New Boats Hit The Beach

Cabo 36 Express and 40 HTX

Cabo took their 36-foot fish-raising machine and added pods. The new ZF-pod driven version features a trolling mode that allows you to slow the boat way, way down — slower, frankly, than I could get my own shaft-driven boat to move without bumping it in and out of gear. The ZF system was selected because of its low profile, which didn't require the cockpit deck to be raised.

The ZF-pod driven version of the 36 Express reaches a top end of 35 knots, thanks to the increased power-efficiency of pod-power.

I drove this boat, hard, in Ft. Lauderdale, backing it down with the joystick control into the oncoming chop, trying to get it to squat and ship water over the transom. No dice. Later, I launched it over the steep, high wake of a passing 44-footer at full throttle, which resulted in nothing more than a satisfying thud of 25,000 pounds of hull, fuel, motors, and journalists, smacking down on the water. Look for a 40-foot version of the Cabo Hardtop Express in Miami. 

Beneteau Swift

Trawler 44 The Swift Trawler 44 is the middle child in Beneteau's Trawler lineup, which lives up to the swift part of its name with an 18-knot cruise speed, and a 24-knot top end, powered by twin 300-hp Volvo diesels. Though larger than the 42-foot model, it retains similar fuel efficiency at just better than a nautical mile per gallon at 18 knots. This new model features an expanded wheelhouse and flybridge, both enlarged by three feet in length, thanks to a change to the forward window design. The deck is also 16 inches wider than the prior model. Beneteau.com

Sea Ray

Sundancer 410 Sea Ray introduced the new 410 in a brief ceremony at the Ft. Lauderdale show, and a line formed almost immediately after the unveiling. This new 410 is available with or without Zeus pod drives connected to the Cummins diesels, and in soft-top, hard-top, or fully enclosed hardtop with a sunroof. In addition, you can get it in a two-stateroom, two-head configuration, or you can have a foldaway dinette instead of the second stateroom. SeaRay.com

Tiara 4300 Open with Zeus

Pods, pods, pods: Whether ZF, IPS, or Zeus, it seems every builder has caught the pod bug. And for good reason. Tiara unveiled their new 4300 in 2010 and they were back in Lauderdale with a 4300 sporting Zeus drives. This new version reaches the same speeds as the conventionally driven 4300, but uses smaller diesels for greater efficiency. Plus, a new exhaust configuration dropped the noise levels four decibels. Add the skipper-friendly joystick controls, and you've made a good boat even better. From $998,200 with Cummins 600-hp diesels and the Zeus pod drives. TiaraYachts.com

Invincible 42 Open and Walk-Around

Invincible's formula is simple: Take an advanced, twin-stepped hull design, and top it with a single-level deck plan that's sure to please any angler. Hang triple or quad outboards on the back of the 42 Open, and you've got a fast and, thanks to the hull design, remarkably efficient offshore canyon runner. Rear and forward seating is available, as is a power-lifting coffin box forward. With a high-speed pickup feeding the optional sea chest, a bevy of pumps can keep up to 220 gallons' worth of live wells filled and the baits happy. The walk-around version should arrive in 2012. InvincibleBoats.com

Rinker 290 Express

Rinker's new 290 express cruiser is based on the same hull as the 280, but the cockpit and deck layouts are brand new. Rinker took customer and dealer feedback from prior models to make the new 290 more user-friendly, with integrated cockpit and galley spaces, and better access to the aft stateroom. They also built on the popular cockpit design from their 310 model, making seating layout more functional and turning the cockpit into the primary entertaining space aboard. RinkerBoats.com