Eagle Ray 2300 Cruiser Cab

Noosa, on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, is the birthplace of Eagle Ray boats.

What makes Eagle Ray stand out from the crowd is the pronounced sponsons that all the company's models feature.

The latest addition to the stable, the 2300 Cruiser Cab, is designed along similar lines to its centre-console predecessor, and also features a typically deep forefoot and high shoulders.

The foredeck is high and rounded, dropping directly down to the gunwale rubber that surrounds the boat. Non-slip checkering built into the mould offers a reasonable non-slip surface. With no sidedecks around the cabin, purpose-built steps moulded into the side of the helmstation provide safe access through the opening windscreen and onto the foredeck. A large tinted access hatch is located in the centre of the foredeck, providing access from the cabin to the anchorwell. A neat stainless steel rail completes the flowing lines forward.

The anchorwell is huge, opening from port and laying over to starboard. Tucked away on the aft bulkhead of the well is a Maxwell 500 electric anchor winch that is operated from the helmstation. It would be a handy addition to this set-up to have a second remote button for the crewmember to use while retrieving the anchor.

A large cleat is affixed to each side of the anchorwell. A deep channel runs from the forward end of the well to the bowsprit to hold the anchor-rope in place. While the electric winch is fitted to the high side of the well, the drainhole is at the low and opposite end, keeping splash away from the housing.

INNER SPACE
What is initially evident is the amount of storage space available in the 2300 Cruiser Cab. This storage starts at the fore end of the cabin where two large pockets are located in the bulkhead behind the anchorwell. Two storage pockets are also located on the cabin/cockpit bulkhead on either side of the entry.

There is plenty of headroom inside the cabin, which features enough bunk space to sleep two adults. The foot space is also ample for two people to sit on the bunks at the drop-down table affixed to the bulkhead. A portable toilet sits at the apex of the foot space. The walls and ceiling of the cabin are carpet-lined. Running aft, a slender tinted window each side allows light into the cabin.

The helm area features a large footstep which is moulded into the console for the skipper's feet to rest upon. A vertical hatch above this step provides access to the back of the instrument panel and also the track for the sliding cabin door. This would be a good place to store charts and manuals.

Instrumentation consists of Optimax Smart Craft gauges. Two gauges monitor all of the engine functions, which leaves the slimline dash uncluttered.

Mercury Optimax controls are binnacle-mounted and a Navman Fish 450 and Navman Tracker 950 chartplotter are both flush-mounted. Skipper Hydrive hydraulic steering provides the push and pull on Mercury's 150hp Optimax.

Located on the passenger side of the forward cockpit are two large pockets featuring upholstered fascia. The bottoms of the top-pockets are about 250mm deep. One of these pockets is at the skipper's disposal also.

Passenger seating is atop a large module, featuring an access door in the forward end which opens into a large storage area. Another door, opening into the companionway from this module, swings around and out into the cockpit proper and holds a portable gas cooker. Where this module meets the wall of the forward cockpit, a stainless steel sink fits neatly with a deckwash/tap on a flexible hose which is flush-mounted nearby.

The seating layout of the 2300 is good, as the skipper has heaps of standing room thanks to a sliding helmchair. With the entry to the cabin rebated into the forward bulkhead, there is even more room in front of the passenger seating. This puts the passenger in front of, and to one side of, the skipper. In a family situation this is a good feature.

The skipper's seat is mounted on a mirror-image module which has a hatch leading into storage space from the companionway. A half-round padded seat takes the place of the sink.

A substantial stainless steel framed freestanding canopy amply covers the helm station, overhanging about 750mm into the cockpit.

Extra-wide coamings do not encroach on working deckspace in the cockpit. The full recessed fascias that support these coamings have two large storage pockets each side.

Half-round backed seats form part of the rear bulkhead, one in each corner. The bases are hinged from the bottom and pull forward, exposing engine oil bottles, fuel filter, deckwash pump, batteries and isolation switches. There is still enough room in these areas for bailing buckets, etc, to be stored out of the way.

The cockpit sole is fibreglass with a checkered finish. Two trap-door scuppers of about 50mm diameter drain a wet deck. The testboat features a bait board, the supports of which abridge a full opening leading to the face of the outboard. The transom engine mount rises only 200 mm off the floor. While this full opening allowed more engine noise into the cockpit than a sealed bulkhead/transom, the advantages in big seas are not to be sneezed at. A draining area this large would be advantageous if the boat takes a large wave over the top. The manufacturers are considering covering this area with a door setup that will reduce noise dramatically and placate those with smaller children who might wander toward this area, while still retaining the giant scupper concept for those that might need it.

Over the back of the transom, boarding platforms form part of the hull, into which an additional step is moulded. The testboat featured a stainless steel telescopic boarding ladder.

RAISING THE BAR
Surprisingly, the Eagle Ray, fully loaded with fuel and water, draws only 200mm dead in the water. This was evident when the boat crossed the Noosa bar. There was only a mild chop on the bar when crossed, but water? Very little of it! In places, there was as little as 300mm. Had the power been taken off, the boat would have bottomed out for sure. It didn't happen though, and a couple of runs over the wafer-thin water showed this boat to be a capable bar-crosser.

The Eagle Ray also featured exceptional stability - commonplace in multi-hull configurations - but, surprisingly, performed like a true Vee-bottom when cornering. Those with multi-hull vessels know the ungainly feel of leaning out on hard cornering. The 2300 Cruiser Cab lies almost on its side when pushed hard. It tends to lean over more than a deep-vee, yet maintains its integrity.

Obviously the sponsons are digging in and taking over the job of the main keel line.

Typical of a cathedral-hull configuration, the extra hull area contacting the water equates to less horsepower to get the boat on the plane. Hence a 150hp engine on a 23-footer. Also typical is the fact that this hull slides onto the plane without getting bogged down in a hole and can stay on the plane at very slow speeds. The 2300 is still on the plane at 2050rpm with a dashboard speedometer reading of just 14kmh.

At 4000rpm the testboat was cruising at 40kmh. Top speed was not tested due to the very low engine hours on the new Mercury Optimax; however, Eagle Ray anticipate speeds of around 65kmh at Wide Open Throttle.

The 2300 Cruiser Cab is an excellent family fishing platform, offering maximum stability, with a big cockpit and plenty of storage facilities. Its minimal draft will be a bonus to those crossing coastal bars regularly and also a boon to families looking for a boat to pull up on sandy beaches for a picnic.

With a drive on/off trailer, launch and retrieve is a snap, and although this 23-footer is a big boat, on the trailer it is relatively light for its size and can be towed by most four-wheel-drives.