To further diversify its fleet, Contender has come out with its first bay boat — a single-outboard 25-footer that rides a stepped hull. The Homestead, Fla., builder — known for hardcore, bare-bones fishing boats — in 2011 branched out with the introduction of three boats that cater to the cruising crowd: the 32 LS (Luxury Sport), 35 LS and 39 LS. With the 25 Bay, the company now is targeting inshore anglers. The new boat draws just 12 inches, displaces 3,200 pounds and carries 90 gallons of fuel.
“If it goes in the direction we think it will — a direction of success — then I think there will be more bay boat models to come,” says Contender marketing director Les Stewart Jr. “We’re going to see how this goes. We are very confident in it. We’re very excited about it.”
The builder displayed hull No. 1 in February at the Miami International Boat Show, priced at $81,000 with a Yamaha F300. Performance numbers had yet to be taken, but Stewart estimates the boat, with its 300 ponies, will near the 70-mph mark for a top speed, with a cruise in the upper 30-mph range. The 25 Bay also can be powered with Yamaha’s F250 or F350 outboard, he says.
On deck, the design includes a 180-quart fishbox, a 40-gallon live well, a 12-gallon bait well, a 170-quart insulated cooler and two rod lockers. There are two transom jump seats and a seat on the forward side of the console, and the raised forward storage compartments convert to a U-shaped settee. Standard equipment includes Lenco trim tabs and hydraulic steering.
Contact: Contender, (305) 230-1600. www.contenderoffshore.com
This article originally appeared in the May 2012 issue.
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