NSS12evo3sounder-GPScombo,
andSimradSonicHubsoundsystem
justtomentionafewitems–thelistis
endless.
Onthewater,afulltestdaychasing
gamefishoffshoremostcertainly
provides enough time to get your head
around the 242’s performance and
handling–andthat’sexactlywhatwe
did. Conditions were pretty average
withtheleftoverslopfromaprevious
day’s 20-knot northerly blow, creating
less than ideal offshore fishing
conditions.
Tostart,asolidrunuptothePin
from Runaway Bay provided good
flat-watertestconditionsforthetwin
MercuryVerado200s.ThenewL4sare
notshywhenitcomestopunchingthe
242uptospeed(fordetails,seefull
powerandperformancefiguresinthe
following article).
HeadingoffshorethroughthePin
the242’spower,bigflaredbowand
nimble ride are a good characteristics
to have in tight bar crossings. In the
lumpy conditions head-on, the 242
sat comfortably at an average and
economical speed of 20kts. The hull’s
20-degree deadrise, flared bow and
big shoulders maintain good stability
and a dry ride underway, considering
the conditions. Higher average speeds
canbeachievedoffshore,however,
thetwin200Verados’responsiveacceleration need a bit of extra tab to
keep the bow down.
Running into quartering and
following seas the hull tracks well,
and again 20kts being the ideal
sit-back-and-relax speed to cruise
at in the choppy conditions. On
flatter days, you should be able to
comfortably crank the average speed
up to 30kts.Off the gas the 242’s stability at
troll speeds and at rest is impressive.
There’s no need for fine-tuned sea legs
or John Travolta moves on this boat.
As mentioned previously, the decent
gunwale height is maintained through
to the stern and this makes them far
more usable and comfortable to lean
into when fishing – particularly good
for jigging, bait fishing and fighting“On the water, a full test day chasing game fish
ofshore most certainly provides enough time to get
your head around the 242’s performance and handling”
104 tradeaboat.com.au