Boating Magazine
  • last year
It’s hard not to get excited when you get on a new boat and you want to punch the throttle, and that’s exactly what we did on this Tahoe T21. It’s all composite construction and Tahoe was one of the first brands to do this. The dashboard is entirely touch screen, the boat has great storage, and even better stability. There’s a big story here to tell you and we’re here to walk you through it on the Tahoe T21.
Transcript
00:00 (Music Up)
00:15 Hi I'm Randy Vance I'm on Table Rock Lake today where we're testing Tahoe's brand new T21.
00:21 Now our guys saw this boat in the dock and they were impressed with the performance look of it,
00:26 the fastback windshield and when we got in it and kicked the throttle we were impressed by the performance.
00:32 There's a big story here and I want to tell it to you and walk you through this so step aboard.
00:37 (Music Up)
00:41 Now it's hard not to get excited when you get in a new boat and want to punch the throttle and that's what we did.
00:46 We made 57 miles per hour at top speed with this boat and that's pretty nice when you consider it's got an 11 passenger carrying capacity.
00:55 And we had a full tank of fuel on board.
00:58 You'll also get an extremely fast hole shot thanks to that Mercury V8 back there and that's going to be ideal for when you're pulling skiers.
01:06 Now after getting the back story on this boat it was no surprise to us that it performed well.
01:11 There's nearly two years of R&D that went into it before they built the first one.
01:15 By that time they'd worked out the center of gravity, they'd balanced out all the seating and they'd perfected the running surface of the boat.
01:23 We had good cornering, we had great wave handling, a nice smooth ride and a lot of confidence comes from the high freeboard on this hull design.
01:32 Two important points about the Tahoe T21 and in fact the entire Tahoe line is it's all composite construction and Tahoe was one of the first brands to do that.
01:43 Also this boat has complete level flotation even though Coast Guard requirements only call for it in boats under 20 feet.
01:51 Now we found a big surprise at the dashboard.
01:54 This is an entirely digital touch screen here and you have tactile switches for all the things that you use the most.
02:01 That's something you'll only find on extremely high priced boats.
02:05 We also like the easy accessibility through the graphic user display.
02:09 All your systems are monitored including things like your bilge pumps and your navigation lights.
02:14 Another thing that you'll find is if any one of these switches fail on your rubber touch pad, they'll pop up on this screen so you can continue to use those devices and you know that you need to give some attention to the switching system.
02:27 You can also change the color of your screen for different visibility just by tapping this button.
02:33 You can even tap the settings mark, get into this configuration page and bring up a QR code that will take your smart phone directly to the operators manual of this vessel.
02:43 Now the ergonomics of the helm station is extremely comfortable.
02:47 You've got a good position for the wheel, you've got a good position on the throttle and the sliding swivel seat is perfectly comfortable.
02:55 I've got a good amount of leg room too.
02:57 Now the boat's designed to carry 11 passengers. As you can see there is plenty of room for everyone to sit comfortably.
03:05 The forward seating is very deep. You've got grab handles on either side, lounge cushions that face forward, you've got cup holders in exactly the right place, a padded area there to drop your cell phone and you lift up these seat covers and you've got great storage underneath.
03:22 There's even an insulated cooler under the port lounge cushion.
03:25 Now the seat backs lift up. On the starboard side it gives you access to the electronics in the helm station and on the port side it gives you access to your storage.
03:34 There's a padded step forward which gives you an easy place to board from the dock.
03:38 Underneath it is an anchor locker set up for a fluke anchor.
03:42 Now we've got a wide bench seat here with a lot of things going on.
03:46 Again you've got a little padded area behind them to tuck your cell phone.
03:49 Lift up the seat cushions and you've got storage underneath.
03:52 Fold down the center seat and you've got a boarding step.
03:55 Fold back the center cushion and you can go all the way to the transom platform without stepping on upholstery.
04:01 Once you're on the transom platform you've got a large area to get ready for water sports and a four step boarding ladder.
04:07 On the outside cushions lift them up and it gives you access to a large storage compartment.
04:12 The mesh bags lift out so you can carry beach towels and life jackets back to the cabin if you wish.
04:18 Now another high value surprise we found on board is a tow pylon that comes with the boat.
04:23 It stores in the ski locker in the floor and it's got its own dedicated rack there that locks it in.
04:29 You also can store your canoe paddle and your stern light in there.
04:33 A neat little feature is the plug that keeps backwash from the bilge from coming in and getting dry things wet.
04:39 And you've got a plug storage spot right there so that you know where the plug is when you need it.
04:45 Throughout the boat you've got nice accents both in the upholstery and on the combing pads with the marine mat finish.
04:53 There's also marine mat on the steps under the console.
04:56 I like the diamond non-skid on the floor that gives you extra traction.
05:00 But all together it's this elegant simplicity that makes the boat easy to care for.
05:05 And you can hose it out at the end of the day whether you've tracked in a bunch of sand or your kids spilled brownies on the floor.
05:12 Now the T-21 as you see it here comes to you at less than $46,000 with a trailer.
05:18 It starts at less than $42,000 with a $150,000 and we think that would be a fun motor too.
05:24 I'm Randy Vance on Table Rock Lake and this is Tahoe's T-21.
05:29 [Music]