My wife claims that a fine cabernet is the perfect complement to filet mignon. She may be right. Similarly, the new Aviara AV40 is an excellent match with two 600 hp Mercury Verado V-12 outboards.
Early outboard enthusiasts never envisioned pairing the then-tiny motors with such a large, progressively styled day yacht. Start with a V-12 block (think Ferrari or Lambo) of 7.6 liters, then frost this cupcake with a supercharger.
If you've owned a V-12 (and particularly one from Italy), you're thinking "maintenance nightmare." Au contraire. You don't even have to remove the cowling to change the oil; it goes in through a hatch atop the engine. And all the service points are clustered right up front too. In fact, the V-12 600 need only come out of the water for service every two years. Your mechanic might miss you.
But there's more.
How about a two-speed transmission? An industry first, of course, it shifts without a clunk, solving what might be nightmarish fuel economy otherwise and trying to balance a prop that will torque a 12-ton boat onto plane with one that can run as fast as it looks. And that blower evens out the performance through seasonal temperature changes.
But wait, as the Ginsu knife commercials say, there's more. The contra-rotating dual-prop lower unit steers independently, so more of these big kickers can fit into the same space without needing the power heads to turn.
OK, I admit, both features were weird at first. Powering up for our performance tests and carefully monitoring the rpm, I noticed when they suddenly dropped. The engines were clearly more relaxed (and faster). It was like the overdrive on some cars I've owned.
This story is from the November 2022 edition of Boating.
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This story is from the November 2022 edition of Boating.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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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.