Sportsman Open 302 Center Console

Sportsman’s Open 302 Center Console is one of the most thoughtfully designed boats on the market with features that toggle between family dayboating or hard-charging fishing.

Starting with an innovative infused fiberglass stringer system laid out in a grid instead of traditional longitudinal stringers, the extra strength meshes nicely with the optional Seakeeper 2 gyroscopic stabilizer.

A fast glance at the helm and the astute eye wonders what’s missing. The answer is clutter that comes from dozens of switches for everything from lighting to bilge pumps. Instead, the buttons are all relegated to one of two Garmin touchscreen displays, and there are two redundant backups in the unlikely event the power goes out on the screen.

Another area worth bragging about is the head. Accessed through a side helm door, every inch of space is designed to make families feel right at home, such as the flushable marine head, cushioned cabin seating where small children might catch a nap and the large horizontal window letting in plenty of sunlight.

Like many bow area seating arrangements today, a center table on an electric actuator can be raised or lowered. The winning difference on the Open 302 are the removable backrests Sportsman developed; instead of a slotted or fold-away configuration, these backrests have sturdy anchor points.

Tom Mack, founder of South Shore Marine on Lake Erie, notes Sportsman’s nice balance between a thoughtfully designed family-friendly dayboat and excellent fishing content — all in an extremely attractive price range.

Twin 300 Yamaha or Mercury Verado engine packages are available. With a 295-gallon fuel tank, 100-quart built-in console cooler and a couple of pressurized aquarium livewells to keep bait fresh, this is a boat that will have you going places.