|
There
are a bunch of boating magazines out there, and some of you—hopefully
not too many—may wonder if there’s any real difference between
them. The answer is an unequivocal yes, and those differences make Power
& Motoryacht the best choice by far for serious boaters. One of the
differences is our boat test program. No other magazine invests the time,
effort, money, and pages that we do to measure the performance of new
boats. Measure is the key word; we’ve spent thousands of dollars
on an arsenal of scientific equipment to ensure that you have the most
accurate analytical data possible.
If you’re
a regular reader of PMY, you know we take testing boats seriously, and
you also know we’re constantly reviewing and upgrading our test
program to make it more informative and easier to understand. We’ve
tweaked the design of the spec box a number of times over the years and
in June 2000 we added something that no other magazine has: an acceleration
curve. Everyone wonders how responsive a boat really is, and this curve
tells you. You can even overlay curves from different boat tests and compare
them. Adding this feature required the purchase of laptop computers and
sophisticated software that interprets data directly from our radar guns.
But we think the added information is well worth the cost.
This
month we’re adding yet another test parameter: running angle. Measured
at the same rpm levels as fuel consumption, speed, and sound levels without
the benefit of trim tabs, it helps you understand how a boat runs. This
time the scientific equipment is a simple ship’s inclinometer, zeroed
with the vessel at rest, but the information is no less accurate or valuable.
We’re
not sure how much more information we can provide without overwhelming
you, but we’re always looking. And we believe that every piece of
data in our spec box today is important—a piece of the puzzle, if
you will. For example:
•
Speed. Everyone wants to know how fast a boat goes, and there are many
ways to measure it. We use radar because it provides more accurate, instantaneous
readings, where GPS can require time to average out data. However, we
always check our radar results against any onboard GPS receiver.
•
Fuel consumption. We may measure this either mechanically (with flow meters)
or electronically, but either way the results tell us a lot more than
just how many dollars are flying out the exhaust ports. Fuel consumption
and speed help determine range, which is important to cruisers and sportfishermen
alike. If a builder has installed big engines for more speed but scrimped
on fuel tankage to save space, here’s where you’ll see it.
•
Miles per gallon. This is the best indicator of hull efficiency. These
readings are directly influenced—indeed, dictated—by hull
design, horsepower, and weight. Deciding how to balance them is part of
the art of boat design. Interpreting them in relation to other performance
data tells you what compromises the builder may have made.
•
Decibels. We measure all boats on the same kind of sound-pressure meter
at the same place: the primary helm, although we may take additional readings
in other locations. The key is not so much the raw data as a comparison
with other similar kinds of boats and to the level of normal conversation.
Clearly a sportfisherman with an enclosed bridge is going to be quieter
than a sportcruiser with engines under the helm.
There’s
a lot of data in a PMY boat test, and that’s the way we like it.
From what you’ve told us, you like it that way, too, but if you
think we could be doing something better, let us know. We’re always
looking for ways to improve our boat tests and, for that matter, the entire
magazine.
|