Ian Macrae finds that continued developments keep this bowrider in front of the crowd.
Recently David Hazlett and his team at Avante Marine, the Australian importers of Bayliner boats, celebrated 20 years in this country. During this time (the business now trading under the name of Avante Marine) has sold thousands of Bayliner, Maxum, Trophy and Meridian boats, to name just a few of the Brunswick Corporation brands it handles, Australia-wide.
Starting out from cramped, albeit scenic, conditions at David's Berowra Waters Marina, north of Sydney in the magnificent Hawkesbury River system (Avante Marine still has an outlet there), the company now has its head office at Bringelly, an impressive Sydney-based outlet at Silverwater and marine dealerships in Brisbane, on the Gold Coast and in VIC, SA and WA. The Avante success story is definitely a case of 'from a small seed, a big tree grow'.
But apart from David's obvious business acumen, the biggest reason behind the company's success is the innovative products that it sells. Avante Marine continues to grow on the back of Bayliner, which can now claim the title of the world's biggest selling boats.
Sure Bayliner boats are production built, but they're an excellent product of consistent quality and their R and D team continues to churn out innovative new boats each season. The 2008 Bayliner 205 is a good example of just how far Bayliners have come down the development road.
Family boats
The buzzwords in marine sales these days are family/lifestyle boating and bowriders definitely fit the bill. You can ski/wakeboard behind them, take the family on a river cruise, go for a fish at a pinch, or simply go out and find a secluded bay on the likes of Sydney Harbour for a picnic lunch.
As a sportfisherman, I mention taking a bowrider fishing with a bit of tongue in cheek, because you can fish from any boat 'at a pinch', but the team at Bayliner have also addressed this issue and now offers the 205 with a 'Fish 'n' Ski Package'. This includes a forward casting platform, fish finder, live-bait tank, rod storage racks and a wireless electric trolling motor. Bowrider and aft cockpit pedestal casting seats are also an option — now that's my kind of bowrider.
But the upgrades for the Bayliner 205 don't stop there. You can now customise your boat with three different seating configurations: Standard Seating is bowrider lounges; a back-to-back navigator's seat/sun lounger; bucket driver's seat and two removable transom quarter seats. Twin Lounge Seating is bowrider lounges; dual back-to-back drivers and navigator's sun loungers and twin transom quarter seats. The final seating variant is Sport Seating, which consists of bowrider lounges; dual driver and navigator's bucket seats and a full transom lounge/sunpad.
And Bayliner's upgrades for 2008 don't stop there, you can further customise your boat with a Flight Package. This includes special eye-catching hull graphics; a wakeboarding tower with integrated bimini and board racks; an extended swim platform, to help riders prepare for their next ride; and a deluxe steering wheel. But wait, there's more... Bayliners now come in three hull colours, blue, black or red and the graphics have also been upgraded.
Not so squeezy
The hull design of the 205 has also been improved by increasing its forward beam. This gives the driver and navigator more room to move, widens the bowrider cockpit, so you can ride here in comfort and it allows for a greater flare in the bow, so the boat delivers a softer, drier ride.
The cockpits are also deeper and the grab rails are easy to reach, so passengers, especially the kids, will feel more secure. Speaking of kids, Bayliner only use the best marine-grade, stain-resistant carpets and 'KidClean' protected vinyl upholstery, so your boat will stand the test of time and retain its resale value longer.
More than skin deep
Bayliners now come with a Lifetime Limited Transferable Hull Warranty and a Two-year MerCruiser Engine Warranty.
But take a closer look at the 2008 Bayliner 205 Bowrider and you'll notice other improvements like stainless steel accents; upgraded upholstery; V8 engine as standard; designated storage areas; a convenient bow step (for easier beach access); a walk-through transom; and a custom formed dash panel with an anti-glare design.
I've already mentioned the wider bowrider cockpit, which creates greater under cushion storage, but the 205 also has a bow locker that the Americans use as a drinks cooler, but we Aussies will certainly convert this to an anchor locker. The wrap-around windscreen on the boat is a ripper as far as visibility goes, but a latch to lock the split screen in position when it's open would be handy.
You want music? The 205 has a six disc CD stacker, a waterproof CD head unit and six speakers positioned around the boat.
Performance & Handling
A 5lt 260hp MPI MerCruiser, driving through an Alpha I leg, powers the 205 to a top speed of 55mph at 5500, and that was straight-out-of-the-box, so I would expect a few more mph as the engine frees up.
Bayliner hulls are well-proven but Bayliner hasn't rested on its laurels and the new 205's redesigned hull not only has the aforementioned wider beam, but the deadrise has been increased to 20 degrees at the transom.
Wider beam, greater flare, increased deadrise and even more aggressive chines, make the 205 and awesome boat to drive. She's soft riding, stable, dry and turns like a rocket sledge on rails. It's a true driver's boat. Even a novice could get behind the wheel and not get into trouble, which is yet another reason why these vessels are such great family boats.
Twenty years ago Avante Marine opened up boating to the masses when it imported affordable bowriders into Australia. These quickly became the family boats of choice for thousands of Australians, but as people's expectations of their boats increased, so did the Bayliner development program. It upgraded its vessels to meet Aussie conditions and trends.
Bayliner's number one selling position has been a boon for Avante Marine, but it isn't resting on it's laurels either, and along the way has set a standard of service in the Aussie marine industry that others can only follow.
