My new MARC VI is a 2011, newly-reengineered, Mako 284 center console. The 284 is the flagship of the company’s fleet and one of the best-selling models ever for Mako (http://mako-boats.com/).  The 284 redesign reflects the company’s commitment to introducing deck layouts, functionality, and performance engineering aimed at serious fishing. The 284 is actually 28-feet, 4-inches in length. The hull sports a 21-degree dead rise - which provides a soft and quick ride through agitated seas, whereas its spacious 9-foot, 10-inch beam provides remarkable stability while trolling, at drift or on anchor. The reengineered hull features a one-piece integrated stringer grid with molded gelcoat finish.  There is no wood, and the hull comes in around 800-pounds lighter than its predecessor.

The 284 features a new wide and cushioned leaning post complete with lockable storage and backrest with rod racks. The bait prep station sports a 50-gallon redesigned live well, fed by a 1,650 GPH pump. The back up - or secondary pump is a 1,100 GPH unit. To prevent overflowing from the influx of additional water, a second, larger-diameter drain was added to the well. The drains are sufficient enough to keep up with the influx of fresh seawater. And to keep the live well operating overnight at a marina without taxing the batteries, there's a 110 Volt battery charger mounted inside the console. Other notable leaning post items include a removable cutting board, tackle storage, and sink with on-demand freshwater.

The all-new center console sports digital gauges, an oversized electronics mounting surface, recessed and covered electrical switches, grab rail and forward-console seat with insulated and self-draining cooler.  I removed the stock glass windshield and instead had Action Canvas install a full Strata-Glass weather enclosure. Inside, there’s a fully-lined head enclosure.

In deck are two insulated, 390-quart fish boxes with dedicated diaphragm drainage, The bilge is extremely easy to access, and here you’ll find a redundant bilge pump system with dual 2,000 GPH pumps.  In-deck water channels and large cockpit drains keep the deck dry, no mater how wet the weather or high the seas.

Looking to go a bit beyond the standard Mako layout and options, I modified my boat more toward my style of fishing. It should be noted that a lot of these modifications are not factory options, and credit must go to John Bower and his team at Mako for incorporating these modifications into the boat.

TROLLING - I ordered Mako's custom deluxe hard-top (versus the standard fabric top), and had it outfitted with Lee Sidewinder (http://www.leetackle.com/) outriggers, and a Lee center rigger. The 16-foot, Lee Sidewinder Extra Strong poles (model AP3916XS) are deployed and retrieved by turning their handles, which are located beneath the top; the poles swing out and lock in at an 80-degree trolling position. The attitude of the poles can also be raised or lowered (0, 30 or 60 degrees) by simply pushing down on their collars, at their bases. These features enable quick deployment and retrieval of the outriggers, and to even raise them or lay them flat and parallel with the top for clearing low bridges and when trailering. The 16-foot Lee center rigger is fixed in its position; I remove that pole for trailering. Each of the three Lee poles are rigged with two independent cords and release clips. In all, I can troll six baits from the poles on my T-top.

Six, 30-degree angle, Lee Rod Holders were mounted in the cockpit gunwales. Of the three units per side, the ones farthest aft (aimed directly seaward) are Lee Flush Mounted Rod Holders. The ones right behind them are Lee Swivel Rod Holders, and the ones right behind those (angled outward 10-degrees) are Lee Flush Mounted Rod Holders. Add in the four rod holders behind the console seat and the MARC VI can easily troll up to ten rods. The reason for the Swivel Rod Holders, incidentally, is for heavy duty fishing with bent butt rods - such as wire line trolling for grouper and wahoo, and daytime swordfishing.
 

Since we do a lot of run-and-gun fishing for dolphin, and for when a school of dolphin is encountered, our light tackle outfits must be readily accessible. Most of this tackle rides in the five aft T-top rod holders. Two additional T-top rod holders were added to the forward T-top (one on each side), so that an angler up front won't have to scramble back behind the console to grab a rod. A total of seven rods can be racked along the T-top, all rigged to cover a variety of fishing opportunities.

To compliment the outriggers and my trolling, I installed a pair of Elec-Tra-Mate (www.elec-tra-mate.com) TR-310, 10-inch model, Teezer Reels.  These reels are machined from solid 6061 T-6 aircraft marine aluminum and are affixed to the underside of my T-top, with the line from the port-side reel running up through the far eye on the port outrigger, and the line from the starboard reel running up through the far eye on my starboard outrigger. Each Teezer reel holds 300 feet of 300-pound test monofilament. What’s more, each reel has a “clicker” that can be activated, which alerts the crew when a teaser is slipping back, or a fish has struck one.  From the dual Teezer reels, I usually position a large, 18 – 21-inch long, hookless marlin teaser between 10- and 20-feet behind the boat  On the opposite side, and roughly the same distance back, I run a Williamson squid spreader bar ( I occasionally change out these teasers with Williamson mullet daisy chains, particularly when dolphin trolling).  From there, I position my close baits within five feet or so of the teasers, and stagger the remaining baits back from there.  To enhance my teaser set-up, I also pull two six-arm, 104-fish StripTeaser Dredges, one from each transom corner.  The dredges ride roughly 15 feet back and four-to-six feet beneath the surface.

LIVE BAITING - Since we also do a lot of live-baiting for sails and kings, we had eight additional Lee Flush Mounted Rod Holders positioned in the mid-ship and forward gunwales (four per side). These holders are aimed directly seaward, since we primarily drift. In addition, these 15-degree angle holders keep their rods nearly vertical and off the bow rail. When we slow troll live baits, we'll use the cockpit rod holders. Between the cockpit-based rod holders, and those in the mid-ship and bow, the MARC VI has 14 gunwale-based rod holders.

Kite fishing is a specialty of ours, and we often deploy a kite from both the cockpit and bow. To power the electric kite reel in the cockpit, a power outlet is recessed under the aft starboard gunwale. The outlet for the bow-based kite reel is mounted within the anchor locker and to the underside of the bow platform. To use this outlet without having to remove the anchor locker cover, a "channel" was carved into the upper port side of the hatch cover. The diameter of this "channel" is also large enough for anchor line to pass.



BOTTOM FISHING - As mentioned earlier, the Lee Swivel Rod Holders accommodate our wire line outfits for grouper trolling and day swordfishing, whereas the rod holders spread about the gunwales take care of any additional rods we set into action. When it's time to hunker up against the gunwales and lean into a big fish, the full 360-degree coaming bolster - a Mako standard on the 284, is easy on the thighs.
An anchor retrieval ball, two 300-foot sections of 3/4-inch rode, 18-feet of chain and an anchor are housed within the forward anchor locker, along with dock lines.  Beneath the center deck hatch are the spare anchor and retrieval ball and docking fenders.

THE ELECTRONICS PACKAGE - The MARC VI has a very impressive and highly functional Lowrance (http://www.lowrance.com) package. Two Lowrance HDS-10 (High Definition System) units and one Lowrance HDS-8 unit are flush-mounted in the big Mako console. Each HDS-10 unit is a high definition, color fish finder/GPS Chart Plotter and radar. Although each function above can be independently displayed on the 10.4-inch screen - or in split screen mode, I prefer keeping the fish finder fully displayed on one unit and the mapping system or radar up on the other unit.

The Lowrance HDS-8 is a totally independent unit, complete with a dual frequency Skimmer transom-mount transducer. This unit pretty much serves as a back up system, although it will show everything the HDS-10 units will, including radar.

To get clear and concise bottom readings to 3,000 feet from the HDS-10 units, we opted for a special-order, AIRMAR bronze, through hull, 1,000 kilowatts rms, 50/200 kHz transducer (model B260), and flush-mounted it into the hull.

In addition, the units have Lowrance’s new Structure Scan option.  This enables me to not only read the bottom straight beneath my boat (down scan), but also off to the sides of my vessel at programmable distances.  This side-imaging has proven extremely helpful in finding bait and game fish, wrecks, and unique structure within inlets and channels and along bridges. Structure Scan gives a video-like image that is clear and quite remarkable.  Also an option, I selected the new thru-hull Structure Scan transducer, over the transom mount ‘ducer.
 

As mentioned, the HDS-10 units have 4 kw radar capabilities, and I've paired mine with the LRA 5000 - a four-foot, open array antennae. The power of the radar in conjunction with the open array antennae has proven helpful in picking up bird activity and, of course, navigating through thunderstorms and heavy rains.

All three Lowrance units display SIRIUS Satellite Weather, a huge advantage for keeping safe on the water.  And on the topic of safety, two Lowrance VHF radios are flush-mounted inside the electronics box, each rigged to its own eight-foot Shakespeare antennae.

ROCK AND ROLL TIME -  The MARC VI has an incredible stereo system designed exclusively for it by JL Audio (http://www.jlaudio.com/). The head unit is a Clarion MW1 stereo complete with Sirius satellite radio.  From there, it’s all JL Audio.

SPEAKERS - There are three pairs (six speakers) of JL Audio model MX770-CG-WH full range speakers.  These speakers are designed and engineered for heavy duty marine use and greatly exceed industry standards for salt-fog and UV exposure.  Needless to say, corrosion and UV-resistant materials are prominent throughout. Acoustics-wise, the speakers are engineered to deliver a powerful, clean sound in open-air boat environments (i.e. center consoles). They feature 0.75-inch silk dome tweeters for sparkling high frequency detail, whereas a long excursion, high-efficiency woofer design delivers impressive bass energy and clean mid-range.  They’re designed to benefit from operation with quality amplifiers up to 125W per channel.

SUBWOOFERS – The MARC VI has two JL Audio model MX10IB3-4-CG-WH subwoofers.  These subwoofer drivers are engineered to withstand the rigors of marine use and deliver the kind of bass that has made JL Audio famous in the automotive sound arena.  This bass will not only impress you with its sheer level, but also its smoothness, balance and precision.  Equally impressive, especially for center console owners, is that the MX10IB3-4-CG-WH is optimized for infinite-baffle operation so that it can be installed in a variety of locations, without the need for a dedicated enclosure.

AMPLIFIERS – One M600/6 - a 600 watt, six-channel full range amplifier which drives all six of the MX770-CCX-CG-WH speakers, and one M600/1 - a 600 watt mono-block subwoofer amplifier, round out the system.  The JL Audio M-Series amplifiers are amazingly small in size and the perfect solution for space-conscious installations.  Furthermore, JL Audio's exclusive NexD switching technology achieves total amplifier efficiencies exceeding 80%; This means far less heat and strain on your vessel's electrical system, compared to a large, conventional amplifier. This efficiency advantage, combined with state-of-the-art microelectronic components, allows JL Audio to use very compact unitary cast alloy heat sinks. As with their more expensive MHD siblings, the M-Series also deploy the company’s Advanced Thermal Rollback System, to completely eliminate annoying thermal shut-down events.

Behind every M-Series amplifier's removable control cover, you will find studio-grade signal processing with fully variable crossover filters. Also included are noise-killing, differential inputs with remote level control capabilities via the HD-RLC remote level control (optional).

The volume, crispness and clarity of this system is concert-like, particularly when “cranked up”!  There is no distortion, just sharp and clear audio that will rival the best home-based sound systems.  JL Audio wanted the new MARC VI to “make a statement” with its sound system, and it does exactly that.  It has to be heard to really be appreciated!

To insure there's enough power for all these electronics, the MARC VI has four batteries.  One is mounted underneath the seating module, whereas the remaining three are flush-mounted inside the inner console's fire wall. Inside the console, you'll find battery switches and circuit breaker panels. There's six feet of head room here and a lockable door - ideal for securing your rods overnight at a marina or in a hotel parking lot. An ACR GlobalFix 406 EPIRB with Integral GPS is also located here, within easy reach, as are two fire extinguishers. A dual-color LED light (white or blue) illuminates the console at night.

LIT UP AND READY TO RUN - A pair of halogen lights integrated into the aft T-top brighten up the entire cockpit, while a single halogen light on the forward T-top takes care of the bow area. In lieu of a fluorescent T-top light, the MARC VI has five LED courtesy lights recessed into the bottom of the electronics box; Two lights are white and three are blue - with independent switches. The boat also has blue LED lighting at the base of the console and underneath the gunwales.
 

For night-fishing, the MARC VI was outfitted with four Shadow Caster Marine LED lights, in “Bimini Blue” (http://www.shadow-caster.com).  Model SCM-10v-BB20 provides over 2000 lumens/42 Watts of high intensity lighting with a lamp life expectancy of 40,000 hours. The lights rely on an internal digital switching power supply, and operate at 94% efficiency while drawing a mere 3.5 amps at 12 volts. The compact and sleek lights are framed in chrome and lend a sharp look to the boat, especially when it’s on the trailer.

ALL THE POWER AND THEN SOME -  My new MARC VI is powered by a pair of Mercury (http://www.mercurymarine.com/engines). Verado, 300-horsepower outboards.  The new generation Verados are extremely powerful, quiet, and 20% more fuel efficient than their predecessors. What’s more, the new Verados can now run on regular gasoline to make their maximum horsepower, versus hi-test in the past.  The MARC VI’s power is harnessed by a pair of 21-pitch Mercury Vengeance props, which deliver a top-speed of 57-miles per hour at 6,200 rpms.  The hole shot performance is breathtaking, whereas the outboards “sweet” and most fuel efficient cruise rpm – as verified on the Mercury SmartCraft fuel management system - is 3,800 rpms.  Mercury’s Digital Throttle & Shift system provides precise acceleration and ease of operation, whereas the power steering system makes handling the boat an enjoyable experience.

GETTING HER TO THE DANCE - To haul the MARC VI to and from the local ramp, as well as to various coastal cities along the U.S. when shooting for our VERSUS television show, we rely on a custom-built trailer from the FLOAT-ON (http://www.floaton.com) Corporation in Vero Beach, Florida. The aluminum, I-Beam, immersible, dual-axle trailer is rated for 12,700-pounds and features a hot-dipped, galvanized torsion axle suspension (a FLOAT-ON exclusive for over 30 years).  It is equipped with 16-inch radial tires, hydraulic surge disc brakes with booted bronze pistons and stainless steel rotors (for increased braking performance and longer life), PVC-covered heavy-aluminum guide rails for centering the boat on the trailer, LED lights, and reflective decals for higher visibility and safer travelling in low light conditions, or at night. FLOAT-ON is an industry leader in the boat trailer business, and the only trailer worthy of carrying the MARC VI.

From T-top to trailer, this is the sweetest and most functional MARC VI to date! I love it - and game fish should fear it!

SPECIFICATIONS

LENGTH...................................................... 28' 4"
BEAM.......................................................... 9' 10"
TRANSOM HEIGHT.................................... 30"
MAX. RECOMMENDED HP........................ 600
HULL WEIGHT (approx.).............................. 4,000 LBS.
TOTAL WEIGHT (approx. with power, fuel & loaded)............ 8,000 LBS.
FUEL CAPACITY............................................ 235 Gallons
DEADRISE...................................................... 21 Degrees
DRAFT............................................................. 21"

VALUE OF BOAT (as rigged) : $ 165,000.00

 

• The Mercury outboards on both the MARC VI and SHALLOW-WATER MARC are maintained by Guy Radiano at TNT Custom Marine on Biscayne Boulevard and NE 135th Street in North Miami, Florida, (305) 931-3157, (http://www.tntcustommarine.com)

• Special thanks to Carl Grassi at Carl's Sunoco. (954) 755-8799; 7801 W. Sample Rd., Coral Springs, where Poveromo fuels up his boats and vehicles.

• The trailers for both the MARC VI and SHALLOW-WATER MARC were built by FLOAT-ON Corporation, 1925 98th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida; PHONE: (772) 569-8934; VISIT WEB SITE CLICK HERE

• The canvas work and weather enclosures on the MARC VI  and SHALLOW-WATER MARC were done by Drew Caterson at ACTION CANVAS, (305) 481-7606, (305) 743-0665; E-mail: actioncanvas@aol.com.

When at rest, Poveromo's MARC VI and SHALLOW-WATER MARC are kept at Garnett Storage in Coral Springs, Florida - 12101 NW 42nd Street, Coral Springs, Florida, 33065; 954-753-1930; garnettstorage@aol.com