Reviews of the 2018 Kingfisher 2825 Offshore Boat
The Offshore series from Canada'southward largest aluminum pleasance gunkhole architect offers practicality, range and ease of maintenance for defended fishermen and casual cruisers.
By Duart Snow
Ease of maintenance has become a guiding principle in the pleasure gunkhole concern as the industry responds to client expectations of "wash and vesture" boats. So it'southward no surprise that aluminum craft stand for ane of the bright spots in today's recreational canoeing market.
Aluminum is the closest boatbuilding material to "maintenance-gratis." That advantage, along with its ruggedness and loftier force-to-weight ratio, accounts for its popularity in West Coast working arts and crafts. Aluminum water taxis, bout boats, coiffure boats, freight barges and commuters are built to be "ridden hard and put away moisture." Now, a growing number of builders in BC and elsewhere are delivering yacht-quality aluminum boats that customers value for their sheer practicality.
With multiple lines from sixteen' up to its Offshore series 24-33' – including the 2825 Weekender reviewed hither – Vernon BC'due south KingFisher Boats is a leader in quality welded aluminum fishing and pleasance arts and crafts. The Offshore models appeal to two very distinct markets, both seeking utility and ease of maintenance, says Ian Binstead of Lower Mainland dealer Galleon Marine.
Historically, the boats have been popular with older couples who are gorging fishermen but may have traded upwards from small-scale sportfishers to larger cruisers to accommodate growing families – and are now downsizing in search of simplicity, flexibility and range.
"This is quicker, more efficient and more spontaneous for them – information technology opens up fresh territory. It'southward non luxurious just it has what they need to get out on the water," says Binstead.
More than recently, the Offshore models have attracted BC'southward growing community of Asian boaters, who apply them strictly as fishing machines. "They like the fact that it'due south similar a pickup truck, with no frills," adds Binstead.
The Offshore series includes 2525 and 2725 models, with an viii' 6" beam, the 2825 and 3025 on a 9' 6"-wide hull, and the 3325 with an 11' beam. The smaller boats are suited to trailering, while the larger boats tend to be wet-berthed. The length divergence between the model pairs is entirely in the aft cockpit; from the cabin bulkhead forward each is identical.
KingFisher calls its structure technology Pre-Flex: hulls are formed of pre-bent panels to increment strength and reduce flexing, providing a smoother ride and damping the racket and vibration mutual in many aluminum boats. Deadrise on the Offshore series hulls is a variable xviii degrees.
On Deck
At a glance, the 2825 testifies to the fact that Kingfisher has moved its boats abroad from the barebones await of the work or fishing boat. Outside and inside, the boat leans toward a yacht-mode finish. Many of our exam boat's features are manufactory options which Galleon orders as standard.
Hull topsides are available in multiple urethane pigment colours, while deck, cabin and interior are finished in Zolatone, a rugged, chafe-resistant surface that is articulate-coated and dealer-repairable. The beefy cabin door and front and side windows are furnished by Diamond Ocean Glaze of Langley BC, and our exam boat was fitted with optional oversized ane¼" stainless track and bow pulpit.
The cockpit is action fundamental on a fishing machine like this, and the 2825'due south is actress-roomy, smartly laid-out and cocky-bailing. Entry is through a portside transom door (side doors are optional). The cockpit floor incorporates two enormous 55-gallon fish storage boxes fitted with pump-outs while a 30-gallon box in the transom is self-draining and covered by a cleaning board. A raw-water launder-down spigot to starboard is handy for make clean-up.
A canvas bimini projects three feet aft from the motel top to shelter the forward end of the cockpit, and eight optional rod holders are fitted to the cabin roof. An optional auxiliary helm here makes trolling and docking easy; our test gunkhole was equipped with a Lowrance HDS8 multi-role brandish at this station.
Interior
Inside the motel, a caput with pull-out shower is located to starboard, while sewage belch controls are accessible in a locker that doubles as a doorstep. The galley, just forward of the head, is equipped with an icebox or a NovaKool AC-DC refrigerator, a sink and a choice of cooktops: alcohol, butane or a Wallas diesel stove/heater. To port, the compact dinette's bench seats extend nearly 7" to seat four effectually the table. Table peak and galley surface are laminate, while the galley confront and lockers surrounding the dinette are attractively finished in carmine veneer with lighter inlays. The woodwork warms the interior, otherwise finished in grey vinyl upholstery and motel-side padding, with a rug headliner.
Galley and dinette drawers and lockers offering plenty of storage infinite for essentials; bins are also built into the cabin sides. Upward forrard, a basic but spacious V-berth fills the forepeak and tin can be subconscious by a vinyl curtain. At that place is more storage nether the berth cushions. Espar diesel estrus is a flavour-stretching pick.
The starboard-side captain is all business organization and fitted with a standard Trail Boss suspension seat by Seats Canada to polish out the ride. On our test gunkhole, a Lowrance HDS10 brandish was mounted on a shelf inside the forward-raked windshield, with a Uniden VHF radio and Blue Seas electric console depression on the cabin side to the right of the captain.
Power & Performance
KingFisher is an contained builder so power is the customer's pick: Galleon equips its boats with Yamaha outboards. Our examination gunkhole was powered past twin counter-rotating F150 Yamaha iv-strokes. The gunkhole can handle upwards to twin 225s but Binstead says it doesn't need that much power – an advantage of aluminum over fibreglass is its relative lightness, reducing power and fuel requirements. A single 350-hp outboard with bow thruster is also an option.
We ran the 2825 from Galleon'south dock out the North Arm of the Fraser River to the Strait of Georgia at Point Grey. In the river'due south flat water, the hull climbed easily and smoothly onto a plane with a steady increase of power and no obvious "stride" to climb over. The boat maintained a apartment, even ride angle all the way onto a airplane, with great visibility over the bow, no minor advantage when information technology comes to spotting floating debris ahead. Hull noise was not intrusive and we carried on a chat easily during our run.
The 2825 cruises comfortably at 28 to 30 mph, burning 16 gph of fuel at 1.7 miles per gallon, co-ordinate to the engine instruments. At wide-open up throttle, the gunkhole topped out at 42 mph and one.2 miles per gallon.
At speed the hull steered easily and tracked well, requiring little correction to agree a class. It tucked into tight turns with plenty of stability and no surprises. We stuck our bow out into the strait in search of waves or wake but establish it nearly equally calm equally the river, and then we settled for turns across our own wake, once again with no fuss.
In fact, the longer I spent at the cycle, the more comfy and relaxing the ride – and the more the 2825 called out for a long run somewhere interesting. Three hours to Campbell River and some of the coast'south all-time fishing – no problem!
Photos
Photo i: Painted hulls and superstructures give KingFishers a finished wait that is more yacht-like than the typical aluminum boat.
Photo 2: The cockpit is roomy and practical, with three fish boxes and an optional auxiliary captain station.
Photograph iii: A three-human foot bimini shelters the frontwards end of the cockpit.
Photograph 4: Inside, the 2825 is laid out for comfortable curt-term cruising, with a dinette for four, head, galley and 5-booth, plus plenty of storage.
Photo v: At the captain, a Trail Boss suspension seat smooths out the ride for the driver.
Specifications
LENGTH 28' 5"/8.66m
Beam nine' half-dozen"/ii.9m
Dry out WEIGHT v,044lbs/2,288kg (approx.)
FUEL CAPACITY 160 gals Us/606L
WATER Capacity xl gals US/151L
WASTE CAPACITY 40 gals The states/151L
POWER Twin Counter-Rotating Yamaha 150XA OB
CRUISING SPEED thirty mph @ 4,400 rpm
Price $177,900 as tested
Test boat provided and price quoted past Galleon Marine, Richmond BC world wide web.galleonmarine.com
Source: https://www.canadianyachting.ca/boat-reviews/power/1538-kingfisher-2825-weekender
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