Trophy 2502 Walkaround

Bayliner makes Trophy boats, but any swipe at that parentage will result in serious egg on your face. Unlike the company's family runabouts that are built to a price, the Trophies are purpose-built sportsfishers produced to perform offshore.

Since these boats and their customers are a very different to Bayliners and their buyers, the parent company split Trophy away.

Make no bones about it: Trophies are thoroughbred sportsfishers. But of all the models, the 2502 Walkaround is a great all-season boat for fishers and their families. It has all the right amenities for dayboating and overnighting as well as serious offshore odysseys.

Volume is something Trophy also delivers. In fact, the 2502 Walkaround's wide 2.59m beam might require a towing permit in some states. But I'd take the permit and the voluminous interior any day. Or grab a dry-stack somewhere.

The hull boasts pronounced flared sections above the waterline to shed water, a lot of buoyancy in the bow, and a deep-vee with 21° of deadrise at the transom. At rest, the boat didn't droop under the weight of its twin 200hp Mercury OptiMax outboards.

A special drainage system includes a self-draining cockpit, fishboxes that drain overboard, an impressive livebait setup, cambered decks and a deep engine well. Even the drinkholders have drain holes.

The walkaround works well, and stability is such that the boat doesn't heel alarmingly when you're tracing the decks. The generous cockpit has padded coamings (on slides for easily replacement) and stainless-steel toerails.

The moulded hardtop was a nice bit of work. It incorporated a lockable electronics box, and clears on tracks for easy operation. The stout anodised alloy frame featured plenty of grabrails, as well as a rocket launcher with four rodholders.

The fish centre at the transom is the undisputed highlight of the 2502. You get a cutting board, a lift-out Igloo icebox for stowing bait, an impressive 113lt oval live bait tank with aerator, overflow and light. There is a sink, freshwater tap and raw-water washdown.

To these things you can add a giant portside fishbox under the navigator's seat big enough to stow serious fish. The 2502 is also offered with an optional aft lounge if you want to appease the family between fishing trips. A 40lt Igloo carry-on cooler is stowed under the helm seat.

Inside, the lockable cabin has headroom, a Waeco 12V portable 50lt fridge with freezer tray, a galley sink with manual freshwater tap linked to a 90lt tank, and a single-burner alcohol stove. There is a small but serviceable head enclosed by a fibreglass liner with a Jabsco manual loo and sink.

Removing the cabin dining table lets you create a vee-berth that converts into a double bed. I thought the finish of the cabin was better than that in some other purely-for-pleasure boats.

The twin 200hp OptiMaxes delivered a rapid holeshot, and the boat held a useful 28kmh slow cruise speed into the fray with some trim tab to button the bow down. At 3500rpm you can enjoy a fair-weather cruise of 46kmh, while 4000rpm gave a high-speed cruise of 57kmh. The best speed I recorded was 78kmh at 5500rpm.

But no matter what speed you settle on, the boat's whopping 617lt fuel capacity will accommodate your wishes. Sure, the Trophies are serious long-range sportsfishers; but the 2502 Walkaround is also a maxi trailerboat capable of hosting camping safaris with the clan.