INDEPENDENT BOAT TEST RESULTS |
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"Go Boating" Jan/Feb 2000 |
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| Heaven on Earth
In the days when pharoahs ruled, the people of Egypt worshipped Re, the sun god. As their god of creation, Re brought honesty and balance to the Egyptians. Today's boaters continue this historic appreciation of the sun - and in the year 2000, that balance and honesty can be found in Godrey's SunDeck 217. Hoping to satiate the average boater's hunger for power and performance, while at the same time providing plenty of room for an entire family, Godfrey has given the SunDeck 217 a hull designed for speed. The design - which features sponsons and two large lifting strakes that run the length of the hull - is meant to force water down, concurrently lifting the boat. If the term deckboat conjures up visions of a stodgy, unwieldy mammoth, the 217 will quickly disperse those notions. This deckboat is just as comfortable rushing across the water with a skier in tow as it is serving as a stand-still water party. It's still not going to outrun the high performance sportboats in a game of cat and mouse, but this machine is one of the quickest of its kind on the water. When we tested the SunDeck 217, Godfrey didn't shy away from putting its newest 21-footer up against real-world conditions. Taking the craft up and down the St. Joseph River in South Bend, Indiana, we left the dock with seven adults and one child on board. Even with a load as heavy as this, the boat handled well and had no difficulty getting on plane. The craft can hold 10 people up to 1440 pounds. Dawn The 217's balanced layout starts with something as simple as a ladder or rather, ladders. The boat has a stainless steel telescoping ladder at the bow, and another at the stern. The bow has in-floor kneeboard storage that is easy to access, and the small compartment at the very front of the boat is for anchor storage. Navigation lights and a bow trailering eye are standard features. Bow grabrails run down each side. Noon The 217 has a dual console with a walkthrough windshield. The SunDeck's extra-wide helm seat is almost big enough for two - but not quite. The skipper should have plenty of room. The helm has faux burlwood instruments and switch panels, and our test boat was equipped with an optional Sony stero CD system. Instrumentation includes a speedometer, a voltmeter and more - all with tan faces and stainless steel bezels. The Yamaha controls are also in the helm area, just abaft a conceal stereo speaker and two of the boat's 12 oversized drink holder. There is storage space under the steering console. To port of the helm station is the 217's enclosed head compartment. The head itself is optional, but a porthole and courtesy light come standard. Dusk Godfrey has given the 217 a small galley on its starboard side, abaft the helm seat. The galley includes a sink, a cup holder, a 17-gallon freshwater system, and a side storage area. The telescoping sink faucet is a welcome novelty. An L-shape settee wraps around the remainder of the stern. The settee's cushions are hinged, allowing for access to storage compartments hidden underneath. A diamond-pattern, skid-resistant surface overlays the boat's deck, but most of that is covered if you choose the optional snap-in berber carpet. The swim platform at the stern and the bow platform up front are the only deck areas that aren't designed to be carpeted. The standard stern storage bin is a great place for stowing ski ropes and other items you want keep out of the way. Modern-day sun worshippers will want to take advantage of options like the 217's bow lounge cushion, which transforms the bow into one large sun pad. Anglers can add a livewell in the bow step and a top-mount or indash fish finder. One-and two-piece Sunbrella covers are available, as is a color coordinating canvas canopy with matching boot and stainless steel frame. Believing their kings were the mortal embodiment of the sun god, Egyptians built the pyramids to honor these deities who lived among them. The pyramids were each symbolic of a stairway to the sun. Building pyramids went the way of the mummy centuries ago, but Godfrey's creation of the high-performance SunDeck 217 serves as a fitting legacy to this ancient myth of heaven on earth. Consider yourself blessed. |
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