New Horizons…

No one can accuse Bayliner of resting on its laurels. They’ve cranked out yet another solid product and this time it’s after the larger families that want to spend all day on the water. The flagship bowrider, the Bayliner 245 BR is and ideal size for use on an inland like or river, but is also big enough for coastal day cruising in good weather.

What’s inside…

For features, there’s as much as you would expect from a Bayliner. The stereo has an MP3 jack, the bow has filler cushions for sun baking. The carry-on cooler is a full 54qt and has dedicated storage under the port lounge seat. The port side companion seat has a flip back that converts from forward facing to an aft facing lounge. We like this as it is ideal for a waterski spotter.

The enclosed head is better thought of as a changing room with a Porta-Potti. It could use a sink and mirror, but for washing hands, there’s always the cockpit sink. And for those just getting out of the water there’s the ever popular transom shower. And we love the bow boarding ladder, that will help Mom and the tots descend to the beach without getting wet. (Dad, of course, will gladly jump over the side and wade in, MacArthur-like.)

This is a useful feature and one not found on many much more expensive boats.



Would you believe that’s her fifth child? Neither would we. But we do believe that’s a very comfortable lounger with the flip-back that converts to forward facing in a jiff. Great for observing the skier or wakeboarder. Note the snap in carpeting and convenient drink holders. And check out the wrap-around windshield.

Helm…

The helm has a single adjustable bucket seat with a flip-up bolster. That’s good because it means you can stand while driving. The dash panel has been completely re-done and features a non-glare brow, a digital depth gauge, and full instrumentation that includes a fuel gauge, oil pressure gauge, speedometer, tachometer gauge, temperature gauge, trim gauge, and voltmeter. The wheel is connected to a power-assist rack and pinion, and the throttle is side mounted.



The bow boarding ladder is a staple on every dayboat, and notice it actually reaches the beach. We like the separate nav lights but we’d rather see pop-up cleats to keep little fingers from getting jammed. The gel stripe can be color matched to the bimini boot color of your choice.

Options to choose from…

Since we’re big fans of boating at night, we love docking lights (add $471). Every boat needs a bimini top, so we were surprised to see that it was on the options list (add $671) but since you’ll be adding that feature anyway, you may as well go with the “family fun package” which includes the bimini with a boot in your choice of color, matching gel color stripe and steering wheel upgrade for an additional $15 over the bimini alone. We would also recommend the extended swim platform (add $764) which gives more room to play and provides the safety of clearing jumpers past the outdrive.

Power up…

Standard power is a 220-hp 5.0L MerCruiser. Upgrades go on up to a 300-hp 350 MAG MPI with a dual propped Bravo III outdrive (Add $11,293). And since this boat is a trailerable 8'6" (2.59 m) beam, you’ll possibly want to opt for a tandem-axle galvanized trailer with brakes (Add $4,893) as long as you have a vehicle rated to haul the 3,973 lbs (1,802 kg) load.

Specs…

Your Bayliner 245BR has a LOA of 24' 4" (7.42 m) and a beam of 8' 6" (2.59 m). She draws 3'0" (.91 m) and carries 78 gal (295.2 L) of fuel, 15 gal (56.8 L) of water, and you plus 10 of your best buds. And all this comes with a base price of only $38,147.00.