The Scout 222 Abaco is an economical, family-friendly fishboat that’s well suited for chasing any species that prowl inshore waters or just tooling around with Mom and the kids.

One cool thing about Scout is that they offer several versions of this good-looking little boat—the 222 Dorado bowrider, the 222 Sportfish center console and this one—providing consumers a choice of mission-specific arrangements. The 222 Abaco is the hybrid version aimed more at fishermen, but making several accommodations for family cruising.



The helm appears friendly to drive standing or sitting. It has adequate space for a chartplotter/fishfinder.

First the Fishing

Gear carrying capacity and rigging and prep features obviously are of concern to any fisherman. To that end, the 222 Abaco has four flush-mount rod holders, as well as rod storage under the port gunwale. It has an aerated baitwell, a compact prep station with fresh water sink and tackle storage and raw water washdown for when things get messy, as any fisherman hopes they do. The rigging/tackle/bait prep station is, shall we say, compact, but it’s there and it will accommodate the basic functions for which it was intended.

The side decks are accessed by molded-in steps from the cockpit, but are of the variety that you need to be nimble and alert to move fore and aft on. Translation: It’s not a center console or anything you’d call a true walkaround, but it does provide access to the foredeck for fish fighting, anchor work and dock-line handling.

The stern seat is removable and has a wave gate, which is a great thing for the starting, stopping and backing practiced by aggressive fishermen.



This prep station has the basics, but in miniature. Considering all you really need to catch fish is a couple of rods, a tackle box and a good boat, what’s really to gripe about? It has a fresh water sink and raw water washdown.



Family Matters

Between the jump seats angled inboard flanking the stern seat and the aft-facing shotgun seat, this boat provides a cozy cockpit arrangement good for adult cocktail moments or an informal family picnic. Small platforms, one with a ladder, flank the single outboard to accommodate swimming. Provided the fishermen haven’t bloodied the countertop on the prep station, that space could be well used for making sandwiches.

Men who use this boat for fishing may not give a whiff, but anyone who goes boating with women and children know the value of having a cabin to protect them from the elements and provide a bit of privacy. The 222 Abaco has an enclosed cabin with a 6’2” V-berth with space for a head underneath. Scout offers either a porta-potti or a proper marine head with a holding tank, either of which will make the ladies happy.



This arrangement is kind of cool for the 222’s recreation mission. It’s easy to see the crew hanging here munching having cocktails or munching on lunch. Pop-up cleats are never a bad idea on a fishboat. The stern seat is removable and has a wave gate.





Under the center pad in the 6’2” V-berth is a proper marine head—optional as is the holding tank it empties into.



Performance

Scout recommends single Yamaha outboards from 150 to 200-hp. Max is 250. According to test data from Scout and Yamaha, the 222 Abaco with the Yamaha F200TXR will provide a top speed of 45.3 mph and 2.41 mpg at WOT. At 3500 rpm, the boat will make 24.6 mph and get 3.84 mpg. At 3500, that engine burns 6.4 gph, the companies say. With the 222’s 90-gallon fuel capacity, that makes for a good long run to where the fish are hanging or a long weekend on the water with the kids.

Either way you take the 222 Abaco, at about 4,000 pounds with engine and gear, the boat will be easily trailerable with an SUV or pick-up.