Things are only getting better in 2023, so check out the latest lineup of boats that can bring out the best in everyone, from high-level watersports athletes to groms getting on a board for the first time.
HEYDAY H20
Heyday's H20, with its pricing and neat features such as the patented Power Platform, makes owning a wakeboat more accessible. Hit a switch and this swim step rises vertically, shortening the boat to less than 18 feet and making garage storage easy, especially when combined with its folding trailer tongue. In the water, raise the Power Platform to keep waterfowl from climbing aboard and doing what they do.
More Heyday ingenuity is shown in the H20's transom seats, which provide guests a unique view of the watersports action behind the boat. Bonus: Extra storage underneath these seats is easy to access from the back of the boat.
With a passenger rating of 12, the H20 offers room for a lot of friends and family to get in on the action together. We found the playpen-style bow very wide, offering loads of space for children and adults alike. Underseat storage throughout this Heyday H20 offers plenty of room for the requisite gear, while a sliding rear bench seat offers another option for guests aboard to watch the riding.
At the helm, the H20 keeps things simple for the captain in a good way. A Simrad touchscreen display on the right complements a stereo head unit on the left. Owners can control all of the boat's functions and systems from this touchscreen, which utilizes a custom Heyday software package, aka GUI ("gooey"), or graphical user interface. Plus, since Brunswick manufactures both Simrad and MerCruiser, the captain can also use the display to check fuel and engine data.
This story is from the Boat Buyers Guide 2023 edition of Boating.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Boat Buyers Guide 2023 edition of Boating.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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.
