It's a refrain we hear all the time in our travels: New boats have gotten so expensive that they're no longer accessible to most people. To that, we offer the following rejoinder: There are plenty of great boats out there that will get you on the water at a reasonable cost if you know where to look. The following eight boats provide solid evidence that there's a new boat out there for you, no matter your budget.
BAYLINER ELEMENT M15
Price: $16,980
(with 40 hp Mercury FourStroke outboard)
BAYLINER BOATS
Knoxville, Tennessee: 865-971-6311; bayliner.com
Bayliner was on the forefront of building affordable boats for first-time buyers a few years back when it introduced the first Element E16. These boats are designed to bring families onto the water for an entertaining day of boating with little to no hassle and expense. The M15 continues that concept with another solid winner in the affordable new-boat market.
The fiberglass M15 has a deep cockpit and a bow lounge with high freeboard to keep the crew secure underway. Bayliner placed the helm aft along the starboard side, so the driver sits on the transom bench. Doing this allowed for a larger bow lounge for the crew to socialize. All told, the M15 can handle a crew of five. While it's not going to set any speed records (we hit 31.3 mph with the 50 hp Mercury outboard), the M hull is designed to be a stable and predictable platform that doesn't lean to one side or the other depending on weight distribution.
VEER X13
Price: $11,995
(with 9.9 hp Mercury FourStroke)
VEER BOATS
New York Mills, Minnesota; veerboats.com
Bu hikaye Boating dergisinin April 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Boating dergisinin April 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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AFFORDABLE SATCOM
Communications devices using satellite technology are more abundant today than any time in the past. What's more, many are portable, ultra-compact, affordable relatively and designed for boating, dispelling any perceptions that you need a big, expensive dome antenna aloft to access satellite communications.
IN THE BEGINNING
REPOWERING FOUNTAIN HULL NO.1
NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0
Engine charging at 48 volts could be a game-changer.
PROPS FOR INNOVATION
Sharrow MX3 propellers live up to most of the company's performance-improvement claims.
MERCURY RACING 500R
Supercharged power for a variety of boats.
FLIPPING THE SWITCH
Much reporting focuses on reasons why one might choose electric marine power. The issues of range, speed, noise levels, winterizing and ethanol challenges, lake restrictions, environmental concerns and more all must be resolved on an individual basis. Little gets said about how a boater choosing to repower with electric actually gets that accomplished. Is it DIY? And if not, how does it get done?
TOW-VEHICLE TECH
If it's been a while since you bought new tow vehicle, you might be surprised by the many built-in advancements in trailering technology. New tow tech ranges from integrated weight scales and adaptive suspensions to systems that automatically back up your truck to hitch up your trailer. Here are a few examples to look for. -Jim Hendricks
MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER
Three Boating greats offer advice for a perennial reader query.
STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.
My brother-in-law likes to fish offshore reefs, and the process once entailed navigating to a mark, dropping a float, and idling upwind or up-current to drop the anchor in hopes the set would drop us back to the float.
FOR WANT OF A CLAMP
When 100 miles from shore, home and help, this boater’s preparedness prevented potential catastrophe.
