POCKET ROCKET
Bluewater 23T

Blue Water

FAST, FUN READY TO FISH

By JOHN BROWNLEE

Bluewater Sportfishing Boats recently introduced a hard-core fishing version of its well respected 23-footer, which may surprise some people who already thought of Bluewater as a builder of serious fishing boats. But the new 23T takes that reputation even further, with a lengthy standard equipment list and an aggressive deep-vee hull that rides like a much larger boat.

Evinrude PR Manager Glyn Austin brought a 23T to the Florida Keys for a test and a day of fishing, and we ran it hard over a couple of days. Twin 200 hp Evinrude E-TEC outboards powered the 23T, and as you would expect from 400 hp on a 23, it’s plenty fast.At a leisurely 4000 rpm, the 23T cruises at 37 mph—punch it, and you had better be hanging on when you do.,the boat quickly accelerates to 54 mph. At the 4000 rpm cruise, you’re only burning 16.3 gph, providing excellent range. But the ride of the 23T had Austin and me sold. Running offshore of Islamorada into a steep two-foot chop that could shake the teeth out of you in some boats, proved to be no problem in the 23T. By fine-tuning the ride with the standard Lenco tabs, we found we could run effortlessly into the chop with no pounding at all. This is an extremely impressive hull, and in all of our high-speed maneuvering, we never took any substantial spray. The chines throw water down and away, yielding a very dry ride.

Our editor prepares to release Austin’s permit. Wide walkaround spaces make landing a fish easy

We ran the boat to a local wreck to target permit, and while Austin and my wife Poppy were busy releasing fish (each caught two), I went through the boat. The 23T has a level deck so moving fore and aft is easy, and there’s a huge fish box forward. A 50-gallon livewell in the rocket launcher comes standard with two 1,100-gph pumps, and the deck cap comes with ten standard rod holders. Other standard items include fresh and raw water washdowns, and 12-volt downrigger/deepdrop outlets pre-wired.

The console provides plenty of space for mounting electronics, and my one complaint about the boat was that the throttles were so close to the 13-inch steering wheel that you busted your knuckles every so often when steering, but this boat was a prototype and production models should have that minor issue solved, according to the builder.

You can order several different T-Top options on the 23T, ranging from a simple single-bow top, to a more upscale double-bow arrangement, or a Key West-style top with a narrow front that flares out in the rear for more shade. You can also order a hard top.

That’s one of the beauties of buying a boat from a factory-direct builder like Bluewater—you can order the boat exactly like you want it, customizing it to your personal desires.

While drifting over the wreck I was impressed by the 23T’s stability, something you don’t always find in a boat with a steep 24-degree deadrise, but Bluewater has found the right combination of deadrise and chine width, producing a hull that runs amazingly well in a chop, but is also quite stable at rest.

Bluewater builds its boats using handlaid fiberglass with foam coring in the hullsides, and a “Multi-Plex” fiberglass stringer grid provides structural hull integrity. I can tell you that in all of our hard running, we never heard a creak or a groan. No-wood construction methods include a foam-cored transom, and Bluewater backs it all up with a tenyear structural hull warranty.

The new 23T runs like a much larger boat, but comes with a price tag that won’t break your budget. It has a lengthy standard equipment list, and an equally lengthy list of options, so you can load it up to the max, or fish it in its standard form. Either way, the 23T will provide exceptional performance and value, a combination that’s hard to beat.

Back to Boat Reviews

Return