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title: New Fairline Squadron 68 | Don’t Buy the Wrong Motoryacht | Vessel Vanguard
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The new Squadron 68 is sized for an owner/operator. Her five-blade props had plenty of bite for maneuvering around the docks

| View in browser BoatTEST Newsletter May 13, 2022   New Test Video Fairline Squadron 68 Set Up for an Owner/Operator The new Fairline Squadron 68 is sized for an owner/operator. Her five-blade props had plenty of bite for maneuvering around the docks. A light touch on the thrusters was all that was needed to maintain control. We tested the Fairline Squadron 68 with the standard twin 1,150-hp CAT C-18s, topping out at 30 knots. There was no “best cruise” because her range increased linearly as Capt. Steve reduced the throttle. At 23.3 knots, she was tuning 2000 RPM for a range of 267 nautical miles. At 10 knots, a comfortable delivery speed, she can cover 715 nautical miles. But, perhaps the most important aspect of the new Squadron 68 is her world-class fit and finish inside. Fairline has upped its game. Watch our videos and you’ll see what we mean. More... Watch Our New Test Video Builder's Website   DIY Maintenance Vessel Vanguard Peace of Mind at Your Fingertips Bill Deertz owns a 52’ (15.85 m) Kadey-Krogen long-distance cruiser and he and his wife spend about six months each year aboard. When they purchased the boat, it was already set up with Vessel Vanguard PRO, a subscription-based vessel-maintaining and monitoring service. A trawler has many complex systems and when an owner subscribes to Vessel Vanguard PRO, all the manuals for every piece of equipment are uploaded so they can be accessed by a laptop, smartphone or tablet. It’s peace of mind at the owner’s fingertips. More... Vessel Vanguard Video   Test Video Chaparral 347 SSX One Boat, Many Missions Chaparral’s 347 SSX is designed to appeal to two types of boaters. On one hand, she’s made to appeal to owners of smaller bowriders who want to step up to a bigger day boat with overnighting capabilities. On the other hand, the 347 SSX should attract cruisers who want to move down to a more practical boat that can still provide the amenities for an occasional overnight stay. More... Watch Our Test Video Builder's Website   Test Video Everglades 335CC Outboard Choices Worth a Closer Look Everglades offers its 335CC with twin 425-hp Yamaha XTO Offshore outboards as well as a pair of 400-hp Mercury Verados. Yamaha lists the lightest version of the XTO Offshore at 952 lbs. (432 kg), while the lightest 400 Verado is 668 lbs. (303 kg). A couple of quick calculations show us that a single Yamaha XTO Offshore has a weight-to-power ratio of 2.24 lbs./hp, while the number drops to 1.67 lbs./hp with the Mercury. Double that for twins. The Yamahas will likely have the better bottom end because they are V-8s while the Mercurys have supercharged six-cylinder powerheads. It would be interesting to see the Mercurys’ fuel consumption numbers because they’ll be working harder to push the boat. More... Watch Our Test Video Builder's Website   Video — Electric Outboard Vision Marine Technologies A Strong First Impression With start-up companies all over the world jumping into the electric outboard business, many are finding out that it is easier said (i.e., making a prototype), than becoming a viable business. Many macro issues must fall into place, such as government regulations, availability of high-speed charging at marinas and the public’s acceptance of a new way to go boating where the emphasis is on sustainability not speed. Capt. Steve had the rare opportunity this winter to experience the 180-hp electric outboard from Vision Marine Technologies and to interview the company’s CEO, Alex Mongeon. More... Watch Our Video Vision Marine Website   Boat Buying Advice Buying a Motoryacht, Part 1 Start With the Basics There’s no type of boat more complicated or expensive than a large motoryacht. Making a buying mistake here can literally cost you a million dollars or more. Our detailed Buyer’s Guide tells you how to avoid making a costly mistake. More... See the Video   Boating Business Nimbus Group Reports Strong Earnings Sweden’s Nimbus Group echoed reports of strong boat demand across its markets in Europe and the US. For the first quarter of 2022 ending March 31, Swedish boatbuilder Nimbus reported a sales increase of just over 46%. The company said it was a particularly strong result for what is normally a seasonally weak quarter. More... Read More   Broncos Guru Boneheaded Boaters of the Week Poker Run Pucker Factor Anyone who’s ever participated in a poker run or fun run knows that the start can be rather intense. So imagine being the crew in this lead boat in the water as 25 speeding vessels come roaring down on them. Pucker up boys. More... See the Video   New Axopar 28 Cabin First Cabin Boat to Join the Fleet The Axopar 28 Cabin is one of the hottest boats on the U.S. market. It’s a dayboat with an open cabin that can seat five people for lunch and sleep two. Forward she has a table with seating and aft are two seats and a wet bar. Watch Capt Steve’s review of the Axopar 28 here. Then reach out to SBC’s GM Greg Sweeney to learn more about membership in this remarkable boat in Tarpon Springs, FL. Contact him at 727-200-3474 or email here...   Photo Of The Day "A Little Night Music" by Forest Johnson To learn more about Forest or to order a print of this image, click here.  Share your boating photos with us!  Email Us   Thanks for following us! We'll See You On The Water.  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. BoatTEST.com, 8A Halidon Ave, Newport, RI 02840 Manage preferences |
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