EASY PEASY BOATING

What's bigger than a kayak, smaller than a technical skiff, and fits in the bed of your pickup truck? Why, it's the new Veer X13, the first model from a new boat brand just revealed by Brunswick Boat Group.

- Charles Plueddeman

The Veer X13 debuted in Las Vegas earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) alongside the Mercury Avator 7.5e electric outboard motor. Veer and Avator have been teased for some time and aimed at "younger and more diverse consumers." 

The Veer X13 will initially be sold with a rope-start Mercury FourStroke 9.9 hp internal-combustion outboard ($11,995 including a galvanized trailer). The electric Avator will not be ready for sale until later in 2023. The X13 is the first of several Veer models expected to debut in the next year or two, each designed to make boat ownership as accessible as possible. Like other outdoor gear, buyers can configure and order the Veer online (veerboats.com), make down payment, then take delivery and pay the balance at a Veer Boats dealer. We expect Veer models to also appear in Brunswick-owned Freedom Boat Club fleets.

CHANGING THE COURSE

The Veer X13 was engineered by the angling experts at Lund Boats, also a Brunswick brand. The boat is roto-molded in one piece in polyethylene, with its internal cavity filled with rigid foam. The beam is 4 feet specifically to fit between the wheel wells of most pickup truck beds. The boat weighs 382 pounds without power, so you are not going to pick it up and toss it into a truck bed. A support beyond the tailgate will be required. The boat and motor on its trailer weigh just 835 pounds, an easy tow behind just about any vehicle. The capacity is two passengers and 550 pounds.