Walkaround boats are like compact sport-fishers with a sleeping berth, head and abbreviated galley. Put another way, they’re like a tricked-out camper van compared to a 40-foot Winnebago. You’ll save fuel and storage space, and get easier handling and more versatility from this boat with its cozy cabin belowdecks and expansive cockpit topside.
Right away, we looked at the protected cabin and secure cockpit as ideal for the Great Lakes or the big coastal bays of the North and East. Its trailerable 8-foot-6-inch beam means you can jump easily from Lake Ontario to the Chesapeake Bay or Cape Fear anytime you want. And like a Winnebago, you’ll take your weekend accommodations with you.
The cabin is surprisingly spacious, with a wide entryway and more than 6 feet of headroom. A portable head is tucked under a cushion-covered hatch on the starboard side, and a microwave and sink live on the port side. An overhead hatch allows you to sleep with a cool sea breeze.
Topside, the walkaround space lets crew walk around the gunwales to the bow to toss or catch dock lines and manage anchoring duties. A rail on the hardtop and a rail around the bow add security. There’s a padded seat at the forepeak, and the safety rail secures first-class seating.
The fishing cockpit boasted foldaway seats on both gunwales and the transom, providing six seats when deployed and an expansive fish-fighting arena when stowed.
A Mercury 300 powered our test boat, and we loved the throttle response. The 300 is plenty to hold the bow up for ploughing through heavier seas if they unexpectedly interrupt your day of fishing. Mercury’s throttles are silky-smooth for ultimate control, and all the engine data is displayed on two Garmin units that give the helm its glass-cockpit appeal. A large swim platform adds to the fish-fighting deck space.
The 245 WA provides sleeping quarters, fishing accommodations and watersports fun all in one package.
High Points
- Sturdy stanchions support the extra-thick hardtop.
- The 26-gallon livewell is deep to keep bait healthy in rough water.
- Aft cockpit has foldaway transom seat for extra comfort.
How We Tested
- Engine: Mercury FourStroke 300
- Drive/Prop: Outboard/Enertia 18P
- Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 35 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 450 lb.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $159,995 (with base engine) |
| LOA: | 23’6″ |
| LOA w/Engines: | 25’6″ |
| Beam: | 8’6″ |
| Draft: | 3’0″ (motor down); 1’6″ (motor up) |
| Dry Weight (max): | 5,700 lb. |
| Seat/Weight Capacity: | 8/1,160 lb. |
| Fuel Capacity: | 105 gal. |
Finseeker Boats – West Frankfort, Illinois; crownline.com/boats/finseeker/
