Contender 23Bay | Salt Water Sportsman

Contender’s new 23Bay boasts a 12-inch draft and a 15.5-degree deadrise with a double-step backside. Its traces are glossy and crisp, and response is instant. Within the gentle wind chop of the broad St. Lucie River in Stuart, Florida, it proved its functionality for fishing from inshore flats to off-the-beach excursions. You’ll little question see the 23Bay on nearshore reefs in ­calmer seas, and the boat presents crew in fashion and style for ­waterfront eating.

No different class of boat is extra well-liked than hybrid bay boats, and with Contender’s extraordinarily profitable 25Bay, it wanted to deliver out one thing greater than only a shorter platform within the crowded subject of fishing hybrids. 

First, Contender needed to develop a bay boat with a ­skinny draft and a trip strong sufficient to reside as much as Contender’s well-earned popularity for ­high quality. This one’s motor-up draft is shallower than most of its opponents, enabling exploration farther into backwater creeks and flats than ­many boats of its measurement. We proved that in our check. 

We additionally proved its strong trip in navigating heavy wakes of a lot bigger center-consoles, cruisers and sport-fishers that frequently traverse the river, heaving average chop with bone-jarring rollers. Any boat will shake up the crew if these wakes aren’t navigated with warning, however we took these on airplane, stretching from crest to crest on some, and taking ­wider rollers at an indirect angle. On the previous, the boat was remarkably strong on reentry. On the indirect wakes, which might steer some boats off beam, the 23Bay soldiered on, protecting its line at pace. How does a 23-footer do this?

First, Contender vacuum-­infuses the 23’s hull, a course of that mixes precisely the correct amount of resin with a glass mat to make a hull of constant thickness, weight and resilience from the primary to final hull off the road. A stringer grid is fused to the hull, and the entire wiring and plumbing is put in place via ample chases to permit extra electrical wiring to be pulled in place if transducers want substitute or ­working programs want updating or upkeep. The deck is then fused in place, and screwed and glued with adhesive, leaving no slack wherever for creaking, cracking or grinding because the boat ­traverses tough water. 

This all speaks to a protracted, completely satisfied life for the boat and proprietor, however there’s extra.

With a double-step hull, the 23Bay gives wonderful efficiency, simply besting 60 mph with the 300 hp Yamaha outboard on a jack plate. The 23Bay additionally achieved greater than 4 mpg at 3,000 rpm and 28.5 mph—its most economical cruise pace. Some step-hulls have a nasty behavior of spinning out in ­unexpectedly crisp turns, however we challenged our check boat to take action, and it refused. 

The low gunwales preserve the wind profile low sufficient to attenuate wind drift, giving higher management when working the trolling motor, and extra precision in positioning the boat with its Energy-Pole shallow-­water anchors.

On the helm was an acrylic windshield, seize bars for further safety, and a leaning publish snug for 2. The helm had one 12-inch multifunction show, and a locker with an acrylic door for telephones and wallets. Ergonomics have been engineered to maintain switches in snug attain, and the wheel and throttle the place arms naturally fall.

One other of our favourite options, one most boaters ­by no means have a look at till one thing breaks, is the 23’s organized wiring. This rigging is logical, clear, and labeled for simple analysis ought to issues come up. The readability of it means including tools is simpler too. As well as, two hatches, one lifting up and the opposite pulling away, present ample entry to the compartment that comprises batteries and house to stow life jackets. 

The 23Bay carries a beneficiant 35-gallon livewell within the aft deck on the centerline. On either side of the livewell are hatches for storage and entry to the bilge. Entry to pumps, the gas filter and different plumbing belowdecks is spectacular and can ease upkeep down the highway. Hydraulic pumps for the twin Energy-Poles have been additionally conveniently accessible, making them simple to configure and preserve.

A pair of rod holders in every gunwale, 4 within the leaning publish, and 4 on the starboard aspect of the console are complemented by lockable rod holders in every ahead compartment, they usually’re able to dealing with 8-foot rods. A middle foredeck locker boasts 75 gallons of dry storage the place there’s a straightforward step as much as the casting deck molded into the deck. On the backside of the step is one other locker for a cast-net bucket. A seat with a cooler beneath for the ahead console could be eliminated to create extra fishing room. Walkways between the bow and stern casting decks are broad, and the coamings on the within of the low gunwales have been optionally padded with SeaDek, however upholstered bolsters are additionally accessible. An elective aft seat suits over the livewell and comes with a backrest. 

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Our boat got here with out a T-top, however that is an accessible possibility, as is an higher station. We predict the 23 goes to be hottest among the many most hardcore sport fishermen who need optimum entry to shallow water, in addition to assured dealing with when the decision of hungry snapper, kings and grouper beckons anglers ­exterior the inlet.

Specs

Contender Boats – Homestead, Florida; contenderboats.com