Canadian Yachting October 2021 - 28

Another popular feature is the Fusion
This is the double berth that lies athwartships under
the helm. Accessed from the port side, it's bright and
comfortable thanks to hull-side windows. Schaefer
offers a selection of interior finishes and options.
The attractive lighted glasses locker in the cockpit.
stereo system. These days Fusion is
owned by Garmin. The test boat had a
Garmin display at the helm. It's part of
the Volvo Penta Glass Helm and these
onboard systems integrate beautifully
together.
The cabin includes seating for inside
dining in the bow, and this area can
convert into two berths. There are overhead
storage lockers, attractive lighting
fixtures and a generous deck hatch for
light, ventilation and safety.
Schaefer has done a great job with the
design of the head making it feel much
larger by having a shaped door that
increases the opening a lot. The head
includes a mirror, storage, an opening
porthole, Jabsco electric toilet system,
hot and cold water and what we estimate
to be about 5 feet 9 inches of headroom,
so in spite of the boat's sleek lines, you
have functional standing height in the
head compartment.
Accessed from the port side, the main
event is the double berth cabin under
the helm. This is comfortably open to
the cabin interior and has windows in
the hull sides for light and fresh air.
Schaefer has made the cabin on the 303
both comfortable and versatile.
HELM
The unique keyhole-shaped door makes the head
compartment seem much more spacious and easier
to access.
Featuring a double width helm seat,
the test boat was equipped with a
Garmin MFD screen that included the
Active Captain feature and everything
integrates for your convenience. For
example, this allows you to program
your trip at home in advance. Everything
runs off Bluetooth. Just download your
waypoints to the system and run your
route. Other related available features
can include video surveillance, security
and more. The Yacht Solutions people
are also planning to get the new 3D
chart system which allows you to see
the sea floor through the charting software
and the Ultra Vision feature.
Integrated with the Volvo Penta
Electronic
Vessel Control system
The comfortably finished bow area includes a
removable table, space for two berths and overhead
lockers as well as storage under the cushions.
(EVC), the Glass Cockpit enables you
to monitor and control information in
one place via a single interface. It provides
a full overview of navigation and
engine data, together with optional Easy
Boating functions such as Autopilot and
Joystick driving. A few " taps " on the
28 CANADIAN YACHTING | OCTOBER 2021
screen and you can select whatever feature
you would like. Critical information
pops up as needed. Volvo uses a fob
and an auto start mechanism too.
Another neat feature was the Marinco
spotlight. This powerful bow-mounted
spotlight can do an automatic sweep and
scan to help you locate channel markers
or objects in the water and it has a clever
pre-programmed SOS flash as well.
ENGINES AND PERFORMANCE
The aft seating raises electrically to
reveal access to the twin Volvo Penta
280 V6 sterndrives and service points
are at the front for easy maintenance.
The Volvo Penta V6 engines were
very smooth-running and this Volvo
system is all fly by wire for shifting
and steering, making everything light
and precise to handle. There's a simple
switch to take you into joystick docking
mode and although there is no bow or
stern thruster, it seemed clear that none
were needed. The boat proved very easy
to manage at the dock and I applaud
Volvo's engineering for making this
system so smooth and quiet. These joystick
systems have come a long way in
the last few years!
Equipped with the optional twin
Volvo Penta 280 hp V6 DuoProp stern
drives, the Schaefer 303 jumped on
plane in little more than 5 seconds
and proved to be very responsive to
the throttles at pretty much any speed.
The 20-degree deep vee hull delivers a
smooth ride, but typical for such a deep
vee, the Lenco trim tabs were important
to keep the boat level in the side winds
we experienced on test day. Overall, the
303 was solid-feeling and confidence
inspiring with more than sufficient
power for big loads of passengers or
towing for water sports.
We liked the elegant Isotta steering
wheel. It was comfortable to use and
when docking, you slow to low speed
and press a button that transfers the
engine control and steering to the separate
joystick that's on the dash just
ahead of the main control box. With
this, you can actually drive the boat at
low speeds, turn, stop, reverse, pivot
and even move sideways. For the less
experienced boater, this makes handling
around the docks, easy, accurate and
low stress.
Canadian Yachting October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2021
