2011 Seabreeze 22 Walk Thru

From our 2011 Test issue

By Matt Spencer

At 22 feet long, the Seabreeze 22 Walk Thru is nestled in the company’s ever expanding line of hand-laid, fibreglass Maritime boats. And its reputation for seaworthiness, speed and efficiency, as well as its proud look and rugged interior, is steadily making its way west.

On the East Coast, production bowriders that are more popular inland are called “dressed up boats.” If that’s the case, then the Seabreeze 22 WT is the business casual of the East Coast.

Its all white hull is clean and elegant, and the yellow and black pin stripes add a touch of class. The black trim throughout brings out these elements like a great tie on a suit.

One thing I love about these boats is their versatility; they’re tough and rugged enough to work hard, but can also play hard.

A standard feature on the 22 WT that won’t appear on any spec sheet is the incredible feeling you get when you take the helm and head out on the water. My imagination kicked into high gear as the lake opened up in front of me.

The Seabreeze rode proudly, high and smooth. Her high bow lead the way, almost slicing through the water, with her flat bottom and spray rail discarding the spray with ease.

With the 22 WT weighing just over 2,000 pounds – almost half of that of your average 22-foot bowrider – the 115-hp Yamaha was more than enough power on the back. And what’s funny is that Yamaha describes its 115 as kind of their jack of all trades. That sounds an awful lot like the boat it’s on, doesn’t it?

Together, this pairing had us cruising at a very comfortable 22.8 mph at 4000 rpm, on plane at 12 mph and reaching a top speed of 34 mph at 5500 rpm.

You can’t help but think that with the Yamaha four-stroke and the fuel-efficient semi-displacement hull, we could probably circle Lake Erie twice and still have gas left. But we don’t have that kind of time.

Full performance data and specs: Available at BoatTest.ca.

PowerBoat Television: This boat will be featured on Episode 1 of the 2011 season. For broadcasters and airtimes, please visit powerboattv.com.