Blackfin 262 HB | Salt Water Sportsman

Blackfin’s ­metamorphosis from hardcore fishing boats to luxury-packed hardcore fishing machines started six years in the past. Providing 10 trendy, posh, smooth-riding and battle-ready center- and dual-consoles, the model has now added an eleventh, the brand new 262 HB. With the rising reputation of hybrid bay boats, we now have been gleefully anticipating this mannequin for a 12 months, and we weren’t upset.

At relaxation, the 9-foot-2-inch beam of the 262 barely heeled over once we crowded to 1 facet as a crew may when hauling a catch on board. It’s ­wonderful what an additional 8 inches of beam can do. Deck area was beneficiant, and motion fore and aft unhindered. There’s loads of room to comfortably benefit from the many fishing facilities.

The hull has an enormous story to inform. It’s a two-step backside designed on the Blackfin drafting board. Blackfin’s Superior Carbon Know-how makes use of carbon fiber strategically to reinforce ­rigidity with out including pointless weight. Closed molding of the hatches creates an ideal nonskid end on high and a shiny mildew-resistant floor beneath. A vinylester barrier coat protects the gelcoat from print-through to make sure a mirrorlike gleam. You’ll be able to select eight colours moreover white for a nominal $854 upcharge.

The 262 weighed in at 6,000 kilos. Many boats this dimension can be carrying twin 300s, however we tapped practically 50 mph at 5,800 rpm with a single Mercury 350 V-10. The boat achieved 2.3 mpg at 37 mph, providing a 190-mile vary at that swift pace. The 262 is ready to maintain planing speeds of 17 mph with a operating perspective to dominate tough seas and has a large bow flare to maintain the boat dry. Mercury’s Energetic Trim assisted in holding the boat’s straightforward gait.

The cockpit has twin ­livewells on the transom, 30 gallons every, with pumps highly effective sufficient to pressurize the livewells to the watertight gaskets so bait doesn’t slosh. While you open the lids, extra water spills into splashwells that drain overboard. Friction hinges maintain the lids up, releasing two palms to seize crustaceans or greenies. Acrylic home windows within the entrance of the wells enable straightforward visible monitoring. On the bow, Blackfin’s engineers stationed two pitch baitwells, every simply 5 gallons however powerfully aerated for crustaceans. Between them is a big storage locker preferrred for fenders and contours, and forward of that could be a spacious anchor ­locker. On the only in entrance of the aft deck is a deep macerated field for web buckets or a fish field.

Our check boat was not but outfitted with a ­bow-mounted electrical trolling motor nor Energy-Pole shallow-water anchors, however Blackfin introduced a second boat to run throughout our check, and it got here with these equipment. On the absolutely outfitted mannequin, twin 10-foot Energy-Poles ($5,488) have been mounted on sturdy extensions that allowed for twin boarding platform pods, one with a reboarding ladder turned away from the motor—good plan there. A Garmin Drive Kraken trolling motor ($6,951 with three batteries) was mounted on an aluminum base plate with an 8-inch sq. base to unfold the motor strain load. Its design permits straightforward motor deployment and retrieval. 

There was additionally an higher station ($16,037), and ours was outfitted with a Garmin show and Mercury controls an identical to the decrease deck.

The 262’s rigging station is on the again of the leaning submit, and finest about it was its compact utility. It included ­twin cup holders, instrument holders, and a fiddle rail designed to carry a Plano 4500 field or a custom-­designed slicing board in place. The final two gadgets stow away within the station behind a door that reveals two drawers and slots for 3 Plano packing containers. A cooler on sliding rails resides under for frozen bait or drinks. 

There are two bow configurations, and our check ­mannequin had a horseshoe-shaped bench that curls into the bow casting deck, providing a knee- and back-saving step as much as the deck. Detachable cushions pair with the coaming bolsters to create a seating circle with twin detachable seatbacks. Stow the cushions to fish or put them in place to impress the comfort-minded crew. The seating space is accomplished with a lounge on the entrance of the console. 

There’s a head compartment within the console, and the seat is on the skin of its door. Unusually, it folds ahead to lie on the deck. Whereas it appeared odd at first, we famous two issues: First, it created no extra obstacle to passage than a swinging door; second, the 2 steps to the compartment under have been nonetheless straightforward to navigate.

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Efficiency, fishability and luxurious are bull’s-eyes, and so are mechanical lodging. Contemporary- and raw-water bibs nest in horizontal pegs under the twin bucket helm seats and flank the cooler. Entry to the bilge, pumps, filters and seacocks is beneficiant beneath the aft casting deck. The inside head-compartment hatch opens to the again of the helm station instrument panel, so entry for upkeep is straightforward.

The whole boat operates on a Dometic Marine Digital Integration system, which “talks” to all main multifunction shows through a NMEA 2000 community. Our check boat had a single Garmin 1243XSV, and attending to the switches was ­practically instantaneous with only a faucet. We had a twin touchscreen arrange with a chart on one facet and digital switches on the opposite.

The 262 HB gives a wonderful platform for fishing flats and saltwater bays, and has the chops to handle huge seas safely for offshore angling enjoyable.

Specs

Blackfin Boats – Williston, Florida; blackfinboats.com