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We did a second sea trial several days later in Miami because immediately after returning from offshore, I noticed that the top-end speeds we were getting in Lake Worth seemed low and our engines were turning almost 300 rpm below Yanmar's full-throttle spec. Moreover, the boat maneuvered sluggishly while I backed her into her slip at Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach. The problem? "Bottom needs cleanin'," Haigler and Brandon agreed.
The test data from the second trial in flat-calm water turned out more realistically. Our Yanmars spun an appropriate rpm, thanks to a freshly pressure-washed running surface, the average top speed of 34.3 mph was cool, over-the-bow visibility from the lofty Pompanette helm chair was fine despite the equally lofty running attitudes coming out of the hole, and dockside maneuvering was quick and agile. "Now that's more like it," I concluded.
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This lovely outcome was gratifying on three counts. First, I'd already gotten down with the 290's oomph and stoutness by this stage of the game, despite the disappointing initial performance results. Indeed, my offshore experiences onboard had engendered one telling observation: Of all the several boats plying the cold coastal Atlantic the morning I snagged all the dang fish, ours was by far the smallest.
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There's a console-style livewell to port and a 43-gallon fishbox. The transom door is optional. |
Second, I'd also become a fan of the 290's engineering. She offers an offshore-capable machinery space under a push-button-liftable helm. Air intakes replicate those on big-leaguers, the centerline genset's in the engine room, not in a damp, salty lazarette, and the distance between the mains exceeds shoulder-width (just a tad better than 20 inches), a significant detail for do-it-yourselfers who deal with filter elements, sea strainers, and oil changes. The absence of a centerline walkway is my only complaint—I had to stand unsteadily atop battery boxes between the inboard engine bearers to look around.
And third, the serviceable simplicity of the 290's interior had pretty much caught my fancy as well. The boat's below-decks layout is easily maintained and basic, with little more than a V-berth forward, a galley to port, and a wet head to starboard. Extra bunks over the V-berth quickly deploy from fold-away positions against the hull sides.
A rush to judgment in all three cases? Hmm, maybe. But catching three sails in four hours is likely to mess with anybody's mind. Even a wily old boat tester's.
For more information on Albemarle Sportfishing Boats, including contact information, click here.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Engine Air-Intake System
You may have noticed what Albemarle calls "gills" in the 290XF's hull sides. Obviously, these are air intakes that allow the boat's inboard diesels to breath freely. But did you notice the panel behind the gills? It hints at an eductor-type air-intake system that typifies larger craft but is seldom found on vessels as small as our test boat. The system's workings are simple and for the most part passive. Air enters the gills, passes over baffles that remove most of the water droplets, and then hits the moisture-catching, plastiform media shown under the grill in the the photo here. Moisture collects in an eductor box at the bottom of the system and drains into the bilge, while comparatively dry, salt-free air is fed to the engines. What about maintenance of the media? Albemarle says you simply remove it, clean with fresh water, let dry, and replace.—B.P.
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This article originally appeared in the May 2008
issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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