What about skiing? Well, get the boat moving along above 35mph and the wake fattens out beautifully. Throw in a couple of ‘Fat Sacks’ and it’s a whole new ball game. Sure, it’s not competition stuff, but it will suit most new to intermediate riders. Apart from the obvious (Tower), because this boat’s engine is mounted at the transom, when travelling at slow wakeboarding speeds, the engine’s weight helps wall up a reasonable wake to board off. This adds another dimension to this already versatile boat. One option many buyers are taking up is the wakeboard tower. Also worth noting was the fact that during this test, even in tight turns with the leg at a quarter trimmed out, the prop didn’t cavitate. If that’s a bit too fast for you, why not opt for the standard engine fitment (and save yourself quite a few bob), a 5lt V8 220hp MerCruiser. She’ll cruise around eff ortlessly all day at 38mph at 3500rpm, but put the hammer down and she tops out at 56mph at 5600rpm. A 350 Magnum 300hp 5.7lt V8 MerCruiser powered the Bayliner 225 Runabout and gave this big boat impressive performance fi gures. So her ride’s not only smooth and stable, but also dry. There’s also a fair amount of flare in the 225’s bow, which helps throw water and spray down and away from the hull.

Air becomes trapped between the outer chines and the keel, so the boat rides on a cushion of air with great stability, even across extremely choppy water, without banging or crashing. The 225 rockets onto the plane with no bow-up attitude, so the driver’s line of sight isn’t obscured at anytime, which is extremely important, especially when skiing or wakeboarding. Bayliner now uses what it calls a ‘SmoothRide’ system on the underside of the hull, which has wide tapered chines, large reverse lift ing strakes and a delta step pad for quicker ‘hole shot’ performance. Computer Aided Design ensures the moulds are extremely accurate, so the hull and deck come together precisely, before being bond-keyed together to create a solid unit with excellent stiff ness and a responsive feel. The team at Avante Marine (the importers) call this model a runabout, but for all intents and purposes, it’s a bowrider- a bloody big bowrider!īayliner upgraded the Capri hulls this model is designed around to improve performance and handling. If you’re looking for a top all-rounder, check out the new Bayliner 225 Runabout. Like most places around Australia, the boating options are limitless and unless you’re tied into one form of boating (such as game fi shing) finding an ideal boat that’ll handle all the pursuits available around Sydney will be something of a compromise. Its pristine waters are an angler’s delight and home to one of Sydney’s biggest wakeboarding communities. Still not enough water for you Then head south again, round the Kurnell Peninsular, across Bate Bay and enter picturesque Port Hacking. Th e bay isn’t a huge expanse of water, but the Georges River, which winds its way for miles out to the southwest, runs into it. Back out through “The Heads”, turn south and past such notorious landmarks as The Gap (where many sad souls have jumped to their deaths) and Long Bay Jail, before rounding Cape Banks and entering Botany Bay – just like Captain Cook.

After a quick run down the northern beaches, chuck a right turn into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour, the biggest and most beautiful deepwater harbour in the world), which is fed by Middle Harbour estuary and the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers. To the north are Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Waters and Broken Bay, incorporating the mighty Hawkesbury River system and Pittwater. He may have now moved on to sister publication Golf Digest, but he still raves about his times on the water with Modern Boating.Īnd here’s why. And from the moment he flew into the harbour city, he was blown away by the amount of water surrounding the region. Cruise the waterways or wall up a wake….it’s your choice on this versatile vessel.Ī little under two years ago FPC Magazines relocated a young graphic artist from Melbourne to Sydney to take on the prestigious role of Art Director, Modern Boating magazine.

Bayliner runabout