Boat Tests

Want to buy a boat the easy way? Stuart Field heads south to find out just how effective the trailer-free EzyBoat can be . . .
As a rule of thumb, boaters tend to be somewhat conservative. when buying a boat revolutionary designs and building materials are rarely met with instant enthusiasm and widespread acceptance. Yes, RIBs, multi-hulled sailing craft and personal watercraft are still pretty new in concept. But in fairness, reed boats have employed the buoyancy concept of the RIB for centuries, many traditional war canoes are multi-hulls and fast boats have been around since well before the petrol engine. So perhaps this boat test will cause a few raised eyebrows among the boating fraternity.

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Upon his visit to test the Trusty 23, Stuart Field discovers a ‘little ship’ to rekindle the fire in an old sailor’s loins.

Over the years, we have learned that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Boat Mart reader’s boat. Indeed our readers are as diverse as the boats they own and yet I’m certain that this feature will strike a chord with every one of us, because the Trusty 23, built by Trusty Motor Boats in Kidderminster, is one of those vessels that always manages to attract attention. In just a few short years, its traditional styling and high-class finish has become legendary but, before we get down to the nitty gritty, let’s spend a few minutes savouring the Trusty 23 itself . .

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Stuart Field takes a first look at the Mariner 700, the hotly anticipated new prototype fisher from ABC Marine.

The Mariner 700 Sport Fisher was first seen at the 2010 Birmingham Boat Show, where it towered over the Kruger boats also exhibited by ABC Marine. It inevitably aroused a hell of a lot of customer interest, so when an invitation arrived to give the pre-production prototype its first test, my acceptance was naturally instant.
The prototype preparation

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The 59 SC majors on style, but is there substance beneath the swagger of Finnmaster’s latest open boat? Boat Mart sent Alex Smith to find out.

There’s something gratifyingly simple about an open sports boat. In this boat there’s none of the bulk or weight of a cabin. There’s no hard top to catch the wind, clutter the deck, wallow in the turns or trap the engine noise. With boats like these there are no tubes to inhibit internal space, drag on the surface or elevate the price. And there is far less in the way of GRP structure to separate you from the water. These boats are just a hull with a deck, a console, a couple of seats and an engine on the back and, quite apart from enabling you to feel that bit more involved with the environment, there are at least three very desirable benefits to be gained from that . . .

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