Boating – June 2019

(C. Jardin) #1

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#3139

CERTIFIED
TEST
RESULTS

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ONLINE

TESTS


AVAILABLE POWER:
STERNDRIVE

Yes, surfi ng is the hottest
tow sport of the moment,
but if there’s one complaint
we hear, it’s about the high
cost of entry—dedicated surf
boats regularly cost six fi g-
ures. With its MDX 201 IO
Surf, Starcraft is looking to
lower the pay it takes to play
by combining a versatile

deck boat with Volvo Penta’s
Forward Drive. The drive is
confi gured with the props
forward so they pull the boat
rather than push it, which
means they are tucked safe-
ly under the transom. This
allows Starcraft, with a few
necessary add-ons, to make
a surfable deck boat.
I had the opportuni-
ty to surf the wave behind
this boat and, while it has
a smaller sweet spot and
doesn’t generate the same
push as waves from a ded-
icated surf boat, it is ride-
able. The key, beyond the

STARCRAFT


MDX 201 IO Surf


SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION
naut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 3.13 3.60 1.10 2.84 3.27 113 130 0 61
1500 5.04 5.80 1.70 2.96 3.41 117 135 1 65
2000 6.00 6.90 2.20 2.73 3.14 108 124 3 67
2500 7.21 8.30 4.50 1.60 1.84 63 73 6 69
3000 11.30 13.00 6.60 1.71 1.97 68 78 8 78
3500 18.77 21.60 6.30 2.98 3.43 118 136 5 76
4000 23.98 27.60 8.00 3.00 3.45 119 137 3 79
4500 27.81 32.00 9.70 2.87 3.30 114 131 2 79
5000 31.28 36.00 13.20 2.37 2.73 94 108 2 83
5500 34.76 40.00 16.80 2.07 2.38 82 94 2 86
5800 36.67 42.20 18.00 2.04 2.34 81 93 1 85
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

High Points
XFolding wake tower offers elevated
towrope attachment point.
XExtended bow and stern platforms both
include four-step boarding ladders.
XReversible, removable backrest creates
a great lounge or spotter post.

Low Points
XWave is fine for weekend warriors, but
may lack the push desired by advanced
surfers.
XLacks grab handles for passengers in
the aft cockpit.

Toughest Competitor
XChaparral’s 21 H20 Surf is a runabout
with Volvo’s Forward Drive, which lists
for $55,765 with the added surf options.

· LOA: 20'4" · BEAM: 8'6" · DRAFT (MAX): 2'11"
· DISPLACEMENT: 2,715 lb. · DEADRISE: 13 degrees
· BRIDGE CLEARANCE: NA · FUEL CAPACITY:
44 gal. · MAX HORSEPOWER: 250 · AVAILABLE
POWER: Volvo Penta gasoline sterndrive to 250 hp

HOW WE TESTED
ENGINE: Volvo Penta V6-240-FWD DRIVE/PROP:
Forward Drive/K1 propset GEAR RATIO: 2.32:1 FUEL
LOAD: 22 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 330 lb.

Forward Drive, is the add-
ed weight. With the surf
package, Starcraft installs
three ballast bags that fi ll
with water to add as much
as 1,385 pounds to the boat.
Surf-oriented trim tabs
form and shape the wake
to the surfer’s desired side.
Zero Off speed control,

located on the dash, keeps
the boat locked in at a con-
stant preset surf speed.
Even with all this, we
found that the bigger the
crowd we brought on board,
the better the wave became.
Thankfully, entertaining
large crowds is mission
No.  1 aboard any deck boat.
This 20-footer can hold
up to 12 passengers, with
seating wrapping around
the cockpit and extending
to the port side into the
bow, which is wide-open
due to the full beam being
extended forward. Add the

removable backrest to the
portside seating to create a
forward-facing lounge. Flip
it over for a rear-facing back-
rest for spotter duty. The aft
sun pad over the engine com-
partment makes for a great
tanning bed—fl ip up the
backrest for a staging area for
a surf session.
After surfi ng, we ran the
numbers and hit 30 mph in
7.8 seconds en route to a top
speed of 42.2 mph. Handling
was nimble while making
hard-over turns at speed,
and the added bite from the
DuoProp propset made the
boat very responsive while
docking. —Pete McDonald

See our video of the Starcraft MDX 201
IO Surf at boatingmag.com/3139.


STARCRAFT MARINE
New Paris, Indiana; 574-831-2950;
starcraftmarine.com

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PRICE: $65,641
(as tested)

78 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JUNE 2019
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