We have already tested two plastic boats from accessories dealer A. W. Niemeyer (AWN) in BOOTE 8/2017 and 11/2017. Now the last boat in this series is on the test bench. The OceanBay MM-500 has a classic look, with particularly striking features such as theClinkered structureof the fuselage, thefat Wieling as a rubbing strip and the front part of the soft top, the so-calledSprayhood.
With the lounge area in the bow and the aft bench seat with console driving position in front of it, the picture of aSloep. This term comes from the Dutch. They used to be working boats, but gradually they became more and more "excursion boats" for leisurely trips to a café or restaurant.
Powerful engines and the customisation of the hull mean that the boats can now also be used as gliders, enabling them to make swift progress. In the beginning, the shipyards mainly installed diesel engines, but over time outboards became more and more popular.
Of course, the simple assembly, a huge selection of models and, of course, theLower price are good arguments in favour. Especially when it comes to a small boat like our test OceanBay.
A maximum of 50 hp is allowed on their mirrors, with AWN installing the house brandOcean Craft. The most powerful version, a 25 hp engine, had to be used; Mercury engines are also available. We carried out our test drives with two people plus a full tank and measuring equipment as well as the standard accessories.
This quickly adds up to 250 kg of ballast, which the 25 and the boat have to get going. The fact that it is partlyHard labour This can be seen immediately in the test table, as the boat reaches its most economical planing speed at full throttle (17.1 kn); this is normally the case at lower speeds. Really good planing generally only starts at around 18 knots, which our test boat only achieves at full throttle.
