November’s Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, and the company hired Michael Fuller
Photography to shoot stills and videos of a pair of new 284s on November 11 and 12.
Being a long-time Mako owner (since 1977), and having owned their 284s since they
came out with the model in 2005, I am honored to serve as Mako’s spokesperson for this
boat.
For this two-day shoot, I found myself behind the wheel of a tricked-out, red-hulled 284,
powered by twin 250hp Mercury Verado outboards. Mako’s John Bower rode shotgun,
and we also had one of Mike Fuller’s crew to fill out the boat. We were based at Ft.
Lauderdale’s Pier 66.
We gathered at the boats at 5:00 a.m. Thursday, and proceeded to the inlet, where we’d
wait for the helicopter carrying the production crew. At the slightest hint of dawn, in
comes the helicopter, and we take off running in four- to six-foot seas, to obtain early
morning offshore stills/video. We had a 15- to 20-knot northeast wind. After running
north and south for what seemed like well over an hour, the helicopter flew back to shoot
the second 284. John Bower and I regrouped for the trolling portion of the shoot, and
soon found ourselves being shot/filmed on the troll. We got back to Pier 66 around 10:30
a.m. We would regroup at 2:00 p.m. for the afternoon boat-to-boat shooting sessions.
The wind that afternoon was out of the northeast at every bit of 20-knots, and seas
were running five- to seven-feet. We spent the rest of afternoon (until the sun dropped)
offshore.
The next day was spent primarily shooting video footage of John Bower and me talking
about the new improvements and features designed into the boat. Afterwards, it was
some more boat-to-boat photography, until the sun dropped out.
In short, the new Mako 284 now features a “no wood” (cored-foam/fiberglass) structural
system, redesigned 50-gallon live well fed by dual pumps, channeled fish box lids,
larger cockpit drains, redesigned console with a lot of internal room and easy-access to
electronics and other critical rigging components, low-maintenance and electronically
operated trim tabs, LED nav lights, and impeccable fiberglass and finish work. The hull
comes in between 400- and 600-pounds lighter than the previous 284, a difference which
I readily felt when running this boat.
Look for a brand-new MARC VI in February or early March 2011, just in time for our
new fishing season!
At speed off Fort Lauderdale in the newly re-enginered Mako 284.
On the troll of Fort Lauderdale in the new Mako 284.
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