Parents with young kids who need a boat with shelter or couples who want the flexibility to overnight on weekend-long fishing trips may be looking for a new fishboat with a walkaround cabin. These have become rather rare in today’s market, however, there’s one that’s big enough to fish the Bay, small enough to trailer to whatever far-flung drive-able destinations strike your fancy, and offers the convenience of a cuddy cabin: the Striper 200 Walkaround.
Looking at LOA the Striper seems like a pricy boat for its size at first (MSRP is $66,893), but compare it to other boats of this type and you’ll see that it actually cost less than many of the other cabin-equipped competitors. It still comes thoroughly rigged and ready, however, for anglers and non-angling family members alike. There are 12-gallon port and starboard fishboxes in the deck, a standard livewell in the transom, stainless-steel toe-rails in the cockpit, six flush-mount rodholders, six tackle drawers, and fresh and raw water washdowns to keep the fishing folk happy. As for the rest of the crew, the cabin has a V-berth and portable MSD, a mini-galley with a sink and alcohol stove, reading lights, and a collapsible dinette table. Who needs a camper, with a rig like this? Hitch it up, haul it to a campground near the boat ramp, and let the relaxing begin.
The 200 Walkaround rides on a 20-degree deadrise V-hull backed up by foam-filled stringers and a composite transom, which Striper in turn backs up with a lifetime warranty. Also note that the boat’s pieces-parts are above par, with items like grab rails, the rubrail insert, and through-hull fittings all being stainless-steel rather than the plastic parts you’ll see on some boats. Peek in the bilge and you’ll also discover that there’s a standard-issue high-water alarm, an added safety measure you see on few boats in this class.
The 200 Walkaround can be had with powerplants ranging from 115 to 200 horses, though we’d caution against opting for an engine at the minimal end of this range unless you’re okay with a slow time-to-plane and cruising in the low 20s. Powering with a 150 will get you into the upper 20s at cruise and the low 30s at top end. It’ll also get you just a hair better than three mpg, which considering the boat’s relatively hefty 91-gallon fuel capacity, means range is almost 250 miles (with 10-percent held in reserve). That’s rather significant for a 20-footer and allows for some serious exploration. In fact, you could run the 200 Walkaround to all kinds of remote fishing grounds where there won’t be another soul in sight — and that’s the kind of social distancing we anglers don’t mind one bit.
Striper 200 Walkaround OB Specifications
LOA – 20’2”
Beam – 8’2”
Displacement – 3275 lbs.
Draft (min.) – 1’3”
Fuel Capacity – 91 gal.
Max. Power – 200 hp
Area Dealers – Waterfront Marine, Edgewater, MD, (443) 949-9041.