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PERFORMANCE

TESTED

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ABOUT THE BOAT:

TAHOE 215 CC

FAMILY

TAHOE’S 215 CC DECKBOAT OFFERS AN IMPRESSIVE MIX OF FISHING AND FAMILY RECREATION

FISH ‘N’

FUN

The interior of the 215 CC is outfit-ted to accommodate recreationalboaters and anglers alike. For the recre- ational set there are a number of storage areas under the seats and in the sole for- ward of the console (plenty of room for toys in there). To port aft of the bow seat there’s a small marine sink with a pressurizedfaucet for rinsing off food and preparingsnacks. Under the center rear bench there is a large carry-on cooler with plenty of room for drinks and food. All around the helm and up and downeach side of the boat you’ll find stainless steel grabrails — you know what they say: one hand for you and one hand for theboat.Anglers will appreciate the two stan-dard fishing chairs with two marine pedestal bases on the bow platform and one to port on the stern platform. There’s also an aer-ated livewell in the bow, a large ice com-partment aft of the starboard bow seat (with dedicated tackle trays below) and under-gunwale rod holders. Just aft of the rear seats you’ll find flush-mount rodholders in the cap rails. The 215 CC is pre-wired for an optionaltrolling motor (a hand-controlled Motor- Guide trolling motor is available for $965). Recreational options include a changingroom, a wakeboard tower with racks, snap-in carpet and bow filler cushions. â–¼

T

By Go Boating Test Team serious anglers).There’s another platform at the tran-som, one that deserves some attention.We’ve seen small swim platforms on out-boards before, which are typically just apostage stamp of a deck bolted onto one side of the boat. In this case, however, you get a full-beam integrated swim platform you can walk on from one side to the otheras well as a starboard step-through tran-som. The motor takes up some room in the center, but on each side there is a largearea just like on a stern drive with an inte-grated or extended swim platform. Thestarboard side has a boarding boat ladder andthe port side has a small insulated com- partment for gear or to keep drinks cold. he original idea behind the Tahoe215 CC was to build a deckboat thatwould appeal to coastal boaters whowanted a versatile family fun boat thatcould also fish very well. The boat center console layout offers anumber of advantages to anglers, and thedeckboat configuration ensures plenty ofroom for family, friends and gear. Add tothat a 20-degree deadrise and Tahoe’sHydroStep hull, which is designed for quicker acceleration, faster marine top end, betterhandling and improved fuel economy,and you come away with a boat that canhandle a little bluewater to get out towhere the fish are biting. The funny thing is that Tahoe soonfound that people in its home state ofMissouri and other areas in the Midwestliked the idea as much as coastalnearshore boaters, especially because the215 CC has family appeal beyond what you typically find with a fish ‘n’ ski boat,which is sometimes just a fish boat with afew extra seats and a tow bar.Like most other deckboats or run-abouts, the 215 CC has twin lounges in the bow and more comfortable seating in thecockpit for passengers. The full 8-foot, 6-inch beam is carried from the transom allthe way to the large forward swim plat-form, which allows you and your guests to mix and mingle without constantly bumping into each other.The forward platform is the largestwe’ve seen on a deckboat this size. It hastwo pedestal bases for the two standardremovable fishing seats, and the large plat- form ensures there is plenty of room to sit,stand and fish, similar to that of a dedicat-ed bass boat. When not in use, the fishingseats stow neatly inside the forward end ofthe console, so they’re completely out of the way when it’s time to go for a cruise orto bust out the skis or wakeboard.The forward platform also has a fold-away boarding ladder and boat anchor storage— and just inside the bow aft of the plat- form is a large aerated livewell with apumpout (another important feature for

SPECIFICATIONS

Length 21 ft., 2 in. Beam 8 ft., 6 in. Capacity 10 people Weight 2,200 lbs. Fuel capacity 45 gals. Maximum power 250 hp Deadrise (@ transom) 20°

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GO BOATING |june 2006 www.goboating.com

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