At the Miami Boat show, the atmosphere was quite different this year. Upbeat for a change. I guess the manufacturers have all decided they can either stay in business and do what's necessary to sell boats... or they can remain stagnant and go out of business. I think they chose the first option.
Saw lots of new stuff. Gadgets, accessories, a few new hulls, and some new electronics.
Got to take a 29' Everglades out for a cruise, and this one was equipped with the new Honda 250's. Sweet motors.! These engines growl and they've got plenty of pep. Not the utilitarian feel of the previous Honda powerplants. More on the line of the Yamaha V-6's.
The 29 Everglades is a HEAVY boat, and twin 250's got it up to 54 mph. Seemed pretty miserly on fuel too...all things considered.
The 250's come with a bumper to bumper, factory-backed FIVE year warranty. No 2 years from the factory, then 3 years from a 3rd party company. The USCG had a lot of input on the motor, and the control systems, and they've picked up a contract to keep Honda's on the backs of a lot of their fleet.
The Everglades is a really nice boat, but a bit pricey for a poor farm boy like me. I took a look at the offshore line-up from Sailfish, and liked what I saw. Mid-range price. Lots of goodies on the boat. Fishable. And some creature comforts too. Only issue I had was the location of the bilge pump. Could be hard to get to in a pinch. Everything else was neat and nicely laid out... from wiring to functionality.
Looked at both the 26 and the 28 footers. Their 31 is really sweet, but it might present too much of a towing challenge (fuel costs for the truck), to haul it from east coast to gulf coast, etc. on a regular basis.
Here's a couple pics.
The 2680 26 footer
The 2880 28 footer
If anyone has any input and first-hand experience with these boats --- pro or con -- it would be good info to have before I get too deep in negotiations. Magic Tilt Trailers has come on board and will be the official trailer partner for the new season.
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