Designed For Camping Out

Tested by Capt. Vince Daniello

When I was a kid, I loved to go camping. New places, quiet nights outdoors, a temporary escape from society. The drawbacks were carrying all the stuff, setting up camp, and cleaning up on Sunday afternoon. Some people enjoy car camping or travel trailers, but it can be hard to find a secluded spot that is accessible by automobile. Overnighting on a small boat is a great way to experience the pleasures of camping and boating at the same time, without the hassles. Sea Ray’s 225 Weekender is designed for exactly that purpose.

Unique Features

Sea Ray’s designers have packed a lot into a boat that measures just 24 feet overall. To allow access to the bow, the sliding cabin door has molded steps and the windshield has a hinged center section. On the foredeck, an anchor locker includes chocks to secure the anchor. The helm offers good visibility for the skipper and is equipped with a full array of engine instruments.

Sea Ray’s Smartcraft systems monitor can be added as well. For voyages into unknown waters, a compass and depth sounder are standard equipment, as is a twelve volt outlet for a cellular phone, spotlight, or other electronics. The instrument panel and tilt steering wheel are accented with burlwood trim.

Seating

The starboard helm seat and the accompanying seat on the port side are wide and comfortable. Both seats include flip up bolsters for support while standing. A cooler secured in chocks immediately aft of the helm seat keeps drinks and snacks at hand. The upholstered engine cover is centered against the transom, allowing easy access to the stern cleats and providing step through entry from the swim platform. The step between the cockpit and swim platform is high enough not to require a transom door, but Sea Ray provides one anyway; an important feature for the security of young children or pets.

Aft

The swim platform is quite large and includes a concealed folding ladder, fresh water shower, and ski tow eye. Filler cushions are provided to convert the engine cover into one large bench seat across the transom: a perfect place for sunning or, with the optional camper canvas package, an additional sleeping berth.

A generous compartment under the cockpit sole and under-gunnel ski racks and fishing rod holders provide storage for watersports gear. Numerous drink holders are placed conveniently throughout the cockpit.

Stepping Down Below

The cabin is accessed through a large sliding door. When combined with the forward hatch, this should provide plenty of ventilation for overnight comfort. On many boats, the step down into the cabin is located outside the companionway door, forming a well in the cockpit that is a potential tripping hazard. On the 225 Weekender, Sea Ray chose to place the step inside the cabin eliminating the cockpit well.

Inside the cabin, the step from the cockpit flips up to reveal a removable trash can, a necessity often overlooked on small boats. The V-berth includes a removable insert to form a wide bed. The head compartment encroaches a bit on the length of the starboard side of the bed. It may be snug for two people.

Time to Dine

A removable table allows dining for two or a place to play cards if the weather makes the cockpit unpleasant. On the port side, the “galley” is simply a sink, small icebox, and a bit of storage. All cooking is intended to be done outdoors, camping style. While there is an ample storage area under the sink, there are no shelves or bins to make practical use of the space. The stereo system is located above the sink, with an optional remote control mounted at the helm. A twelve-volt receptacle in the galley will power anything from a cellular phone to a coffee maker.

The Head

The porta-potti sits in an enclosed compartment on the starboard side of the cabin. While it takes up a bit more room than having the toilet under the V-berth, this arrangement allows the head to be used at night without disturbing the bed. Manual or electric marine toilets are offered as options. The accordion style door for the head compartment is meant only to hide the toilet from view: the compartment is not large enough to provide privacy. On our test boat, the door was difficult to operate, although it may have just needed adjustment.

Engine Access

For engine access, the motor box and surrounding deck tilt forward as one piece. While this provides outstanding access for service, it was a difficult stretch to reach across the hatch and lift the engine box, even at my height of over six feet. Pneumatic hatch stays would solve the problem and would be inexpensive and easily installed.

Performance

Our test boat was powered with a single 260 horsepower Mercruiser 5.0 MPI engine. We topped out at 47.3 miles-per-hour, burning 18.8 gallons of gasoline per hour. The boat’s most economical cruise was at 3500 RPM, making 32.7 miles-per-hour and burning just 9.9 gallons per hour. The resulting 3.29 miles-per-gallon yield a range of 148 miles from the boat’s 50-gallon fuel tank. With help from the standard equipment stainless steel propeller and optional trim tabs, she planed off quickly at 4.6 seconds, and hit 30 miles per hour in only 10.9 seconds. While this is plenty of power to pull a skier, optional engines are available to 320 horsepower.

This pocket cruiser is about as small as an overnight boat can be, but still manages to remain functional. Its small size makes it easy to trailer, greatly increasing the possible locations for a weekend adventure. While it would never be construed as “yachting” the 225 Weekender offers an affordable way to enjoy boating and spend the night on the water.

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions