Pioner Pioner 17 Explorer

The Pioner Pioner 17 Explorer is a compact bowrider built in rotomoulded polyethylene by Pioner of Norway, a builder trading since 1959. On our measurements it works out at roughly 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m) of hull with a beam near 7 ft 4 in (2.25 m), which places it squarely in the trailerable family bowrider class: one vehicle, one trailer, one afternoon of prep, and the boat is in the water. Norwegian polyethylene boats — unsinkable, maintenance-free and endlessly durable.

Layout is classic bowrider and that is the whole point of the boat. Twin lounges run forward of the windscreen with a walk-through to the anchor well, the helm and companion seats sit amidships behind a wrap screen, and a full-width lounge spans the transom for sunbathing and socialising. Around 9 people fit aboard comfortably in sheltered water. Cushions lift out, backrests fold and filler pads convert the cockpit from a conversation pit into one long sun bed in a couple of minutes.

Underway the Pioner 17 Explorer behaves the way a well-sorted compact bowrider should. It comes onto the plane early, holds a low tow speed without wallowing and tracks flat through a hard turn instead of skating out. In short chop you slow down and let the hull do the work, and it stays surprisingly dry for the size.

Power is a 95-145 hp four-stroke outboard package, and that suits both the hull and the way these boats are used. Keeping the machinery outside the hull frees up stern storage, simplifies servicing and removes the bellows and gimbal wear items that punish neglected stern drive boats. It also lifts the swim platform clear of the exhaust.

Watersports are well covered. A tow point is standard on almost every boat in this class, and Pioner owners regularly add a pylon or a folding tower for wakeboarding. A modest outboard package pulls a slalom skier out of the water cleanly and tows children on an inflatable biscuit all day without protest. Skis, ropes and vests live in the under-floor and under-seat lockers so nothing sits underfoot while the boat is loaded.

Anglers do well out of the Pioner 17 Explorer. The bow converts to a casting deck once the cushions are stowed, there is room to swing a rod without hitting the screen, and lockers swallow tackle, nets and a cooler. It is not a dedicated fishing boat, but it catches fish and it still takes the family out the next morning — which is the entire argument for owning a bowrider.

Build and finish sit where you would expect for a mid range boat from Norway. Pioner has been building polyethylene boats in Norway since 1959 and is the European reference point for plastic boat construction. The hulls are rotationally moulded with foam-filled double skins, making them unsinkable, impact resistant and completely free of the maintenance that fibreglass and aluminium demand — no gel coat, no corrosion, no rot, no painting. Left outdoors through a Scandinavian winter, a Pioner simply does not care. Larger models such as the Multi, Maxi and 17 Explorer offer bowrider-style forward seating, moulded consoles, walk-through arrangements and outboard power suited to family day use, swimming and light fishing. These are practical sheltered-water and coastal boats rather than offshore cruisers, and the layouts reflect that with hose-out interiors, generous moulded storage and safe, high-sided cockpits that suit children. Pioner is widely used by rental fleets, holiday cottages and municipal operators precisely because the boats survive careless use. On the used market they last decades with almost no depreciation curve.

Options worth having on the Pioner 17 Explorer are the practical ones: a bimini for shade, a decent bow and cockpit cover so the upholstery survives being stored outside, an upgraded sounder if you fish, and a stereo package that can be heard over the engine. Polyethylene hulls need almost no cosmetic care, so spend the money on seating, shade and electronics instead.

As a used buy, check the same things you would on any bowrider in this size band: transom firmness, stringer and floor soundness, hours and service history on the engine, steering and trim function, and the state of the upholstery seams, which are the first thing to fail on a boat that lives uncovered. Boats from this builder hold their money well, so a tidy example will not be cheap, and that is usually a sign you are buying the right one.

Our price guide for the Pioner 17 Explorer is US$35,000 - US$46,000 new, which moves with engine choice, trailer, tower and how recently the boat was refreshed. Judged as a whole, it does what people buy a bowrider for: cruise, tow, swim, fish and entertain in one boat, without asking the family to compromise on any of them. Pioner has been refining that formula since 1959, and the Pioner 17 Explorer is a straightforward, well-judged expression of it.