Boat test for the 2005 Rinker Fiesta Vee 360 including boat specifications, photo galleries, boat videos, boat layout diagrams, boat test numbers, boat test results, and boat speed graphs. Also includes pricing, engine test reviews, ratings, standard features, and gear for the 2005 Rinker Fiesta Vee 360.

There was virtually no wind on test day, so rather than make the trip out to the open Atlantic to wring out our Rinker Fiesta Vee 360, I went with a stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway not far from Davey Marine Center, Rinker's dealership in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Why waste fuel goin' offshore when conditions right next door are virtually the same?

All went well at first. The part of the test where we use a laptop computer cable-linked to a Stalker radar gun to generate an acceleration curve was going swimmingly. I stood with one hand on the 360's windshield receiver for support and carefully aimed the gun ahead with the other. The 360 was accelerating smoothly to a wide-open-throttle speed of 47.1 mph.

Then it happened—a crash so thunderous and explosive I instantly concluded we'd either nailed an uncharted boulder or sustained a direct artillery hit from behind.

Our driver snatched the throttles back with a vengeance, and mayhem momentarily ensued, followed first by the slow comprehension of what had occurred and then by a collective sigh of relief. Under the bumptious influence of a wake pulled by a passing vessel, the 360's hinged aluminum radar arch—designed to fold down primarily to accommodate highway bridges while being trucked to dealerships from Rinker—had quite abruptly decided to fold down with sledgehammer force. The dealership had forgotten to install the bolts that lock the arch in place.

Returning the arch to an upright position and securing it was a three-man job—the thing was heavy. Fortunately, the rest of our sea trial went smoothly. But our brush with disaster had been so close that a warning seems warranted here. The radar arch on the 360 easily weighs a couple of hundred pounds. Anyone who buys and/or operates the boat, or any boat with a radar arch that folds down for that matter—and there are quite a few of them—should make sure the arch is properly secured before heading out. The price of failing to do so could be steep.

Once the arch was secured, I drove our 360 and had a grand old time doing so. I found the sightlines while sitting on the pop-up bolster at the helm were excellent, the power-steering system had a crisp, automotive feel, and all of the dashboard instrumentation and switches were conveniently arranged. Additionally, the Lenco electric trim-tab switches just above the Mercury single-lever engine controls held particular appeal. The red indicator lights were easy to see at a glance, and the electrically actuated tabs themselves were fast-acting and effected a quick response.

Performance was rousing. Thanks to a set of double-prop Bravo Three drives and a finely balanced hull form, the 360 accelerated both rapidly and uniformly—no stalls or other hiccups. Turning was tight, with little engine lug-down. Top speed was excellent. And once we'd concluded our sea trial on the ICW, squeezing our 360 back into her berth, between two other cruisers, one fore and the other aft, was a piece of cake, despite the fact that our Mercury single-lever engine controls were stiff and needed detent adjustment. Rinker offers an optional bow thruster for the 360, but it hardly seems necessary, especially with Bravo Threes. They boost dockside maneuverability big-time.

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