While everyone could use a bigger boat, the concept of “bigger is always better” did not always apply unilaterally. While some boaters moving up from the family bowrider to a pocket cruiser, sedan or express have aspirations to boat overnight, many boaters really just want a much bigger version of an open bow boat to use during the day. Hence we see the most welcome deve...
The only problem with the new Hunt Harrier 25 Sport—and this is a serious one—is that it’s addictive. Once you climb behind the custom wooden wheel and nudge the throttle forward, the boat just comes up on plane —no hump, no bump…nothing but steady power and speed. The mid-range acceleration is simply outstanding, and when you carve the first turn, it’s so much fun that ...
Sea Ray’s 19 SPX breaks from the brand’s traditional bowrider mold. You see it immediately in the edgier curves and molded style lines gracing the hull, but the bow profile showcases the most functional change. Instead of curving to a point, the deck line sweeps gently around the bow in a rounded arc. Rather than feeling cramped, I could stretch out my legs and not feel ...
We Say: The Gran Turismo 35 we tested boasted twin 300 hp Volvo Penta Duoprop sterndrives and achieved a top speed of 40.1 mph, cruised efficiently, and handled like a sports sedan. Credit Beneteau’s patented Air Step hull, which draws air from topside intakes and allows it to flow out over a pair of steps. The Air Step design has a pair of “aft runners” that hold the ai...
The new Marker One Platform Series M27 looks like a pontoon boat, but don’t call it one. Even though it’s based upon three aluminum hulls that a pontoon aficionado might call tubes (or logs), Marker One — a division of Cobalt Boats — has its own name for the style: a platform boat. Hence “Platform Series” in the name of the lineup that as of now also includes a 25-foot v...
We Say: Not only is Cobia’s 344CC fast with triple Yamaha F300s — reaching 65.5 mph in our test (67-plus in Yamaha’s testing) — but Cobia integrated family features so well that the vessel outshines many similar boats. Twin 41-gallon livewells turn the transom into an efficient workstation. Ample rod holders, a tuna door and a thoughtfully configured tackle station de...
Once upon a time there was a revolution in jet boats. Everybody was building at least one, and a lot of the power was supplied by Mercury. When Merc left the market, independent jet builders lost their source of power. Then, only motor-sports companies like Yamaha and Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) remained in the fray, and in it, they made plenty of hay — it was...
I prepared for the worst while heading out into the afternoon wind-chop of California’s massive San Diego Bay to test the new Larson FX 1850 DC. Three other healthy adult males and I were all seated comfortably in the cockpit, thanks to four pedestal-style, swiveling bucket seats. The front two featured wide seats and armrests, while the back two were slightly smaller, d...
