2012 express cabin cruiser boat photo

You have to see the newest Regal Express cruiser. Go to a dealer or go to a boat show, but see this boat. She has high style with a very good level of functionality. As a weekend cruiser, she has huge windows and portholes to see out from inside the cabin and a huge (for a cruiser of this length) bed in the owner’s stateroom.

She is 28’ 10” by 8’ 6” and fits under most bridges when on a trailer. Thus, no permit is needed to trailer this fully found cruising yacht. She will take a strong pickup truck to tow its empty 7,585 lbs. weight, however. Figure on a “10,000 lbs. plus” towing load with fuel, batteries, water, boat gear, crew supplies, and trailer included as you would typically would be towing her going down the road.

The owner’s cabin area features the largest bed in her class of trailer-able sleepers. No need to convert a vee seating area into a bed at the end of a day or a week on the water. It is set up and positioned within the cabin area such that the bed linens can stay ready all day long.

This Regal 28 Express is a single engine I/0 boat. You select from a 260 horsepower Mercury Marine Bravo III, a 270 horsepower Duo-Prop, and 300 horsepower with either a Duo-prop or Bravo III outdrive. Since Regal Marine Industries exports so many boats internationally, they also offer a diesel engine choice with a Duo-Prop that is popular in Europe.

2012 Express cabin cruiser at rest boat photo

express cabin cruiser underway boat photo

2012 fiberglass express cabin cruiser queen bed boat photo

1,350 Hp Merc Racing engine photo

Mercury Marine offers through its Merc Racing division a 1,350 Hp engine with a one year warranty for recreational boating. This engine uses four cams (or quad cams) with four valves in an engine that is turbocharged (turbo-compressor induction in Mercury Marine speak) with a 6,500 rpm redline to get this top power from the 9 liter engine displacement (552 cu. in.).

This 1,720 lb. engine requires a Merc Racing’s dry-sump M8 stern drive which uses a integral Merc Racing dry-sump Hydraulic transmission. Expensive stuff, these M8 out drive pieces, but they are built to take the torque of this engine.

M8 Merc Racing outdrive

Additional Hp above the 1,350 Hp quoted is available with a proper engine room design by the boat builder that allows for lower engine intake air temperatures. Some say it can go up to shh! Hp with the right spirit of coordination between Merc Racing and your high performance boat builder. But, that is still a secret number for now.

Use 91 octane fuel only in this engine and select your out drive reduction ratios with the boat, load, and use in mind.

Now, if you want to use 89 octane gas and use a cheaper/lighter stern drive (the dry-sump NX1 SSM), get Merc Racing’s sister offering, a 1,100 Hp. engine, although some reduction grear ratios cause even this engine to be matched to the M8 stern drive and transmission, for good durability to handle the torque multiplier in a performance boat . This engine has the same compression ratio, same bore and stroke, and the same four cam design.

This one is a torque monster developing 1,100 lb-ft as low as 2,500 rpm. It does a single throttle body rather than the two that comes with the 1,350. The warranty stays the same at one year for recreational boating.

Mercury Marine offers through its Merc Racing division a 1,350 Hp engine with a one year warranty for recreational boating. This engine uses four cams (or quad cams) with four valves in an engine that is turbocharged (turbo-compressor induction in Mercury Marine speak) with a 6,500 rpm redline to get this top power from the 9 liter engine displacement (552 cu. in.).

This 1,720 lb. engine requires a Merc Racing’s dry-sump M8 stern drive which uses a integral Merc Racing dry-sump Hydraulic transmission. Expensive stuff, these M8 out drive pieces, but they are built to take the torque of this engine.

Additional Hp above the 1,350 Hp quoted is available with a proper engine room design by the boat builder that allows for lower engine intake air temperatures. Some say it can go up to shh! Hp with the right spirit of coordination between Merc Racing and your high performance boat builder. But, that is still a secret number for now.

Use 91 octane fuel only in this engine and select your out drive reduction ratios with the boat, load, and use in mind.

Now, if you want to use 89 octane gas and use a cheaper/lighter stern drive (the dry-sump NX1 SSM), get Merc Racing’s sister offering, a 1,100 Hp. engine, although some reduction grear ratios cause even this engine to be matched to the M8 stern drive and transmission, for good durability to handle the torque multiplier in a performance boat . This engine has the same compression ratio, same bore and stroke, and the same four cam design.

Merc Racing NXT1 SSM stern drive

This 1,100 Hp one is a torque monster developing 1,100 lb-ft as low as 2,500 rpm. It does a single throttle body rather than the two that comes with the 1,350. The warranty stays the same at one year for recreational boating.

Merc Racing 1,100 Hp engine

getting ready to be the queen of the boat show

The oldest (since 1905) boat show has traditionally had a “Queen of the Boat Show” cabin cruiser power boat.  This year it’s the 54’ 9” Sea Ray Sundancer express cruiser.

Sundancer is a name that Sea Ray applies to their boat models that have an extra bed under the mid-section of an otherwise express style cabin cruiser. The first boat that came with the name “sundancer” was a 24’ 4” SRV 240 Sea Ray in 1975. That boat had a trailerable beam, not the 15’ 3” beam of this year’s Queen.

If they did not invent the mid-cabin boat design (some say that Skipjack boats is also in contention for that recognition), Sea Ray boats certainly has made it a runaway success story among boaters and also within the boating industry.

C. N. “Connie” Ray started building outboard powered 16’ runabouts in 1959 in Oxford, MI, which is north of Detroit. The 2012 queen of the boat show uses twin Mercury Marine Mercruiser Zeus drives.

Today’s boat has up to 1,430 Hp using diesel fuel, not the 25-35 Hp using gasoline as a fuel that the 1959 runabout was powered with. The Sea Ray Queen’s engines are made by Cummins.

The master stateroom is the one that is amidships and not at the bow. It has a TV as big as the main salon, not the smaller one that the forward bow stateroom has. Both staterooms have a “dry” head; that is a bathroom with a separate shower stall so that the entire bathroom does not get sprayed down when the shower is turned on.

By the way, the generous luxury space of the master bedroom can be ordered configured as two small staterooms so this cabin cruiser has three private staterooms if that is what your family needs. In that layout, the Master Stateroom would then be the forward bow stateroom by default.

Note my boat photo of the thru-bolted bollard style cleat that Sea Ray uses as standard equipment on this yacht. It is one of eight onboard, and they are very impressive!

bollard style cleat on Sea Ray boat show queen

Queen of the Boat Show underway

These engines are based on at least two chevy engine blocks with various heads to develop their reliable marine horse power at these levels. The 380 Hp is the one that is popular in a cabin cruiser and bigger family bow riders. Its full throttle rpm range is 4,400 – 4,800 rpm and has a cam and valve train that works best for those kind of rpms. The peak power has been dyno’d at 4,200 rpm before it starts to fall off and the 430 Hp H O verison exchanges some low end power compared to the 380 Hp for more clearly power over 4,000 rpm that then peaks at 4,700 – 4,800 rpm. The full throttle rpm range for the 430 Hp H O is put at 4,600 – 5,200 rpm. A 380 Hp engine will best a 430 Hp power boat up to about 4,000 rpm, where the 430 Hp then really pulls ahead.

Seabuddy has done a sea trial with each of these engines, and in a 7,000 lb type boat it proved hard to tell the difference between them in a pleasure boat application.

2012 Mercruiser 380 Hp 8.2 powerboat engine

Mercury Marine uses its Merc Racing division to sell the 525 Hp EFI bumps up the power and the full throttle rpm to 4,800 – 5,200 rpm. They add even more changes to the engine parts like a different fuel injection system AND a 3.3 liter supercharger to get a rating of 700 Hp at the same full throttle rpm range of 4,800 – 5,200 rpms.

All of these 502 cu. in. (8.2 litre) engines have a bore of 4.47 inches with a 4 inch stroke.

2012 Mercruiser 430 HO 8.2 engine

2012 Mercury Racing 525 Hp EFI engine

2012 Mercury Racing SCi 700 Hp engine

2012 Sea Ray 300 SLX

Sea Ray makes a bow rider that is 32’ 2” in length with its extended swim platform or 29’ 6” with the standard swim step platform. It is a 9’ 8” beam boat that can still be trailered but only with a fairly simple to get permit. The single engine boat typically weighs in at 7,700 without trailer, or anything in the holding tank, water tank, or fuel tank or boat and crew supplies on board. Figure on a ready tow down to the highway weight of around 10,500 to more likely, 11,000 lbs. It takes a good size tow car or truck to tow it. But, what a beautiful runabout!

The single engine choice is a big block 380 Hp 8.2 Mag ECT gas engine with a standard grade Bravo III out drive. The 430 H. O. 8.2 engine or the 525 Hp engine version of the 8.2 is not offered and the 700 SCi (another version of the 8.2 block with a supercharger included as standard) may not fit. These higher Hp engine power choices would require an upgraded stern drive from Mercruiser. Only an inboard outboard drive system is available with the Sea Ray 300 SLX boat model.

The twin engine choices are several. They are small blocks from chevy marinised by Mercruiser in either a 5.0 block size or a 5.7 block. The 5.0 is rated at 260 Hp and the 5.7 makes 300 Hp. That is 300 Hp for each engine for a total of 600 Hp in an about a high mid-twenties length hull.

What further separates these twin engine choices is the separate option of Axius and Axius Premier joy stick control systems. With this, just a single finger joy stick controls the direction and speed of the Sea Ray 300 SLX at lower speeds.

See this Sea Ray boat at the New York Boat Show.

2012 Sea Ray Bow Rider

Sea Ray bow rider Helm Station

This is the book for a Christmas present to a boater.

John Crouse, Dick Genth, Yachting magazine, Jim Wynne, Mike Gordon, the Beatles, Chubby Brown, Walt Walters, the Donzi sweet 16, Bobby Moore, Knocky House, the models, some of the tricks, the Wyn-Mill II, the Banana  boat, outboards, inboards, I/O, Mercury Marine, Magnum Missile, Molinari, Carl Kiekhaefer, Aeromarine, Roger Penske, Betty Cook, and Mark Donohue are all in the book.

It is a who’s who of power boating and power boat racing offshore. A real history of the racing scene.

Don Aronow made the offshore power boat racing scene very early on and made it into the force it is today. He left New Jersey for south Florida while still a young man and built an empire of race wins, trophies, championships, boat building companies, showmanship, and hard work.

It is only really available on the collector book market. The ISBN number is 0945903227.

Get a nice one and have a good look all at the photos and a good read from the material that Michael shares about a rare man in the boating business in this boating book.

One of 419 examples of this model size built the year that she was made and one of the best old style ski boats is this mahogany Century 16’ Resorter model. This one has a replacement 260 Hp Chevy Mercruiser inboard V-8 for power and she really goes when a skier says “hit it”. She is a high speed, speedboat.

A wood runabout Century boat has a good amount of v (vee) at the bow that flattens aft for a very shallow amount of deadrise for the most speed and quick acceleration that a performance boat on lake waters needs.

Further, a Resorter Century from this era used the light but strong batten seam construction style for her hull construction. She has many athwart ship frames as well as having seam covering longitudinal battens that the planks are both fastened to (A separate wood batten runs behind all of the planking seams to add strength and water tightness to the hull in this style of boat building).

 A hard chine, v-bottom mahogany runabout was and is the runabout style of choice for many water sports. She is best described as a utility, as each passenger row is easy to get between, rather than being described as a twin cockpit mahogany speedboat.

Straight shaft inboard runabouts with their separate prop, rudder, and propeller strut, are one of the oldest, most reliable ways to design a timber boat. And, Century was a quality leader in both design and styling in the 1950s era. This classic mahogany runabout was the official tow boat brand in the late 1950s, not a Chris Craft.

Century Boat Company started in the wood boat business in 1926 and by 1969 had stopped production of wood hulled boats as they continued on with fiberglass boats.

The photos are from antique boat america.com that has this boat for sale.

16 century wood boat 1959 model

Dashboard of the 16' Resorter Century

a new Cigarette for 2012

 Cigarette Racing or Cigarette Boats has a new hatch with a special air intake treatment for their 1400 Hp powered Top Gun model.  It features the newest outdrive from Mercury Marine or Mercruiser division of Brunswick.

This hatch is the latest method to get dense air into the engine room and therefore the engine for more boating power.

Cigarette is noted for top shelf race boats and innovation in pleasure boating.  See a 2012 model year Cigarette wherever you can, its worth a look.

New electronics, new colors, and new interiors are very nice, but hot boats, real Hot Boats, are really about performance on the water.

Cigarette Racing is a built in Florida boat, the east coast of Florida. Its is and in the center of fast boats and safe and durable speed on the water.

Other models of Cigarette Racing Boats are made for open water cruising or for offshore fishing.

Check out the back seat leg room for the O/B verison versas the I/O verison. Big Difference.

Nice boat with a nice ride, but many families will need more.

    Wednesday – January 19 12:00pm to 9:00pm

    Thursday – January 20 12:00pm to 9:00pm

    Friday – January 21 12:00pm to 9:00pm

    Saturday – January 22 10:00am to 9:00pm

    Sunday – January 23 10:00am to 6:00pm

Parking-

Astor Parking Corporation, 1515 Broadway at 44th Street, 212.869.3543

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Enterprise Parking System www.enterpriseparking.com 212-564-3199

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