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fter a week of playing tag with a succession of fierce spring storms, finally a day brokethat allowed us to get out on the water and spin the twin screws of Robalo’s newR245 Walkaround. In fact, once the early morning shroud of fog lifted, it was yourbasic perfect Southern California day. By the time we backed Robalo’s sharp-

looking 24-footer down the ramp, sunlight was dodging off the water’s lightlyriffled surface while a faint breeze stirred the storm-washed air.

Following the weather delays, we were champing at the bit to try out thelatest addition to what this boatbuilder calls its 2006 armada of sportfishing util-ity vessels, or SUVs. Robalo claims these craft are equally at home on lakes orthe ocean, offering cabin accommodations and fishing-friendly cockpit designsthat cater to families. The R245 is a handsome rig with sweet lines; available in allwhite or with an optional black, yellow or light blue hull stripe, she’s a head turner.

On top of — or actually below —all of its topside treasures is Robalo’s realraison d’être: solid construction and hull design. Like her sister models, whichrange from 22 to 29 feet, the R245 boasts the company’s Hydro-Lift hull, whichis engineered to efficiently transfer hydrodynamic pressure from the sharp keelto the broad surfaces of the strakes, and past reverse chines that aid in water orspray deflection. Featuring 22 degrees of transom deadrise, the boat’s aggressivedeep-V is able to generate substantial lift while still maintaining the ability to cutthrough chop — traits sure to be appreciated whether you’re a hard-driving tournamentangler or the sort who just likes to get away for the weekend.

LARGER THAN LIFEWith a beam of 8 feet, 9 inches, the Robalo R245 is, but just barely, legally considered an “over-wide” for trailering purposes, as most states set a cap of 81/2 feet before you need permits(which are easy to get). Perhaps it’s the extra 3 inches of beam, but this boat seems bigger thanher 24 feet — especially when perched on a trailer.

As we hooked up our Nissan Titan project truck to the big Robalo, we were confident that our1/2-ton crew cab’s 9400-pound tow rating would easily handle our test unit, which only carried a

AABy Rebecca Stone

Fishy enough for him,civilized enough for her,Robalo’s new 24-footerreally has its act togetherClass

Act

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one-third load in her 150-gallonfuel tank. Per Robalo’s figures,a single-engine R245 weighs5833 pounds dry, and you cancount on another 1200 poundsor so for a tandem-axle trailer.Considering our boat had twin

Yamaha F150 four-strokes (although thephoto shoot wasdone on a Honda-powered rig), plusthe factory Hardtopand Cruise packages,we figured a fullyfueled wet towingweight in the high

8000- or low 9000-pound range.Rated for up to 10 people, the

added room of the extra beamwas put to good use. The R245is chock full of features that willput a smile on the faces of an-glers and cruisers alike. It’s notthat you’ll need to lay out a trailof breadcrumbs to find yourway around the boat, but, justthe same, thoughtful standardscan be found from stem to stern.

CATCHY HABITAlthough it also caters to fami-lies, this is, essentially, a fishingboat, and there is no shortage offeatures to support the piscatori-al habit. Two insulated 40-gal-lon fishboxes located under aftport and starboard jumpseatsare standard, as is a 30-gallon,

LED-lighted bait tank. Stainlesstoe rails situated below the gun-wales are ready to provide extratraction for anglers. To helpmanage your sticks, four rodholders are integrated into thecoaming boards; horizontal,tubed rod storage can house sixoutfits; and the optional hardtoppackage ($4996) comes withfour rocket launchers.

Robalo’s sculpted hardtopalso features a lockable PFDstorage bin, fitted with a net,that hinges down from the top.Very slick. Another nifty amenityis the tackle center tucked intothe portside bulwark. A transombench seat, which hinges up toreveal the rigging compartment,is available with an optionalbackrest that lifts out so itdoesn’t get in the way when it’stime to fish.

Two pedestal chairs occupythe helm area, and the co-pilot’sseat even has a f l ip-downfootrest. Both are perched onraised portions of the bridgedeck with the center at a lowerlevel, which poses a potentialtripping hazard for those notpaying attention. The customcurved windshield seemed to bejust the right height to keep thewind out of our faces while notbisecting the view, and wind de-flection was also enhanced byan acrylic venturi suspendedfrom the leading edge of thehardtop.

Though the addition of a glovebox and an armrest adjacent tothe throttles would be assets, thehelm was nicely appointed witha standard stainless wheel andpower-assist hydraulic tilt steer-ing with power knob. Other stan-

dards include a Sirius Satellite-ready, four-speaker AM/FM/CDplayer with a six-month free acti-vation, and weatherproof switch-es and circuit breakers.

MOVING FORWARDCatwalks on the cabin’s portand starboard sides provide ac-cess to the bow, though thestainless bow rail only standsabout knee high at the house.It’s an adequate route to the fore-deck in smooth conditions, al-though the rougher it gets, themore you will appreciate thehigher handholds offered by theoptional hardtop frame. Onceyou make it to the bow, you’llfind a bow roller/chain lockercombo that can be fitted with an$1810 windlass package cappedby a Lewmar 600 Sprint windlassand a 14-pound Delta anchor.

Robalo uses stainless deckhardware, including sleek, pull-up cleats at the springline posi-tion (bow and stern pull-upcleats can be ordered in place ofthe standard fixed cleats), non-skid decks with optional, snap-in carpet, and stainless gas-pistonassists on all locker lids to keepfingers out of harm’s way.

Consistent with modernwalkaround design, the Robalohas an integrated outboard plat-form and swimstep, whichmeans she also has a full-heightaft bulkhead with a transomdoor. A three-step boarding lad-der pulls out from a tiny slot onthe starboard side of the tran-som. This proved quite handy inboarding while on the trailer,however, the handle placementto assist in climbing up anddown is a stretch for those withno hope of being recruited forpro basketball. We kept search-ing for a closer handhold, suchas the aft pull-up cleat on ourboat, a potential finger pincherif used this way.

Also standard are recessedtrim tabs, which lend a cleanlook. Unfortunately, we experi-enced a slight problem with thisarrangement when one of thetie-down straps slipped between

a hull strake and tab. Prior tolaunching, it was necessary todismantle the tab in order to re-move the strap. Perhaps a guideof some sort along the edge thatturns into the recess would pre-vent the strap from slippingaround the corner.

INNER BEAUTYWhen you want to take a breakfrom the action, ducking throughthe sliding hatch and down intothe cabin will transport you intoa world of “yachty” touches,once again promoting the big-ger-boat illusion. Here you’llfind a standard (yes, standard)teak-and-holly laminate sole setoff by maple cabinetry andattractive upholstery on theV-berth/dinette. The comfort-ably sized galley features astainless sink, drawers and stor-age compartment, and our boat’s$1107 Cruise package includeda nice-looking solid-surfacecountertop, 12-volt refrigeratorand 24-quart Igloo cooler for thecockpit’s in-floor storage box.

Nights spent on the hookshouldn’t be much of a sacrificeonce you convert the dinetteinto a V-berth that can sleep twoadults at a polite distance — ifso desired. The screened ceiling

hatch assures good ventilation,and more time spent stargazingthan swatting at bugs. A PortaPottie with cover, or optionalVacuFlush porcelain head pro-vides a measure of civility. Toobad there’s not quite enoughroom for an enclosed head. It’salways nice to have the toilet fa-cilities separate from the sleep-ing quarters or food prep areas.Color-matched soft tones and

premium lighting add to thecabin’s cozy ambience. For thosedying for a shower, head for thetransom, where you’ll find afreshwater transom shower.

THE PLANE TRUTHWhile the R245 looks great onwheels, it’s when you lay downthe throttles that the magic hap-pens. As we started to put herthrough her paces, we discov-ered that with the twin 150s, sheleft a heavy footprint whenthrottle speeds were held in thelower rpm range. But once sheclimbed onto plane, the R245really sparked to life.

We measured an optimumcruising speed at 4000 rpm,where the lightly laden Robaloposted 2.3 mpg, not bad for anoptioned-out, twin-engine24-foot walkaround. Top speedwas clocked at 44.5 mph, and our0-to-30 mph holeshot trials aver-aged 8.0 seconds, which is quitesatisfactory for this type of rig.

The boat’s handling feltsmooth and dead-on sure as wecarved turns this way and thatover a mild chop. And thoughwe did not have the opportunityto test the boat in heavy condi-tions, we didn’t notice anyslipping or sliding through our

● Teak-and-holly cabin sole was a nice surprise

● Below-waterline through-hullfittings are double clamped

● Stainless toe rail is a winner with anglers

● Cool PFD storage integrated into the hardtop

● Could use a handholdcloser to boarding ladder

● Towed weight requires a beefy 1/2-ton or, better, a 3/4- or 1-ton truck

Test Notes

Class ActClass Act

For a detailed lookat R245 packagesand options, log ontoTrailerBoats.com.

■ Robalo’s helm is tidy and well laid out, offering goodvisibility and room to spare. Sophisticated cabin featuresinclude a teak-and-holly sole, maple cabinetry, galleyextras and a generous V-berth/dinette.

■ Rather than a pulpit, the RobaloR245 handles anchoring duties viaa conventional bow roller.

■ The R245’s cockpit allows plenty ofobstacle-free room for fishing. A bonus foranglers is the stainless toe rail.

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Base Price (w/ Yamaha F250) $71,943

Price as Tested $92,900Length 24’ 0”

Beam 8’ 9”Deadrise at Transom 22 degrees

Weight (w/ single OB) 5833 lbs.Draft (drive down) 20”

Fuel Capacity 150 gals.Maximum Horsepower 400

NOTABLE STANDARD EQUIPMENTRecessed trim tabs; 30-gallon lighted bait tank;cockpit toe rails; hydraulic steering with tilt wheel;teak-and-holly cabin sole; transom shower; digitalinstruments with fuel management function

NOTABLE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENTCruise package (includes 24-quart Igloo cooler for in-floor storage, 12-volt refrigerator, butane stove andVacuFlush head); hardtop with lockable PFD storage;tackle center

Robalo, Dept. TBM, 300 Industrial Park Blvd.,Nashville, GA 31639; 229/686-2700; robalo.com

ENGINE AS TESTEDMake Yamaha F150 four-strokes

Horsepower 300 total (150 each)Number of Cylinders I-4

Displacement 2.7L (163 cid)Weight (each) 466 lbs.

Gear Ratio 2.00:1Maximum WOT RPM 5000-6000

Propellers Yamaha 15x17” aluminum 3-blades

Yamaha, Dept. TBM, 1270 Chastain Road, Kennesaw,GA 30144; 800/526-6650; yamaha-motor.com

A special thanks to Garry Helgeson and his crew at SunCountry Marine (661/257-3800; suncountrymarine.com)in Castaic, California, for providing the boat for thisevaluation.

10

MPG

2.3(Miles)

RANGE

310

GPH

11.9

Optimum Cruising Speed

MPHRPMx 1000

010

2030 40

50

6070

32

1 0

45 6 7

44.5mph

Top Speed

T E S T R E S U L T S 1

Engine Speed Fuel Range2

(rpm) (mph) (gph) (mpg) (miles)1000 5.4 1.5 3.6 4861500 7.0 2.3 3.0 4052000 8.4 4.1 2.0 2702500 9.6 5.9 1.6 2163000 10.7 7.5 1.4 1893500 12.2 10.6 1.2 16240003 27.8 11.9 2.3 3104500 32.7 15.1 2.2 2975000 36.8 18.9 1.9 2565500 41.2 24.1 1.7 2295900 (WOT) 44.5 29.5 1.5 2021 Data for both engines 2 Based on 90% fuel capacity 3 Optimum cruising speed

ACCELERATION (seconds) 0-30 mph 8.0

SOUND MEASUREMENTS (dBa)Idle at Helm (600 rpm) 52Idle at Transom (600 rpm) 65Cruise at Helm (3500 rpm) 81WOT at Helm (5900 rpm) 93

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

Robalo R245 Walkaround

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grapevine of maneuvers, and theR245 turned in a ride that mightbe described as plush. There wasno jarring of any kind.

Though offered with basepower of a Yamaha F250 four-stroke for $71,943, Robalo’snew 24-foot walkaround is alsoavailable with Honda 150s for$92,900 or Honda 135s for$78,969. Obviously, this is notan inexpensive boat. It’s notmeant to be. And if you are get-ting the impression that weliked this rig, you’re right. Aside

from a short list of wished-for improvements, the R245made us believers. This boat feltsubstantial, like she’d take careof you in style on liquid glass orin a heavy quartering sea. Shewas a joy to drive and offered anelegance not common to mostfishing boats. And with a cruis-ing range of more than 300miles, the rig we tested is a classact that can handle most tripswithout the need to stop at thefuel dock. And that’s good toknow whether you’re headedacross the lake or c learacross the horizon.

Class ActClass Act

■ The aft bench seatdrops away to createmore fishing roomand lifts up to allowunfettered access tothe riggingcompartment.