Bayliner 212 Cuddy

 

Issue: December 2003
Manufacturer: Bayliner

I must admit to feeling a tinge of fear as I travelled down to review this latest offering from Bayliner. You see, the last Bayliner I tested literally swallowed me up! Yep, I feel into its cavernous underfloor storage area camera and all, down through the opened hatch and my ribs are only just recovering from the accident. So, first things first, the 212 had in-floor storage, but no gas-assisted ram holding the hatch open, phew I should be OK. But by the end of the day I was more than OK, I was as happy as Larry, because we encountered some rough conditions that allowed this large, but light package to show off her best side.

We launched near Silverwater on Sydney?s Parramatta River and promptly made our way down the waterway toward Sydney Harbour proper. It seemed like no time before we were powering around Double Bay where a developing gusty Sou?wester made the conditions extremely choppy. The Bayliner 212 showed that a fast cruise speed of 40mph was great for long runs, but when things got rough a bit of extra trim ironed the bumps out effortlessly.

read on below advertisement



Pushing the hammer down we hit a top speed of 50mph, which was aided partly from the minimalist interior that cut down overall hull weight. The 19-degrees deadrise and low weight, removed any need for trim tabs to balance the hull, which responded well to trim from the sterndrive leg. In fact, this craft was spinning a standard 21? aluminium prop and I reckon if she had the better grip derived from a stainless steel prop with a little more cup, the hull could handle even more trim and achieve a greater top speed.

The helm provided a comfortable driving position with the throttle and trim control placed in an ideal spot for the average size bloke. From the helm the driver had good all-round visibility, while the windscreen effectively forced the slipstream up and over the cockpit and was also easy to see through. The moulded dash featured full instrumentation including: speedometer; tachometer; voltmeter; fuel gauge; oil pressure gauge; temperature gauge; trim gauge; integrated LCD with clock; trip log; distance; hour meter; and trip hours.

There were also switches for the horn, nav light, blowers etc. The standard CD stereo player was controlled from the cabin. Essentially, the 212 was designed to keep the whole family happy by delivering a open harbour boat with the convenience of a small basic V-berth cuddy cabin and ?Porta Potti?. There are no bells and whistles down below ? no onboard water or kitchen sink ? just somewhere to have a nap, go to the loo, keep dry, or get some privacy. But there is no doubt that practical use of this space would allow a day out with the family to flow seamlessly. Access to the forward cabin is via folding plastic doors on the port side.

next page »



« go back