The following review was written by John Page Williams, Editor-at-large, Chesapeake Bay Magazine. John, senior naturalist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, has been a regular contributor to Chesapeake Bay Magazine for 30 years, specializing in environmental issues, nature, wildlife, fishing and boats. He has been testing new and used boats for the magazine's Time-Tested and New Boat News departments since 1998.

JUNE 2011

Length overall  22' 4" Beam  8' 6" Draft  15" (engine up) Weight  3,400 lb Fuel 115 gal Water 13 gal Max. power 300 hp Base Price $79,980

An acquaintance of mine recently told me that her husband and son wanted a fishing boat, but she insisted on getting a bow-rider "sport boat." Nothing wrong with a standard bow rider for a family that wants day cruises, picnics and tow sports, but some very good boatbuilders are recognizing the dilemma facing the men in the family. Consequently, those builders call their family-oriented fishing boats dual-consoles, or DCs, to ensure the whole family is happy with the new boat.

One good case in point is the 2300 DC from Hydra-Sports. Now owned by the MasterCraft ski boat company and built in Tennessee, Hydra-Sports has started a new chapter in its long history--but it remains a premier builder of fishing and family boats. The 2300 DC is based on the same 20-degree hull as the 2300 CC (center-console), with placement of the fuel tank, batteries, and consoles designed to maintain good balance.

This 22-foot-4-inch hull is large enough to provide plenty of space for an active family or hardcore anglers but small enough to run efficiently with a 250- to 300-hp outboard. As is true with its competition from other premier boatbuilders, the test of this brand is the attention to detail. It has a full-size head in the port console, with good lighting and ventilation and built-in necessities like a washbasin; a central storage compartment in the sole between the consoles that can hold either wakeboards and skis or fishing rods; and a helm with space for gauges and a large electronics display. Hydra-Sports Boats, Vonore, Tenn. 800-443-8774; www.hydrasports.com.