Stingray 240CS

Judging by the acceleration in growth of the recreational boat sales market this year, the industry really must be a force to be reckoned with when the government looks at allocating resources to user groups. Methinks that sometimes (actually a lot of the time) they turn a deaf ear to our calls. Let's ramp up the ramps and muck out the marinas! The industry is growing bigger with every boat show.

The Mandurah Boat Show, staged about an hour's drive south of Perth, is the last event on a hectic winter calendar. The show has blown out in size with a 25 per cent increase in exhibitors.

There seemed to be a big push by dealers to sell larger boats, a trend that was evident at other shows this year. You can put this down to a number of factors: families eschewing overseas travel in favour of buying a boat, and "the grass is greener" syndrome, or a desire to buy a bigger boat to explore new areas.

The former market is in the sights of the distributors of Stingray Boats, who have been importing this American product into Australia for the past six years.

With the Stingray 240CS sitting dockside at the end of the show, we took the opportunity to give it a run in the expansive Mandurah estuary, abutting the huge floating marina for big boats.

 At 24ft, the Stingray is a lot of boat, but nestled in amongst some of the mega-million dollar gin palaces, it did seem quite diminutive. Not so once aboard: the boat was initially clad in full camping covers from the screen to the transom, but once these were removed, it was like walking in to Dr Who's Tardis. Open spaces and acres of storage room were to be found everywhere.

OUTDOOR ACCOMMODATION
Sporting a foredeck that has smooth lines from the bowsprit to the top of the windscreen, this boat looks a little chunky, but that's the trade-off for all that internal volume. Families that are looking for safe, comfortable and cosy options should test this boat.

The helm and gauges are neatly set out on a spacious dashboard. The back-to-back helm seat is a double number with high backrests that are hinged together with the bases on a sliding rack. Pull the bases apart to create a day-bed-sized berth. The cockpit dining table also drops down, and with a cushion fitted becomes another comfy double berth. The padded passenger seat is an aft-facing lounge that a kid could nap on comfortably.

A metal step is fixed to the bulkhead in front of the skipper's seat. It swings out for access onto the dash and out through the opening glass windscreen to the anchor well. The non-slip cabin roof is not fitted with handrails, and traversing it will be a little precarious in anything but the smoothest of conditions.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES
Stepping down into a recess in the helm bulkhead, a bi-fold door and lift-up dash section allow access to the cabin. Immediately on the starboard side, a large door opens to the macerator head and shower recess, which is spacious and well appointed.

The vee-berth in the bow is comfortable and large enough for two adults. At the foot of the berth a neat galley features a metho spirit cooker and an electric fridge of about 50lt volume. Considering the potential number of people that could sleep aboard overnight, further refrigeration or ice stowage would be required to cater for the crew's refreshment - although there is a handy icebox recessed into the cockpit liner on the port side of the cockpit.

Neat cupboards above and below the galley sink are easily accessed and offer a decent amount of secure storage space.

A narrow aperture on the port side of the helm bulkhead leads to a double bunk. This is crawl in/crawl out affair, but there is ample room for two adults, though you will feel a little cramped going to and from the quarters. This cubby would be a brilliant playpen for the kids or would be great for tackle stowage - if you can convince the kids that you need the space more than they do.

 Technically there are berths for six, and you could sleep that number at a squeeze - although the boat specifications more sensibly list accommodation for four.

PERFORMANCE & HANDLING
Back topside, the rear lounge lifts up and aft, exposing the engine room. Herein sits a 260hp MerCruiser. There is battery stowage on the port side, and a large vacant area starboard that would be ideal for fenders, tools, oils and the like. There is not a lot of space at the front of the engine to work on the pulley belts from above, but this work could be done more easily whilst sitting in the engine room.

Effective soundproofing was evident on the inside of this area. The insulation worked well on the test, with only a mechanical drone evident from the powerplant when underway.

A hatch in the portside of the transom bulkhead gave access to the full-width marlin board where a saltwater shower is located for hose-off after coming back from the sandy beach, or to wash off any scales after a fishing session.

This boat was no slouch in the power department, either. Holeshot was not neck-snapping, but there was plenty of power available to get the boat and its passengers on the plane. The steering was so exceptionally light and smooth a child would have no trouble handling this rig.

With the Bravo 1 leg trimmed in, the Stingray reached speeds just over 80kmh at 4800rpm and high-speed hard corners presented no challenge at all, hanging in tight with no ventilation of the propeller. Back to a comfortable cruise rpm of 3200, the Stingray loafed along at 52kmh according to our GPS.

The very direct steering was easy to use. Ride appeared smooth, although there wasn't a lot of chop on our test day. With 21 degrees of deadrise at the stern and big chines, the boat sat solidly in the water at rest with good stability.

This is a practical family cruiser in the true sense of the word. Not overdone in size or lavishness, its value for money pricetag means owning a cruiser like this is a very real proposition for a family on a decent wage.

 The Stingray 240CS has heaps of space and comfortable, livable areas to enjoy - and getting away for a weekend on the waterfront will be a piece of cake, especially if you can store the boat in a dry stack.

Nothing beats finding a quiet anchorage a million miles away from it all, and watching the sun go down over a seafood feast caught by the kids that day, and looking forward to a comfortable night's rest with just the gentle slap of ripples on the chines to send you to sleep.

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