Boston Whaler 280 Vantage

Riding on an all-new hull designed to make the most of today’s high-performance engines, Boston Whaler’s 280 Vantage delivers a fresh take that is tailor-made for the Great Lakes.

Stepping aboard couldn’t be easier with the standard portside dive door. Plush seating throughout the spacious aft cockpit invites guests to get comfy, including a neat transom seat that folds away when not required. A standard starboard-side prep station — complete with a sink and cutting board — says fishing to the anglers and cocktails to everyone else. A pair of 30-gallon fish boxes in the cockpit sole also pull double-duty, accommodating the day’s catch or gear.

The versatile portside lounge provides forward- or aft-facing seating, or can lay flat to transform into a sunpad. Lifting the aft seat cushion creates another lounge option. A discreet metal bracket in the seat base accepts a removable cockpit table, providing a great space to relax and watch the sunset in comfort.

Drivers get spoiled by the helm, which has plenty of space for a choice of available Raymarine touch-screen displays. Joystick piloting is also available as a popular and worthwhile upgrade, while a standard hardtop overhead provides a welcome escape from the midday sun.

The passenger console houses a porcelain head with a vacu-flush toilet. There’s also a sink, solid- surface counter and residential-style faucet.

Step through the elegant walk-through windshield and you’ll find spacious wraparound seating in the bow, complete with cup holders, a control head for the stereo and a trash chute in the helm console. Recessed stainless steel rails offer security without getting in the way, while a freshwater shower, fed by a 20-gallon system, comes with both bow and stern sprayers. A bow anchor locker, complete with a windlass, also conceals a retractable bow boarding ladder for the ultimate in convenience.