The 230CX from EdgeWater is designed to do it all, combining the attributes of a sporty day boat, coastal sportfish and cocktail cruiser.
Dual console boats—outboard-powered sport utility models designed to do it all—are in demand, according to EdgeWater Boats. The Florida-based builder has had dual consoles in its lineup for about 10 years, and their popularity is at an all-time high. “People like the versatility and practicality,” says Daniel Robinson, dealer development manager at EdgeWater.
The new 230CX is EdgeWater’s latest dual console (or “crossover,” in the company’s parlance), combining the attributes of a sporty day boat, coastal sportfish and cocktail cruiser. The trailerable 230CX is the smallest of four designs that run to 28 feet in length, and it’s offered with more standard equipment than many other boats in its class. The base price of $127,611 includes a hardtop with powder-coated rails and spreader lights, a ski pylon, a boat cover, a swim platform with underwater lights, a transom door, a bait well, rod holders, a slide-out cooler, filler cushions and a table at the bow, and a pump-out head in the port console.
The options list is short, but most owners reportedly choose an electronics package.
The boat is also family-friendly and can carry up to 10 passengers. Capacity, it seems, is important in this segment. “Owners always ask how many people they can bring along,” says Robinson. “Families will like this boat because it has seating and shade for everyone. The head makes it child-friendly, too.”
Like every EdgeWater, this one is made with the builder’s Single Piece Infusion process. Vinylester resin is vacuum-infused into the stringer grid and hull laminate simultaneously. The resin in each part cures at the same time to create a single bond. “Our boats are about two and a half times stronger than those made with a traditional open mold,” Robinson says. The 230CX rides on a variable-deadrise hull powered by a single 4-stroke Yamaha up to 300 hp. Standard power is a 250-hp motor that pushes the boat to 37.8 knots, according to EdgeWater. The most efficient cruising speed is 21 knots (3500 rpm), where the boat gets 2.78 mpg.
“The hull design coupled with construction techniques make for a superior ride,” Robinson says. “The boat runs really dry, and that’s important to families shopping dual consoles, since many have young children who want to sit up front. They don’t want to get wet.”