Fishing boats have to be more than casting platforms, livewells and fish boxes. Today's boating family doesn't confine itself to inshore or offshore fishing. In fact, they might decide they don't want to fish at all on any given boating Saturday. That's what GradyWhite had in mind when it designed its first Coastal Explorer, the 251 CE, nearly 10 years ago. It's been so successful, we wondered why Grady-White waited so long to bring out the larger 281.
The 281 CE is 27 feet, 7 inches in length with a 9-foot-4-inch beam and designed to run nicely on a single Yamaha XTO 450 or dual 300s. Our test boat sported the latter (an approximately $30,000 upgrade with full maneuverability), and it's exactly how we'd equip it. Here's why: First, there is the redundancy factor; if one engine goes down, there's a second to get you home. Second, with dual engines you get joystick maneuvering and all the FishPoint and StayPoint features. And when equipped with full maneuverability, Yamaha's engines provide an autopilot experience that is hard to beat. Garmin's system with GN+ charting and Yamaha engines make it easy to set an auto route for a complicated course between two points. It is so sophisticated, it will decelerate, stop and engage StayPoint right over the waypoint, holding the boat in place while anglers ready the lines. Single and dual setups both reward the owner with top speeds that exceed 50 mph.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Boating.
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This story is from the May 2023 edition of Boating.
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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.
