Bayliner Cuddy 212

I reckon the FBI have moles posted Down Under and the CIA is covertly casing the waterfront. How else can you explain the local flavour of American boatbuilding giant Bayliner's latest 212? Completely redesigned for 2006, this cuddy cabin family boat ushers in a whole new styling line.

Whereas American boats to go are usually short on details like anchor wells, storage lockers, canopies and transom showers, this boat has them all, and it teams an Australian-sized cockpit for cruising and catering with a cabin in which you can crash or toss the kids when their lids are getting heavy.

Despite being freshly styled, the new 212 doesn't bend to fashion at the expense of practicality. Instead of sleek lines you get a high-sided and deep cockpit that will be welcomed by the safety-conscious boater and means you get seated headroom inside. With a cabin door incorporating steps, and an opening Taylor Made safety-glass windscreen, this is a safe boat to clamber across to the bow and drop the anchor.

The seaworthiness of a cuddy cabin makes this a capable fishing boat, a ski hook lets you tow the tykes, and the loo in the cabin will please the ladies.

NEW DIRECTIONS
Bayliner has always believed in glassed-in marine-ply floors, but the 212 breaks with this tradition, using a GRP floor liner. Clip-in carpet is included.

The self-draining cockpit in a small Bayliner is a real departure from the norm. You can leave this boat in the water without worrying about torrential downpours sinking it, and the outboard scuppers make the 212 safer offshore.

A must-have for the Australian summer, the canopy was a unique sliding number that hinged back into a storage pocket behind the rear lounge, which meant clear space over the cockpit for casting lines and no wobbling canopy in the wind at top speed. It also demounted to reduce garaging room.

The 212's new extended swim platform makes for a truly summer-savvy boat. Upon the ledge created by this platform you might don the skis, sit and watch the world drift by, encourage little Johnny to practice his swimming, or feed the ducks that frequent anchorages for a handout.

 Also playing into the hands of the outdoor set is the freshwater shower and a sink in which you can rinse the picnic plates. And all of this was standard in the 212 imported here.

KEEL HAULED
For stiffness, the 212 has box beam stringers on a unitised handlaid GRP hull and glassed-in bulkheads, backed by a limited lifetime structural warranty, a transferable five-year structural deck warranty, and a lifetime warranty against rot in the hull, deck and upholstery.

The fully-moulded liner brings an integrated feel to the interior. The aggressive non-skid pattern found under the cockpit carpet extends to the foredeck and gunwales and, cleverly, across the engine box, which includes a moulded step so you don't have to tread on the upholstery between swims.

Deck gear is through-bolted including a low-slung but handy bowrail, a bowsprit and ski hook. However, I'm not sure how to go about fitting rodholders due to the design of the gunwales, which have pinched coamings to help conceal the canopy when it's folded away.

PLENTY OF SEATS IN THE HOUSE
A lot of real estate for your buck, the 212 Cuddy is imported in the standard local layout with back-to-back seats and aft-quarter seats. This boat really can carry six adults. The optional sports layout with full-length rear lounge and pedestal seats won't be so great for lounging.

The comfortable back-to-back seats with adjustable headrests convert to sunbeds, pleasantly shaded if the canopy is up. You can clip a cushion over the engine box to create an additional aft seat, and extra lounging space is made by relocating the aft-quarter seat swabs to the mounting points beside the engine box. Including the cabin berth, you can play lounge lizard at three separate indoor and outdoor venues.

There is storage space under all the seats and long cockpit sidepockets are big enough for paddles or two-piece fishing rods. Drinkholders and grab handles were thoughtfully positioned where you need them, while the underfloor lined storage locker could double as an icebox.

The moulded sink with pull-out handheld shower nozzle ahead of the co-pilot lets you rinse the lunch plates overboard. The deep footwell in the cabin is the obvious place to keep the carry-on cooler packed with lunch. I'd buy one to fit under the infill so you can have your bed and grub, too.

Despite all the seating, the cockpit has plenty of floor space. The narrow gunwales allow the internal beam to be taken right to the hull sides and, with high freeboard, you really ride in, not on, the 212 Cuddy.

CABIN AFFAIR
I was pleasantly surprised to find seated headroom in the lock-up cuddy cabin that isn't at all out of proportion like you find on some bloated trailerable cabin boats. Starboard, a kind of plastic, is used for the infill. A couple could sleep over, or it could be a good place to plonk the kids and/or carry-on gear.

 I noted a 12V outlet, lighting, CO detector, a vinyl clip-on cover over the dash wiring, and two additional speakers linked to the sound system, which would be nice and loud. There was a small amount of storage under the bunks and a hatch for fresh air.

The pee de resistance was the concealed pull-out chemical loo. Seated, I could still close the cabin door. Privacy to boot.

The boat's engine bay, was accommodating of the 260hp 5.0lt V8 petrol MerCruiser. The bilge won't be so easy to reach, but the primary pre-departure items were at hand, along with the 38lt water tank in the starboard corner and the modest 132lt polypropylene fuel tank at the foot of the engine bay, which had an accessible sender.

FAMILY FLIER
Despite the back-to-back helm seat configuration, the skipper's seat had a fore-and-aft slide and I found the helm position comfortable. The matt-grey low-glare dash with brushed-metal look inserts contained a full spread of engine gauges and scope to fit the optional digital depth sounder.

The boat was fitted with a four-speaker marine stereo and CD player and a switch panel for lights, blower and accessories. A 12V outlet was supplied and the tilt wheel was linked to power-assisted tilt steering.

I'd like to see MerCruiser develop a more sophisticated throttle than that which it fits to its small inboard petrol motors. No matter how hard I tried, the motor clunked into gear. This was no fault of Bayliner, but a function of tired technology from Mercury.

In all other respects this was a pleasant family cruiser, coming onto the plane at 2000rpm and 8.3kt, which is a sure sign of an efficient hull. The hull carries 19-degree of deadrise aft, making it a moderate-vee design that, with a 2.49m beam, offers a good compromise between straight-line ride comfort and stability at rest.

I'm guessing the 212 will split its time pretty evenly between both applications, with a little trolling and towing of tykes thrown in for good measure. Tube towing speed was clocked at 12.4kt at 2300rpm, low cruise was 17kt at 2400rpm and ski speed came in at 31kt at 3600rpm.

 Cruising was recorded at 3000rpm and 27kt with the boat settling comfortably at 3200rpm. Top speed of 44kt at 5000rpm felt flighty; even with full leg-in trim, the boat was prone to porpoising in a moderate chop.

It wasn't wet, however, and at the more sensible cruise speeds running noise wasn't piercing. In short, no surprises on the performance front. Not so with the fitout.

While American boatbuilders usually thrust bowriders down our necks, this cabin cruiser has been warmly welcomed by young families — I'm told it is one of the importer's best sellers. It's popularity isn't surprising, considering how well it caters for the Australian way of boating life. It's as though someone's read the wish-list, or they're spying on us from afar, vicariously enjoying a summer of boating Down Under.

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