Boatguide Canada

G3 Advantage V210

By Craig Ritchie

Canadian anglers truly are blessed as most parts of Canada offer a vast range of fishing opportunities – everything from shallow-water bass and pike to deep-water salmon and lake trout. But trying to find a boat that can handle so many different challenges has always been a bit of a challenge in itself. Enter G3’s all-new Advantage V210 – a serious multi-species fishing boat that’s brawny enough to handle big water for salmon, yet stealthy enough to still get into those shallow, stump-filled bays the bass call home.

Four Winns V458

By Brad Roberts

You know how it feels when you pick up a good book and you can’t put it down? When John Winn heard the words “Buy this or you’re fired” some 30 years ago, I’ll hazard a guess that he could have never imagined the kind of challenges and successes the next three decades of picking up that gauntlet would bring. In 1975, along with his brothers and father, John Winn bought the Safe-T-Mate boat company, eventually renaming it Four Winns. Six month after a devastating fire in 1978, a brand new production plant was up and running. In the early 1980’s, when interest rates and gas shortage fears wiped out 40 percent of all North America boat manufacturers, Four Winns opened its first international dealership. The company introduced new model lines through the late 1980’s and won the coveted Popular Mechanics award for innovation in 1993 when it unveiled the Stable-Vee hull design. Since joining Genmar Corporation in 2001, the pulse continues to move forward into 2008 with the introduction of the V458 cruiser – the new flagship of the Four Winns fleet.

Campion 822 Mid Cabin

By Bruce Kemp

There is no rule in life that says if you fish big water you have to be uncomfortable and the Campion design team understood this when they set out to create a fishing boat with great offshore capabilities and more than a few creature comforts.

The BC-based builder’s latest offering in its Explorer Sports Utility line is a hybrid of their elegant Allantes and the sturdiest of their Explorer boats. And, for a 30-footer, it’s quick too!

The 822’s development is an interesting story all on its own. The boat’s basic design principles were the result of a focus group of West Coast dealers who had been fielding questions from potential clients who liked Campion’s  Explorers but wanted something bigger than what was offered.

Larson LXi 228

By Cam and Diana McRae

Larson’s LXi 228 is a winner in one of the most competitive segments in recreational boating. Bowriders are everyman’s boat – the ideal cottage boat, trailer boat, tow sports boat, fishing boat. They’re spacious enough to carry a gang, seaworthy enough to be safe, light enough to be trailerable and fast enough to satisfy all but the most dedicated thrill seeker.

Sea-Doo Wake 230

By Craig Ritchie

Bombardier Recreation Products entered the performance boat market in 1994 with its then-revolutionary Sea-Doo Speedster, derived from the company’s popular line of Sea-Doo personal watercraft. And while the latest offerings in the company’s sport boat lineup continue to be powered by Rotax engines, the boats themselves have grown in size and sophistication. The new 230 Wake is a great example of just how far the company's sport boats have come.

New in 2007, the 230 Wake greets 2008 with even more power. Twin 215 horsepower Rotax engines generate a total of 430 ponies – way more than enough to provide boatloads of thrills. In fact, this speedy and sharp-handling craft rockets to 50 mph pretty much effortlessly – but more on that later.

The 230 Wake comes fully equipped from the factory with the kind of attention to detail that one has come to expect from Sea-Doo. With seating and cupholders for 12 and a tremendous stereo system, this ride is built for fun on the water.

Caravelle 217LS

By Brad Rome

Introduced as a late 2007 model, Caravelle’s all-new 217 LS bowrider reflects the direction the company is taking with its next-generation designs. Distinct lines, bold new graphics and a fully-appointed, upscale interior give the boat a fresh look, but this boat’s beauty goes far beyond skin deep.

Step aboard the 21-footer and you face two immediate realizations – there’s a lot of room here, and the boat doesn’t move underfoot. The hull maintains its 8'6" beam from the transom to forward of the windshield, giving the 217 LS a huge cockpit and making it as stable on the water as when standing on dry land. The impression is that you’re aboard a much larger boat, and is reinforced by the convenient walk-through transom as you enter from the swim platform. Storage under the walk-through provides a convenient spot to stow an Igloo cooler for sandwiches and beverages. The swim platform itself is quite large and integral to the hull, rather than a bolt-on accessory, and includes a handy storage locker with a drain (perfect for small, wet items like ski ropes) to port. A folding boarding ladder neatly hides under a fibreglass lid to starboard. The transom entry door adjoins a large sun deck to port, and doubles as a pop-up pillow.

Starcraft 1800

By Craig Ritchie

When a company survives more than a century of doing anything, it seems pretty obvious they have a good idea of who their customer is and exactly what it is they want. Generations of Starcraft owners would agree, which is one reason this 105-year-old brand continues to delight boaters with innovative designs that offer tremendous value.

Perhaps no better example of this exists than the company’s 1800 dual console runabout. Although the Starcraft company cut its teeth building riveted aluminum fishing boats, its runabouts are constructed of fibreglass.