference between these two boats. Without the tower, the outboard boat would weigh less than the sterndrive, but only by perhaps 100 pounds. This points to not looking at engine power-to-weight ratios in isolation. Savvy boat shoppers should compare power output to total boat weight. 

The Cockpit

When designing the H4 models, Four Winns could have moved back the aft cockpit seat to create more floor space in the outboard version. Instead, it chose to keep the aft seat in the same spot as on the sterndrive. This gives the outboard boat a sun lounge abaft the seat and a big stowage space below (about 48-by-36 inches and 25 inches deep), which can be outfitted with an optional portable head and canvas privacy curtain ($600). There’s no provision for the head on the sterndrive boat. The sun pad on the sterndrive boat is 30 inches deep, about 6 inches deeper than the pad on the outboard model. Forward of the rear seats, these boats are identical.

The Platform

Forget every other aspect of this comparison. According to the marketing mavens at Four Winns, for many runabout customers, having an outboard in the middle of the platform is simply a deal breaker. This boils down to aesthetics more than practicality. On both boats, the platform measures 6 feet, 8 inches wide and 2 feet, 6 inches deep. The outboard motorwell measures about 2 feet by 2 feet. There is still a good 6 inches of step space forward of the well, and the motor is set back enough that it’s not really an intrusion. However, some folks just can’t imagine sitting on the sun pad in the cove and having to look at that outboard like they were on Cousin Lenny’s bass boat. And in profile, it’s hard to argue that the sterndrive boat does not look sleeker.

Maintenance

Not a big difference here. Both engines should get oil and filters changed annually, and the oil change is probably a little easier with the outboard if you DIY. The outboard is self-draining, but thanks to closed-cooling, the Volvo Penta engine does not need to be pumped full of antifreeze for winterization. Simply drain the raw-water side of the cooling system and you’re done.

Surf’s Up!

Step up to a 300 hp or 350 hp engine from either MerCruiser or Volvo Penta, and you can order the Four Winns H4 with a forward-facing MerCruiser Bravo Four S or Volvo Penta Forward Drive, which places the props under the boat. Add the Surf Package ($11,236) for ballast bags and surf tabs, and grab your board. Your H4 is never a legal surf rig with outboard power.

Let’s sum things up. The outboard is significantly quieter than the sterndrive and provides faster acceleration and higher top speed, plus a lot more stowage space in the boat and the option of a portable head. The sterndrive offers somewhat better fuel economy than the outboard and a wide-open transom, and in this example, it costs about $9,000 less than the outboard. The wild card is the potential surfability of the sterndrive. These are both great boats—there’s a not a best version, just the best version for you.

How We Tested

Mercury Verado 250

• Claimed Horsepower: 250
• Engine Type: V-8
• Engine Displacement: 4.6L/279 CID
• Alternator Output: 115 amps
• Powertrain Weight: 610 lb.
• Boat Dry Weight: 4,095 lb.
• Weight as Tested: 5,217 lb.
• Top Speed: 51.1 mph
• Best Cruise: 4.1 mpg AT 3,500 rpm
• Time to Plane: 4.8 sec.
• 0 to 20 MPH: 4.1 sec.
• At 25 MPH: 4.0 mpg/79 dB(A)
• Base MSRP (with test power): $106,963

Volvo Penta V6-280C Duoprop

• Claimed Horsepower: 280
• Engine Type: V-6
• Engine Displacement: 4.3L/262 CID
• Alternator Output: 75 amps
• Powertrain Weight: 903 lb.
• Boat Dry Weight: 4,052 lb.
• Weight as Tested: 5,174 lb.
• Top Speed: 47.6 mph
• Best Cruise: 4.5 mpg at 3,000 rpm
• Time to Plane: 5.9 sec.
• 0 to 20 MPH: 6.3 sec.
• At 25 MPH: 4.3 mpg/85 dB(A)
• Base MSRP (with test power): $97,863

The post Sterndrive vs. Outboard appeared first on Boating Mag.

Almost every boat today has a voltmeter of some kind—either as a dedicated gauge or as part of a multifunction display. But voltage does not tell the whole story when it comes to marine battery status and management. You really need to know how much electrical energy you have available in a battery, and at what rate that energy is being withdrawn or added at any given time.

For this kind of information, you need a battery-monitoring system. Offered by brands such as Balmar, Blue Sea Systems, Mastervolt, Veratron and Xantrex, these monitors keep you informed about a variety of battery measurements, including state of charge, amp draw, and overall battery health, as well as volts. This kind of information allows you to plan and respond quickly if, for example, the house battery capacity drops to a critically low percentage. You might decide to turn off non-critical accessories or start the engine or generator to help recharge the battery.

This kind of information not only provides peace of mind, but it also allows you to plan and respond quickly if, for example, the house battery capacity drops to a critically low percentage of its overall charge. You might decide to turn off noncritical accessories, or start the engine or generator to help recharge the battery.

For this project, we decided to install Veraton’s 12-volt Intelligent Battery Monitor (IBM) system for a 31-series marine deep-cycle house battery. Designed for lead-acid batteries only, this system uses a sensor with a shunt attached directly to the negative pole of the battery to read current on a compact Veratron VL Flex helm gauge, among other available Veratron instruments. Before beginning, you should disconnect the negative terminal on the battery, otherwise you risk a short circuit. Also, turn off the engine ignition switch and remove the key.

Skill Level: 2.5 of 5

Finish Time: Approx. 4 hours

Tools and Supplies

• Veratron VL Flex Intelligent Battery Monitor Kit/12-Volt Model B00084701; $229.99; veratron.com
• Power drill and drill-bit set
• 2 1/8-inch-diameter hole saw
• Socket-wrench set and ratchet
• Phillips screwdriver
• Electrical fish tape to help route wire harness
• Wire supports and grommets for chafe protection
• Protective shop glasses

Connect the ground wire on the supplied wire harness to the sensor’s ground bolt. Take care not to damage the sensor while tightening the screw. Mount the ground cable (that had been attached directly to the battery) to the sensor’s post. Clamp the sensor to the large-diameter secondary negative lug on the house battery. Plug the Hirschmann connector on the harness to the battery sensor, and connect the harness’s red wire with an inline 3-amp fuse to the battery’s positive post.

Tip: If your negative battery cable has a terminal clamp that fits a large lug, attach the supplied battery pole adapter to the smaller post in the sensor. This will allow the terminal clamp to fit the sensor.

Cut a 2 1/8-inch-diameter hole in the mounting surface, taking care not to damage any wiring or hoses. Make sure there is at least 2 9/16 inches of depth to reach behind. Insert the gauge from the front, and attach the spinlock from behind. With the face of the gauge is upright, tighten the spinlock by hand. To install the push-button control, drill a 1/2-inch-diameter hole in a spot in close to the gauge. Remove the mounting nut and insert the wire pigtail and button into the hole from the front and secure it with the hex-nut from behind.

Tip: The VL Flex gauge comes standard with a black bezel, but optional bezels let you match an existing helm layout. To replace a bezel, gently pry the old bezel off with a screwdriver from behind and press on the new one until flush with the instrument glass.

Route the 19.6-foot wire harness from the battery to the location of the VL Flex monitor, ensuring that it’s supported and fitted with chafe protection throughout its run. At the helm end of the harness, connect in the eight-pole Hirschmann plug to the back of the monitor, plug the smaller connector to the control button pigtail, connect the red 12-volt power supply wire to the boat’s ignition, and connect the pink wire to the helm illumination circuit.

Tip: If you need a longer wire harness to reach from the battery to the helm on your boat, you will need to extend the wires yourself using marine-grade wire and crimpon connectors with heatshrink collars.

Parameters of the IBM system—such as the battery type and capacity, gauge type and alarms—must be configured prior to use. This is done through the IBM app, which can be downloaded free of charge for both Android and iOS devices. A simple and detailed explanation of the process is available as part of the in-app instructions. Then you load the parameters from your phone to the gauge wirelessly. Thanks to an embedded receiver, the VL Flex 52 can be configured without the need of a power supply.

Read Next: How to Pick the Right Marine Lead-Acid Battery

The VL Flex gauge for the IBM system can monitor a variety of battery parameters, including current voltage, amps (charging or discharging), battery temperature, battery state of health (actual amp-hour capacity stated as a percentage of labeled amp-hour capacity), and state of charge (reflected as a percentage of total capacity). The last window also has a lightning icon to show if the battery is being charged. Press the control button to scroll through each information panel.

Tip: The VL Flex monitor can also be used to monitor levels of onboard tanks for fluids such as fuel and fresh water. This requires an additional tank-level sensor, which connects to a spare resistor plug on the IBM wire harness. To learn more, visit veratron.com.

The post Installing a Battery Monitoring System appeared first on Boating Mag.

Hydrofin has set out to improve the performance and efficiency of the original multihull boat—the pontoon. An Innovation Award Winner at the 2021 IBEX boatbuilder trade show, Hydrofin’s patented Super Fly hydrofoil system enhances lift at speed, especially on bi-toon boats.

Designed by Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering for single-outboard ’toons, the Super Fly system consists of wings that install under the boat on the inner walls of the sponsons, says Jason Minor, founder and CEO of Hydrofin based in Grapevine, Texas. 

Engineered to carry 40 percent of the boat’s weight while underway, the wings lift the front of the boat 4 to 8 inches to reduce drag, Minor says. He envisions the systems as an OEM option or dealer-installed upgrade. The aircraft-grade aluminum wings feature vertical struts that extend upward and connect to reinforced plates on the underside of the deck structure to resist water pressure pushing upward at speed. Replaceable breakaway pins at the strut and fin attachment points help prevent damage to the boat should the wings strike a submerged object. 

I had a chance to experience the Hydrofin in action on the waterways of Tampa, Florida, this past fall with five people aboard a Misty Harbor 2528 pontoon with a dry weight of 2,300 pounds, powered by a Mercury Marine 150 hp FourStroke outboard. 

At idle speeds, there was no discernible effect on performance. However, the wings began to generate lift at about 15 mph. I could feel the boat begin to levitate as we approached top speed, experiencing  the greatest lift at wide-open throttle at 5,500 rpm and 37.5 mph. That’s a 19 percent increase in top speed versus 31.5 mph for the Misty Harbor without the Hydrofin Super Fly system, Minor points out.

I worried that the Hydrofin might lift the propeller out of the water too high, but that did not occur because the wings primarily lift the bow. I also found that the Hydrofin-equipped Misty Harbor responded well to judicious outboard trim at top speed, helping to lift the bow even more. 

Any concerns about possible handling quirks vanished as I aggressively carved sharp turns at speed. The Hydrofin-equipped Misty Harbor cornered with V-hull-like characteristics, taking turns with a comforting inward lean. I did need to trim down slightly during hard lateral acceleration, something you would expect to do with any outboard or sterndrive boat. 

The comparison-test data supplied by Minor supports the assertions of improved fuel efficiency with the Hydrofin. Miles per gallon climbed from 2.6 with a bare hull to 3.5 with the Super Fly at 31.5 mph. It climbed from 3.1 mpg to 3.7 mpg at 25 mph. 

As of this writing, no pontoon builders had opted to partner with Hydrofin to offer the system as an OEM option on new models, though the Hydrofin has been engineered to work with more than a dozen pontoon brands, according to the company’s website. 

Read Next: Seven Fast Pontoon Boats

For the aftermarket, Minor highly recommends installation by a qualified dealer. The bi-toon system sells for $1,995, plus installation costs ranging from $1,500 to $1,800. The Hydrofin Super Fly system carries a one-year warranty against defects in manufacturing and a 30-day money-back-guarantee product refund if you’re not pleased with the performance.

The post Hydrofin Super Fly Hydrofoil System appeared first on Boating Mag.

The first word that comes to mind in terms of a boat’s performance is almost always horsepower. But as racetrack punters know, there are “horses for courses.” Some horses run best on a dry track, some in mud. A Clydesdale—that Caterpillar tractor of draft horses—would be as out of place at the Kentucky Derby as a sleek Thoroughbred would be pulling a plow. With that in mind, in the world of boats there’s something major to think about beyond propulsion, and that is hull shape.

Boats possess deep-V hulls, flat-bottomed hulls, and everything in between, and that’s just monohulls. Catamarans open up a whole other dimension. Some boats are perfect for bonefishing the flats in smooth water; others are best skating along in offshore races or heading for the canyons to fish for tuna. 

But the one goal of modern boatbuilders has been to create a boat for all reasons, one that’s seaworthy and comfortable in ocean swells, stable in a beam sea at rest and underway, fast in all conditions and, of course, economical.

In attempts to achieve this goal, boatbuilders over the years have engineered and endlessly refined running surfaces. This has included developing hulls that transition in angle and shape both longitudinally and transversely, as well as adding hull structures such as chines, pads, strakes and steps. 

To gain a better understanding of such design elements, let’s define each and explain how they affect performance by focusing on one example—the new Sailfish 276 DC, a dual-console boat designed to meet the needs of fishing families. 

Deadrise Definition

Certainly, one of the most important terms to understand in monohull design is deadrise. Quite simply, this is the angle of the hull up from the very bottom, measured in degrees. Imagine the boat sitting level on the ground. Deadrise is the angle between the ground and the bottom of the hull, often measured at the transom, which represents the least acute angle of a hull. 

A flats boat may have a deadrise at the transom of just a couple of degrees, while a serious offshore deep-V will be in the 24-degree range. On rivers and lakes, you might find boats with little deadrise that are fast with modest power because the bottom is, well, flat. When the afternoon chop comes up, however, they ride rough and wet. (Horses for courses.)

Imagine hitting the water with an ax. That’s a V-bottom. It slices more cleanly into the water. Then imagine hitting the water with a frying pan. That’s a flat or low-deadrise hull. It pounds your wrist. The challenge for designers is to come up with a boat that does it all well. Impossible?

New Angles

Let’s dive deeper into the esoterica of V-hulls and discuss variable deadrise. Some boatbuilders mislabel variable deadrise as all-purpose, claiming that because the hull shape twists from a sharp entry at the bow to a flatter aft section, their hull provides the wave-slicing ability of a deep-V with the speed, stability and economy of a flatter hull. Some boatbuilders refer to this as “continuously variable vee” hulls, hoping to capitalize on the luster of deep-V hulls.  

The correct term for this shape, however, is “warped plane.” Imagine taking a piece of light plywood and twisting it. This is a warped plane. Almost all V-hull boats have variable deadrise as the running surface transitions from very sharp (58-plus degrees) at the bow to whatever the builder chooses at the transom. Some carry the transom deadrise angle fairly far forward and can be said to have “constant deadrise,” even though the deadrise does vary from that point to the bow.

True variable-degree deadrise, on the other hand, changes the angle at various points on a cross section of the hull. Imagine slicing through the hull from side to side like a loaf of bread. If the hull displays a deeper deadrise at the keel than it does at any section—or slice—of hull, then this is variable deadrise. This offers the best of a deep-V for slicing waves, and then morphs into shallower deadrise for stability at rest while also boosting both speed and economy when running in mild conditions.

The Sailfish 276 DC features the variable-deadrise concept, which provides a good balance between speed and stability. During our test, the 276 DC felt solid and predictable, without any surprises whether turning hard or running through our own wake. The combination of hull shape, strakes and reversed chines (more on these later) made the hull stable at rest in chop, even when the crew moved from side to side. 

Step Class

The Sailfish 276 DC also has steps in the running surface. The company calls this design by the name variable-degree stepped hull (VDS). 

Steps generally consist of two or three specially designed notches running athwartships across the boat to introduce aerated water under the running surface to lift the hull and reduce drag, thus boosting efficiency and speed. These are found in a wide range of saltwater fishing boats from a variety of builders, including Barker, Contender, Invincible, SeaVee, Yellowfin and others.

Yet Sailfish’s VDS hull differs from other stepped hulls. The VDS hull has carefully staged changes in deadrise of a degree per panel, so each strake marks a different task. These are not “notches” crossing under the hull for aeration; they are fore-and-aft panels for ride comfort. At the lowest panel (from the keel to the first strake), the deadrise is 24 degrees, or the same as many offshore-racing powerboats. Running flat-out, this amount of deadrise keeps pounding to a minimum. The next two panels flatten the deadrise to 22 degrees, providing more lift for speed and economy, as well as more stability at rest. The result is a good compromise between the ability to slice through swells and to run fast (45 mph) on smooth water. 

Launch Pad

The 276 DC hull is based on design assets of the original SeaCraft boats designed by Carl Moesly (see “Moesly’s Variable Deadrise”), which Sailfish acquired years ago. Since that time, Sailfish has modified the design to reflect modern technology. This includes widening the hull aft to carry the weight of heavier, more powerful outboards, and adding a flat spot known as a pad.

Located on the aft keel and found on many boat models today, a pad is simply a flat surface that tricks the water to achieve the benefits of a flat-bottomed hull: speed (in smooth water), faster acceleration and stability (when at rest and running flat-out). In the case of the 276 DC, the pad is just over 6 feet (73 inches) in length (from the transom) and about 8 inches wide, tapering smoothly into the V forward.  

A well-designed keel pad should result in faster planing and better stability. In testing the 276 DC, this was most evident in two areas. First, we came onto plane quickly (3.6 seconds), but without as much bow rise as I expected because of the lift from the pad. Second, when running flat-out, there was a stability more akin to a flat-bottomed hull than to a true deep-V, which can “chine-walk,” or rock from side to side as each hull side fights for traction.

Strakes of Genius

One of the biggest changes to the old SeaCraft lies in the addition of full-length strakes running on the edge of each bottom panel. Where the SeaCraft simply ended one panel as though it was the edge of a plank, the 276 DC hull now has two strakes slightly turned down running fore and aft. 

This is certainly not unique to the 276 DC because many models from other boat brands have similar hull structures. And that’s not surprising given that such strakes add immense rigidity to the hull panels, and also provide both lift and cushioning effects as the hull reenters the water in lumpy seas.  

Sailfish has painstakingly balanced the size and shape of the strakes to minimize drag while maintaining their cushioning effect. Many builders use a simple triangular strake, but the 276 DC’s strake is slightly reversed, giving it added lift. This was noticeable during our test when we went through several large wakes at high speed. I braced for a crash, but the strakes cushioned the impact, each acting to defuse the collision with the water.  

Chine Design

Early deep-V hulls such as the SeaCraft design were noted for their seaworthiness offshore. But these hulls also had a well-earned reputation for being very wet and for excessive rolling at low speeds in beam seas.

That’s because the original SeaCraft hulls had no flat spot where the hull turned upward into the hull sides. This is known as a chine. Today, you can find this shape on many V-hulls.  

Sailfish decided to add chines to its hulls on each side. This includes flat sections with outer edges turned slightly down. These are known as reverse chines, and they are designed to accomplish two things. First, they improve stability while low-speed trolling or when a portly crewmember decides to move to one side. Second, they throw spray flat and to the sides rather than allowing it to curl upward and into the boat. That makes for a drier ride.

During my test of the Sailfish 276 DC, I hung far over the side to watch how the water was exiting the hull. Sure enough, that chine turned slightly down did throw the water and spray aside. When we were stopped and rolling slightly in the remains of our wake, it clearly helped stabilize the hull as well. The reverse chines also helped soften the impact of each roll, making for a gentler motion. 

So, as a boat buyer, you have two tasks. First, decide on your needs. Flat water? Offshore swells? Family outings in fair weather? Second, examine the hull shape carefully, keeping in mind that proven hull shapes and designs, like variable deadrise, pads, steps, strakes and chines, offer genuine benefits in terms of improved lift, faster hole shot, better efficiency, greater stability and a softer, drier ride. 

Ultimately, however, you need give the boat a good test ride to make sure it meets your needs and is suitable for the types of water on which you plan to boat. 

Moesly’s Variable Deadrise

The variable-degree deadrise shape was patented by Floridian Carl Moesly in the early 1960s for hulls of his legendary SeaCraft line of center-console boats, the same hull that served as the basis (with major modifications) for the running surface of the Sailfish 276 DC. Moesly’s design featured three separate panels running fore and aft, each changing by about a degree from the initial 24-degree deep-V at the keel. (Imagine a shingled roof upside down.)

Moesly was a tinkerer, a World War II combat pilot, and an avid boatman who believed in testing his ideas under trying conditions. He had built his first boat at 13, and as he formulated SeaCraft, he studied the newly launched Bertram deep-Vs. He knew that the high deadrise of the early Ray Hunt-designed Bertram deep-Vs were low on lateral stability. They were, in a word, rollers. What he wanted was a good rough-water boat for running off Florida in the Gulf Stream in all conditions.

In 1961, Moesly entered a 23-foot wooden SeaCraft prototype in the grueling Miami-to-Nassau powerboat race and, despite a 25-minute delay to sort out carb problems, finished fifth overall. Powered by a pair of 110 hp Mercury outboards, it finished just 25 minutes behind a 1,000 hp competitor.

The post How to Choose the Right Hull Shape appeared first on Boating Mag.

Wakesurfing continues to ride a wave of popularity, and Mercury Marine joined the party last year with the debut of the MerCruiser Bravo Four S forward-facing sterndrive, a response to the market and a volley back to the competing Volvo Penta Forward Drive. Both of these drives exist for one reason: Moving the props under the boat facilitates wakesurfing and makes this fun activity, once restricted to inboard tow-sports boats, available to owners of family runabouts. There is no performance benefit to a forward-facing drive, and neither Mercury Marine nor Volvo Penta would offer one except for the desire of boating families to surf.

Following our test of a new Four Winns H2 with the Bravo Four S, Dave Waldvogel, Mercury’s drive systems engineering manager, and Jeff Reifsnyder, Mercury’s manager of hydrodynamics, discussed the design of the Four S drive.

Managing the hydrodynamics of a drive with forward-facing, contra-rotating props presented a number of challenges. The drive strut—the portion of the housing between the anti-ventilation plate the gear case—needs to be shaped to resist cavitation. We usually associate cavitation with propellers. It’s a phenomenon in which low pressure causes the formation of vapor-filled bubbles, which suddenly collapse when subjected to high pressure, causing miniature shock waves that can eat away a hard surface. The effect of cavitation can be seen as worn paint and pitting on the face of a prop blade.

“On the Bravo Three, pre-stream water flow is the same as boatspeed, so cavitation is not often an issue,” Reifsnyder says. “The forward-facing props of the Bravo Four S accelerate the flow of water over the strut, doubling the rate of flow. We use CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software and underwater imaging to shape the strut to eliminate any low-pressure areas that could cause cavitation. For example, cooling water inlets are placed on the leading edge of the strut.”

The props were designed for towing. Reifsnyder explains that, in theory, the torque load is split evenly between contra-rotating props, but in reality, that load changes with boat speed, and it’s impossible to idealize prop load for all speeds. Mercury has designed Bravo Three props to shift the load bias slightly to the leading prop at maximum boat speed, and as boat speed decreases, the load balances and then shifts to the rear prop. The Bravo Four S drive was expected to spend a lot of time pushing a wall of water at low speeds while receiving a ton of torque from the engine. The bias was adjusted to move more load to the front prop at low speeds to better balance the workload.

The front propeller has four blades, and the rear propeller has three. The four-by-three-blade design eliminates pressure spikes from paired blades passing each other, and so improves noise vibration harshness (NVH) because those pressure spikes would bounce off the boat’s bottom.

Read Next: Four Great Wakesurfing Tips

A disadvantage of the forward-facing drive is its inability to trim above the boat’s bottom, whether for shallow-water navigation or trailering. The props—which cost $2,100 a pair to replace—will be the first thing to hit a speed bump, so be careful.

The bottom line: Mercury’s Bravo Four S offers sterndrive surfability with very little compromise.

Four Winns H2 Surf

Powered by a 300 hp MerCruiser 6.2L V-8, our 22-foot Four Winns H2 Surf test boat topped out at 45 mph at 5,000 rpm with a 2.2-to-1 gear ratio and a 24-inch-pitch propset. Time to plane was about 4.3 seconds. The boat seemed to take a little less trim than it might with rear-facing props, but it handled well. With the props always away from the exhaust, control around the dock was excellent. With a surf tab dropped and 1,345 pounds of water in the bags, the H2 produced a solid surf wake, and the boat handled with confidence.

The post MerCruiser Bravo Four S Forward-Facing Drive appeared first on Boating Mag.

The new Surround View from Garmin serves as an intelligent, six-camera system that offers a 360-degree bird’s-eye view around the boat to eliminate blind spots and maximize visibility, situational awareness and safety around the vessel in tight maneuvering situations, such as docking in a crowded marina. The 1080p cameras include a forward-looking camera at the bow, a rear-looking camera aft, and two side-looking cameras, one each on port and starboard. Surround View displays a full overhead stitched image with 360-degree real-time video views from around the vessel directly on compatible Garmin chart plotters or multifunction displays. Captains can view one or two cameras simultaneously with the bird’s-eye image, and even zoom in and pan around with individual camera views. It also provides a number of augmented reality features, including a visual bumper and distance markers. Available as an OEM option on new boats only; garmin.com.

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Radar for recreational boats has undergone a sea change in recent years, transitioning from power-hungry and bulky magnetron systems to more compact, easy-to-install solid-state technology with advanced functions like auto-tracking, Doppler and more. The latest to emerge in this rapid evolution is the Cyclone series from Raymarine. 

This new chirp pulse-compression solid-state radar series from Raymarine sports a radical open-array scanner. It possesses the profile of an aircraft wing, a relatively thin design made possible by a scanner using dielectric radar technology. Post-processing is engineered to remove sea and rain clutter and replicate chart-like radar images.

Designed to fit onto a wider range of vessels, the scanners are only 13.2 inches tall and weigh 51 pounds, and the aerodynamic design allows them to start and run in wind speeds up to 100 knots. Cyclone will be offered with 3-, 4- or 6-foot antenna arrays and with either a 55-watt, 6 kW-equivalent or 110-watt, 12 kW-equivalent pedestal and variable rotation speeds up to 60 rpm. 

A waterproof cable gland within the pedestal gives installers the option to conceal the electrical connections by running them straight down into the mounting surface. 

Cyclone’s Doppler mode displays in a three-color palette to indicate targets traveling toward, away or stationary. It also offers an enhanced bird mode that’s performance-tuned to see birds at a distance, usually in blue or green. 

RangeFusion technology lets Cyclone simultaneously show the pictures from short and long ranges simultaneously, offering a range up to 96 miles. This function can combine short- and long-range pulses into a single high-clarity image that requires only one pane to view. A 50-target ARPA tracking system is standard on all models. 

Read Next: Seven Reasons You Need Radar

“Radars are a well-established fundamental to a captain’s awareness while on the water, but we wanted to push the boundaries,” says Gregoire Outters, general manager for the Raymarine brand at Teledyne FLIR. “When developing Cyclone, we challenged ourselves to create a radar that combines both beauty and high performance.” 

All Cyclone models network with Raymarine Axiom, Axiom+, Axiom Pro and Axiom XL multifunction displays. They start at $6,999.99 for a 3-foot, 55-watt model, and top out at $9,749.99 for a 110-watt, 6-foot model; raymarine.com.

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They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. When I’m driving down that road, it seems I’m usually towing a boat. It’s a nice day. The cooler is iced. The tube is inflated. The worms are wiggling. The vehicle is scented with sunscreen, my co-pilot has on her favorite shades and is smiling, the kids are not sulking, and we are off to the lake. Our prospects are promising, and the road ahead is indeed paved with the intentions to have a good day.

What could go wrong? Trailer trouble, that’s what. In my nautical lifetime, I have suffered more aggravation and had more close calls with the trailer than with the actual boat. I have diagnosed bad wiring roadside with a flashlight in my teeth. I have replaced a wheel bearing in a Fleet Farm parking lot. I once hit a frost heave so high and so sharp that both transom tie-down straps actually snapped in two.

Then there was the time I was rolling down a freeway in Georgia, glanced in the sideview mirror, and noticed smoke billowing off one of four trailer tires supporting a Wellcraft runabout. Dang. My companions and I, in the midst of a 2,500-mile road-trip story for this publication, were prepared (for once) with a spare, a jack and a lug wrench. When the sun rose the next day, we were in Bat Cave, North Carolina, and that’s where one of us noticed the tire we installed yesterday was worn to the cords. Closer inspection revealed that this wheel was out of line with the trailer. And then the lightbulb went off: While trying to maneuver in a congested filling station the day before, I had wedged the trailer against the curbing of a pump island, and it was now obvious I had managed to bend the spindle. Doh!

At the time, services were limited in Bat Cave. The owner of a small gas station said he couldn’t help us, but he was sure the Ledbetter brothers could fix it. “Just go down the road about 4 miles to the white church and take a right, and you’ll see their salvage yard a little farther,” he said. “Shop on left, house on the right.”

Read Next: Trailer Lights Must Be Plugged In

The shop was a big wooden shed, and when we pulled in, Don Ledbetter was in the yard busily converting a school bus into a stock-car transporter, and his brother Wyatt was across the road, cultivating corn on a Farmall tractor. Did I mention that the editor had dressed us like a race team—in matching red jumpsuits—for this magazine assignment? We were quite a sight.

If you are imagining Gomer and Goober, you are dead wrong. These men had skills. The trailer was up, the wheel was off, and the torch came out. A 4-foot pipe provided the leverage to bend the red-hot spindle, and a level and a length of white string was used to gauge alignment. They had things corrected in 15 minutes and refused to take any payment. I think they found us rather amusing. That day, we were lucky to encounter two good Samaritans on the road to hell. Ever since, I will do anything to avoid backing a trailer, unless it’s down a ramp to the water.

The post Trailer Trouble appeared first on Boating Mag.

It’s hidden away under a hatch at the bow, but what’s inside can say a lot about your boat. Of course, there are certain things to look for in an anchor locker to help the stowed anchor inside do its job, but it also can reveal much about the quality of your boat’s construction. Take a look inside the anchor locker shown here, from a Regulator 41, to get an idea of what to look for in a quality build.

[1]Gas-Assisted Struts

Gas-assisted struts or shocks that hold open the hatch are essential for keeping your hands free to work the anchor. The last thing you want in rough seas is to have one hand holding up the hatch while you work ­inside the locker.

[2]Gasketed Hatches

A gasketed hatch ensures a snug fit with the anchor locker and helps prevent rattling or pounding while underway. It also helps prevent water intrusion into the locker from the deck.

[3]Self-Draining Gutter

The gutter around the locker’s opening prevents water intrusion from the deck, and the two drains help the water quickly exit so that it doesn’t collect. Pooling water in an anchor locker can cause mildew and damage the anchor line.

[4]Easy Access to the Anchor Rode

Note how Regulator made a cutaway in the locker to access the anchor rode. This is essential to manage any issues with the anchor chain or kinks in the line that can jam up the works, particularly when dealing with an electric windlass.

[5]Chain Stop

Every anchor locker, whether it has a windlass or requires manual deployment of the anchor, should have a chain stop to hold the anchor in place while it’s being stowed so that it doesn’t accidentally cut loose and drop under the boat while you’re running. 

[6]Rode Washdown

Not every boat has this, but the Regulator 41 installs a washdown hose in the anchor locker so that you can rinse dirt and debris off the anchor rode and the anchor ­itself as you haul it in or it gets weighed by the windlass.

[7]Windlass

While a boat without a windlass can still possibly have a ­high-quality anchor locker, having one properly installed—as shown here—sure makes life easier when you’re on the water.

[8]Windlass Remote

Installing a windlass remote allows you to work the anchor from the bow if needed.

[9]Interior Light

Regulator installs a small LED in the anchor locker to help you see inside in low-light conditions.

[10]Through-Stem Anchor Roller

While many boats still employ a pulpit at the bow of the boat, a lot of high-end builders now fit the bow with a through-stem anchor roller that stows the hook in place at the bow externally. This equipment keeps the anchor and rode out of sight and allows for cleaner lines. This setup also prevents the anchor-rode line from chafing your gunwale topside at the bow.

[11]Full-Gelcoat Interior

The hatch on the ­Regulator is finished, gelcoated fiberglass on both sides, as is the anchor locker’s interior, a sure sign of high-quality construction.

Read Next: Remote Anchoring

 What You Don’t See

Looking at a boat as well-built as the Regulator 41, you won’t find any rough, unfinished fiberglass when you lift the hatch. You also won’t find any exposed, sagging or sloppily run wiring in the ­anchor locker.

The post Assessing the Build Quality of an Anchor Locker appeared first on Boating Mag.

Outboard trim-and-tilt systems require regular service. I suggest the following procedures be included in an outboard owner’s maintenance routine and that boaters also familiarize themselves with the procedure for adding fluid to the trim-and-tilt system.

Greased Rams

So simple: Squeeze some grease on your fingertips and apply a healthy dollop to the tips of the trim rams. This inhibits wear and quiets the screeching sound that can occur when grease wears off.

Grease the Tilt Tube

Look for the tilt tube at the front of your engine, where it connects to the transom. Use a grease gun to apply waterproof grease to the grease fittings. Watch for the new grease pushing out the old grease, your indication to stop squeezing the grease gun. Wipe off excess.

Stationary Support

Always use the tilt support bracket while the boat is docked or moored with the engine tilted up. This is a swing-down support found on top of the engine mounting bracket. Tilt the engine all the way up, deploy the support, trim the engine down until it rests on the support, and then continue pressing the trim switch until the rams are fully retracted. This inhibits corrosion and fouling on the rams.

Read Next: Support an Outboard While Trailering

Adding Hydraulic Fluid

The trim-and-tilt system is electrohydraulic and sometimes may need fluid added, often indicated by failure to trim fully or “slipping down” after tilt-up. The fill cap is a hex-headed or slotted screw on top of the hydraulic reservoir. The cylindrical reservoir is located between the uprights of the engine mounting bracket. Due to this location right at the waterline, the boat should be on land in a bow-down attitude to level the reservoir, which is at the same negative 13- to 15-degree angle as the transom. Arrange this by cranking down the trailer’s tongue jack. Don’t have a trailer? Borrow one, or seek a boatyard for this job.

1. Tilt up the outboard and put the support bracket in place. An engine falling on you or your hands can be catastrophic.

2. Remove the screw.

3. Fill to just overflowing. Wipe excess.

4. Tilt the engine up and down to bleed air out.

5. Add more fluid (if it will take some).

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed.

7. Reinstall the screw.

Topping off the fluid is often a temporary fix. Even though a leak might not be evident, you may have one and need to take your engine to a pro to fix it.

The post How to Maintain a Boat’s Trim-and-Tilt System appeared first on Boating Mag.