Baja 250

In the world of bluewater boats, the choice is as broad as it is abstract and, sometimes, puzzling. This explains why snaky old salts tend to stick with tried-and-true formulas. They own boats with flared bows, a graceful sheer line, teak-topped cockpits, a separate engineering space, lots of freezers, a deep-vee or perhaps warped-plane hull, and a couple of trusty diesel donks.

Such traditional battlewagons are a safe bet for the boatbuilder, the bloke who places the orders, a working skipper and fishy crew. But these boats do not exactly grab the attention of the up-and-coming sportsfishing set. Nice boat, but 24kt is a tad slow for me. And, how much did you say? For $850,000, you gotta be kidding.

Enter Baja boats from Ohio, a division of Brunswick Corporation and reportedly the largest performance-boat manufacturer in the world. It is targeting a more youthful market of bluewater boat buyers with adventure in their veins. Hip and trendy phrases litter its brochures - references that probably sail over the heads of the older salts.

NEED FOR SPEED
Its range of 25 to 40-footers feature so-called 'True V' hulls for raceboat performance. The company has the 'speed gene', it claims, adding that total speed is the essence and that speed is in you, too. I certainly found it on the Baja Islander 250 OB I drove off the Gold Coast.

While it is the second smallest boat in the range, the Islander 250 delivered an adrenalin-charged ride. But unlike some big boys' toys, this fast fishing boat also has comforts and amenities for assuaging non-fishers during those point-scoring inshore days.

The Islander 250 OB has a feeling of unity on the water. The hull feels stiff with little sound reverberation in the foam-filled cavity between the running surface and beautifully moulded top deck.

End-grain balsa and specially developed I-beam stringers are used to attain stiffness but not weight. For every three layers of bi-axial woven rovings there is just one application of resin. Yet the running surfaces are said to be so thick you almost need to use special adaptors when installing through-hull fittings.

The mouldings are perfectly fair thanks to a five-axis milling machine and topped with (in this case) an extroverted racing-yellow finish with groovy graphics. The hull and deck are bonded and screwed every 10cm, which I guess is a requirement when you are making factory-rolled performance boats capable of 70kt.

All the deck fittings are through-bolted and things like the bolster seats are made especially to withstand the pressure of high-tailing it offshore.

This is something you will do in your Baja Islander 250 OB. The boat has genuine two-stroke performance and, well, it wouldn't be quite the same with a pair of four-stroke loafers like we see on most outboard-powered bluewater boats these days. (Ed: You're a hard man, Lockwood. I wouldn't call some of the new 225hp EFI four-strokes "loafers!")

WIDE OPEN
The sleek hull has a sharp 24¡ deadrise and aggressive chines and strakes for lift and directional stability. The natural trim angle is said to be 2-3¡, which is supposedly the perfect angle of attack.

However, this scribe found a wide range of trim options to suit every condition under the sun. When charging offshore, I buttoned the bow down - no, glued it to the ocean - and used every bit of the forward cutting edge to cleave a pesky swell.

Running back home I still had the boat trimmed down a touch. We looked cool, and the boat wasn't wet. In the calm of the Gold Coast's Broadwater, I trimmed the boat to its bungs for an attention-grabbing 51kt at 5800rpm.

The twin Mercury 150hp EFI Saltwater Series outboards joined optional factory-fitted pre-rig Kiekhaefer race-style controls with trim switches. You can use the outboard trims individually to fight poor weight distribution - a big fish on one side - or call on the boat's optional trim tabs.

Either way, the Islander 250 is a set-and-forget sportsfisher.

It might take a few minutes finding the perfect trim for the conditions and load, but once set up you can lean back in the racing-style bolster and reel in the sea miles.

RACY DECKS
Unlike a lot of centre-consoles, the Islander 250 has an impressive array of built-in amenities and a deck designed from the ground up. Ergonomic scalloping, cutouts and curves, and padded bolsters make this a great boat to get around.

A groovy bowsprit holds the anchor, with a Lewmar windlass with deck and dash control, two pop-up mooring cleats and chic navigation lights ahead of the boat. Inside are four recessed waterproof speakers in dedicated deck mouldings and a 12V outlet for the video camera.

A moulded forward casting platform topped with non-skid, and with an optional bow-filler cushion, can double as a daybed (add a fold-back canopy to make a sleepout).

Padded backrests and quarter seats make impromptu places to park when trolling. Drinkholders are conveniently located nearby.

Beneath the casting platform is a rope locker and a tri-folding hatch that opens to reveal a massive fishwell or, when plumbed with a pump, a pitchbaiting tank and day spa. All the hatches have solid stainless-steel hinges and waterproof drains.

There are lined iceboxes for drinks up front and nice high gunwales that will give a sense of security when chasing a fish into a headsea. Solid stainless rails inspire further confidence, and also make good tie-off points for a sea anchor or trophy fish.

Additional storage exists for rods, gaffs, tagpoles and suchlike in side lockers and for berley and wet stuff in two underfloor cockpit lockers. The decks are full fish-around designs, but for a targa arch around which you will have to pass your rod.

FISH FRIENDLY
The padded coamings and toe-under support make the aft cockpit eminently suitable for fishing 24kg stand-up tackle over a distant canyon somewhere. The factory offers a broad range of options for diving and cruising as well as offshore fishing.

Standard cockpit deck gear includes recessed grabrails and drinkholders and a couple of Perko rodholders. There are optional pop-up cleats and a portable swim ladder that clips into the enginewell. The decks are all self-draining with gutters to direct water outboard.

A walk-through transom lets you stand on a quasi-boarding platform and reach out over the outboards. Topped with non-skid, it is a useful place for chunking, chumming (you will need to fit a pot) or gaffing a transom-hugging gamefish.

Quality is reflected in the stainless-steel rubbing strip and powder-coated T-top (listed as a wakeboarding cage!?!) that swings canvas for shade and four gold anodised rodholders in an aft rocket launcher.

The boat needs aftermarket outriggers, but full marks for the ingenious fishing centre. A distinguishing feature, the fishing centre hides behind a two-person lounge at the transom and includes a rigging centre with drinkholders, baitwells, a sink with running water, and a cutting board. This way you can have a social cruise boat and a tuna taker, too.

A lockable hatch leads to oil bottles, plumbing, wiring, the bilge and possible additional storage below. Elsewhere, I found hatches leading to a washdown tap, a neat circuit-breaker board, battery isolators, and deck fillers for the 530lt fuel tank, which will deliver more than a day of long-range canyon fishing.

TRICK DASH
The optional bolster-style double helmseat is a solid and impressive bit of work. The seat bases drop down to create a leaning post suitable for high-speed offshore work. Other times, you can sit in the seats and the shade.

Lovely moldings define the centre-console itself. A forward hatch into a large storage recess can be fitted with a Porta Potti. The dash has groovy silver fish-print facias and lots and lots of switches. There are dual sets of tachos, trim gauges, volt and hour meters, oil-pressure gauges and a speedo.

The boat had an optional Lowrance digital depth sounder, plus a Clarion CD stacker and a hot Baja steering wheel with stainless steel spokes.

Vast switch panels cover everything from courtesy lights to a dash dimmer, baitwell, bilge pumps, trim tabs and more. Importantly, there is room for a 7in combo colour screen and a serious depth sounder on the dash.

PERFORMANCE
The raceboat controls take some getting used to in so far as the gearshifts are separate to the throttles. Surprisingly, the pleasantly light steering had lots of turn lock-to-lock. Sudden changes of direction had to be made energetically, hand over hand.

But with 1500rpm on the Mercurys east of the Gold Coast, the boat trundled along at the perfect troll speed. I was looking astern, imagining setting a spread in the window of blue water. The cockpit also lends itself to switchbaiting and flyfishing.

To reach planing speeds takes just a few seconds. At about 3000rpm you get a useful 33kt cruising speed, while 4000rpm returns a faster 40kt.

More than a point-and-shooter, the boat boasts trick design details and deck mouldings that you just will not find elsewhere.

A smooth operator, the Baja 250 Islander is what the company calls a "WAV" or Water Adventure Vehicle. It certainly has a terrific turn of speed, great handling and a sharp ride to wow the adventurous at heart. And smart design for the hip new fishing crowd.

Baja reckons early morning trips no longer require caffeine in the Islander 250. After a meat pie with bacon and cheese roll chasers, I would have reached the canyons before those old sea dogs finished their wake-up coffee.