Boat Test: 2026 Bay Rider 269 Bay

Overview

You’re shopping for a boat that gets the job done, offers a high degree of reliability, durability, fishability and comes with a price that doesn’t rival the cost of a house, a fast-food franchise or four years at a top-rated college. It’s a type rarely seen today, as the new-boat market seems to be one of extremes. Lower-priced boats that a few serious anglers seem to want occupy on one end. At the other end are luxuriously equipped boats, which while also usually offering excellent engineering and a top-rate build, design and ride, cause many anglers to wince at the price.

After inspecting Bay Rider Boats’ Wilson, North Carolina, factory, and spending the day aboard its new hybrid the 269 Bay, powered by a Yamaha 450 XTO, I became certain of two things. First, there’s good reason for Bay Rider’s (formerly KenCraft Boats) 50-year history. Second, here is a boatbuilder that hasn’t abandoned the middle-ground boat-buying angler. Bay Rider builds a top-quality 27-foot hybrid you can call yours—well-equipped—for a price less than $200,000.

There’s nothing wrong with faux-granite rigging stations, varnished teak trim around the helm and a vessel sink in the head of a fishing boat. Such items do add-up to real money, however. I saw no such accouterments aboard the 269 Bay.

Instead, I discovered right away that this boat’s builders, the father and son team of Bob and Robert Brunson, prioritized delivering to anglers what they need in a hybrid bay boat.

Case in point? The 269 Bay offers the low 22-inch freeboard aft and shallow draft required of a hybrid bay boat, unlike most others in this category, the Bay Rider is a truly self-bailing design. It drains by gravity, while at rest. No pumps required. That means more safety when you take the boat offshore, less worry when the boat’s moored during torrential rain, and more convenience when washing the boat down in the water. (Frankly, if, unlike the 269 Bay, a fishing boat isn’t self-bailing, I am hesitant to recommend you take it offshore.) The gunwale rod holders drain to the self-bailing deck, not the bilge—another thing to look for when shopping.

Interior and Accessories

Other rigging and build points I applauded include the use of knee braces to connect stringers to the Bay Rider’s massive, 4-inch thick transom. Overkill? Don’t let anyone tell you that. These boats run high-horsepower outboards set back from the transom on jack plates. How many waves will it encounter during a day, a season or during the course of ownership? In addition, hull and deck are bonded using methacrylate adhesive, which indicates a good fitting joint, and one not subject to leaks. Pipework is schedule 80, which is thicker than the more common schedule 40, hatch lids are finished on both sides and hatch openings feature deep gutters to keep out water. The helm features an ingeniously beautiful, serviceable twin 12-inch Garmin MFD installation that looks sharp and helps thwart thieves as well. Garmin digital switching, keyless engine starting and a wireless phone charger are other standards found at the helm.

Service access is another characteristic I key on when buying a boat. If I’m doing the maintenance or repair, good access saves me time. If I’m hiring the work done, good service access saves me money. Aboard the 269 Bay, bilge access proved wide-open via a large hatch in the aft cockpit. I easily placed my hands upon pumps and fittings. Inside the console, access to batteries and helm electrics and electronics proved equally easy.

Engine

Underway, I can say that the Bay Rider 269 Bay takes off like a shot. When I put the throttle in the corner, the boat was planing in 5.8 seconds and rushed from zero to 30 mph in 7 seconds. These numbers resulted from our test procedure averaging three runs on calm water with full fuel and three people aboard. Set back 6 inches on its jack plate, the big Yamaha propelled us to a thrilling—but not nerve-racking—61 mph (the performance chart shows a two-way average). Besides handling and speed, the jack plate also allows taking advantage of every inch of the 269 Bay’s shallow 17-inch draft (16 inches with a 350 hp engine). Test day didn’t offer up wind or waves, but high-speed wake jumping proved the solid build. On impact, the boat doesn’t shimmy or shudder and the top doesn’t visibly wrack and vibrate. According to Bay Rider, the boat achieves similar performance with twin 200 hp Yamahas.

Fishing features? The 269 Bay comes standard with a 50-gallon bow livewell and a 22-gallon well in the transom, plus, you can order another 50-gallon well in the leaning post. Two anglers can work the bow deck where an extended console lounge and removeable backrests also are found. I measured the aft cockpit at a generous 7-by-5-feet abaft the leaning post. In-sole fish boxes are 8-feet long, insulated and stash four rods apiece. The standard hardtop offers rocket launchers, a bow sunshade and spreader lights. The 269 Bay is rigged to fish with more than I can list.

Shoppers considering the 269 Bay should also look at the Sportsman 267 offered on its website, like the Bay Rider, for an internet starting base price (sans freight and prep) of $191,190 with an F300 Yamaha. The Sportsman is also available with Mercury power, but not shown with twin engines, as is the Bay Rider.

Read Next: Flats Boat vs. Bay Boat vs. Hybrid

This 269 Bay impressed me for its inherent seaworthiness, fishability,  rock-solid build, performance, and family features. If you’re in the market for such a boat, schedule a sea trial soon, before Bay Rider decides that it can sell this boat for more than its current offer.

How We Tested

• Engine: Single 450 hp Yamaha F450 XTO Offshore outboard
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/16 ³/₈” x 21″
• Gear Ratio:1.79:1 Fuel Load: 100 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 600 lb.

High Points

• Bow deck offers plenty of fishing room while accommodating movement around the boat and seating for non-angling crew or family days. 
• Self-bailing design makes it truly stand out in this class of boat.
• Enclosed head, jump seats and removable backrests enable family day comforts.  
• Formidably fishable, thoughtfully designed, ruggedly built.

Low Points

• The hardest of hard-core hybrid bay boat buyers might decry the fact that the entire bow isn’t decked over. 
• Battery terminals were not covered per ABYC. Check before taking delivery.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation