BOSTON WHALER 280 VANTAGE

A boating family’s do-all conveyance, it’s built with precison and it’s unsinkable.

The fishability typical of a Boston Whaler combines with the luxury layout of a dual console.

WWhether built of plywood or fiberglass, big family boats of my past ran on a shallowdeadrise V-bottom, which pounded hard in choppy seas, and featured a small-block inboard for power. Though its family would have referred to it as a cabin cruiser, they probably used it only for day cruises. Today, a boating family’s basic requirements for a big dayboat remain mostly unchanged. But new dual-console dayboats, such as Boston Whaler’s 280 Vantage, offer huge differences in power, speed, seaworthiness, safety and efficiency, and with the added benefit of open cockpits fore and aft. So, though the requirements may be

the same, boats like the 280 Vantage raise boaters’ expectations.

Our test boat was sold. The owners’ first boat, the couple had thought through what they wanted in a family rig for raising two young sons. The husband took an online boating-safety course for a state operator’s permit (his wife already had hers) and studied all the specs, focusing especially on Mercury’s Verado V-8 outboards, joystick controls, twin 12-inch Raymarine displays, VHF, AIS and radar, all integrated. Family features included a summer galley, a full electric head with holding tank, a bunk for naps in the starboard console, and tow points for various water toys. The integrated hardtop works well for shade and protection from rain. A full set of weather curtains allows three long seasons of boating on the Chesapeake.

By the time we sea-trialed this 280 Vantage, the family had kept it busy for a month. They love the forward cockpit not only for kid boat rides and lounging, but also for ease of anchoring and