Burgeoning Bluetooth technology has ushered in a host of new wireless engine kill switches from brands such as Fell Marine and Mercury Marine. T h e latest to appear is the Guardian engine cutoff from ACR Electronics.

Guardian, part of ACR’s Overboard Location Alert System (OLAS) product portfolio, is designed to stop the boat engines within two seconds of a person going overboard. When boating alone, this increases the chances that a victim can swim to back to the boat and reboard.

But Guardian is not just for solo boaters. In an MOB situation, the system will trigger a loud 85 dB alarm, alerting crewmembers to the emergency. After five seconds, the engine can be restarted.

Guardian can wirelessly connect up to 15 crewmembers via wearable, compact OLAS transmitters known as the Tag and Float-On. (The latter includes a light.) This allows the skipper to move freely around the boat without the constraint of a safety-stop lanyard.

The Tag and Float-On pair with the Guardian onboard module via Bluetooth. A break in that wireless connection due to distance or water immersion triggers an alarm and the engine to shut down.

The compact Guardian module connects to a vessel’s 12- or 24-volt power supply and existing kill switch. It will automatically connect to an OLAS transmitting device within 2-meter range. A pause mode allows the user to leave the boat with the engine idling.

The Guardian is easily operated via the ACR OLAS mobile app, provides an easy-to-read directional MOB screen showing where the alarm was triggered, and advises on the correct mayday call. The app also allows the captain to select which transmitters will trigger engine cutoff and which will set off MOB alarms only. Starting at $249.95; acrartex.com.

The post ACR OLAS Guardian Kill Switch appeared first on Boating Mag.

An engine shut-off lanyard can save your life. That is, if you use it—and most boaters don’t. Even those who do generally only use it at the helm, and there are many other locations from which one can end up in the drink. Perhaps most at risk is the angler fishing solo.

A lifesaving option is a wireless engine cutoff device. Wearable fobs or “tags” communicate with a hub or host unit that sounds an alarm and shuts down the engine should the skipper fall overboard. A crewmember overboard fob is programmed to trigger just the alarm. Until then, anyone wearing a fob can move ­freely about the boat, without the short-leash hassle of a ­lanyard.

Read Next: A Cut-Off Switch Could Have Averted This Near Tragedy

There’s a range of systems available, from the electromechanical ­Autotether Marine cutoff device, to the wireless electrical Fell MOB+, to those that also log location through Bluetooth to guide you back to the MOB and even alert ­others, such as the ACR Overboard ­Location Alert System (OLAS) ­Guardian. And more are on the way.

Here’s what to look for in available wireless engine cutoff switches.

Quick Recovery

The Fell and ACR systems deactivate the engine shutdown in six or five seconds, respectively, so that the motor can be ­restarted to effect a rescue.

Pod and People

Autotether and Fell MOB+ can each monitor up to four fobs; the ACR OLAS Guardian can handle up to six Android- or eight iOS-linked tabs, and up to 15 with an extender.

There’s an App for That

The ACR OLAS works in conjunction with smartphone and tablet apps, providing onscreen direction to the MOB’s signal fob. (Autotether is self-contained.)

Designated Driver

Fobs can be programmed for operator (with cutoff and alarm) or passenger (alarm only) modes.

Drag-Along Protection

Fobs are triggered by distance or water immersion; an overboard and rigging-­tangled boater effects an alarm and, if designated as an ­operator, ­engine cutoff.

Merc-Minded?

Mercury Marine has the 1st Mate system in the works, which will ­integrate into Merc-powered boats. We saw the stylish wearable during recent boat tests.

Big Boat?

Electronic cutoff switches are activated by distance from the module, and your boat may be longer than that. This problem is solved with an extender, such as that offered by ACR for boats 40 to 80 feet long.

Sources/Prices

Autotether Marine

autotether.com; $235, driver/ passenger sensor $90.25

Fell Marine MOB+

fellmarine.com; base pack $199.99, fobs/tags $19.99-$39.99

ACR OLAS Guardian

acrartex.com; base $249.95, tag $79.95

The post Electronic Boat Engine Kill Switches appeared first on Boating Mag.

It’s probably the last thing you’re thinking about when you leave the dock for your next boating adventure. And even if something might go wrong on the water, you could be thinking that help is just a phone call or VHF hail away—unless it isn’t. What if your phone has no reception and your VHF isn’t working? No EPIRB either? You need another way to let other boaters in the area know you need help or to show potential rescuers where to find you. Here are a few techniques to signal for help when you really need it.

Flares

If you’re US Coast Guard-compliant, you already have a set of flares inside your Coast Guard kit. But do you know what kind they are, as well as how to use them? There are two types of required flares—daytime and nighttime—that are divided between floating, handheld and aerial.

Floating: These flares deploy in the water and emit orange smoke. They’re for daytime use only, last for a few minutes, and are visible for up to 5 miles. You would use these when other boats or rescuers are in the vicinity to alert for help or to help them locate you.

Handheld: These flares are also either orange smoke-emitting signals or bright daytime flares that alert nearby vessels that you need help and provide a visual location marker.There are also handheld pyrotechnic flares for use in day and night that shoot into the air like fireworks. These travel higher into the air and are visible from a farther distance, but typically burn for only a few seconds. These flares are used more for alerting authorities or nearby vessels for help rather than for finding your location.

Read Next: Choosing the Right Boat Flares

Aerial: You may also know of the gun flares that you shoot out of a handheld orange pistol. These shoot pyrotechnic flares higher into the air and are visible from around 21 miles for up to six seconds. And there are SOLAS parachute flares that are visible from around 47 miles and last for up to 40 seconds. All pyrotechnic flares should be treated with the same care and handling you would a firearm. They also discharge hot slag that can burn you if you’re not using them per the instructions. By Coast Guard mandate, all flares have a maximum shelf life of 42 months, after which they must be replaced and properly disposed of at a Coast Guard-approved facility.

Lighted Beacons

The Coast Guard has approved certain lighted beacons as visual distress signals. These include the Sirius Signal Electronic Flare Distress Light from Weems and Plath ($99, weems-plath.com). It is approved as a day-night flare in coastal waters. It is battery-powered and flashes an SOS signal via an LED light that’s visible up to 10 miles for up to 60 hours.

Flags

During the daytime, you can also use an orange distress flag to signal for help. The orange flag measures 3-by-3 feet and includes a black square above a black circle. You can find these at West Marine or online sellers such as Amazon.

Non-Approved Ways to Signal

There are ways to signal that are not approved by the Coast Guard but can still help when all else fails. Does anyone on board have on a brightly colored shirt? Attach it to a boat hook, paddle or oar, and wave it into the air from the tallest accessible point on deck. Buy and learn to use a signal mirror (or any reflective device). Waving both arms from overhead to your hips is a generally recognized help signal. At night, try rapidly turning on and off a flashlight or spotlight to catch the attention of anyone nearby. At the same time, try honking your boat horn. If they don’t see you, maybe they will hear you.

The post 11 Ways to Signal for Help From a Boat appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

Parker Boats has built shallow-draft boats for inshore guides for years. Now the Parker team has poured that experience into a sophisticated, versatile new offering—the 26SH (Sport Hybrid). At 26 feet, 6 inches length overall with a 9-foot-6-inch beam and 17-degree transom deadrise, the new boat matches very well with a jack-plate-mounted Yamaha F300 to produce a classy-looking shallow-water fishing machine that can also take a family to the sandbar.

No, the 26SH is probably not the best choice to run offshore, but it’s plenty able to jig on nearshore wrecks and reefs. Add Taco Grand Slam outriggers to the T-top, and single or dual power poles for the flats.

We liked the way this roomy hull rose onto plane and ran with its sharp forward sections just kissing the water to carve what swell we could find. It throws spray straight out to the sides. There’s plenty of speed when needed, but we also found that the 26SH could slow down to the teens and stay on plane if needed for truly nasty conditions. It comes standard with 10-by-14-inch Lenco trim tabs for fine-tuning the ride. On the drift, it exhibited great stability.

Interior and Accessories

Hatches are finished on both sides and bolted to stainless-steel friction hinges over properly gasketed gutters. Hardware throughout is fastened with bolts, washers, and locknuts. I found fantastic access to wiring, plumbing and the through-hull transducer (Garmin B60 or B150), as well as easy-to-reach bronze seacocks and electronics (Garmin 8612 or 8616 with VHF and Fusion stereo). There is plenty of room inside for a full-size human to sit comfortably on the portable toilet, and dedicated space for up to five batteries. Placing them in the console helps keep the hull well-balanced.

Parker’s new 26SH enters a growing field of high-quality 26- to 27-foot bay boats built to both fish and entertain families. Its stability, interior space and spirited performance will certainly satisfy the latter mission, but true to its heritage, its forte is fishing.

How We Tested

• Engine: 300 hp Yamaha
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/15.5″ x 17″ Saltwater Series II SDS 3-blade
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 40 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 400 lb.

High Points

• Huge casting platforms bow and stern, plus twin livewells.
• Tilt-out tackle boxes under the gunwales.
• Large, cushioned seat with fold-down back under the stern platform.
• Good access to neatly arranged wiring, plumbing and pumps.

Low Points

• Rod stowage maxes out at 7 feet, 6 inches. Want fly rods? Hang them under the T-top.
• Only head option is a portable toilet without pump-out.
• Forward platform Comfort Package lounges are not secure if the boat is underway.

Toughest Competitors

Regulator’s 26XO ($139,995 with Yamaha F300) is similar in dimensions but about 1,000 pounds heavier, with similar fishing features, more seating, and forward lounges available for the bow platform. Pathfinder’s 2600 TRS (about $125,000 comparably equipped with a Yamaha F300) is narrower (8 feet, 10 inches) and about 800 pounds lighter, with a stepped hull, 18 degrees of transom deadrise, and lower fuel capacity (70 gallons).

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Parker Boats – Beaufort, North Carolina; 252-728-5621; parkerboats.com

The post 2020 Parker Boats 26 SH appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

There are many examples of Crest showing off on the Caribbean Platinum 250 SLS. Powder-coated perimeter fencing features a dramatic flare aft, with a bold, arrow-shaped accent piece that ties neatly into an optional clad tower overhead. Look closer at that molded accent and you’ll note the logo lights up, as do interior speakers in a variety of shades. The helm features a dash that is a showcase of billet aluminum, with two rows of aircraft-style lighted toggles across the bottom. The captain’s cup holder is actually refrigerated. The vinyl flooring on our test boat had the look of aged teak.

Interior and Accessories

Forward, 7-foot parallel lounges invite passengers to stretch out and relax, or buddy up when entertaining a party-size crew. Rather than vinyl-covered roto-molded plastic, seat bases are sleek, molded fiberglass. Cushions hinge up and stay open during loading and unloading on articulating hinges. A pop-up changing curtain is tucked away at the tail end of the port bench. The height of comfort, however, is found in the powered, four-position swing-back seat aft. Part of an L-shaped couch that finishes out the interior, it adds an aft-facing couch in standard position. Pivot the seatback forward to create an aft-facing recliner, or fully flat to form a sun bed at the touch of a nearby toggle.

Engine

The 250 SLS features Crest’s CP3 Performance Package, which pairs twin 25-inch outer tubes around a central 26-inch tube pontoon dropped 1 inch to create a V-hull effect. Other performance-related elements of the package include an aluminum underskin, lifting strakes, and SeaStar electronic power-assist steering. Paired with a 300 hp Mercury outboard, the result was spirited, with agile handling, instantaneous planing, and a top speed of 43.2 mph. Since our test date, Crest has upped the minimum horsepower to 350, which should only improve our performance numbers.

How We Tested

• Engine: Mercury 300
• Prop: Mercury Enertia 15″ x 15″ 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 40 gal. Crew Weight: 355 lb.

High Points

• CP3 Performance Package also adds dual battery switches and battery boxes, a battery charger, aluminum ski-tow bar, integrated transom and oversize fuel tank.
• Fusion audio system includes head unit, six speakers, 10-inch subwoofer and amplifier.
• Furniture cutouts include space for multiple cup holders and dual USB charging ports.

Low Points

• Center-tube in-floor ski locker is narrow and smaller than most.
• Underhelm wiring needs to be organized and better supported to prevent snags from the cooler or other stowed items.

Toughest Competitor

Like Crest, Manitou’s 25 Legacy SL ($94,700 with Evinrude G2 300) sports its own stylish twist on the traditional fence enclosure, offers dual lounges forward, twin helm seats and a large multiposition aft lounge, and even embraces a small amount of aluminum billet on the dash. Manitou’s model combines 25-inch outer pontoons with a central 27-inch tube for a more dramatic V-hull effect. With the 300 hp Evinrude, it also peaked at 48 mph.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Crest Marine – Owosso, Michigan; 989-725-5188; crestpontoonboats.com

The post 2020 Crest Caribbean Platinum 250 SLS appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

Remember the 50/50 bars you got from the ice cream truck? Vanilla ice cream on the inside and orange popsicle on the outside, they were the perfect treat on a hot day.

EdgeWater’s new 340CC hearkens back to the 50/50 with an artful blend of fishing features and cruising. It doesn’t seem to sacrifice either, striking a balance that makes the 340CC an easy sell to families looking for satisfying tastes of both.

Interior and Accessories

For example, some family-centric center-consoles offer only a modicum of bait capacity, but the 340CC features a pressurized 32-gallon transom well in the starboard quarter, plus an optional built-in pressurized 38-gallon livewell ($3,873) abaft the helm seating that includes a full-height aquarium-style viewing window. Our test boat, however, had the optional Super Leaning Post Package ($3,230) with a sink and freshwater faucet, a basin for stashing rigged trolling baits, three drawers of tackle stowage and an Isotherm fridge. The standard leaning post includes adjustable helm seats with flip-up bolsters, a 48-quart cooler, pull-out shower with sink, and cutting board. A pair of insulated in-sole fish lockers flanked the aft deck, and two more are tucked under the 23-inch-wide walkway aside the console.

Looking for comfort? Gaze forward, where the optional Bow Comfort Package ($3,495) includes backrests that turn the wraparound seating into a pair of inviting loungers. A cantilever-style pedestal table lets you serve a mean charcuterie, while recessed drink holders keep beverages secure. Lose the table and seat upholstery, and anglers have a great place to fish off the bow or man the anchor line that deploys from an in-stem anchor roller and retrieves using an electric windlass.

Ready to relax again? Settle into the lounge for two on the forward console. Underneath resides a cavernous step-down garage that include racks for scuba tanks, six fishing rods, and room for a pair of 5-gallon buckets.

In the stern, a foldout transom bench offers a seat bottom that extends far enough to offer good thigh support. It quickly folds away to clear the deck and get to fishin’ using the five rod holders that line the transom. The aft cockpit deck measures more than 9 feet wide by 6 feet long, giving you room to dance, be it with a significant other or a leaping sailfish.

A standard inward-opening portside dive door eases the embarking process, and the removable boarding ladder offers a graceful means of reboarding after swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving. A transom gate in the starboard quarter provides another way to embark.

The 340CC’s fiberglass hardtop, full-height glass windshield and center console integrate seamlessly. An electric vent at the top of windshield allows a cooling breeze. A built-in hardtop hatch offers easy access aloft in case you add a tower. A pair of high-back helm seats offer comfort, with footrests at the base of the console to brace yourself.

EdgeWater has engineered a standard visibility step that folds out from the seat base to add 4½ inches of elevation to the helm pad for those who can’t see over the console.

The 42-inch-wide dash panel on our test boat was filled with a pair of optional flush-mounted Garmin 8616 multifunction displays ($22,114), a Yamaha CL7 engine monitor, a standard Fusion stereo (controlling eight JL speakers, including two subwoofers), and Yamaha’s Helm Master joystick as part of the twin Yamaha 425 XTO propulsion package (a $64,894 upgrade). Twin Yamaha F300s are standard.

A tray atop the dash and another under the switch panel are handy for stashing mobile phones. An overhead electronics box housed a Garmin Reactor autopilot control ($4,538). There’s a redundant switch panel on the port side of the leaning-post module for the livewell pumps, washdown systems and fish-locker pump-outs.

Inside the step-down console interior, accessible from the portside companionway, is an impressive panel to control the onboard electrical system, as well as a sink, freshwater pull-out shower and electric-flush head.

Looking for a comparison boat? Look at Scout’s 330 LXF ($406,469 base with twin Yamaha 425 XTOs and Helm Master), which is similarly sized, but has a step-hull and a greater emphasis on cruising luxury.

The 340CC is built with composite and foam structural stringers with knitted fiberglass and vinylester resins in a closed-vacuum process that EdgeWater calls Single-Piece Infusion. That pays off in a solid-feeling boat that’s free of creaks and rattles.

Engine

The deep-V running surface knifes smoothly through rough seas, and corners at high speed with confidence-inspiring precision. The twin Yamaha 425 hp outboards on our test boat propelled the 340CC to plane in a head-snapping 3 seconds, reaching 30 mph in just 6 seconds. Top speed was 59 mph at 6,000 rpm.

They say a good compromise leaves all parties unhappy, but the EdgeWater 340CC seems to has achieved just the opposite. Both sides of its nature—the fishy part and family part—meld into a pleasing combination that will put a smile on everyone’s face. Just like a 50/50 bar.

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin 425 hp Yamaha 425 XTO V-8
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/Yamaha XTO 16 3/8″ x 20″ 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.79:1 Fuel Load: 200 gal. Crew Weight: 400 lb.

High Points

• Fold-down visibility step offers 4 inches of extra elevation at the helm.
• Enjoy 70 gallons of livewell capacity, with the aquarium well optioned in the rigging center.
• Abundant seating in the bow will please the socialites among family and friends.

Low Points

• Visibility step creates a tripping point if you don’t fold it back up.
• Gap at the bottom of the windshield drains the console top, but it can also let water in.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

EdgeWater Boats – Edgewater, Florida; 386-426-5457; ewboats.com

The post 2020 Edgewater 340 CC appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

Having the Boating Icom cover girl aboard during our sea trial might have been distracting, but I was so captured by the Tiara Sport 38 LX that I barely noticed.

Full disclosure: I’m a Tiara fan. Been one for years. I like the styling and the way they’re put together, and have enjoyed the heck out of Tiaras owned by friends. But this wasn’t the Tiara of olden days. It’s not even a Tiara—it’s a Tiara Sport.

First, three big kickers—Mercury Verado 400s—hung on the stern. On many outboard boats, you lose the swim platform, but the 38 LX has an ample platform to step aboard from a dock or climb aboard from a swim. I liked the one-level cockpit sole from transom to bow with no steps to trip Aunt Edna, and our test boat sported the optional faux-teak deck that looks terrific.

Interior and Accessories

Tiara gets points for inventive aft seating with immense flexibility, with options to face aft or forward, chaises with adjustable backs, and to lay flat as sun pads. And the space not used to house inboard or sterndrive engines creates tons of stowage, plus room for the standard Onan 5 kW diesel genset—you need it for the air conditioner, grill and other at-anchor niceties—and an optional Seakeeper 3 gyro.

Under the standard full-beam hardtop with sunroof, you’ll find an L-shaped dinette to starboard with a gorgeous teak table, and an outdoor kitchen to port with a sink, drawer fridge and optional Kenyon grill. A Fusion Apollo sound system is standard; sit in front of the two Star Wars-like speakers behind the dinette, crank up the bass, and they’ll clean your teeth.

The skipper’s office isn’t neglected, with a double helm seat with fold-up bolsters for standing and a thoughtful touch: dual footrests at different heights. A padded anti-glare eyebrow shades twin Garmin 16-inch monitors, the Mercury joystick (a bow thruster is also standard), and digital throttles for smooth shifting. The double-wide companion seat is as innovative as the aft seating, and it swivels to face the dinette.

I liked that the entire helm console tilts aft, giving full access to wiring, electronics and systems. Competitors lack this convenience. When it comes time to add or repair electronics, or even chase down a short, you’ll appreciate this touch.

Forward, past the recessed spray door, the bow seating wraps around, with folding armrests and undercushion stowage. Parents take note: The coaming backrests are a full 40 inches high for kiddy security.

If you need the loo, the bulkhead in front of the companion seat opens like a gull wing, revealing a spacious compartment (5 feet, 5 inches of headroom), with a teak step and designer flooring, VacuFlush electric head, and air conditioning. An opening door on the forward side of the starboard console reveals an open compartment for water-toy stowage, but you can transform this with an optional mini berth for naps.

Anchor handling will prove push-button easy, with a hidden horizontal windlass tucked under a bow hatch. A switch at the helm or a wired remote at the bow deploy the 22-pound stainless-steel plow anchor over a roller built into the stem.

Engine

Tiara Sport offers three engine options. Our test boat boasted the base-priced triple Mercury Verado 400s, but Yamaha fanciers can opt for triple F350s, or Seven Marine fans can choose twin 527 hp outboards with contra-rotating dual propsets.

Our Mercs pushed us to over 55 mph (48-plus knots), which is more than enough to thrill everyone aboard. Cruise speed with these is right around 30 mph at 4,000 rpm, sipping 33 gph for 0.9 mpg, which isn’t bad when you’re pushing 9 tons of sleek, waterborne family fun through the water.

Speaking of that, the Tiara Sport 38 LX has a 20-degree deadrise at the transom, plus two full-length strakes underwater and a wide chine flat from bow to stern. What that means is the 38 LX slices the water like a Henckels chef’s knife through soft cheese. The strakes act like shock absorbers to soften the ride, the chines throw spray out to the side, and the result is what I’ve come to love about Tiaras: soft-riding, stable and seaworthy in all conditions.

If you’re shopping, look at the Tiara Sport 38 LS ($642,590); it’s the same hull, but with a walk-around deck and full cabin with berth and shower. For a dual-console comparison, sea-trial Grady-White’s Freedom 375 ($606,900 with triple Yamaha F350s, Helm Master and Bow Thruster). It’s 18 inches shorter, 8 inches beamier, and available with triple Yamaha outboards up to 1,275 hp.

How We Tested

• Engines: Triple 400 hp Mercury 400 Verados
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/Mercury Enertia ECO 16″ x 17″ 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 331 gal. Water: 50 gal. Crew Weight: 450 lb.

High Points

• Convertible seating throughout handles everything from entertaining to sunning.
• Deep gutters on all deck hatches and the self-bailing cockpit handle even heavy rain.
• Makefast sunshade (standard) emerges from the hardtop to shade the aft cockpit.

Low Points

• No shower in the head, so you must use the hot-and-cold shower on the stern.
• Intended as and serving wonderfully in the role of a dayboat, the Tiara Sport 38 LX offers fewer commodious sleeping accommodations compared to similar boats.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

The post 2020 Tiara Sport 38 LX appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

Intrepid boats often serve as luxurious tenders to mega-yachts. But just as Bentley, Porsche and Jaguar now produce SUVs, so has Intrepid with its 407. This new boat has all the luxury, comfort, fit and finish that demanding owners could want, but also boasts some truly creative features.

Intrepid offers the 407 Nomad in two configurations: the SE or the FE version that I ran. Both acronyms refer to how you enter the head. Front entry (FE) slides the entire front of the center console sideways to port at the push of a button. Side entry (SE) constitutes just that. Just forward of the console sits a double sun pad with ram-driven seatbacks. This large island provides copious insulated storage within. Plus, the gunwales sport hatches with storage large enough for fenders, rods, dock lines or dive gear. Intrepid also offers an optional dive-tank storage rack. For après-dive, or après-anything, there’s bow seating with a table that lowers flush with the deck—also at the touch of a button. Plus, you’ll find tons of storage space underdeck, some in drainable fish boxes, and more in the gloss-finished bilge.

Interior and Accessories

The helm boasts an adjustable platform to improve visibility for the vertically challenged. Additional enclosed rod storage amidships augments the dozen rocket launchers on the aft side of the helm seating. All the gunwale-mounted drink holders cleverly double as rod holders to meet either socializing or angling needs.

Clever foldaway steps just forward of the portside dive door allow you to gracefully board and disembark over the high gunwales if you don’t happen to be at a floating dock and using the dive door for access. These are especially great for nonboating guests.

In deference to the yacht-tender function, the 407’s transom has a wide foldout passenger seat. Once stowed, the cockpit accommodates serious fishing. Twin live baitwells in the aft corners have windows and nightlights. Numerous insulated fish boxes underdeck can be plumbed for freezer plates. Despite the large lounging area forward of the center console, the 407 still provides more than enough cockpit space for multiple anglers to fish simultaneously. Gunwales with pads met just below waist-high for a secure feeling.

Our test day in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, came on the last day of a week’s worth of 30- to 35-knot easterly winds. We hit the inlet at the height of an outgoing supermoon tide, butting heads with the wind. I determined that the 407 Nomad handles drifting in big beam seas comfortably, even without the optional Seakeeper gyrostabilizer, and it ran downsea in total control. Steering proved smooth as silk and very responsive. Your friends and family will be most comfortable aboard, should the weather turn sour.

Despite its 21,000-pound displacement, the Intrepid 407 rockets away from a dead stop, planing in a mere 3 seconds, and touching 30 mph in just 7 seconds, though I’m not sure how different joystick control would be in close-quarters maneuvering. If you plan to fish the Nomad, you’ll definitely want to opt for the bow thruster that speeds up spinning on fish by an order of magnitude. It also ensures confident docking in difficult situations. The 407 utilizes a stepped or ventilated hull (those notches you see at the waterline). From a performance perspective, the hull injects air along the running surface underway, thereby decreasing frictional resistance for better speed and fuel economy.

Engine

Note that the boat I actually tested featured triple Mercury Racing 450 outboards. The boat shown is fitted with triple Yamaha 425 XTO outboards. According to Yamaha, the 407 Nomad hits 66 mph at wide-open throttle, burning 108 gph for 0.61 mpg. That’s 1 mph slower but more efficient than the Mercury-powered boat, as the performance chart shows. At 3,500 rpm, the Yamaha-powered boat posted 0.81 mpg at 33 mph burning 35.5 gph, while the Mercury Racing-powered boat posted an even 1 mpg and 34.7 mpg burning 34.9 gph.

Intrepid builds boats one at a time, and owners customize each one to their needs and tastes. Each hull consists of PVC coring and nonwoven uni- and multidirectional fiberglass cloth infused with vinylester resin via vacuum bagging for the best possible strength-to-weight ratio. Also, all sales are factory-direct, which allows Intrepid to remain competitive with other boat dealers despite the premium nature of the marque.

Few directly comparable boats exist, but I’d suggest looking at Scout’s 380 LXF ($758,442 base price). At 38 feet, 6 inches long and carrying a 12-foot-1-inch beam, it also can charge hard yet deliver refined entertainability. It offers carbon-fiber-infused construction, a double-stepped hull and more major standards, such as a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer.

Intrepid’s options list could reasonably ask: What do you want? From custom paint jobs to stabilizers, your choice of outboard brand and more, the company will accommodate. So, if you expect things just so, want to impress family and friends, and want to go fast and smooth in a large and innovative outboard-powered boat, make an appointment to go over and see the new Intrepid 407 Nomad.

How We Tested

• Engines: Triple Mercury Racing 450R
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/14.6″ x 21″ 4-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.60:1 Fuel Load: 350 gal. Water on Board: 10 gal. Crew Weight: 400 lb.

High Points

• Choose any brand of outboard power.
• Responsive to throttle, delivers a supremely comfortable ride, and steers like “buttah.”
• Terrific fit and finish.

Low Points

• Foldaway boarding steps are only on the port side. With the height of the gunwales, it could really use several more elsewhere.
• Would like to see the helm elevator riser drop flush with the sole, like the forward table does.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Intrepid Powerboats – Dania Beach, Florida; 954-922-7544; intrepidpowerboats.com

The post 2020 Intrepid 407 Nomad appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

From my first glimpse, I knew I was lost. This is a boat that seizes your attention and holds it ransom from reality. My test boat had a mostly black cockpit and, yes, I could hear the sizzle of my bare skin turning to pork rinds when I leaned against the rail in the midday Florida sun. Who cares?

Yes, the berth down below is fine for the kids or a cat nap, but not overnighting. Who cares? The sheer animal power of this yacht holds you captivated.

The latest offering from Marquis Yachts, the Marquis M42, is one of the new breed of express dayboats and has a lot of contradictions, which I realize is just a few letters away from addictions. Appearing to be long and seemingly lean, it’s actually 18 inches wider than a VanDutch 40. I’ve been aboard deep-V ocean crushers with $100,000 paint jobs that didn’t attract a fraction of the attention of the M42.

Interior and Accessories

From the reversed bow (ax, battleship, snub?) to the wide swim platform, the M42 is all about fun. There’s a huge sun pad aft, wraparound cockpit dinette, and big cantilevered T-top (an option, but you know you want it). The sleek outdoor galley, with black carbon fiber peeking through the clear coat, has all the ingredients. My test boat had a sink, fridge and ice maker, plus stowage for bottles and glasses. An optional grill is available.

The helm would please Darth Vader mightily: black and angular, with room for twin Raymarine 16-inch monitors and everything placed so the skipper can easily see or tweak all the buttons and switches. The joystick was inboard and right where you want it, whether you’re right- or left-handed. A double-wide helm seat has a backrest high enough to be all-day comfy, bolsters for standing, and footrests at just the right height.

Step below and you’ll find some interesting contradictions. For example, there’s a one-burner stove on the galley, but also a walk-in shower with room for two, if you’re feeling slippery (the teak shower seat adds interesting possibilities).

Clearly this is a boat where you’ll either grill in the cockpit or eat ashore, using the cabin galley for, hmmm, what? Down there, you’ll find a microwave to pop the popcorn or heat the morning espresso, and the countertop is big (even for larger yachts) at 36 inches wide to lay out your PB&J sandwiches. The Isotherm fridge comes standard and will keep the Champagne cold.

The berth—ah, the berth. It’s the result of a dinette that is great for getting out of the heat or even the rain, as on my test afternoon, and it morphs into a 75-inch-wide (an inch shy of king) berth, but shaped so oddly, any idea of fitted sheets is hopeless. Just throw a pile of sheets and blankets on it and settle in.

The cabin gets big points on two fronts: First, the headroom is 6 feet, 5 inches throughout, and second, the wraparound windows provide both light and a view of the outside world.

Marquis does a great job with the details. The electrical panel is just inside the cabin door at eye level, so no stooping to find it. There’s even a hanging locker near the door so you can hang wet jackets or, I suppose, thong bikinis to drip into the bilge.

Access to the engine room should shame much larger yachts. The entire sun pad lifts on hydraulics, allowing you to walk down on steps to reach the engines and generator. The wiring and plumbing are seamanlike and tidy, the batteries accessible, and your service tech will love you.

Even better, a separate locker is built under that sun pad, offering great storage for lines or shore cords, and another huge locker under the cockpit floor eats fenders and all the other gear.

Engine

Power for our test boat was a pair of Cummins QSB 480 hp diesels, which pushed us to just shy of 40 mph. Now, 40 mph on the road will get you honked at even in the slow lane, but 40 mph in the Gulf Stream is a whole ’nother critter. It’s not too much speed that Aunt Edna is going to scream, but she might grab her bonnet and shout, “Whee!” I know that my co-skipper, Armando Notz from Sovereign Yachts in Stuart, Florida, and I couldn’t get enough wheel time. “My turn, my turn!”

Marquis will be offering an outboard-powered version of the M42 later this year with triple Mercury Verado 400s. Getting rid of the diesel weight and upping the horsepower ante by 300 ponies should get you into the 50s, but you’ll lose that wonderful hydraulic swim platform that is so perfect for sandbar days. Your call. If you’re shopping, the VanDutch 40 ($695,000) has similar power and features.

When it comes to handling, Donald Blount and Associates’ hulls are known for seaworthiness and stability, and the M42 proved both nimble and reassuring as it slashed across the Gulf Stream. The boat reverse-threw the spray out and away, with few drops reaching that wraparound windshield. A little more fuel in the tanks, and we might have been tempted to run away to Bimini in the Bahamas.

Be careful when you first visit a Marquis M42; it’s a known addictive substance. You’ve been warned.

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin 480 hp Cummins QSB diesels
• Drive/Prop: Acme 22″ x 24″ 3-blade Nibral
• Gear Ratio: 1.64:1 Fuel Load: 250 gal. Water on Board: 10 gal. Crew Weight: 410 lb.

High Points

• Great stability and tracking offshore.
• Every nook and cranny have been turned into stowage.
• Crowd-stopping good looks.

Low Points

• Black cap across the windshield is directly at horizon level for the skipper’s eyes.
• Permateek decking is hot in the sun.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Marquis Yachts – Pulaski, Wisconsin; marquisyachts.com

The post 2020 Marquis M42 appeared first on Boating Mag.