Each year at holiday time, we look over our server logs to discover the most popular boat tests and boat articles/reports we published in 2021. If you missed these boats and reports when first presented – you can catch up now. Please open our newsletter every day. It’s a quick way for you to see the best of the best.
Happy Holidays!
– The BoatTEST Team
#1 Researched Boat
Formula 500 SSC
Luxury Crossover Yacht w/Quad 600s
The #1 researched boat on BoatTEST in 2021 had a double-whammy of interest, not only because of the design itself but also because she was powered by the quad 600-hp Mercury V12 Verado outboards that were introduced on this vessel. The Formula 500 SSC is a dayboat/weekender extraordinaire. She’s full of practical innovation, not gimcracks, which is what we expect from this quality-oriented company. There is literally nothing quite like her. More...
Avid Boats was a start-up in 2021 and we were happy to give founder Phillip Faulkner a leg up. The boat got a surprisingly positive reception from our readers. The build is unusual because it marries aluminum hulls with fiberglass decks and consoles. The company builds 11 models from 18’ to 23’ (5.4 m to 7 m) and is located in the home state of a famous American author by the same last name as the founder. More...
We couldn’t think of a more enjoyable or appreciated holiday present for the whole family than a cruise up the Inside Passage through British Columbia and the Alaska panhandle. NW Explorations, located in Bellingham, Wash., is one of the most highly regarded charter companies in the U.S. and it’s regularly used by the New York Yacht Club and the Cruising Club of America. NWE is best known for its annual “Mother Goose Flotilla” that starts in May and concludes in September.
The route is divided into eight legs that typically last from 10 to 12 days. The flotilla consists of five bareboats, plus the Mother Goose, where the guide, naturalist, mechanic and dock boys stay. They serve as a floating concierge service for the fleet, setting up side trips to see the bears, catch salmon and organize crab boils on the dock. BoatTEST’s founder can vouch for NW Expeditions and that is why it has our Recommended Gold Seal. There are just nine boat-legs available, so now is the time to book. More...
Absolute’s Navetta 58 has the look of a long-range cruiser with her plumb bow and protruding brow over her lower helm windshield. But, as this image shows, she is also an able dayboat entertaining platform with outside venues on her foredeck, aft deck and flying bridge. Her extra-large flying bridge has a spacious boat deck for a tender, as seen here, or as a sunning spot. The main deck is laid out with the galley between the aft cockpit and salon. She has luxurious appointments and amenities, as one would expect from a premium Italian-built vessel. Belowdecks she has a full-beam master stateroom and sleeps six in three cabins. More...
Check out Capt. Steve’s top picks for this year and bring a smile to the boater in your life. Watch our videos to find out where you can buy them and what special discount deals are going on now.
This year Yamaha’s jet boats became the only brand remaining in class. We think that’s a testament to the quality, constantly improving features and value/price equation. The proof is that Yamaha jet boats out-sell the next brand by 2:1. They are powered by twin 1049 cc TR-1 HO engines with jet drives. The Yamaha SX210 is a do-anything boat for an active family. More...
Tom Brady will keep his new yacht at a marina in the St. Petersburg area.
NFL quarterback Tom Brady took delivery of a Wajer 55 S yacht. The yacht has been named Viva A Vida in honor of his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen’s environmental initiative to plant more than 200,000 trees in the rain forest. More...
When it comes to propellers, BoatTEST has some of the most popular content on the Internet and this is our #1 prop article for 2021 (and the recent Sharrow test is catching up fast). The continuing debate on whether to choose a three- or four-blade propeller is centered around individual boating needs. Speed, acceleration, handling and fuel efficiency are factors to be considered. More...
Pontoon boats continue to be one of the most popular types of family craft (selling more than 50,000 units in 2021). As a class, it ranks third after PWCs and aluminum fishing boats. Whether a family is looking for a twin-pontoon design for leisurely cruising or a high-performance tri-toon with 500 hp of outboard muscle clamped to the stern, the following are our most important search criteria for this type of boat. More...
Conversations about lower unit lubrication don't typically generate much interest around the launch ramp. That is until someone gets water in his/her lower unit and loses a gearcase. It happens more than you may realize because all of the power and torque of your engine, turning at thousands of rpm, are concentrated on two small rotating metal surfaces. More...
SBC’s Regal 33 SAV was so popular and sold out memberships so fast, we just had to get a second one. Regal calls it the Sports Activity Vessel. This luxurious $400k+ dayboat does it all and has overnighting capabilities, too. Now, SBC has a second 33 SAV available for members in St. Pete/Tierra Verde, FL, a tiny residential island with immediate access to the Gulf of Mexico. Don’t miss another opportunity to get access through an affordable annual or seasonal membership with the Sovereign Boat Club. More...
Some or all of the content contained in this newsletter may be sponsored. BoatTEST makes all possible efforts to ensure all material that is published in this newsletter is true and accurate.
