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DDDD DDDDVOLUME 36 NUMBER 1 $6.95 TAKE THE BAIT!TAKE THE BAIT! A NEW COLOURFUL INNOVATION 268-44 Crawford Cres., Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 2nd Class Registration Number #43638025 www.powerboating.com 14 TOP NEW FISHBOAT PICKS FOR 2021 EDITOR’S CHOICE CRANCHI YACHTS SMOKER CRAFT 176 EXCURSION PRO DC LUND CROSSOVER XS SEA-DOO FISH PRO 170 YACHTS & YACHTS & CRUISERS CRUISERS 6 6 LuxuryLuxury YAMAHA’S NEW V6 OUTBOARD YAMAHA’S NEW V6 OUTBOARD SPRING ISSUESPRING ISSUE2 Power Boating Canada | Volume 36 Number 1www.powerboating.com Prestige X70 www.prestige-yachts.com Stop Dreaming AND START BOATING!3 Volume 36 Number 1 | Power Boating Canada www.powerboating.com Stop Dreaming AND START BOATING!4 Power Boating Canada | Volume 36 Number 1www.powerboating.com contents 36 On The Cover: Smoker Craft 176 Excursion Pro DC VOLUME 36 NUMBER 1 $6.95 TAKE THE BAIT!TAKE THE BAIT! A NEW COLOURFUL INNOVATION 268-44 Crawford Cres., Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 2nd Class Registration Number #43638025 www.powerboating.com 14 TOP NEW FISHBOAT PICKS FOR 2021 EDITOR’S CHOICE CRANCHI YACHTS SMOKER CRAFT 176 EXCURSION PRO DC LUND CROSSOVER XS SEA-DOO FISH PRO 170 YACHTS & YACHTS & CRUISERS CRUISERS 6 6 LuxuryLuxury YAMAHA’S NEW V6 OUTBOARD YAMAHA’S NEW V6 OUTBOARD SPRING ISSUESPRING ISSUE < YAMAHA> features 8 TECH TALK From Tech to Deck, get your boat ready for spring! 12 FISHING TALK UV coated lures are the new colourful innovation! 36 YAMAHA’S NEW V6 OUTBOARD The NEW Yamaha V6 Outboard is the most feature rich in the history of Yamaha products. 40 6 LUXURY YACHTS & CRUISERS 6 massive yachts from 50 feet to 78 feet 48 EDITOR’S CHOICE 14 TOP FISH BOATS 14 NEW fishboat picks for 2021 ranging from $12K to more than $300K 64 FROM THE VAULTS: CHARMELEE II BELLE OF THE RIVER A 1914 Gilbert, totally complete and original, and restored to perfect condition, happy to be rescued from a long storage 2832 24 we test 24 SMOKER CRAFT 176 EXCURSION PRO DC Compact with top-of-the-line features brought to you by a company ingrained in boating history 28 SEA-DOO FISH PRO 170 A versatile and well-thought-out amazing fishing machine 32 LUND CROSSOVER XS A fresh new redesign from Lund Boats perfectly combining a fish and ski boat $ 38,999 172 TRY TO BUILD YOUR BOAT ONLINE | ORDER A 2021 CATALOG FOR FREE! About Princecraft Boats Inc. Since 1954, Princecraft Boats Inc., headquartered in Princeville, Quebec, Canada, creates unparalleled experiences on the water for shing and boating enthusiasts with "professionally rigged and ready" packages of aluminum shing boats, pontoon boats and deck boats. Its commitment is borne out of a deeply rooted heritage of unmatched craftsmanship, incomparable performance and the promise of years of trouble-free boating. More shermen, families and dealers than ever join the Princecraft family, and create some of the best moments of their lives. About Brunswick Headquartered in Mettawa, Ill., Brunswick Corporation’s leading consumer brands include Mercury Marine outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; Mercury global parts and accessories including propellers and SmartCraft electronics; Power Products Integrated Solutions; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood, Garelick, and Whale marine parts; Land ’N’ Sea, BLA, Payne’s Marine, Kellogg Marine, and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris, Heyday, Lowe, Lund, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Thunder Jet and Uttern boats; Boating Services Network, Freedom Boat Club, NAUTIC-ON, OnBoard Boating Club and Rentals. For more information, visit brunswick.com. Princecraft Boats Inc. © 2020 | A Brunswick Company - Mercury® 90 EXLPT - Galvanized trailer with swing tongue - Tilt steering and slider for captain's chair - 160-watt AM/FM/Bluetooth® Jensen® Stereo with 2 speakers - Removable ski pylon - Bow rider seat cushions - Trailer cover and Bimini sun top (black) - Rear flip-up full-width bench seat - Lockable glove box compartment - Stainless steel ladder - Electric motor plug $ 7,000 includes over of optional equipment for one low price! PROUDLY Suggested prices are in Canadian dollars. Prices shown exclude freight, PDI, and taxes. Dealer sets actual retail price. Photos may show options and accessories not included in the o er. Void where prohibited. O er may be discontinued without prior notice. See your local participating dealer for the conditions and restrictions of the o er and other details .6 Power Boating Canada | Volume 36 Number 1 Publisher William E. Taylor bill@powerboating.com Group Publisher Melanie Taylor-Wallis melanie@powerboating.com Editorial Director Norm Rosen nrosen@taylorpublishinggroup.com Editor Eric Vienneau editor.PBC@@taylorpublishinggroup.com Art/Production Manager Giselle Bansal giselle@powerboating.com Design Tamara Taylor ads@powerboating.com Digital Content Paul Wright / Photographer pwright@taylorpublishinggroup.com Web Design Moe Basha mbasha@taylorpublishinggroup.com Contributing Writers Tim Banse Zenon Bilas / Boat Testers Mike Burns Tom Dillion Garth Cane John Gullick Kenny Hohwiesner Bill Jennings Mark King Chris Kourtakis Claude Leonard Gregg Mansfield Timmy McNamee Mark Rotharmel Steve Sansford Todd Taylor ADVERTISING SALES Todd Taylor todd@powerboating.com Subscription info@powerboating.com Lifestyle Coordinator Todd Taylor todd@powerboating.com Events Co-ordinator Sarah Gregg sgregg@taylorpublishinggroup.com ADMINISTRATION President /CEO William E. Taylor Group Publisher Melanie Taylor-Wallis VP/Special Projects Norm Rosen Accounting Nancy Mueller EXECUTIVE AND EDITORIAL OFFICES Toronto: 268-44 Crawford Crescent, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Tel: 905-844-8218 Fax: 905-844-5032 Montreal: Tel: 514-856-0788 Fax: 514-856-0790 Vancouver: Bob and Carole Taylor, 1745 Rufus Drive North Vancouver, BC V7J 3L8 New York: 777 East Park Drive, Tonawanda, NY 14150 Florida: PO Box 530584, Debary, FL 32753 Subscription Inquiries Call: 1-800-354-9145 Power Boating Canada is published seven times a year by Power Boating Canada, Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec, plus Annual Fish Boats Buyers Guide with a subscription price of $30.00 GST included for one year and $45.00 GST including for two years. US $40.00 for one year. Other $70.00. Material in this magazine may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Power Boating Canada reserves the right to refuse any and all advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statement of facts made by its advertisers or independent columnists. PRINTED IN CANADA CANADA POST PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT NUMBER 43638025 MONTREAL, QUEBEC © 2021 POWER BOATING CANADA Attention Post Office: Return all undeliverables to Toronto office only Volume 36 Number 1 As I said last issue, Bring on the New Boating Season! f you have not thought of purchasing or trading up, you better get on it soon, as most dealer inventories are becoming less and less each week due to COVID-19 causing shortages. For example, a lack of building materials being delivered such as resin, steel, and aluminum etc. is the cause. Unfortunately, most of the boats are being sold before they even arrive, so do it today! As the boating season kicks into gear, there may be confusion- especially for new buyers- about the rules and safety regulations surrounding life jackets and PFD’s. to clear up the myths, see Mark King’s lifeline article on page 10 where he explains safety gear and planning that will match your cruising water. In this issue, our editor chooses 14 Top Fish Boat Buys that should fit your pocketbook, as well as some of the larger crafts in the $ 1 million plus range. Smokercraft’s new 176 Excursion turns heads, Sea-Doo’s all new fish pro 170 is really an amazing fishing machine, the all-new Lund crossover XS built upon their exclusive IPS hull, Yamaha breaks the news with their all-new V6 outboard with a new exclusive TotalTilt™ allowing tilt up from any position with the simple push of the “UP” trim tilt button with better elec- tric steering and more thrust that you ever needed, BRP makes a Bold Decision as they Electrify the industry investing $300 Million over the next few years, and of course, the article getting your boat ready for spring from Tech to Deck. So here it is, another action-packed edition of Canada’s only all-power magazine. It just gets bigger and better each issue! Stay tuned to our Power Boating Canada newsletters and re-designed website for all things boating with power! STAY SAFE, AND SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! I PUBLISHERS PAGE bill taylor PBC William E. Taylor Publisher bill@powerboating.com ® RVDealer NEWS CANADA’S INDUSTRY MAGAZINERVDealer NEWS CANADA’S INDUSTRY MAGAZINE ® ® ® RVDealer NEWS CANADA’S INDUSTRY MAGAZINE BOATCANADA Pontoon & DeckVovlo.indd 1Vovlo.indd 12021-03-03 2:09 PM2021-03-03 2:09 PM8 Power Boating Canada | Volume 36 Number 1www.powerboating.com TECH TALK power boating canada PBC fter suffering through the “big chill,” all avid boaters are faced with the responsibility of making sure their boats get set for spring. It would be so easy to give the boat a bath and drop it back in the water as though it has never been stored at all- but who ever promised life would be this simple? The name for this rejuvenation process is “spring commissioning.” Here are some tips on proper procedures to make sure your boat is in top condition and ready to cruise following the spring thaw. The first thing to do is check the condition of the batteries if your battery is not maintenance free. You should remove the filler caps and make sure the levels are full. If not, they should be topped up with distilled water and the caps put back in place. The next step is to clean both the positive and negative posts and fully recharge the batteries. After they are recharged, a battery hydrometer test can be done by your nearest dealer. A fully recharged battery should have a reading of 1.260 to 1.280, and all the cells should be within .050. If your readings are not good and you are unsure of the condition of the batteries, it would be wise to have a load test done on them. Once you have established whether the batteries are in optimum condition, you can replace the caps and reconnect the cable ends. To help prevent corrosion, apply a thin coat of petroleum-based grease to the battery terminals. (To prevent arcing, sparking, electrical system damage and possible injury, always reconnect the positive leads and then the negative leads; do the opposite when you are disconnecting the batteries.) At this point, open the engine hatches and re-install any petcocks or drain plugs left out over the winter. Be sure that all plug threads are clean and free of debris to ensure a proper seal. Use a good- quality Teflon sealer on the thread. (This is also a good time to install the bilge drain plug.) Once you have completed the above, inspect all hoses and clamps as you reconnect them in their proper places. If your engine is equipped with a closed cooling system, check the fluid level and strength. Top it up as necessary, mixing the ethylene glycol antifreeze and water solution to the manufacturer’s recommended ratio. The next area to look at is the engine drive belts. Each belt should be checked for fraying, cracking, and glazing. Fraying is an indication of improper pulley alignment; cracking is caused by age and expected deterioration of the belt; glazing is an indication of a belt that has been run with improper tension. Once you have established what belts are reusable, you must check them for proper tension, adjusting them to the manufacturer’s specification for belt deflection. At this point, if your sterndrive was removed to avoid moisture and freezing problems associated with winter, it should be re-installed by your nearest dealer. They will check U-joints and grease them is necessary and lubricate the prop splines before installing the drive unit propeller. The final step is the engine start-up and launch. You should check the engine oil level, topping it up, as necessary. Under no circumstances should the engine be turned over or started without an adequate water supply and the bilge blowers switched on. The start-up is done with either a properly installed set of “earmuffs,” a plumbing device that attaches to your sterndrive to stimulate the boat being in the water, or with the boat in the water. (Here is a good environmentally friendly procedure to follow if the boat was winterized with ethylene glycol: start it on the earmuffs before launching and make every attempt to retrieve the glycol solution from the exhaust. Run the engine until only clear water is coming from the exhaust.) Once the engine is started, closely observe the instrumentation to ensure all systems are functioning properly. Inspect the engine for any leaks from the oil, fuel, water, and exhaust systems. Check the fuel pump sight tube, making sure there are no visible signs of fuel in the tube- this indicates a leaking fuel pump diaphragm. Now try the steering system, shifter operation and throttle controls for proper operation.) Following these simple spr ing commissioning procedures should give you a fresh start on a new season of boating. h A Getting the Boat in Shape From tech to deck, get your boat ready for spring.It’s all you need and more than you expected – the Formula 500 Super Sport Crossover! 2200 West Monroe St. • PO Box 1003 • Decatur, IN 46733 • 800.736.7685 • www.formulaboats.com THE F ORMUL A 500 SUPER SPOR T CR OSS O VER is your newest and best choice for taking a time out on the water! Finally, a fifty-foot answer to your private escape with family and friends, combining a commanding offshore ride with unprecedented amenities and luxury. The 500 SSC offers the Formula Crossover heritage of a wide-open, single-level bowrider inviting open station-to-station wandering. From the enclosed coupe-top salon to the aft lounge bar, the 500 SSC is a true evolution and culmination of the Formula SmartZone™ concept. From the full bow lounge forward to the expansive extended swim platform aft, you will find air-conditioned comfort, entertainment and innovation. A full- width motorized glass salon bulkhead allows you to choose your degree of separation or shared fun with the aft cockpit lounges and bar areas. The 500 SSC amenities below offer a respite from the outside world with a true cabin experience. A complete galley at the cabin entry stairs, the large convertible U-lounge forward, a head with Corian surfacing, vanity sink and spacious shower create a residential feel. Slip aft to the separate stateroom with queen-size berth, sofa and complete entertainment suite. The proven, surefooted double-step FAS3Tech® hull will take your complement of guests to dinner across the bay or on far-flung offshore journeys in speed and comfort with the confidence and might of the revolutionary all-new quad Mercury V12, 600 horsepower Verado outboards. The horizons are limitless in your 500 Super Sport Crossover! 500SSC3_4Miami NEW.indd 1500SSC3_4Miami NEW.indd 12021-04-15 11:41 AM2021-04-15 11:41 AMNext >