South West International Boat Show Gears Up for Spring Show

THE REGION’S LARGEST in-water boat show allows buyers to see boats in their element.

The South West International Boat Show, the largest in-water boat show in the Southwest, and the premier sail and power show for new and pre-owned vessels, returns April 12-15, 2018, to the South Shore Harbour Marina on Clear Lake, League City, Texas.

This annual Spring show, will feature boats ranging in size from 10ft. to 100ft, both freshwater and saltwater, ready for boarding and viewing, with pre-season specials and dealer incentive programs available on many models.

“This is a perfect venue to see these incredible vessels up close and in their element,” President of the South West International Boat Show, Peter Bryant, says. “Being able to see how a yacht or sailboat performs in water allows interested buyers to learn so much more about the vessel.

Onshore, live music will provide entertainment and more than 200 vendors will offer a variety of services and products for the boating and outdoor lifestyle, including fishing gear, apparel and outdoor equipment, in addition to a full range of marine electronics, accessories and hardware from top industry names. Dealers and manufacturers will also be on hand to provide valuable information and answer any questions.

Show highlights include:

• “Take the Helm” on-water boat handling lessons for all experience levels, taught by US Coast Guard licensed captains and hosted by Carefree Boat Club.

• A comprehensive program of entertaining and educational seminars, free for Boat Show attendees, offered hourly across all four days of the Show.  These seminars are hosted by industry experts, radio hosts and world travelers and cover a wide variety of topics.

All event information and registration details can be found at: www.southwestinternationalboatshow.com

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Yamaha Outboards Boosts the Juice with New F25, F90 Outboards

WHEN IT COMES TO NEW outboard engines the high horsepower ranges usually get headlines, but in some cases smaller models make big advancements. This is the what you’ll see with Yamaha’s newly announced F25 and F90 four-stroke outboards.

Yamaha F90

The F90 (and its sister motor, the 75, which is essentially identical but de-tuned) is an all-new design rolled out this year to shave both weight and overall size from the 90 HP package—yet increase performance, while retaining Yamaha’s trademark reliability. To accomplish this, Yamaha moved from a 1.6L powerhead to a 1.8L version. The additional displacement means more torque, which will help you jump on plane faster and handle heavier loads on your boat without suffering from a lack of performance. But, how do you make a bigger engine lighter? They shifted from a dual overhead cam design to a single overhead cam, which helped knock 13 pounds off of last year’s F90. It also slims down the powerhead by about a third of an inch, so the entire package is slightly more compact.

Another improvement found in the F90 is increased charging ability. The new version puts out 28 amps at just 1000 RPM, and tops out at 35 amps. Older versions of the F90 produced 25 peak amps. This means you can run multiple livewells, lots of electronics, and pretty much whatever other accessories you need, without tapping out your battery.

Yamaha F25

While the F90 certainly represents a step forward, though smaller, the F25 is an even bigger leap. This engine has battery-less EFI, which has a number of significant advantages. Eliminating the need for a battery means you can get rid of 50 or so pounds in a small boat that doesn’t have any need for electricity; the closed EFI system has zero problem dealing with ethanol fuel since there’s no carb to clog up and less exposure to air; fuel efficiency is improved; and on top of all that, the engine is a whopping 25-percent lighter than last year’s model (126 pounds). Yamaha also says the battery-less EFI gets you one-pull starting, and when we tested the engine we found that to be mostly true. If you pull the entire length of the cord, about four feet, the engine cranks up every time. But if you get a bit lazy when you yank and don’t get that cord all the way out, it starts on the initial tug about half the time and on the second tug the rest of the time.

The F25 now also offers variable trolling speed control with a button on the tiller handle that lets you adjust low-end RPM by increments of 50, so you can dial in the exact trolling speed you want. Alternator output gets a slight increase to 16 amps, and overall the engine is more compact than last year’s F25.

For more information on the F90, the F25, and other Yamaha outboards, visit yamahaoutboards.com.

—Edited by TF&G Staff