Sommaire pour September 2017 de Boating

(Answers on page 19) 1. The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the total allowable weight for the vehicle. Which of the following is included in that weight? A. Engine fluids B. Occupants C. Fuel D. All of the above 2. The GVWR for a trailer, also called the gross trailer weight rating, is the total allowable weight for the trailer. If a boat weighs 4,000 pounds with the motor and has a fuel capacity of 50 gallons, what is the GVWR needed for the trailer? A. 4,500 pounds B. 5,000 pounds C. 6,000 pounds D. None of the above 3. Is the maximum tow rating the same as the GVWR? A. Yes B. No 4. What is best way to determine the weight of a boat on its trailer?…

PUMP IT UP! The cost, due to accelerated wear, of improperly inflated trailer tires pales in comparison to putting the lives of other motorists, your passengers and yourself at risk. Boat-trailer tires require a lot of air pressure — in most cases, between 50 and 65 psi. In fact, the correct pressure is almost always the maximumrated pressure for that tire, which is molded right on the sidewall. Maintaining that pressure is critically important to towing safety. Tire pressure determines the load the tire can safely carry. The load capacity of the trailer was determined with that specific tire pressure as a factor. If you roll out of the driveway towing your boat with less than the max psi in the trailer tires, you have effectively reduced the load capacity…

SCAN ME To view our photo gallery of the Blackfin 272 CC, scan this tag or visit boatingmag.com/3025. We had a float plan set for the Hump on our trial date. It’s actually one of several seamounts rising from a few hundred feet to over a thousand feet in the Atlantic about 30 miles east of Duck Key, Florida. There is usually an upwelling there, and, of late, it was swarming with blackfin tuna. You can call us chicken for opting to chase tarpon instead as NOAA called for 7-plus-foot seas. But we had a big crew of nine with photographers and gear. Turned out, we were wise: Seas built to over 12 feet that afternoon, and we still battled ocean-worthy chop pounding in on us from all directions. Tightly…

The new iDock system adds joystick steering to select models of Evinrude G2 E-Tec outboards for easier docking with twin outboards. Gyroscopic stabilization automatically compensates for wind and current, and a boost mode adds thrust with additional pressure on the joystick. The optional system integrates with the G2’s built-in steering for a relatively simple installation. The best part is the price — $5,999.99. Similar systems start at around $14,000.…

A Florida gator nest is not a good work environment, even when the gators appear to be gone. But right now Scott Beattie is willing to do whatever it takes to rescue the fortunes of pro bass angler Shaw Grigsby. Which is why Beattie is bent over in a Lake Okeechobee gator nest, spinning a socket wrench licketysplit to back off five nuts and drop the damaged gear case from Grigsby’s outboard. It is not a typical morning for Beattie, but few days are routine for a Mercury Marine tournament service support manager. Thirty weekends a year “Scotty B” mans a 40-foot Featherlite trailer stocked with the parts and tools required to keep Mercury-sponsored pro anglers on the water and in the money. I spent a few days in February…

Malibu Boats, one of the leading builders of tournament-level tow boats for watersports, bought Cobalt Boats, a premier runabout brand, for $130 million over the summer. While Cobalt is a leader in the sterndrive market, and according to published reports, Malibu is hoping to use Cobalt’s recent expansion into offering outboard power on some of its models as an opportunity to take advantage of the growth in outboard power — the fastest growing power choice available. Malibu also hopes to use its resources to turn Cobalt’s Forward Drive tow boats into the best sterndrive-powered surfboats. CAPTAIN’S TEST (Answers from page 16) 1. D. 2. D. You need to know the weight of the trailer itself (in addition to the boat, motor, fluids and gear) to determine an accurate GVWR required…

DIY + Weekend Workbook SKILL LEVEL 5 OF 5 FINISH TIME Approx. 3 hours TOOLS AND SUPPLIES • Drill • Jigsaw • Flat-blade screwdriver • Phillips screwdriver • Adjustable wrench • Wire cutters • Wire stripper • Long-nose pliers • Masking tape AC CURRENT CAN BE LETHAL, SO IF YOU ARE NOT CONFIDENT IN YOUR SKILLS FOR THIS INSTALLATION, SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PROFESSIONAL MARINE ELECTRICIAN. Nearly every appliance you plug into an outlet operates on solidstate “brains,” which are sensitive to power fluctuations and current frequency. True sinewave inverters are particularly important today for running computers, smart TVs, refrigerators, and even coffee makers and microwaves due to their sensitive electronic components. Even if your old modified sine-wave inverter is still cranking out 110 voltage, it might be killing…

BOATINGLAB You are a baby boomer if you remember the first bug-spray commercial. It aired in 1960 and featured a lab technician thrusting his arm in a glass chamber of hundreds of mosquitoes. The y were on him like stink on skunks. Aft er a spritz of Off , the tech reached in again and the vermin were held at bay. DEET, an acronym for a chemical name you’ll never remember, was the active ingredient, and today it is still king in keeping mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers and just about any biting bug away. But it is the new millennium, and chemical-conscious people resist applying things to their skin. So 60 years later, has science developed new techniques to keep bugs away? That was our question, and our test was simple.…

After testing dozens of Ranger boats, we’ve come to expect excellence in boatbuilding. Whether it was the heralded Z521 Comanche bass boat or an aluminum fisher, the performance and our physical evaluation have proven top-rate. Would the new Reata line of fishable pontoons equally impress? First, Reata boasts powder-coated tubes to stop the ugly corrosion that almost immediately tarnishes raw-aluminum pontoon logs. This electrostatically charged powder clings to the metal and is baked on in an enormous oven. The result is a finish that resists the elements for years, keeping the protected aluminum structure looking fresh and stylish long after other pontoons have turned dull and gray. Second, sturdy crossbeams are fastened to the integrated powder-coated M-brackets, and the structure is shrouded by a powder-coated extruded molding for a sleek…

WWater skiing’s first ride — and inevitable wipeout — first occurred in 1922. Tow sports have evolved quite a bit since then. First came jumping, then slalom skiing and trick skiing. Barefooting followed in 1947, followed by the radical explosion of wakeboarding in the 1990s. Today, wakesurfing and wakeskating are pushing new boundaries, yet all these sports have a common element: You need a boat to either tow you or create a wake to ride. In addition, each tow sport requires its own specific wake characteristics. In general, slalom skiers want small wakes, while wakeboard riders and wakesurfers want big ones. But it gets more complicated because each wake sport has its own ideal wake shape and size. This makes creating the ideal boat for each sport a challenging task…

Sonny Hendrix is a captain, but not the kind who pilots a boat. He pilots commercial aircraft. I found myself on the same boat with Hendrix during a Florida fishing trip aboard a Pursuit DC 325. The conversation eventually gravitated to aircraft emergencies and how pilots respond to them. In an emergency, a pilot is trained to immediately address three things: 1) aviate, 2) navigate and 3) communicate, in that order, Hendrix said. Aviate means to keep the plane flying. Navigate means head for the nearest airport. Only after quickly addressing these two facets should the pilot communicate with air traffic control. Boat captains might apply the same principles to nautical emergencies, with some marine-related adaptations. 1. STAY AFLOAT This is the boating equivalent of aviate. It’s a top priority…

Many boaters adhere to the belief that if you carry a rain suit aboard, you won’t need it. But if you don’t take rain gear, it will definitely pour. Trailer boaters might apply the same thinking to on-road emergencies. Take everything you might need to deal with boat-trailer breakdowns and hope nothing bad occurs. Of course, breakdowns do occur on occasion. When these happen on remote roads, it can be tough to find the right parts and assistance. That’s when a roadside trailer repair kit becomes valuable. Catastrophic trailer failures such as bent axles, broken springs or cracked frames lie beyond the scope of roadside repairs. Other mission-critical emergencies, however, such as tire blowouts, burnt bearings and even toasted spindles can be resolved with the right stuff . TIRE ISSUES…

SCAN ME See a photo gallery of the Jeanneau NC11 by scanning this tag or visiting boatingmag.com/3024. In France, sailing and boating qualify as national pastimes almost on a par with soccer — and the sports heroes (and heroines) are oftentimes sailors. The French always do an exceptional job of designing boats to be supremely functional as well as stylish but with safety always in mind. Superb handholds are everywhere they should be, and stuff just works. You’ll also find little unused dead space. However, many American boaters have been slow to embrace Euro styling. Jeanneau has done a remarkable job incorporating features that precious few American boats offer and has wrapped them in a package much more suited to the colonists’ tastes. Jeanneau’s NC11 is rife with enough innovations…

Too many wannabe saltwater anglers forgo their sport, thinking it takes $100,000 to procure a seaworthy boat. That may be so for off shore anglers, but the 18-foot outboard is still the sweet spot for family adventure at the inlet, along the beach and in big bays. That’s where we recently tested the Wellcraft 182 Fisherman and found it ready to pursue redfish, stripers, flounder and more, and do it for under $35,000. The 182 not only speaks to the angler, but it also shouts family fun and does it with benefits you wouldn’t expect at this price. For starters, take the standard custom trailer matched to make your boat roll with you. We noted the livewell on the foredeck, plumbed with a stout pump and boasting a tempered-glass front…

Towing a boat never stopped me from exploring new waters that lie a hundred, or even a thousand, miles away. Adventure is what drives me, and I’ve learned with proper planning the road time can be pleasurable and add to the rewarding on-water memories. This proved true when I made my way from Winter Park, Florida, to the Ranger Boats Factory in Flippin, Arkansas, to pick up my new boat, a 2510 Bay Ranger, a few months ago. It had a number of custom features, including a paint color and electronics that weren’t common to the dealer network, so purchasing factory-direct was the ticket. The stage was set for 1,050 miles of boring interstate highway, according to Google Maps. The proposed route would take me through Atlanta (with a collapsed…