BORELLI CONSULTING: Recreational Equipment Reviews

Bayliner 215 Classic Bow Rider
By: Frank Borelli, 4 July 2005

Just last year my father-in-law called me and said, "Hey; I'm selling my boat. Interested?" Well, of course I was. I spent most of my young summers in Ocean City, MD and spent more hours than I can count playing / swimming in the ocean or bay. For the past almost twenty years I've enjoyed scuba diving which is quite often done from boats in various bodies of water. (Yeah, you can do it from shorelines, but it just isn't as much fun to me). So, when I was offered this Bayliner Capri 2150, I jumped at the chance.

Of course, that Capri 2150 is an older boat - the precursor to Bayliner's current model 215 Classic - a bowrider they refer to as a runabout. The 215 is a medium-sized good family boat rated for nine people who would be comfortable on the available seating for six (in the cockpit area) and the bow seating (easily room for those other three).

At a length just under 21 feet (20'9") and an 8'1" beam the 215 is certainly enough to take out in rivers and bays. I've had my 2150 out even on some choppy days, and it's quite a comfortable ride. Drafting one and a half feet to the hull (2'11" to the bottom of the out drive), the 215 doesn't require all that much water under you. In our local rivers the sandbars change so much that new charts each year are mandatory for safety. Still, unless it's low tide, we never get close to the sandbar depths.

If you take a look at the above picture, there are two things that I'd like you to notice:
1) In addition to the four adults that are seated comfortably, there are additional seats on either side of the engine cover. In fact, the engine cover incorporates cup holders and some additional small storage space along the front edge. The seats on either side are just as wide as the other cockpit seats and have fully padded backrests. On my 2150, Bayliner hid a small cooler space under the port side back seat, perfect for about six sodas (or other favorite canned / bottled beverage). Under the starboard side back seat is access to the battery and some storage space.
2) There is a swim step / ladder on the rear starboard side. There is a retractable step that pulls out of the platform and hangs down to give you a rung about fifteen inches below the platform. In the water it is no challenge at all to get a foot up on that first step and pull yourself up.

In addition to the cockpit seating, there is the open bow. Two adults can easily and comfortably sit up there. Additional cushions are available to place between the seats to form a sunning / tanning bed. Ample storage space is available under each seat cushion all around the bow.

Not readily visible in any of these pictures are the mooring cleats that are located at each stern corner and on both sides of the bow. Some of the other features I've not yet mentioned and that you can't really see in the photos are:
- AM/FM Stereo & CD Controller with weather proof speakers (2) and an input for a CD/MP3 player.
- In-Floor Ski/Wakeboard Storage (we've got two sets of skis along with all the requisite tow lines in ours)
- Padded side panel storage with shelves (place for extra lines, first-aid kit, gloves, goggles, etc)
- 12 volt blower
- 500 gallon per hour bilge pump
- 12 volt horn
- 12 volt navigation lights
- Stainless steel skil tow ring
- Wraparound windshield with opening center section

The controls are sleek, sylish and easy to use. The helm includes:
- Fuel Gauge
- Oil Pressure Gauge
- Speedometer
- Tachometer
- Temperature Gauge
- Voltmeter

Now about that speedometer and the boat's speed capabilities: It comes standard with a 5.0L V8 motor. My father-in-law, back when, purchased the upgraded motor so that mine has a 5.7L Chevy V8 with the Volvo Penta conversion for marine use. Fueling the motor in current 215s is a 37 gallon gas tank. So, how fast does she go? Mine, going up river and into a slight wind, has reached 35 miles per hour with the tach in the 5000rpm range. That's in the yellow and getting close to red so I didn't want to push it faster than that. However, coming back down the river with the current and the wind helping us along I was able to get 40 miles per hour out of her at the same rpm. Not bad...

All in all, with an MSRP of just over $23K, the Bayliner 215 is a nice family boat - good for day trips, skiing, tubing, fishing and more. In fact, some time soon, my dive buddy and I are going to take it to check out some of the local scuba diving sites in the Chesapeake Bay. Lots of sharks teeth to be found locally - and some of them are fossilized megalodon teeth as much as six inches in length. Could be fun?

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