With innovation as its hallmark and improved usability throughout, the brand-new Boston Whaler 285 Conquest stakes further claim on the company’s legendary status.
“The new 285 Conquest exemplifies where the Conquest line is evolving,” said Ron Berman, Boston Whaler’s vice president of product development and engineering. “It improves upon its predecessor in styling, performance, storage and overall functionality. We listened to advice from customers and dealers, and the result is a Conquest model that will turn a lot of heads.”
The 285 Conquest is engineered with Whaler’s patented Unibond system, which ensures the brand’s legendary unsinkability. Boston Whaler raised the 285’s sheer line while lowering the deck profile to give the boat an even more rugged, seaworthy appearance and feel on the water. The hardtop and windshield have been integrated to provide improved weather protection, and they allow for three distinct variations: an open windshield, an enclosed windshield and a pilothouse.
“We wanted the boat to look strong, but with a sense of luxury out on the water or tied up at the dock,” Berman said. “But this was much more than an aesthetic upgrade. The all-new hull-re-crafted from the keel up planes, handles and flat out runs better than the previous 285. Hardcore offshore anglers will especially appreciate these performance gains. The refinements carry over to the cockpit, helm deck and below, where we’ve improved helm visibility with our integrated tempered glass windshield system, while maximizing storage, elbowroom and headroom in the cabin. The ergonomics and ruggedness of our windshield hardtop system is unmatched in the industry today.”
A good example of the 285 Conquest’s above-deck enhancements is the new patent-pending port lounge. Seating areas here have been raised to improve forward visibility, while an innovative “flip and slide” backrest (with pull-out footrest for facing aft) allows forward or aft-facing configurations. A removable filler cushion or an optional pull-out table provides even more flexibility. New spacious drawer storage beneath the port lounge keeps tackle or other needed items within easy reach in the cockpit. A starboard storage and prep area behind the helm chair has ample space to store large carry-on items or house an optional refrigerator.
The 285 Conquest’s generous cockpit space offers numerous comfort options, including Whaler’s signature foldaway stern bench seat and a port or starboard pull-out seat, all of which can be united around an optional cockpit table for a unique setup ideal for entertaining guests. An optional cockpit sunshade slides out from the hardtop to keep all the festivities nice and cool.

For anglers, a multipurpose live-bait well, rod holders and dual insulated in-deck fishboxes with pump-outs come standard. Premium options such as 12V transom receptacles for electric reels, hardtop-mounted radial outriggers, and Raymarine chartplotter and fishfinder upgrades round out a worthy arsenal for hauling in trophy fish.
The improvements continue in the cabin below, where new materials and finishes create a warm and inviting environment. The deeper hull and a more open layout increase the sense of spaciousness, especially in the galley, which adds a skylight and abundant storage. The forward V-berth effortlessly converts to a dinette table in seconds, and full-width bow cushions and an upholstered headboard in the midberth indicate the 285 Conquest’s dedication to comfort and luxury.
The expanded options list–which includes a low-CO gas generator, large forward sun pad, Raymarine electronics and available pilothouse aft bulkhead–demonstrates Whaler’s commitment to delivering the level of sophistication and sumptuousness its customers expect.
“Boston Whaler customers assume they will get more from our boats than they would from others in the market,” Berman added. “The 285 Conquest, indeed all of our 2012 Conquests, should meet and exceed our customers’ expectations for express walkaround vessels. We expect more from our boats because you expect more.”

SEA RAY CONTINUES TO DOMINATE

MARINE INDUSTRY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AWARDS

Knoxville, Tenn. (Aug. 31, 2011)

“Since 2004, Sea Ray has won a total of 46 NMMA CSI Awards, the most of any boat builder in the history of the program,” said Rob Parmentier, president of Sea Ray. “Customer satisfaction has always been central to our operating philosophy, and it has become even more crucial over the past few years. The NMMA CSI program is an important validation of our efforts and a good indication of the first-class ownership experience provided not only by our product, but also by our dealer and service personnel. We share this recognition with them, and thank them for their superior efforts.”

This year, Sea Ray received top honors in the categories: deck boats, inboard express cruisers, inboard fishing express boats, inboard flybridge sedans and convertibles, fiberglass outboard boats, sterndrive bowrider boats, and sterndrive cuddy and express boats. The Marine Industry CSI Awards recognize boat and engine manufacturers that actively pursue continuous improvement by measuring customer satisfaction.

“As the industry has reacted to recent market realities, these manufacturers have kept a keen eye on consumer satisfaction and quality,” said Terry Leitz, NMMA’s director of CSI programs. “This focus will provide great dividends as value-conscious consumers consider all aspects of ownership in their purchase process.”

In meeting the requirements for the Marine Industry CSI Awards, Sea Ray achieved and maintained an independently-measured standard of excellence of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction over the past year. This score is based on information provided directly by the consumers who purchased a new boat and engine during the period from April 2010 through March 2011. For this period, the program surveyed more than 30,000 consumers.

We had our largest ever display for the Brisbane Boat Show this year with nearly $3 million dollars worth of boats on display, including a 38 ft Sea Ray and a 36 ft Boston Whaler.

Along with our Sea Rays and Boston Whalers we had, for the first time, a spectacular display for our new MasterCraft dealership.

As in every year our big boats, in what is really a small boat Boat Show, attracted a lot of attention and comment, like “what sort of trailer would you put under that? (a 38ft, 9 tonne Sea Ray)” and the often heard “I’ll be back when I win Lotto.”

Although the numbers for the first two days were down on last year, the weekend was busy and the show ended up being quite successful.

 So, now all you lucky Sea Ray owners can more fully appreciate the quality of your beautiful boat.

Sea Ray have developed their Digital Library so that we can now read their “Sea Ray Living” magazine on line. Follow the link below to browse the magazine for yourself. Happy reading!

For the second year running, MasterCraft Boat Company received the coveted NMMA Innovation Award. The Award was presented to the company at the 2011 Miami International Boat Show for its pioneering technology found in its newest tower offering, the ZeroFlex Tower 5p.

The ZFT 5p was submitted for its innovative, yet pragmatic ability to raise or lower to three different positions with a simple flip of a switch, allowing the owner to adjust tower height to meet any of several needs, including going under low bridges, boat house / garage storage or lowering the optional tower bimini for optimal protection. “Without a doubt, MasterCraft is honored to receive this award for the second year in a row,” says Jason Boertje, MasterCraft marketing director.
The NMMA Innovation Award comes on the heels of another award recently granted to MasterCraft. In the annual Trailer Boats “Readers Choice Awards”, readers of Trailer Boats magazine awarded MasterCraft as their “Favorite Wakeboard Boat Builder”.

John Dorton, MasterCraft President and C.E.O., receives the Award

Wakeskaters and Wakeboarders from all over Australia met for the final round of the “Liquid Force Rail Jam” competition which is now part of the annual “Summer Jam” competition at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast.

We took two of our MasterCraft boats up to promote the brand to a key audience. The boats attracted a lot of interest and enthusiasm. The judges decided to use our boats as a base to view the event.

All the competitors, spectators and judges had a great weekend. MasterCraft boats are always a favourite amongst the Wakeboarding community.

For full details follow this web link to the iDeal Sales Event.

There never has been a better time to buy a new Sea Ray!  

Merry Christmas

And a

Safe and Happy New Year

From all your friends at QMC