Pathfinder 2700 Open Review

Equal parts bay boat and offshore boat make this hybrid a true crossover.

I’m not surprised that one of the leaders in the bay-boat market — Pathfinder Boats — would bring its expertise to a larger edition capable of not only fishing inshore waters, but plenty of offshore situations with ease. The all-new 2700 would be ideal for Gulf of Mexico redfish and trout anglers and New England fluke, striped bass, and bluefish anglers, not to mention fishermen who ply the Chesapeake, Barnegat, Little Egg and Great bays, and those in Long Island Sound, Cape Cod and the Carolinas.

The 2700 features a comfortable-riding, twin-stepped V-bottom with higher freeboard than a typical bay boat. This hybrid comes with a hydraulic jackplate and trim tabs, and my test boat — powered with a single Yamaha F300 — featured the new Yamaha digital electric steering, which gave it a racy, technical feel. It turned without sliding while being fully trimmed for the optimal ride in a chop. Drifting beam to the wind, I felt no ill effects; the boat remained stable with little roll.

Pathfinder placed a 43-gallon livewell in the fully molded leaning post, and a 22-gallon tank lies on centerline in the transom. A nearly full-beam fish box drains overboard.

Under the gunwales, the 2700 can carry everything from fly rods to medium-heavy conventionals. I found a multitude of vertical rod holders for switching gear in a hurry.

The forward raised casting platform offers plenty of open fishing space for plugging topwater, jigging or bottomfishing. Ahead of the console lies a removable cooler seat.

The well-laid-out helm face accommodates a pair of 12-inch or a single 16-inch display. The binnacle and switches lie within easy reach.

But the thing that really gets my attention is the quality of the 2700′s construction. Pathfinder has mastered the vacuum-infusion process (with a proprietary system called VARIS), which turns out very clean, strong, precise fitted parts making for a well-engineered, tough, honest boat.

Hull Specs

LOA: 27 ft.

Beam: 9 ft. 4 in.

Transom Deadrise: 18 deg.

Draft: 1 ft. 5 in.

Dry Weight: 4,934 lb. w/ Yamaha 425 XTO

Fuel: 95 gal. (additional 31 gal. optional)

Max HP: 450 hp