$75,000 | Rock Hall MD

It has long been recommended that if you ever have the rare ill-fortune of being offshore in a boat that capsizes,

your best chance of being rescued is if you stay with the boat. Of course, that isn't very practical advice if the boat

sinks. Which leads me to believe that whoever coined this bit of advice probably owned a Boston Whaler because

it's the only boat builder I know of that has earned a solid reputation for building truly "unsinkable" boats. Problem

is, not all boats are built to Whaler standards and quite a few of them are now fish habitats as a result.

Boston Whaler's reputation for building unsinkable boats was launched in a "Life" magazine article in 1961 that ran

a series of photographs depicting founder Richard T. Fisher sitting in a boat as it was sawed in two and then

casually driving away in only half a boat. That left an inedible image in the minds of safety conscious boaters.

Fisher's unsinkable boat was the result of a revolutionary production process he pioneered and it's still employed

by Boston Whaler today. The technique begins by simultaneously molding the hull and deck and then combining

them before they cure to form a unitized closed-mold system. Liquid foam is then injected into the cavity between

the hull and deck while they are still in their uncured state. As the foam expands and hardens, it literally fuses with

the fiberglass to form a single, inseparable unit. There are no stringers to break free, no vibrations to be felt and no

separation of the hull and deck. Because of the confined expansion space, the foam is very dense that provides

superb flotation while at the same time increasing strength and rigidity.

Boston Whaler is the only company I know of that publishes a "Swamped Capacity" rating that indicates the amount

of weight it can hold after it has been filled with water. All Boston Whaler boats are built this way, including the 28

Conquest, which is the company's largest cabin boat. With an LOA of 30 feet 8 inches (28 feet 5 inches not

counting the integrated bow pulpit) and a beam of 10 feet 4 inches, the 28 Conquest can hold 5800 pounds of

weight after flooding it with water. That's pretty impressive when you consider that the U.S. Coast Guard doesn't

even require foam flotation in boats over 20 feet.

The 28 Conquest is an express cruiser that's well suited for long distance voyages. In addition to the peace of mind

resulting from its unsinkable status, the boat comes with the added insurance of twin outboards (up to 600

combined-horsepower). A second outboard is especially comforting on long cruises; in the event one malfunctions

you can still limp home on the other. Furthermore, the boat has a fuel capacity of 296 gallons for extra-long jaunts

where ports are far apart.

And when you come into port at day's end, the 28 Conquest has all the comforts you can ask for in a 28-foot boat,

including a homey cabin atmosphere created by its teak and holly flooring. As you enter through the 21-inch

locking, opaque acrylic door you notice a portside galley with a beautiful Corian countertop surrounding a singleburner

butane stove and a stainless-stell sink with hot and cold pressurized water. An electric stove is available as a

$143 option. Below is an electric refrigerator and above is a small microwave — standard. Adjacent to the galley is

the ship's electric panel, a Clarion CD player that can be operated remotely from the helm, and a 35-by-24-by-16-

foot cedar-lined hanging locker, which provides a welcome change from the smell of fiberglass.

Opposite the galley is a 64-by-42-by-40-foot enclosed head that features a sink with countertop and storage

cabinet and a removable faucet that can be attached to a wall bracket for showering. Other amenities include a

vaccu-flush toilet with a holding tank and dockside pump-out, an opening port and a mirrored door that locks for

privacy.

Sleeping accommodations consist of a double berth forward that converts to a dinette and another double berth

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midships. There is no bulkhead separating the midberth from the rest of the cabin, which, on one hand gives it and

the rest of the cabin a roomy feel, but on the other hand offers no privacy. And although you have plenty of

ventilation available through four opening ports, an overhead hatch and a midberth window, the boat is equipped

with a carbon monoxide detector for added safety.

Above deck you have a large, deep cockpit (28-inch minimum depth) with plenty of room to move about. Seating

consists of an adjustable bucket for the driver, a 53-inch companion's lounge seat, an aft-facing seat cushion

(without backrest) behind the driver's seat, and a hideaway stern bench that folds up into the transom when not

used. Side vents in the windshield allow those seated forward to regulate air flow to their particular comfort level.

Although categorized as an express cruiser, the 28 Conquest caters strongly to anglers. For instance, it comes

standard with a 30-gallon livewell (complete with raw-water wash-down and internal light); two in-sole fish boxes

that are guttered, insulated and equipped with a pump-out; and built-in tackle drawers. Additionally, it has four

gunwale-mount and three transom-mount rod holders, plus rod racks under the gunwales as well as in the cabin

where they can be locked up when you're away from the boat. Anglers will also appreciate the boat's stainless-steel

toe rails and cockpit coaming bolsters when it comes time to land big fish. Even the worst part of fishing, the cleanup,

is relatively painless thanks to the a cockpit shower that allows you to hose down the self-bailing, non-skid

interior.

Performance-wise the 28 Conquest delivers a smooth, comfortable ride. It features Boston Whaler's Accutrack hull

design which has a sharp forward V-bottom that slices through rough seas, with enough freeboard to keep

passengers high and dry. As the running surface goes aft, the bottom transitions into a flatter surface to provide lift

and enhance fuel efficiency. Strategically placed running strakes and a modified keel provide good tracking. In

addition, the wide beam provides increased cockpit space and excellent stability.