The all-new 2020 Trophy T22CC lowers the bar for affordability while raising the bar for Bayliner.
Anyone who’s been shopping for a 20-something fishing boat that provides maximum bang for the buck has almost certainly run across the Bayliner Element F21, a boat that’s basic in nature and costs around half as much as many other new boats in the same class. But like all Elements, the F21 is built on the M-Hull design, which may boost stability tremendously but is less than ideal for long runs through rough seas. What if you want a similarly economic boat, with the deep-V design underfoot? Enter the new Trophy T22CC – yes, Bayliner has brought back the Trophy brand, for 2020.
Let’s get right down to brass tacks: the T22CC MSRPs for $41,999 with a Mercury 150 Four-Stroke and a trailer included in the package. In today’s market, you’ll have an excruciatingly tough time trying to find a boat-motor-trailer package of this size and type any lower. And the package also includes a number of surprising features, like a pair of livewells (25-gallons in the back of the leaning post and a second 20-gallon well in the aft casting deck), a pair of rod holders in the aft deck and four more on the back of the leaning post, and a pull-out washdown that’s integrated into the inwale.
There’s a big surprise in store in the bow cockpit. Sure, it has U-shaped forward seating with removable, pull-out backrests for riding while facing forward. Pull the cushions and backrest and leave them in the garage, and you have a forward casting deck. But the Trophy has a rounded, almost deckboat-like bow which maintains its full beam far forward. Put this together with the relatively narrow gunwales, and the sheer volume up there seems like that of a noticeably larger boat.
Of course, you can’t build an inexpensive boat without making a few cost-cutting measures. The hatches aren’t outfitted with gas-assist struts, you’ll see some plastic latches, and the livewell lid isn’t gasketed. If you opt for the T-top, you’ll like that it’s a folding model you can get into the garage, though you probably won’t be thrilled to find that the rocket launchers are clamped on rather than being welded. But there’s also a surprising number of items you don’t necessarily expect to see on a price-point boat. The leaning post has a full fiberglass base and a nicer seat that you’d expect, overall the boat’s fit and finish is respectable, there’s a head compartment in the console, a 120-watt stereo system comes standard, and the included galvanized tandem-axel trailer comes with brakes and a swing-away tongue.
T22CC Specifications
- LOA – 22’7”
- Beam – 8’6”
- Draft (max) – 2’10”
- Displacement – 4,000 lbs.
- Transom deadrise – 18 degrees
- Fuel capacity – 65 gal.
As Bayliner introduced the T22CC at the Miami International Boat Show, they also rolled out a 20-foot model. “CX” versions with a large transom bench seat replacing the jump seats are available as well. And stay tuned, because 18- and 21-foot bay boat models are on the way.
The bottom line? While the 2020 Bayliner Trophy T22CC might look inexpensive, it absolutely does not look “cheap.” In fact, closer inspection proves that this boat delivers everything it promises. And at $41,999, one can accurately say that it even over-delivers.
For more information, visit Bayliner.
