These 16 new downeast models have a lot to offer.
They really aren’t lobster boats anymore. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine anyone pulling traps from the cockpit of a new Hinckley or a Grand Banks. For openers, you wouldn’t want to scratch the seven to nine coats of varnish on the teak. But today’s Downeast boats do all have the lobster boat heritage—the low profile, the long shear, the tumblehome, and, above all, the seakeeping ability. Today’s boats are definitely more user friendly, not only in navigation (Did a true lobsterman ever have a touchscreen chartplotter to get him home?) but in propulsion and maneuverability as well. Some are still single diesel, but many are twins and often paired to pod drives with counter-rotating props and joystick fingertip controls. Others are powered by outboards with new performance, fuel economy and low emissions. Check out our Downeast Buyers Guide– because you’ll be seeing them at the fall boat shows!
By Peter A. Janssen, Southern Boating Magazine September 2016
By Doug Thompson, Southern Boating Magazine July 2016