Boating USA — March 2018

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TESTS

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#3059

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#3059

AVAILABLE POWER:

OUTBOARD

On test day, we ran with

a crew of four on a fully

loaded Buddy Davis 42 CC.

We charged out of the inlet

into tightly stacked 4-foot

swells with the occasional

6- to 8-footer rolling

through, bolstered by steady

20-knot winds. The mega

center console handled the

sporty conditions like a true

off shore battlewagon.

With a higher-than-

average 3.3-to-1 length-to-

beam ratio and a sharp entry

that tapers to a 24-degree

deadrise at the transom,

this 42 is designed to slice

through waves. Its stout

resin-infused fi berglass con-

struction helps the boat han-

dle the conditions without

rattle or shudder. The wide

Carolina fl are at the bow

helped to defl ect spray down

and away from the cockpit.

The deep-V hull performed

better at faster speeds —

BUDDY DAVIS

42 CC

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION

rpm knots mph gph naut. mpg stat. mpg n. mi. range range s. mi. angle levelsound

1000 4.00 4.60 7.40 0.54 0.62 292 336 2 69

1500 5.47 6.30 10.60 0.52 0.59 279 321 2 70

2000 6.95 8.00 18.50 0.38 0.43 203 234 4 72

2500 9.99 11.50 27.20 0.37 0.42 198 228 6 73

3000 15.21 19.50 41.30 0.37 0.42 199 229 7 74

3500 26.50 30.50 39.70 0.67 0.77 361 415 3 81

4000 29.72 34.20 51.90 0.57 0.66 309 356 2 83

4500 33.46 38.50 70.00 0.48 0.55 258 297 2 87

5000 38.23 44.00 89.50 0.43 0.49 231 265 2 89

5500 43.01 49.50 114.60 0.38 0.43 203 233 2 90

5800 46.49 53.50 131.40 0.35 0.41 191 220 2 92

MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

High Points

Yamaha Helm Master joystick system

made handling the boat in close

quarters an easy task.

Deck is one level throughout, making it

easy to fight fish from bow to stern.

Standards list is extensive, as are the

possibilities for customization.

Low Points

Leaning post could use a grab handle

for any crew standing behind it on the

ride out.

Toughest Competitor

The Boston Whaler 420 Outrage

( $841,125 with quad 350 Verados)

is a production model with plenty of

family-friendly amenities.

·LOA: 42'1"·BEAM: 12'6"·DRAFT (MAX): 3'1"

·DISPLACEMENT (APPROX.): 24,209 lb.

·TRANSOM DEADRISE: 24 degrees·BRIDGE

CLEARANCE: 11'0"·FUEL CAPACITY: 600 gal.

· WATER CAPACITY:62 gal.· MAX HORSEPOWER:

1,400· AVAILABLE POWER:Gasoline outboards

HOW WE TESTED

ENGINE: Four Yamaha F350 outboards

PROPS: 15" x 19" Saltwater Series XL stainless steel

GEAR RATIO: 1.73:1 FUEL LOAD: 400 gal. WATER

ON BOARD: 62 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 780 lb.

settling into a comfortable

rhythm at around 36 mph at

4,500 rpm.

One thing about long,

skinny boats is they tend

to rock and roll a bit on the

drift or slow troll. That’s

why we highly recommend

the optional ($65,000) Sea-

keeper 5 gyrostabilizer, if

it’s in your budget. Once

deployed, it made the boat

gently rise and fall with the

rhythm of the swells rather

than snap and roll. It made

a four-hour

fi shing trip

in rough seas

seem like no

big deal.

Ready  to

fi sh? Twin 40-gallon

transom livewells keep

the bait fresh. With six

fl ush-mounted holders in

the gunwales and nine weld-

ed into the hardtop piping,

bring the quiver. The cockpit

sole hides twin 156-gallon

insulated fi sh boxes, with

two additional up in the bow.

The entertainment center/

bait-prep station behind the

helm leaning post comes

complete with the requisite

tackle drawers.

While this boat will

please the hardcore crowd,

we should not discount its

family-friendly amenities.

The console hid a well-

appointed cabin with a full

galley and a dinette that seats

four, a separate head with a

shower and VacuFlush toilet,

plus sleeping accommoda-

tions for two. Throw in the

fl ip-down transom jump

seats, the triple helm chairs,

and the lounges in front of

the console and there are

plenty of creature comforts.

Oh yeah, the diesel genera-

tor and air conditioner come

standard. —Pete McDonald

To see a photo gallery of the
Buddy Davis 42 CC, go to
boatingmag.com/3059.

BUDDY DAVIS BOATS

Egg Harbor, New Jersey; 800-947-8778;

buddydavisboats.com

PHOTO: COURTESY BUDDY DAVIS BOATS

Price: $650,000

(base with test power)

62 | BOATINGMAG.COM | MARCH 2018