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.
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.