Transforming Elegance

By Captain Keith Burton

Perhaps I am not like most captains with BoatTest. Not in that I don’t appreciate boats or the fun you can have on the water, but much of my activities on a boat are less associated with fishing and more with just plain fun with the family. That is not to say that I don’t like fishing, but for me, selecting a boat for only its fishing expertise would be a compromise I couldn’t live with.

Having that said, Glastron designers have created a fishing boat that is less of compromise than you could expect in a boat. The Glastron GXL 205 Ski & Fish is such a boat. Here’s a nicely sized bowrider with sleekly upscale design and fast performance that offers a well-thought-out system to transform into a terrific fishing platform for the anglers in the family. And, unlike some other combination boats where fishing features are just added to an existing design, the upper deck of the GXL 205 Ski & Fish was designed specifically for the purpose.

Glastron’s GXL series is part of the company’s upscale line of boats, that is, it is meant for perhaps the second or third time boat buyer who is looking for a premium boat with great styling, equipment levels, and luxury. But here there is more, much more.

Packed with Features

This boat is literally packed with neat features. When waterskiing or wakeboarding is the focus, the Glastron GXL Ski & Fish doesn’t disappoint. It’s sleekly designed hull and sporting premium interior and graphics will turn heads at any lake. So will the performance. You can outfit this boat with up to a roaring 350 Magnum MPI Bravo I MerCruiser sterndrive with 300 horsepower, if power is what you are after. The standard power is a 4.3-liter, 190 horsepower Volvo Penta sterndrive.

Even with the standard power, the Glastron 205 Ski & Fish performs well, but our tester came with a mid-level Volvo Penta 5.0-liter with 220 horsepower, which we found perfectly suited for this boat.

There are also neatly integrated storage compartments at the stern seating area and stainless steel drinkholders where you would want them.

The captain and forward passenger seats are well-designed, wrap-around buckets with built-in bolsters. The seats rotate, and move forward and aft. The aft part was especially good as you can move the seat far enough toward the stern to provide plenty of standup room.

Gone Fishing

But when you want to do some serious fishing, the 205 Ski & Fish has some neat tricks.

First, the bow area can be transformed by flipping the cushions, which on one side are padded, but on the other, are carpeted, turning the seating area into a deck. A center floor that is stored at the stern in the engine compartment then covers the footwell at the bow, and suddenly, you have a fishing boat with plenty of walkaround room at the bow.

The 205 Ski & Fish can also be equipped with a powerful MinnKota trolling motor, which when not needed, can be stored in the boat’s large in-deck floor compartment.

The two bucket seats at the stern come into play here. They can be removed and with the supplied pedestals, they become the forward and aft fishing seats.

Easy Transformations

The great thing about this boat’s conversions is that you don’t have to leave anything behind at the dock to make the transformations. Everything has a place. And the transformation only takes a few minutes. The aforementioned sunpad unsnaps and is stored in the wide engine compartment. There is also a deep, aerated livewell at the port stern where the sunpad covers.

Specifications & Handling

This nearly 20 foot long boat has plenty of room to move about and offers remarkable performance over the water. Turn-in is sharp and predictable and the boat handles intuitively. With the standard power steering, anyone will find piloting this boat a snap. On test day I found the boat traveled most economically turning 300 at 31.7 mph for a range of 127 miles.

Over rough water and wakes, the GXL 205 is remarkably forgiving in that it doesn’t pound the passengers. Some of that credit also goes to the hulls rigid construction.

Without any doubt, the GXL 205 Ski & Fish offers a tremendous value without the type of compromises you might expect in a boat designed to do most all things. You get a lot of luxury, attractive features and design, plus the ability to focus this boat on your favorite activities at your convenience. Glastron’s designers may not be rocket scientists, but they clearly know a thing or two about how people use their boats.

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