Baja 335 Performance

Brief Summary

Combine Baja performance with the needs of a young family and what do you have? One of the most exciting cross-over family boats out there. The Baja 335 Performance has the performance and power typical of the Baja muscle boats, combined with the spacious cabin of a weekender. Due in part to their bulkhead free design, the interior is more spacious than many multi-purpose built 30 foot cruisers.

Key Features

• Port Side Transom Access
• Custom Fiberglass Dash with Non-Glare
• Port Side Glove Box with Locking Door
• 2 Drop-Down Aero Bolster Seats
• L-Shaped Rear Bench Seat
• Sleeps 3
• Livorsi Gauges
• Formica Countertops

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	31' 5''
Beam	9' 6''
Dry Weight	8,000 lbs.
Draft	40''
Deadrise/Transom	24 deg.
Max Headroom	N/A
Bridge Clearance	N/A
Fuel Capacity	190 gal.
Water Capacity	N/A

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	5.0 sec.
0 to 30	8.0 sec.
Ratio	1.50:1
Props	Mercury Bravo One 24P 4-blade stainless steel
Load	Load: 2 persons, Fuel: 1/2 full, Water: 1/2 full, Gear: minimal
Climate	Temp: 75 deg., Humid: 65%, Wind: 12-15 knots, Seas: 2-3 feet

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 425-hp MerCruiser 496 Mag HO sterndrives
Std. Power	2 x 300-hp MerCruiser 350 Mag
Opt. Power	2 x 320-hp MerCruiser 6.2L MX 2 x 375-hp MerCruiser 496 Mag 2 x 425-hp MerCruiser 496 Mag HO 2 X 525-hp MerCruiser EFI 2 x 315-hp Yanmar Diesel

Warranty

Deck Warranty Extended	5-year Limited Warranty
Engine Warranty Extended	None
Gelcoat Warranty Extended	3-Year Limited Warranty
Hull Warranty Extended	5-year Limited Warranty

Captain's Report

Powerful Performance Meets Family Weekend Enjoyment
By Capt. Robert Smith
The Baja 335 is thinly disguised as an open cruiser with what only appears to be a small cuddy cabin. In fact, this is a powerful high-performance boat with a comfortable cockpit with entertainment center and full cabin below that a young family can overnight on. Spiffed up with a few options, you have everything you could want to head out after work on Friday and come back Monday morning tanned and relaxed.
Bow Features
I really liked the bow anchor system with highly polished and shaped anchor that fit into the nose and provided skid plate type protection when putting her back on the trailer. Docking lights mean you can still find the trailer in the water at the end of a ramp, without the benefit of parking lot lights to help you. On top, the anchor locker is large enough to add the windlass for effortless anchoring, along with enough line to keep the boat safely in place while you swim, snorkel, or just enjoy the day. A low profile safety rail runs up the spine of the bow with large hatches to flood the interior with light and fresh air. The curved full-framed aluminum windshield has a generous flip-over walkthrough windshield, and three steps are molded into the cabin entryway for easy access to the dash and bow.
Sporty Helm with the Goods
In the cockpit, the companion/navigator station has matching custom panel accents that form the glove box lid. The high-performance seating wraps around you for the speed runs, locking you into safe position when you drop the drop-away seat bottoms. When leisurely cruising and chatting, leave it up and enjoy the view. Across to the helm station is a matching seat for the driver. The dash is well laid out for clear view of all the instruments. The test boat was set up with well labeled rocker control switches, analog gauges, Mercury SmartCraft and SeaKey. The white-faced Livorsi gauges and Livorsi split throttle and shift belie the true animal behind the power on this model. To keep the dash free from clutter, the circuit breakers are grouped together under the wheel and concealed behind a panel door.
Cockpit Features
Just aft the helm is a cockpit entertainment center. You have a sink as well as a 120-volt and 12-volt connection for portable appliances like a blender. A sea rail corrals the snacks and plates on the prep counter and twin drink holders are also located here. Seating in the aft cockpit is a large L-shaped bench that wraps from behind the companion seat to the starboard walkthrough door. A convenient carry-on cockpit cooler nests under the port side and has a strap to hold it securely in place when underway. There is even room next to it to keep an extra refrigerator pack of cold drinks ready for the ice. The lounger ends have stainless drink holders inset in the arms and a heavy grab T-handle to give you piece of mind in the rough water. The sunpad is plenty large enough for an adult to relax and spread out for some sun. Under the cockpit side of the pad is a compartment that can be used to store life jackets and wet suits. Under the aft section is another convenient box for lines, fenders, and to bring in the dockside connections to hook up for the night. The aft section of the cockpit lifts up smoothly to give you convenient access to the water filter, batteries and engine checkpoints.
Large Swim Platform
The walkthrough door at the transom has a convenient magnetic latch to hold the door open. The battery switches are behind a panel in the walkthrough so you don’t have to pull the cover off and go inside to simply turn the battery switches on or off. Also located in the walkthrough is a transom shower to rinse off after a refreshing dip. The swim platform was spacious enough for several to prepare for a swim, put on skis or wakeboards, or just relax and chat. To make re-boarding easier there is a concealed three-step swim ladder in the center of the platform at the back edge.
Features Belowdeck
Stepping through the cabin sliding door, you enter a cabin that is deceivingly large. They have a great galley that can be upgraded to have everything you need for a weekend aboard. The forward half of the interior has face-to-face bench seating with a large table for serving dinners and snacks. The seat bases offer lots of storage along with a large finished storage compartment in the floor. The seat bottoms actually unfold to form the V-berth eliminating finding a place for filler cushions when using the couches. I really liked the opaque Plexiglas door to the head, which provides a brighter interior while still providing the necessary privacy inside. The fiberglass head has a vanity with pull out shower wand and a Vacuflush toilet.
Specifications and Performance
The Baja 335 Performance measures 31’5” length overall with a beam of 9’6”. She weighs in at just 8,000 lbs. dry and has a fuel capacity of 190 gallons. This model was tested with MerCruiser 496 Mags, but she can be powered with up to 525-hp MerCruisers or even a pair of Yanmar 315-hp diesels.
As I said earlier, it was challenging on test day. The day we shot the video, the winds were consistently above 30-40mph, and on test day it was still in the 15-25mph range. Seas were 2 feet with lots of chop to try the stability and ride of this boat, which I have to say, performed better than I initially expected from the looks of the conditions. As any small boat would, she crashed down off the waves when she landed between them, but it wasn’t the bone-jarring ride of a lesser quality build. She easily ran straight and smooth at 35mph into the wind and 45mph with a following sea. Turns were stable and comfortable at 25-30mph. I found she delivered a best cruise speed at 48.9mph and reached a top speed of 68.9mph. At cruise she will likely give you 232 miles between fill ups.
If she handled like this in rough weather a family typically wouldn’t be out in, I can only imagine the smiles when it is nice out cruising along in ideal sea conditions.