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Materials & Sizes
Rotomoulded polyethylene sits at the tough, cheap and small end of the market. These are not luxury boats, but for the right owner they are impossible to beat on practicality.
Rotomoulded polyethylene bowriders and open-bow runabouts: where they make sense, their limits, and how they compare to alloy and glass.
It does not rust, rot, blister or corrode. It bounces off jetties and rocks that would gouge glass and dent alloy. It needs no antifoul, no gel coat polishing and effectively no maintenance beyond a hose down.
For a lake boat, a knockabout family runabout or a tender with seating, it is the lowest-hassle material available.
Polyethylene hulls are limited in size, typically under 16 ft (4.88 m) in the open-bow form. They flex more, so hull shapes stay simple, and the ride is noticeably less refined at speed.
Finishing is basic: expect moulded seating rather than upholstered lounges, and simple storage rather than deep locker systems.
Families on inland waterways, holiday-house owners who want a boat that lives outside all year, and anyone who values zero maintenance over refinement. If you want to tow skiers all day or cross open water, choose aluminium or fibreglass instead.
The bowriders that come up most often when readers ask us where to start.
The world's best selling bowrider size, Light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
The refined mainstream benchmark: quiet, dry, and beautifully finished for the money.
US$72,000 - US$95,000 new
15.5 ft fibreglass Bayliner bowrider with stern drive power — entry level pricing and a classic convertible bowrider layout.
US$26,000 - US$34,000 new
Featured Boat of the Week
This week we are putting the Bayliner Bayliner DX2000 in the spotlight, and it earns the spot. At 20 ft 2 in (6.16 m) long on a 8 ft (2.44 m) beam, this is a bowrider that reads the water well and still feels roomy enough for a full day out. A 20-foot deck-boat-width bowrider with outboard power and a huge social cockpit. Power comes from 115-150 hp mercury fourstroke outboard through a outboard package, and the fibreglass hull keeps the ride settled when the afternoon breeze puts a chop on the surface.
Seating is rated for 8 people, so there is space for family, friends, towels, eskies and the tow rope without anyone climbing over gear. Owners tend to buy it for family, water ski, leisure — which is exactly where it shines. Fuel is 30 us gal (114 l), and on the second-hand and new market you should expect to land somewhere around US$42,000 - US$58,000 new depending on hours, trailer and options.
Our full deep dive covers the layout in detail: bow lounge comfort, helm ergonomics, the rear entertaining area, storage that actually swallows a weekend, plus standard features, popular options and honest notes on where the boat compromises. If the Bayliner DX2000 is on your shortlist, start there — and check back next week, because the featured boat changes every week as we complete more full model reviews.
Featured Bowrider Article
Comparisons
A cuddy cabin takes the same hull as a bowrider and decks over the bow to create a small enclosed space. Whether that is an upgrade or a downgrade depends entirely on whether you would rather sit in the sun or shelter from it. Shelter is the headline benefit. A cuddy provides a place to change, keep gear dry, escape rain or sun, and install a portable toilet — which is a genuine game-changer for families with young children or for anyone boating in unpredictable weather. It also offers lockable storage. Cameras, phones, wallets and fishing tackle can live behind a cabin door rather than in an open locker, and many cuddies include a V-berth cushion set for occasional overnight stays at anchor. Seating and sociability. A bowrider's forward lounges add four seats and turn the front of the boat into the best place to sit at anchor. Decking that area over removes it, and the cabin space you gain is small, dark and awkward compared with a proper cabin boat. Most cuddy cabins in the 5.5-7.0 m range are too cramped to sleep in comfortably for more than a night. Many owners end up using the space purely as a wet locker, which is…
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