Duncan Kent takes us on a tour of the Hanse 505 at the 2014 London Boat Show. The boat is especially designed for shorthanded blue water crossing - so it's ideal for a couple to handle alone, as well as having plenty of space for entertaining. For a full review of the boat see http://uk.boats.com/boat-content/2014/01/hanse-505-a-successful-reinvention/. To read more about the video see http://uk.boats.com/boat-content/2014/02/hanse-505-video-first-look More boat reviews are on uk.boats.com

The Harris FloteBote Sunliner 240 may be a luxury machine, but when we reviewed this pontoon boat we discovered surprisingly sporty performance, too. Read more: http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2014/01/harris-flotebote-sunliner-240-video-pontoon-boat-review/ For more boat reviews and performance tests, visit www.boats.com.

Alex Smith takes a tour of the new Fairline 48 powerboat "Open" version as seen at the London Boat Show. Read more at http://uk.boats.com/boat-content/2014/01/fairline-48-video-first-look For more boat reviews see www.uk.boats.com

Has your eye wandered to pontoon boats, lately? It's no wonder - with models like the Cypress Cay Cozumel 240, descriptions like fun, fast, and sexy come to mind. The Cozumel 240 has two big lounges up front, built on roto-molded bases with stowage beneath. There's also a giant stowage compartment in the deck, inside the third pontoon, where you can fit water skis, wakeboards, and other water toys. Twin captains chairs sit amidships, and there's also a pop-up changing room. But our reviewer's favorite feature is the dual recliners in the stern. He also liked the 250-hp Mercury Verado outboard on the motor pod. Pontoons aren't known for their great handling and performance, but in this case, it's plenty impressive: a top-end of over 45-MPH, and excellent acceleration through the mid-range. http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2014/01/2014-cypress-cay-cozumel-240-video-pontoon-boat-review/ For more video boat reviews, visit www.boats.com.

2014 Princecraft created the Sport 177 for family fun, while keeping safety in mind. There are grab handles always within reach, two live wells, a casting deck that transforms into family seating, and a tall windshield for weather protection. The boat we tested was set up with a trolling motor as well. http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/12/2014-princecraft-sport-177-video-boat-review/ For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com.

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/11/princecraft-vectra-23-video-boat-review-2/ For more boat reviews and performance tests, visit www.boats.com. What do most of us do on pontoon boats? We lounge. And the Princecraft Vectra 23 has plenty of space for lounging. No matter what kind of boat you buy, you don't want to pay for things you don't need - so it's refreshing to see that the Princecraft Vectra 23 pontoon boat isn't loaded with a bunch of cost-adding extras no one really cares about. The helm's also nicely laid out, with a stereo, lighted rocker switches, and gauges. The windscreen is removable, too, so it's easy to clean. Princecraft Vectra 23 The 2014 Princecraft Vectra 23 is simply laid out with plenty of lounge space. You can upgrade the Vectra with the Classic package. Our test boat had it, and the graphics really make it look a lot nicer. Plus, other areas of the boat show that a lot of attention is paid to detail. Look at the Bimini wiring, for example, which has a waterproof quick-disconnect, and runs up through the aluminum frame.

With the Princecraft Nanook DLX WS on our boat-testing agenda, I was happy to head to Canada - I love testing a hard-core fishboat. And that's exactly what the Nanook is. But for a fishboat, the Nanook's performance might surprise you. With a 115-hp Mercury four-stroke outboard I cruised along at close to 30-mph, and topped out at over 46-mph. But let's get right to the fishy parts of the Nanook: for starters, instead of carpet it has an easy-to-clean nonskid deck. Now, take a look at the cockpit. It's kept wide-open, for maximum fishability, and there's a 34 gallon livewell in the aft deck. A vented, locking, center-line rodbox holds up to six rods, the hatch raises open on gas-assist struts, and you'll also find an on-board battery charger hidden in there. There are plenty of pedestal mounts so you can move a seat to change fishing positions, and there are plenty of trolling motor options to choose from. One beef: the glove box lid should be stronger, IMHO. http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/11/princecraft-nanook-dlx-ws-video-boat-review/ For more video boat reviews, visit www.boats.com.

The new Tiara 50 Coupe is a real departure for Tiara, with its all new look, larger windows, and pod drive power; things we mentioned on the boats-blog, in Tiara 50 Coupe - Molding a Modern Blend. Editorial Director John Burnham wrote that blog after seeing a 50 Coupe under construction, at the Tiara plant. But inside this boat is also quite interesting, as reviewer Jeanne Craig discovered when she saw the completed boat at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Join her in the saloon, to find out why. For more information on the Tiara 50 Coupe visit Tiara, and watch boats.com for our upcoming boat review. http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/11/tiara-50-coupe-first-look-video/ For more boat videos, visit www.boats.com.

The Princecraft Quarum 25 SE is an all-new pontoon boat, and it has a rather unusual layout - there's a full bar and food-prep area on the port-side stern deck. The boat also has a huge cool-factor, tricked out with touches like blue LED lighting, spinning, height-adjustable bar stools, a sporty steering wheel, and a simulated-burlwood dash. Watch the video or read the review on boats.com, to learn all about this party barge. http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/11/princecraft-quorum-25-se-video-boat-review/ Read the Princecraft Quorum 25 SE Boat Test Notes: http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/11/princecraft-quorum-25-se-boat-test-notes For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com.

http://uk.boats.com/boat-content/2013/10/first-look-video-orkney-longliner For more boat videos, visit uk.boats.com. Boat reviewer Lenny Rudow didn't come to the Southampton Boat Show to report to boaters in the UK. But when he encountered the Orkney Longliner he couldn't resist shooting this First Look video - even though this boat isn't sold in the States. Why? Because this is a great little fishing boat which provides a lot of value for a very low cost. Why not have a look?

http://www.yachtworld.com/boat-content/2013/10/mangusta-94-short-take-video/ For more boat reviews, visit www.yachtworld.com. Reviewer Diane Byrne takes us through the Mangusta 94, a yacht with a cockpit on the bowdeck, a big flybridge sunpad, and a glorious salon with seven feet of headroom and four skylights. In this Short Take video, you can see all of these features and more.

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boat-content/2013/10/02/princess-88-short-take-video/ For more boat reviews, visit yachtworld.co.uk. At the Southampton Boat Show, we shot a Short Take video of the all-new Princess 88. This motoryacht is shockingly luxurious, but what really sets is apart from the fleet is the level of technology and craftsmanship used in its construction. The structure of the Princess is resin infused, and attention to detail is second to none. See it for yourself, by watching the video.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boat-content/2013/10/sunreef-80-carbon-sailing-yacht-short-take-video/ For more boat reviews, visit www.yachtworld.com. The Sunreef 80 Carbon is a sailing catamaran yacht which employs the latest in construction and design. Reviewer Diane Byrne starts with the helm, where an amazingly advanced display shows rig loads under sail. The boat even broadcasts this info to the Sunreef factory in Poland, where they monitor the boat's performance.

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/09/pathfinder-2200-live-baiting-bonanza/ For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com. The 2200 TE has a pair of 4 0 gallon wells under the aft deck, plus a 15 gallon livewell up forward. Yowza, that's a lot more capacity than you'd usually hope for in a boat of this size—and it means you can haul dozens of pinfish, herring, shrimp, and/or whatever else you think those fish might be feeding on. If you are a live-baiting finaddict, you probably also spend a lot of time tossing a cast net. Or maybe two; one with small mesh for the white bait, and another with larger mesh for capturing pogies. No problem. The Pathfinder has two in-deck cast net stowage compartments. And there's dedicated stowage for rods and reels, this time in the form of locking rodboxes which complement the four flush-mounts, two horizontal racks under each gunwale, and the four vertical racks on either side of the console. In total, you can bring 26 rods aboard and have a place to put each and every one. Even tackle gets a special place, in the three-tray box that swings out from the front of the console. Room for improvement: the door swings closed too easily, and when accessing it in rough seas, I wish the hinges had some friction to slow the swing down. On the flip side, this arrangement does make it easy to remove the door and tackle trays completely, so you can access the inside of the console from up here.

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/09/2014-cruisers-sport-series-279-video-boat-review/ For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com. Bowriders are fun, but some of us need to have a cabin. Maybe you have little kids, maybe you want to get out of the weather, or maybe you need extra stowage space. Hence, the Cruisers Sport Series 279, a brand new cabin boat from Cruisers. The cabin has a mini-galley with a counter, sink, and storage. You can enjoy the cabin with a table (thank you Cruisers for using a nice solid table), or turn it all into a berth. Yes, it is a little tight getting in and out. What about the head? It's not in the cabin, which is an advantage since it doesn't get the cabin all stinky. The door hits the seat as you open it unless you flip up the bolster first. There's a built-in cooler and a removable cooler, with tops that stay open on a strut for easy access. This is the first boat to hit the market in the Cruisers Sport Series with a cabin. Jon Viestenz says: the weight forward improves the overall performance. It helps you get on plane quicker. The engineroom has the same proceedures and processes of Cruisers larger yachts. The stringers are thicker, the engine mounts are fabricated aluminum, and everything is labeled. It even has a back-up bilge pump switch. In the cockpit you have a freshwater sink, flip-up bolster seats, and a big stowage box in the deck with a gas-assist strut, gutter, and gasket. There's also a nice flip-back lounge, a self-deploying swim ladder, and a built-in cooler. You might think a family boat like this doesn't have thrilling performance, but you'd be wrong. Top end broke 47 mph and we cruised in the mid 30's. Many of us with open boats dream of having a cabin like this.

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/09/2014-cruisers-sport-series-278-extreme-package-video-boat-review For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com. If you want to live life at the extreme - catch big air when you go wakeboarding, and enjoy activities like wake surfing, then check out the Cruisers Sport Series 278 bowrider with the Extreme Package. Equipped with a Volvo-Penta V8 that puts 320 horsepower through the drivetrain, we came close to 50 mph and we cruised well above 30. You can turn radical hair-pin turns, too. Check out the notch in the chine. That helps the hull grab and you can whip it around. You might ask yourself just how strong a tower Cruisers put on the boat. Don't worry about it. Even the board racks are tough aluminum. This boat also makes relaxing easy.The aft bench seat flips back into a big lounge. The swim platform has gobs of acreage, a built in cooler, a waterproof stereo remote, a swim ladder, and its cut at an angle so you don't hit the dock. Inside the roomy, locking deck boxes the floor is solid, not like some which have a shell inside. Open the console hatch to see a big awesome woofer for the stereo system, but the plastic door is flimsy. Cruisers added a self-deploying ladder to the anchor locker. I wish there was a strap or support for the hatch so the hinges didn't get stressed. You can get an eyeball on the notch in the chine that helps the boat turn, but why is the surface non-skid? Jon Viestenz answers: That surface is rough to create turbulence so there's less friction and the transom has more lift. So it acts like a step introducing some air. If you're ready to start living life to the extreme, the Cruisers Sport Series 278 will help you do it.

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/08/2014-cruisers-sport-series-259-video-boat-review/ For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com. If you really want to understand how a boat is going to last over the long haul, you've got to have a deep understanding of how it's built. Now we came here to Oconto, WI to test this Cruisers 259. Let's go visit the plant and see exactly how this boat is put together. We wanted to get you a really indepth view of how these boats are built, so we came to Cruisers' factory. Now Jon, one thing I noticed today as I was swinging the seat back and forth: It's solid as a rock. And now we can see how. Will you show us? Jon Viestenz, Cruisers Product Manager: The reason our hinges and any moving parts seem solid is because we take the time to put quarter inch aluminum backing plate into the lamination schedule. Those are specifically mounted in places where we're going to attach to the fiberglass part with hinges, seat bases, cleats - it's throughout the whole boat. Now I want to move on and show you some of the features of this boat, but we just can't close this engine room hatch yet. First off, look at the step with the non-skid. Most boats this size you won't find that. Now let's take a look at how Cruisers set up the bilge pump. I love this: pump, float switch, back up float switch!

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/08/maverick-hpx-v-ii-flats-boat-fantasy/ For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com Most fishing boats are built to accommodate a wide range of situations, the most obvious example being the do-everything center console. Then you have some more finely-tuned fishboats, like bay boats designed for chasing inshore gamefish, bass boats designed for casting in lakes and rivers, and convertibles and expresses designed for trolling offshore waters. But few species of fishboats are as highly specialized as flats boats, and one sub-set of flats boats that's even more specialized is the technical poling skiff. The new Maverick HPX-V II is a prime example of why—this techno-poler may be pint-sized, but it's big on high-tech construction and performance. Built with a vacuum-infused carbon/Kevlar hull, 12 degrees of transom deadrise, foam coring, and carbon-reinforced floor stiffeners, the HPX-V II is designed to blast through the shallows at high rates of speed and maneuver like an Italian sports car. And it does. But enough gab—see what I mean first-hand and take a look for yourself.

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/08/sneak-peek-at-the-cruisers-yachts-328-bowrider/ For more prototype videos, visit www.boats.com. News Flash: Cruisers Yachts is coming out with a Sport Series 328 bowrider, which will bring an entirely new form of usability to boating. We happened to visit the Cruisers factory (while filming a Cruisers Sport Series 208 video boat review, among others), and one of the other production lines caught our eye. Go ahead, click on this video - we're betting it'll catch your eye, too. At 32'11" long and with a 10'6" beam, the hull carries a cushy bow cockpit full of seating. But monster-sized bowriders have been creeping into the marketplace for several years now, so how is this one different? When we climbed aboard over tools, plastic, and other still-in-progress signs, we quickly saw that Cruisers did not follow the usual concept. Most boats of this type have a cabin with standing room built up into the helm station console and/or the passenger's console, with a stoop-and-scoot section beneath the deck of the centerline walkway to the bow cockpit. It's a nifty use of space, but it does force a lot of contorting to get around when belowdecks. Instead of following this pattern, Cruisers built the walkway to the bow on the port side of the boat. The helm is to starboard, with the cabin door along the centerline. Net result? The entire cabin is stand-up size and you don't have to do any ducking or bending to get around down there. There's a stand-up head, a galley, an entertainment center, and settees. And there's no sacrifice made in the bow cockpit, where there's room for a half-dozen people to hang out and enjoy. The 328 bowrider is powered by a pair of twin 380-hp stern-drives, carries 154 gallons of fuel, and runs on a 22-degree deadrise deep-V hull. It weighs in at 11,000 lbs. And perhaps most importantly, it's one of a kind - no one else has a mega-monster super-sized bowrider with a cabin like this one.

http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2013/08/cruisers-sport-series-258-video-boat-review/ For more boat reviews, visit www.boats.com. Today we're reviewing Cruisers' Sport Series 258. Now if it looks a little familar, that may be because you've seen the 258 with the extreme package, which we reviewed last year. But today we're going to look at the boat in a slightly different incarnation. So Jon, tell me what's new about the boat this year. Jon Viestenz, Cruisers Product Manager: Well for 2014 we took the dash and we enhanced it with a wrapped cowling. We used a material by Diamante, and we ran that right into the shifting cowl to dress up the dash area. For 2014 we incorporated the new latte colored cockpit seating, along with a platinum seating which is a silver and black. So the two of them together help dress up the cockpits and give them a more elegant look. Lenny Rudow: You know I noticed from the outside the boat looks really good too. Is something different there? JV: Absolutely. This particular model that we're on has the classic hull scheme which is a full band with a strip of white or black or red that you can get in this color scheme. LR: Jon, have there been any more substantial changes made to the boat? JV: Across all the bowriders, we enhanced the cockpit draining system, so that it drains properly under any load or conditions. Excellent! One of the nice features about the Cruisers Sport Series is everything is integrated together. Like this lounge... this cooler, under the seat. Which by the way, when you flip the top up, it stays up for easy access. The stereo speakers are built into the inwales, and cupholders of course. Armrests... And look at how well the bimini is integrated. Look at this quick release. It's easy to remove, and it's really easy to set up. Boom, all done! And another great example of integration: look at how the head unit is molded in with the side of the boat and the sink unit, very nice. I do have one little wish here: I wish that when you open the door, there was a rubber stopper so it didn't bang on fiberglass. When considering this boat, you also want to look closely at the details, because Cruisers sure did. Look at the window, for example. As it opens up, it's grabbed by a magnetic catch that holds it in place. Now let's look at the ski locker. It locks, opens on a gas assist strut, and look at this great gutter system. Remember Jon talking about working on the deck drainage of the boat and getting all the water out as best they could? This is a great system, it's gasketed, it's got a deep gutter... it's gonna get the job done. And everywhere you sit, there's a sturdy grabrail. We tested this boat with a Merc 350 Mag. With that power, we cruised in the mid-30s and hit a top end in the mid-40s. Note that the 258's hull design includes this notch in the chine. That helps the hull grab in turns and really makes the handling feel great. Some manufacturers build the same boat year after year. Some manufacturers look for ways to improve their boats year after year. I think you can tell which kind of manufacturer Cruisers is, and if you're looking at a 25 foot bowrider, I think you might want to look at the 258.