BOSTON WHALER

240 VANTAGE

I hop aboard a boat, and the first thing I do is open the hatches and check the neatness of the rigging, the hullto-deck joint, the robustness of the fittings and ease of service. Upon completion of my bilge crawl aboard the unsinkable Boston Whaler 240 Vantage, I knew it was

a high-quality boat capable of safely carrying a family across rough, open waters.

Topside, I was delighted to find amenities crafted with precision. The portside lounge epitomizes this Whaler’s luxuriousness and convenience. Doublewide, it offers five seating configurations: back-to-back, leaning post, lounging aft, lounging forward and fully reclined. Inside, it hides a cooler. There’s also a foldaway aft lounge. In the wide, flaring bow, wraparound seating for six is complemented by a table. An enclosed head resides in the port console.

Our test boat sported the fiberglass hardtop ($13,931). You can also choose the watersports tower ($6,819) or the sun top with boot ($1,824). The hardtop is a beautiful piece that provides shade, rocket-launcher rod livewell, macerated fish box, toe rails, and lockable stowage for seven rods, all part of the fishing package ($2,845), will please anglers. The test boat featured a 12-inch Raymarine Axiom multifunction display with all the top navigation and fishing accoutrements, plus a high-end audio system. The air compressor ($335) makes inflating and deflating towables easy. The anchor windlass ($4,097) installed aboard our tester lived neatly under a hatch with the bow boarding ladder.

Need a top boat aboard which to do it all? Sea-trial the 240 Vantage.