Pathfinder 2300 Steps It Up

New step-hull bottom

design makes for high

top-end with 250-hp engine 

 

By Doug Thompson

The need for speed is alive and well. Pathfinder Boats is pushing toward faster hole shots and a higher top end with its new 2300 HPS (High Performance Step) fishing boat, which I took a turn driving June 16 out of the Hawk’s Cay Marina near Marathon, Fla.

Powered by Yamaha’s new 250-hp four-stroke VMAX SHO (Super High Output) outboard, the 23-foot, 6-inch long fishing boat ran more than 65 mph in a recent test. The boat has been designed exclusively around the new Yamaha VMAX SHO, and it’s the only engine offered with the 2300 HPS. The boat is 8 feet, 4 inches wide and drafts just 12 inches.

The key to speed is the new step built at the midway point of the hull bottom, which allows for less drag once the boat jumps up on plane and climbs through the RPM range. At about 45 mph you can feel the bottom break free, and then adjusting the outboard trim allows you to find the sweet spot in operation as you increase throttle.

As you move up through the RPM range, the bottom continues to break free and at about 55 mph there’s an extra burst of power. At wide open throttle the steering became very tight, but the easy remedy was the trim the motor down just a tad. That seemed to set just a little more boat in the water and the tightness was gone.

“This new Yamaha motor provides the performance of a two-stroke with the fuel economy of a four-stroke,” said Skip Lyshon of Pathfinder. “It’s the only engine that people want with this boat.”

The 2300 HPS is a fishing boat through and through, featuring two locking rod boxes up front (large enough for 9-foot fly rods) and a large anchor locker. The walk-around gunwales are padded, and there a new 28-gallon livewell aft. The driver’s console features a large flat top perfect for mounting electronics.

The boat weighs about 3,000 pounds with the 505-pound VMAX SHO outboard. The outboard weight is actually 34 pounds lighter than the previous two-stroke VMAX engines. The lower weight of the VMAX SHO is also going to make it a big hit with bass boats.

While the majority of buyers will push the Pathfinder 2300 HPS to the limit, there’s a segment of anglers that will run the boat at 35 mph, easily on plane and burning just 4.2 gallons of gas per hour. For the budget-minded boater, that indeed is the sweet spot.

The Pathfinder 2300 HPS lists for $58,521 with the Yamaha 250 VMAX SHO engine, and options such as a Power Pole, Yamaha Command Link gauges and Pathfinder tandem axle trail push the suggested retail price to $70,454.

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