| With a 30-year boat-building tradition and a knack for knowing exactly what a tournament-focused angler is looking for, it’s not hard to understand how Topaz boats have become popular on both the East and West coasts. Now owned by New Jersey-based Egg Harbor Yachts, Topaz’s 40 Express is the latest installment in a long line of midsize sportfishers. Egg Harbor has a number of boat lines beneath its umbrella, including Predator, Buddy Davis and its own Egg Harbor models, all of which are frequent participants in serious tournaments. With Topaz joining its ranks late last year, the company’s offerings have expanded to reach a wider audience that tackles multiple styles of angling. We like the amount of exterior space on this vessel; she has a generous cockpit that can accommodate a fighting chair and just about any other amenity you could want – rocket launchers, rod holders, bait  tanks and tackle storage. She doesn’t have full walk-around sidedecks, but you can definitely make your way from one end of the boat to the other without totally losing your footing; she’s covered in nonskid decking and has high stainless steel railing to grab hold of when you’re walking. |
|  | Despite what you might tell your friends or perhaps your children, tuna towers are scary. Wave action can send them into a pitch-and-roll pattern that affects even the most iron-clad stomachs. But the ladders leading to the top of the 40 Express cut down on the  daredevil factor to some degree, starting out narrow at the bottom and growing progressively wider as they angle up toward the tower. The feature provides a greater sense of security once you reach the lookout post (where the sway starts to pick up). The boat has basic interior amenities, with single forward stateroom, customizable woodwork and other features as well as a full fiberglass head with a shower. What more could a hard-core angler ask for? view all articles |
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