When it comes to beginner boats the options on today’s market — at least, the affordable ones — are extremely limited. That’s a shame, because there are lots of people out there who would love to take the leap and get a new boat, but they want something relatively small and inexpensive to get started with. Enter: the Veer.
What is the Veer Boat?
The Veer is a 13’ long, 4’ wide rotomolded polyethylene foam-filled two-person boat designed for today’s eco-conscious and adventurous generations. In a way, it bridges the gap between kayak and boat. It’s small enough to trailer with a Prius (literally), requires very little maintenance, is recyclable, and can be packaged with either a small 9.9-hp gasoline outboard or the new Mercury Marine Avator electric outboard motor. The rig comes packaged on a trailer so it’s garage-ready, and (at the time of this publishing) a complete boat ready to launch MSRPs at $11,995.
For now Veer is offering this single model, the V13, though we’d be surprised if they don’t introduce additional models sooner rather than later. As a new offering from Brunswick, it’s being marketed via the Lund Boats brand. Note that judges for the National Marine Manufacturers Association found the Veer so impressive they gave it an Innovation Award for best new fishing boats in 2023.
Veer Boats Features
Boats this small are generally quite simple and this is true of the Veer, however, it comes thoroughly rigged for activities like fishing and exploring. The boat has an aft bench seat with cushion, and the entire topsides is decked in cushioning MarineMat foam padding. The forward third of the boat has a raised deck that serves as a casting platform for the anglers among us. The boat also has bow and stern cleats, under-gunwale rod racks, a stowage compartment under the foredeck, two in-deck stowage compartments, two integrated aft cup holders, and a bungee holder on the bow. The cockpit has plenty of room to carry aboard a cooler, tackle box, and gear bags.
Optional features worth considering include a canvass storage cover, a (manual) pole anchor, a removable standing bar, and accessories for the SportTrak tracks on the inwales. These allow you to add goodies including cup or tool holders, fender hangers, and mounting plates that hold aftermarket accessories like additional fishing rod holders.
From an angling perspective, it’s also important to note that the Veer draws just a hair over six inches of water. Combine that with the four-foot beam, and it means that this boat can go where few others can fish. In fact, it will have kayak-like shallow water and small creek angling abilities that other multi-person fishing machines can’t match.
Veer V13 Performance
The stock powerplant for the Veer is a 9.9-hp Mercury Four-Stroke outboard, with a portable three-gallon fuel tank that hides under the aft bench seat. Just what sort of performance that will provide will vary widely depending on load and conditions, as if often the case with boats of this size, but it will certainly get the Veer up onto plane and you can expect to zip around at speeds at least in the teens. The lighter you run the boat, the faster it’ll go.
A power upgrade of around $2,100 turns the Veer into an electric boat, with the Avator 7.5e on the transom. Though it’s an upgrade it does put a lower limit on speed and range, as the 7.5e has about as much oomph as a 3-hp gas outboard. With it you can expect to travel around at speeds of around five mph with five miles of range at wide-open throttle, and significantly more range at lower throttle settings. Exact range will depend on conditions and throttle settings, but if you operate it at around half throttle, running time jumps to three-plus hours. You can also get additional one-kWh batteries for the electric outboard to extend your range.
Despite speed and range limitations the Avatar will be an attractive option — even after setting environmental considerations aside. It’s virtually silent and doesn’t cause the vibrations and exhaust common to gasoline outboards, which makes being on the water that much more enjoyable. Plus, with fewer moving parts and no internal combustion taking place, modern electric outboards have proved to be virtually maintenance-free and incredibly reliable.
Veer V13 Specifications
- Length Overall: 13’0”
- Beam: 4’0”
- Weight: 382 lbs.
- Draft (min.): 6.3”
- Max HP: 9.9
- Fuel Capacity: 3 gal.
- People/Gear Capacity: 2/550 lbs.
For a beginner boater we can’t imagine a better way to get into a capable but manageable small boat. For someone looking to make the upgrade from kayak to boat, we can’t imagine a more appropriate stepping-stone. For an angler looking for a two-person fishing machine that doesn’t break the bank, we can’t imagine a more affordable option that delivers so much ability. The Veer V13 may, in fact, be the world’s best beginner boat.
See Veer V13 boats for sale on Boat Trader.