WEBVTT
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The following opinions are solely those
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of boattest.com and its test captain.
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Bay boats are becoming increasingly popular
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for their ability to get into skinny water.
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Robalo makes a version that
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also handles offshore conditions.
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This is the 246 Cayman, let's take a look,
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for boattest.com I'm Captain Steve.
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Here we have the casting deck with seating
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just behind and these cushions add a family flair
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to this boat.
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We can also get optional back rests that will
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go in this position.
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The table serves a dual purpose, first it turns the bow
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into a small dining area, secondly the bow table
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also forms an integral component of the bow sun pad.
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At the front of the console we have the usual
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forward facing seat, the interior of the console
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is accessed from the front which gives you more room.
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Step down into the head with the optional porta potty.
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All of the bulkheads are protected and the entire
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compartment is lockable.
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Adding to the family features, a flip up rumble seat
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with a seat back 20 inches high, 43 inches across,
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this provides a great place to ride out to the fishing
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grounds, and it's also protected from the wind
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from the console.
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Traditionally bay boats have two casting decks,
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one forward and one aft, and the forward deck
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serves also as the seating.
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Here we have the casting deck with seating just behind.
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Remove the cushions and now we have two casting decks.
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Looking at the storage compartments, fully forward
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we have an anchor locker with anchor keepers
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and this compartment comes pre wired for trolling motor.
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Just behind, 30 gallon live well rounded corners,
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tinted blue, this one's also insulated so it can double
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as a fish box.
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The bolsters top out at 19 inches at the stern
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and 22 inches at the bow, naturally there's storage
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underneath for rods.
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Unique feature, these are tubes that run forward to protect
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the rods from hooking on wiring.
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The aft casting deck gives you eight feet seven inches
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of usable space across the beam.
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It also includes this center insert that's easily
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removable when it's time to bring the engine up.
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Of course, it has dedicated storage.
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There are two rod holders to the stern,
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plus two drink holders that also double as rod holders.
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Notice all the hardware is flush mounted removing
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any concern for tripping hazards.
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To both sides of the casting deck we have aerated
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live wells, 30 gallons each, that makes
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a total of 90 on board.
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These are also rounded, tinted blue to reduce
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the shock effect on the live bait plus these are also
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insulated so they can be used as fish lockers.
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Love the lift and lock latches under this hatch,
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boaters best friend, the five gallon bucket.
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This is a great feature for the cast netters,
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also notice that the hatch opens towards the inside
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so it's easily accessible while the boat's
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still on the trailer.
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Here we have two storage lockers to either side
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for rods, both will hold six rods each.
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These lockable hatches are held open by gas assist struts
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and notice that they're hinged from the front
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so that they're easily accessible from the side,
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good feature when you're on the trailer.
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Full beam storage goes all the way across,
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in the center we've got storage for the two
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pedestals for the table, and just underneath
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if you have a trolling motor, that's where
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the batteries will go.
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Digital gauges come standard, this one has the optional
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command gauge plus an optional Garmin GPS moving map.
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Stainless steel switches to the side are
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a unique feature, all have circuit breakers
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right next to them.
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Stereo remote with an mp3 jack just below.
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Stainless steel drink holders, we have the
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upgraded wheel with the steering nob mounted
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to a tilt base.
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This higher top also includes a standard
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electronics box held open with tension hinges.
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Two cubbies to either side of the compass,
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both have drains in the corners, the one to port
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has a socket for plugging in your cellphone
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or your spotlight.
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The curved windshield offers no distortion at the sides
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and it's mounted into an aluminum frame
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mounted to the top of the console, when the windshield's
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mounted to the side of the console you get dirt collecting
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in the sides, plus the screw heads will create
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a place to crack.
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No sense going from a canvas t top to a hard top,
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Robalo goes directly to the hard top with it's option,
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this one gel-coated underneath, two LED lights in the back,
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one in the front.
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The rails have the optional powder coating and they're
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elongated to grab easier and down below they integrate
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directly into the console.
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The leaning post has 36 ounce vinyl with a ten ounce
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top coat for protection, it also comes with a standard
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backrest, integrated grab handle across the back
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of the leaning post, and below a 54 quart cooler
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held in place by brackets and bungees to the sides.
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Engine choices are a 200-250 horsepower or
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this 300 horsepower engine.
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Notice the raw water wash down inside
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the engine well.
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With full fuel and two people on board,
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we had an estimated test weight of 4,370 pounds,
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we tested with the max horsepower on board,
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in this case the Yamaha 300 xca force stroke,
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turning a 19 by 15 and a quarter saltwater series two prop.
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The speed topped out at 50.1 miles per hour which produced
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a 26.4 gallon per hour fuel burned.
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Best economy was found at 3,000 rpm at 24.7 miles per hour.
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That speed reduced the fuel burn to seven gallons
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per hour giving us the range of 240 miles
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and an endurance of nine hours and 42 minutes
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while still holding back a ten percent reserve of fuel.
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16 degree dead rise at the transit provides
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a good balance between shallow draft
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and offshore performance.
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We also have the extended v planed that our tests show
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provide not only quicker times to plane
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but better stability, notice how as I walk back and forth
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the boat stays on a level plane.
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Sadly, as can be seen here, we didn't get to test
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the sea handling conditions of the 246 but we have
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no reason to doubt that she's as impressive as her
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smaller sister, the 206, which we did test
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in rough conditions.
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The bow has a narrow entry and a wide flare,
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that coupled with the 30 inch height to the rub rail
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gives us a nice dry ride.
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She leans ten degrees into the turns, and if I
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worked her hard enough I could get her to
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shine walk but normal operations showed her carving
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smoothly through the turn with no hint of falling off.
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The sea star hydraulic steering was a little tight
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which doesn't lend itself to cranking the wheel a lot.
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And ergonomics were excellent as she was comfortable
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to operate while either standing or sitting.
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So clearly a lot of thought went into the features
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and performance of the 246 Cayman, but she also excels
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at the little details, and at the end of the day
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those are what make the difference.
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From boattest.com, I'm Captain Steve, we'll see you
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on the water.
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New for 2018 is the sky deck model that includes
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this new tower and a reinforced deck, where most
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other manufacturers would be letting you stand
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on the console, here we have an elevated platform
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that goes from what would be three feet six inches
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up to six feet seven inches.
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And it's feature packed, let's take a look.
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There are ladders to both sides leading up to
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gates to both sides, and notice there are tension hinges
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so it doesn't slam down on you it needs to be
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pulled down into position and locks automatically.
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Look at this we have a double wide helm seat,
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lift it up and it becomes a flip up bolster.
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A lift and lock latch leads us to storage
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and notice the door is held open by tension hinges.
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At the panel the features include a Garmin
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seven inch display, the digital engine control
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over to the right hand side, horn, station selector,
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engine start stop, a stainless steel steering wheel
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with a steering nob, this one's mounted
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to a fixed base, but the next models will all
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comes with a tilt base standard.
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Two beverage holders are fully forward.
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Now behind us there's a nav light, four rocket launcher
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style rod holders, there are four rod holders
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to the back of the hard top and notice that the deck is
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reinforced to accommodate outriggers.