Trailer Boats articles from June 2000

Trailer Boats archives from June 2000

CHAPARRAL 230 SSi.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Great looking, nimble, and loaded with conveniences, Chaparral's exciting 230 SSi seems almost like a deck boat in a runabout's clothing. This 23-foot sportboat doesn't suffer from an identity crisis, though -- as Chaparral's "Extended...

GLACIER BAY 2640 RENEGADE.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Imagine a versatile and family-friendly layout stretched across an incredibly seaworthy 26x8 1/2-foot catamaran hull. Now throw in the comfort of amidships settee protected by a wraparound windshield and Bimini with full isinglass[ldots] are...

MANITOU 21 LEGACY.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... If your idea of a good day on the water is plenty of room to stretch out and grab some fun with friends, then you'll love Manitou's new 21 Legacy. This 21-footlong by 8 l/2-foot-wide pontoon represents a new length for this premier builder, and...

Jet Travel.(jet boats)
June 1, 2000... As sportjets grow in size and power, more and more boaters are considering them as genuine alternatives to prop-driven craft Ever since Ole' Evinrude built a small outboard in 1907, propeller drives have dominated recreational power...

Noah's Way.(custom built boat)
June 1, 2000... At 45 feet in length and 81/2 feet in width, Best Boat is the world's largest trailerable craft, or so says the man who commissioned this study in marine metal. After spending a day with Jim Gillette and his brainchild -- a custom-built...

Island Girl.(Sea-Doo Islandia )(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Merging a runabout, jetboat and deck boat into one, the Sea-Doo Islandia expands the boundaries of modern boat design The Sea-Doo Islandia is like an on-off switch. People either love it or hate it, and there's little area in between. I can...

Full Limit.(Seaswirl's new 2600 Striper Limited Edition )(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Seaswirl's new 2600 Striper Limited Edition takes the concept of walkaround fishing boats to new limits As one of the older fiberglass boatbuilding firms in the country, Seaswirl has developed a reputation for quality, performance and...

Don't Try This At Home, Kids.(water stunt shows at amusement parks)
June 1, 2000... Join us as we tour boating stunt shows and watersports daredevil events at 13 of America's greatest theme parks Rich Uncle Bob gives you $20,000 to spend on vacation. Your uncle has always been quirky, but like you, he digs boats, so you...

Torque Master.(6600 (6.6L) Duramax )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... With the powerful new 6600 Duramax diesel V-8 and Allison auto tranny, GM is aiming for a big chunk of the heavy-duty towing market The torque and fuel-efficiency of diesel engines make them the ideal choice for towing heavy boats. That's...

RAYSOUNDER TURNS SUPER-UNIT.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... One item that's been missing from Raytheon's formidable line up is a color LCD sounder -- but that's changing in a big way with the dual-frequency L760 Color Fishfinden Expected to have a street price of $2700, this impressive new...

FURUNO WITH A TWIST.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Thanks to a new twist this year, Furuno's multi-talented GP-J6SODF ($2495 list) and GP-1850DF ($3195) have become even more versatile. Now you can buy these differential-equipped (DUPS) chartsounders in either the existing Navionics and Furuno...

SI-TEX CUTS TO THE CHASE.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Always on the cutting edge, Si-Tex is debuting a chartsounder called the ProFish II Map/Sounder Plus ($1099 street). Featuring a 5.7-inch, 240x320-pixel transreflective color LCD that utilizes bi-refringent technology for superb daylight...

GARMIN MAPS OUT VALUE.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Garmin's GPSMap 168 Sounder brings affordability to the chartsounder equation, as this combo machine lists for $668 -- which isn't much for all the technology you're getting. Based on a 12 parallel-channel GPS receiver, its charting functions...

LOWRANCE GETS ON THE MAP.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Ideal for smaller boats, Lowrance's super-compact LMS-160 Map ($699 suggested price) is a value leader in multi-tasking electronics. Incorporating a 12 parallel-channel GPS, chartplotter and sounder in a waterproof case with a monochrome,...

SIMRAD PULLS OUT THE STOPS.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Boaters seeking top-of-the-line performance (and who are willing to pay for it) should check out Simrad's new CA40 ($8995 list). This chart/radar with sounder is a virtual one-stop shop, providing a fully integrated DGPS, chartplotter and...

HUMMINBIRD TAKES FLIGHT.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Easy to use and loaded with helpful features, Humminbird's NS25 Sonar GPS ($799) is taking off with inland and coastal boaters who want a rugged, waterproof and compact LCD chartsounder. Based on a 12 parallel-channel GPS, the NS25 has a...

MAGELLAN MAP 410 GPS.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... If you're hankering for a handheld GPS/chartplotter, Magellan's Map 410 GPS is among the creme of the crop. This versatile $349 GPS can be taken from boat to boat, or from boat to RV without missing a beat. Best of all, a wealth of databases is...

BIATHALON BOAT.(evaluation of MasterCraft X-5 boat priced at $35,780)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Wakeboarding has become today's most popular towable watersport. A year ago, in this magazine, I predicted that boat manufacturers would develop a menu of boats for use in the discipline. One version is a biathlon boat that does well in two...

LEER'S LT2000 TONNEAU OFFERS SECURITY AND GOOD LOOKS.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Leer has introduced the LT2000, a low profile tonneau made of a state-of-the-art polymer called Telene RIM. The truck bed cover weighs less than 90 pounds, has an outer skin that is impact resistant to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, and features a...

TERM OF THE MONTH.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... "Painter" No, it's not the guy who refinishes your teak trim. A painter is a line attached to the bow of a boat for use in towing or making fast.

SECURESTART JUMP STARTS BOATS AND TOW VEHICLES.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Out at sea and out of starting power? Ready to retrieve, but your truck's battery is dead? Neither situation is safe or fun, but now you can rest assured with the SecureStart Marine Jump Starter from Bolder Technologies. This device weighs less...

FISH BRAINED.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Fish -- or at least the prospects of catching fish -- have a magnetic affect on me. I constantly find myself caught in a piscatorial version of a "tractor beam" -- inexplicably drawn aboard my boat toward waters that may hold fish. This...

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2000... ISLAND TIME I have an opportunity to buy one of the new 22-foot Sea-Doo Islandia deck boats at a price that is almost too good to be true. I don't want to make a big mistake though. Is there anything you can tell me about the Islandia?...

U.S. POWER SQUADRON WILL HELP HANDLE SAFETY CHECKS.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... In the February '00 issue, we mentioned here that the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary's Marine Courtesy Examination program had been revamped and renamed the Vessel Safety Check (VSC) program. Now we have learned that the 50,000-member U.S. Power...

SETTLING WARRANTY DISPUTES.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Boat owners have a new way of settling warranty disputes, thanks to a program established by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), Marine Retailer Association of America and Boat/U.S. The Better Boating Opportunity Action...

BOAT LOAN SIZES SOAR.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... The average size of boat loans rocketed to $43,000, a marked increase from $35,000 a year earlier, according to the National Marine Bankers Association's (NMBA) latest statistics (for 1998). The average monthly loan payment is $500. The...

DODGE LOOKING AT MERCEDES DIJESELS.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Daimler Chrysler has reported it will stop using the 215 hp Cummins 5.9L inline-6 turbodiesel engine in the Dodge Ram pickups, effective with the 2002 model year. The replacement will be a Mercedes-Benz diesel. Our inside sources tell us...

POINTLESS PROJECT.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Tune-ups seem to be a way of life for powerboat owners, a ritual we endure in our search for a few more knots, quicker starts or just plain reliability. Electronic ignition systems have reduced the frequency and difficulty of tune-ups in modern...

ROAD SKILL.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Formal boating instruction is important, yet finishing near the top of your class at your local Power Squadron's safe boating course does not guarantee an accident-free season of trailerboating. By definition, "trailerboating" is an activity...

ELECTRONICS Q&A.(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2000... TV PERFORMANCE I can't believe that direct broadcast satellite television reception is so erratic when I'm just sitting at the slip and wanting to watch a ballgame. Does anyone make a stabilized direct TV marine antenna that isn't as big...

WEIGHT LIFTING.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... In Trailer Boats' January 2000 "Propulsion" column, Technical Editor Jim Barron warned that certain smaller performance boats, such as bassboats (and various other types of high-speed runabouts, I might add) may be incapable of supporting their...

GET ON THE BUS.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... For those of us who grew up believing that to power a light bulb, you had to run a wire from the battery to the bulb, from the bulb to a switch and from the switch back to the battery, things are about to change. Digital controls are...

JRC 1500 RADAR.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Capitalizing on the success of its highly popular 1.5 kW 1000 Series LCD radar-- the first radar to sell for less than $1000-- JRC is launching a bigger, mare powerful stablemate in the form of the 1500 Radar. With a suggested list of $1349,...

STANDARD HORIZON INTREPID DSC VHF.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... There's been much ballyhoo about the privacy and safety benefits of digital selective calling (DSC) radios, even though the U.S. Coast Guard's landbased infrastructure hasn't met the pace projected by DSC manufacturers. Still, the ability to...

INTERPHASE CHART MASTER.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... New from Interphase, the Chart Master Series consists of a color chartplotter and three monochrome versions, available either with or without integrated GPS or DGPS. Utilizing C-Map NT electronic cartography, the units boast Interphase's...

MOTOROLA T6100 FRS RADIO.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Dude! Family Radio Service (FRS) two-way communicators are all the rage[ldots] but we'll bet you've never seen anything like Motorola's new feature-packed T6100 FRS (models from $129 to $179). This thing is loaded for bear! Resistant to...

FISHEYE UNDERWATER CAMERA.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Boaters who really want to see what's happening beneath the surface can open a virtual window with the Fisheye underwater viewing system from Techsonic, makers of Humminbird depthfinders. The Fisheye is available in color or black-and-white...

Fit to be Tied.
June 1, 2000... Wind, surge, current and tides can make tying up your boat at a dock or pier more challenging than it seems. Here's how to do it right The man stepped off the boat with the dock line and walked forward to the cleat on the dock. In the busy...

Back in the Game.(evaluation of the Nissan Xterra priced at $25,145)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... After a series of lackluster tow vehicles, Nissan stages a comeback with the 5000-pound-rated Xterra In the early 1980s, Nissan began to challenge Toyota as the Japanese-American towing leader. New models appeared regularly with engine,...

Tech Letters.(Column)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2000... FINDING THE FICHT In Trailer Boats January 2000 ("Power Trip," page 63), you wrote: "Look for Ficht outboards in the 70 hp range from OMC, possibly by the time you read this." I contacted dealers here in Hawaii, the mainland and OMC's...

TOW CAR.(Column)
June 1, 2000... WEIGHT-DISTRIBUTING AND SURGE BRAKES? I own a 1994 270 Sea Ray Sundancer and would like to occasionally tow this boat approximately 150 miles to Lake Erie. I estimate the boat and trailer weigh approximately 9800 pounds. I am...

SPRINGFIELD MAINSTAY PEDESTAL OFFERS SOLID SEATING IN HEAVY SEAS.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... There isn't anything much worse than a wobbly seat when the going gets rough, but the heavy duty pedestal from Springfield Marine goes a long way to solving that woe. The Mainstay Pedestal is solid and sturdy, yet offers an energy absorbing...

FURUNO'S DOWNSIZED LCD RADAR IS JUST RIGHT FOR SMALL CRAFT.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Furuno offers the 1622, compact and waterproof, 6-inch LCD radar that's perfect for trailerboats. Replacing the 1621MK2, the new model, with a suggested price of $1495, incorporates a more powerful 2.2 kW transmitter with an increase to 13...

AQUA FORCE SWIMWEAR SUITS KIDS WHO HATE WEARING LIFE JACKETS.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... If your little boaters complain about wearing PFDs because they're bulky and uncomfortable, the Aqua Force flotation-device swimsuit may be the answer, Replacing a traditional life jacket, the suit comes in styles for boys and girls and is...

ICOM IC-M1V VHF HANDHELD.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Icom's new IC-M1V VHF ($463 list) marries submersible, die-cast aluminum construction with features that raise the bar for VHF handheld performance. Besides a 30 percent larger LCD screen than coin's award-winning IC-M1 model, the M1V has...

STAY CHARGED WITH THE EXIDE ORBITAL MARINE STARTING BATTERY.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... Exide's Orbital Marine battery offers better performance in two ways. First, it is said to maintain a nearly full charge during the off-season. Then, if it does need boosting, the Orbital Marine battery can be quickly recharged by most...

SUPER LUBE KEEPS YOUR MACHINE RUNNING SMOOTHER.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... This new heavy-duty lubricant combines synthetic base fluids and PTFE micro powders to create a long lasting lubricant that won't evaporate or form gummy deposits. It won't dry out, melt or separate, and is recommended for all applications...

SHURFLO'S WASHDOWN SYSTEM MAKES CLEAN UP ONBOARD QUICK AND EASY.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Perfect for those tough clean-up chores such as fishboxes, anchor chains and decks, the Pro Washdown Kit from Shurflo comes complete with a Pro Blaster washdown pump, Blaster nozzle, Guardian raw water strainer, fittings and a white,...

PRESERVE YOUR NIGHT VISION WITH THE DAVIS LED CLUSTER CORD.(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2000... If you're trying to read a chart and steer the boat at night, a bright white light will certainly illuminate the chart, but will temporarily ruin your eyes' adjustment to the dark. Soft lighting, especially that coming from the 10-foot-long LED...