The Veer X13 debuted in Las Vegas earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) alongside the Mercury Avator 7.5e electric outboard motor. Veer and Avator have been teased for some time and aimed at "younger and more diverse consumers."
The Veer X13 will initially be sold with a rope-start Mercury FourStroke 9.9 hp internal-combustion outboard ($11,995 including a galvanized trailer). The electric Avator will not be ready for sale until later in 2023. The X13 is the first of several Veer models expected to debut in the next year or two, each designed to make boat ownership as accessible as possible. Like other outdoor gear, buyers can configure and order the Veer online (veerboats.com), make down payment, then take delivery and pay the balance at a Veer Boats dealer. We expect Veer models to also appear in Brunswick-owned Freedom Boat Club fleets.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1498743624/1682324473/articles/iVmGf9u091682419217044/6161113123.jpg]
CHANGING THE COURSE
The Veer X13 was engineered by the angling experts at Lund Boats, also a Brunswick brand. The boat is roto-molded in one piece in polyethylene, with its internal cavity filled with rigid foam. The beam is 4 feet specifically to fit between the wheel wells of most pickup truck beds. The boat weighs 382 pounds without power, so you are not going to pick it up and toss it into a truck bed. A support beyond the tailgate will be required. The boat and motor on its trailer weigh just 835 pounds, an easy tow behind just about any vehicle. The capacity is two passengers and 550 pounds.
The skipper sits on a padded bench seat. A 3-gallon fuel tank fits below the seat, which is open fore and aft for ventilation. When the boat is powered by an electric outboard, remote battery packs stow below the foredeck hatch. There are two stowage compartments in the sole, with room for a medium-size cooler forward. All horizontal surfaces are covered with Marine Mat, including the forward casting deck. The footwell is above water level and drains through the transom. Crisscross elastic cords on the foredeck appear intended to secure light gear. Rails along the cockpit gunwales accept Lund SportTrak accessories, including a Qwik-Clip rod holder, a tool caddy and a drink holder. Other options include a shallow-water anchor and a standing bar intended to offer support while running the boat standing with a tiller extension or when moving around the deck. The standing bar secures with two clevis pins and is easy to remove.
We've walked around the Veer X13, and the boat appears to be well-finished. The polyethylene material backed with foam should resist dock rash and beaching on a rocky shoreline. The freeboard is minimal, so the Veer seems best-suited to angling and gunkholing inshore and on protected lakes and rivers. Brunswick has not offered any performance data. We can't wait to run this boat to see how it performs.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1498743624/1682324473/articles/iVmGf9u091682419217044/6RDQJ7-E731682419341997.jpg]
VEER X13
· LOA: 13'0" · BEAM: 4'0" · DRAFT: 6.3" · SEAT/WEIGHT CAPACITY: 2/550 lb. · DRY WEIGHT: 382 lb. (without motor) · MAX HP: 9.9 · COLORS: Sea foam or gray
MERC GOES ELECTRIC
The Avator 7.5e is the first in a series of Avator electric motors Mercury will introduce in 2023. The Avator is distinguished by its removable battery pack, which can carry away from the boat for charging. Mercury says the Avator 7.5e generates 750 watts of power and offers performance equivalent to the Mercury 3.5 hp FourStroke outboard. The 48volt, 1 kWh lithium battery was designed with Brunswick partner Mastervolt. Using transverse flux technology, the motor generates high torque with little effort to maximize battery life and range. Hydrodynamics and the propel...
The Veer X13 will initially be sold with a rope-start Mercury FourStroke 9.9 hp internal-combustion outboard ($11,995 including a galvanized trailer). The electric Avator will not be ready for sale until later in 2023. The X13 is the first of several Veer models expected to debut in the next year or two, each designed to make boat ownership as accessible as possible. Like other outdoor gear, buyers can configure and order the Veer online (veerboats.com), make down payment, then take delivery and pay the balance at a Veer Boats dealer. We expect Veer models to also appear in Brunswick-owned Freedom Boat Club fleets.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1498743624/1682324473/articles/iVmGf9u091682419217044/6161113123.jpg]
CHANGING THE COURSE
The Veer X13 was engineered by the angling experts at Lund Boats, also a Brunswick brand. The boat is roto-molded in one piece in polyethylene, with its internal cavity filled with rigid foam. The beam is 4 feet specifically to fit between the wheel wells of most pickup truck beds. The boat weighs 382 pounds without power, so you are not going to pick it up and toss it into a truck bed. A support beyond the tailgate will be required. The boat and motor on its trailer weigh just 835 pounds, an easy tow behind just about any vehicle. The capacity is two passengers and 550 pounds.
The skipper sits on a padded bench seat. A 3-gallon fuel tank fits below the seat, which is open fore and aft for ventilation. When the boat is powered by an electric outboard, remote battery packs stow below the foredeck hatch. There are two stowage compartments in the sole, with room for a medium-size cooler forward. All horizontal surfaces are covered with Marine Mat, including the forward casting deck. The footwell is above water level and drains through the transom. Crisscross elastic cords on the foredeck appear intended to secure light gear. Rails along the cockpit gunwales accept Lund SportTrak accessories, including a Qwik-Clip rod holder, a tool caddy and a drink holder. Other options include a shallow-water anchor and a standing bar intended to offer support while running the boat standing with a tiller extension or when moving around the deck. The standing bar secures with two clevis pins and is easy to remove.
We've walked around the Veer X13, and the boat appears to be well-finished. The polyethylene material backed with foam should resist dock rash and beaching on a rocky shoreline. The freeboard is minimal, so the Veer seems best-suited to angling and gunkholing inshore and on protected lakes and rivers. Brunswick has not offered any performance data. We can't wait to run this boat to see how it performs.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1498743624/1682324473/articles/iVmGf9u091682419217044/6RDQJ7-E731682419341997.jpg]
VEER X13
· LOA: 13'0" · BEAM: 4'0" · DRAFT: 6.3" · SEAT/WEIGHT CAPACITY: 2/550 lb. · DRY WEIGHT: 382 lb. (without motor) · MAX HP: 9.9 · COLORS: Sea foam or gray
MERC GOES ELECTRIC
The Avator 7.5e is the first in a series of Avator electric motors Mercury will introduce in 2023. The Avator is distinguished by its removable battery pack, which can carry away from the boat for charging. Mercury says the Avator 7.5e generates 750 watts of power and offers performance equivalent to the Mercury 3.5 hp FourStroke outboard. The 48volt, 1 kWh lithium battery was designed with Brunswick partner Mastervolt. Using transverse flux technology, the motor generates high torque with little effort to maximize battery life and range. Hydrodynamics and the propel...
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Boating (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2023