C
entre consoles were once
a rarity. Limited storage,
limited protection from
the elements, the generally
wet ride, not to mention a
limited selection saw to that. Five or so
years ago, centre consoles accounted
for around 10 per cent of our reviews,
but accelerated evolution over the past
two years means centre consoles are
now common on the water and equally
common in these pages.
Why? Well, the quality and comfort
in the ride have significantly improved,
while there are far more features
and extra value built into the hulls,
to suit serious fishermen or family
boaters. Just as importantly, there are
numerous styles, sizes and brands
available, local and imported.
Along the way, pricing has stretched
in both directions – you can get a
budget centre console suited to dams
and bays or spend $600,000-plus on
a luxury 40-footer with quad 350hp
outboards, designed for offshore
gamefishing.
Probably the most common size
locally is the five to six-metre range,
and there’s another brand looking for
a piece of that market – Pioneer boats
from the USA.
To showcase the brand, Gold Coast
dealer Nitro Marine set us up with its
pick of the Pioneers – the 175 Baysport
and 195 Sportfish centre consoles.PIONEER BAYSPORT 175
Thebabyofthefleet,the175isthe
style and size that appeals to avid lure
orbaitfisherswhofrequentbaysand
dams,doabitofclose-rangeoffshore
fishing,andtaketheirsmallfamilyout
on the water every now and then.
At 5.44 metres long and with a
beam of 2.23 metres, the Baysport
is easy to manage whether towing,
launching or trailering. The layout
offersanopenandspaciousdeckarea
with front and rear cast decks, ample
storage for gear, a plumbed livewell
and moulded gunwale rod racks to
keep fishos happy.
That2.23mbeamallowsfora
sizeableandspaciousconsole,witha
high screen as standard and decent flat
surfacesforelectronics,plusgenerous
side storage, a T-top with rod holders,
removable forward console Esky/seat,
anddualconsoleseatingwhichis
comfortable, though I prefer a leaning
post of sorts.On the power side, the 175 is rated
from 90-130hp; we tested it with the
Mercury 90hp FourStroke, which
provided ample power through the
rev range and a reasonable top end of
28-30kt. Upgrading to 115hp or 130hp
would make a significant difference- I’d expect a top end closer to 40kt
WOT – but I’d only upgrade to higher
horsepower if the boat was going to be
used for skiing on occasion.
Giving the 175 a good workout in
the chop, the hull delivered a soft and
stable ride, which was quite surprising
considering the 15-degree deadrise.
W hen quartering the chop and swell
there is a bit of spray off the bow, which
is common in centre consoles, but if
it’s much of a niggle it can be reduced
by shifting weight or adding trim tabs
to fine-tune the ride – a feature that
benefits any monohull.
56 trade aboat.com.au