Entertain a crowd.
For those looking for the open space and comfort of the bow rider design, but prefer to cruise in large open waters, Monterey’s 298 SS may be a perfect fit. With a LOA of 29’ and a beam of 9’, the 298 SS has plenty of room to entertain a crowd, yet is large and solid enough to punch through a good sized chop when the conditions are less than idea.
Monterey’s impressive ‘Build-a-Boat’ feature on their company website helps you to customize your boat. Once you choose the model you’re interested in, customers have the option of choosing a variety of hull, deck, accent stripe, and even bottom colours. Combinations are almost endless, and this feature allows you to instantly see your choices on screen.
Once you’ve chosen your own unique hull colour design, it’s on to the engines. Monterey offers up a variety of single and twin engine power options from Mercury and Volvo. Twin engine packages from both manufactures are also available with Joystick control. On the particular model we were ‘building’ online, the owner opted for the twin Mercury 4.5L (250 hp) DTS package with Bravo III drives, and Axius joystick control.
As you work your way through the ‘Build a Boat’ feature, you can continue to pick and choose a variety of other options, with pricing automatically calculated as you pick each feature. One option our customer did pick was the SeaDek inlay, for both the swim platform and cockpit. No more carpets!
The swim platform has a boarding ladder that is easy to deploy from the water, and off to starboard, a convenient walk-thru leads to the cockpit. The sunpad over the engine compart-ment can easily convert into a rumble seat – a very nice feature – and when fully flat, the aft lounge seat back also serves as a head bolster.
Plenty of seating is available on the aft bench seat, and the passenger seat to port has a reversible back rest for forward or aft facing seating. Off to starboard, you’ll find the optional wetbar -another must-have option -which can also be fitted with a DC refrigerator.
The helm has a stylish dash, complete with a leather brow, and well laid out instrumentation. The captain’s seat features a flip up bolster for ease of operation in a seated or standing position. The engine controls, including the joystick, are well positioned off to starboard.
Over to port, and ahead of the passenger seat, you’ll find the entrance to the head, which is quite spacious for a boat of this size.
Up at the bow, the forward seating is spacious, and each lounge features a swing-away armrest. Access to this area is through the walk through windshield, which also features a wind dam to help close in the cockpit in inclement weather.
During sea trials, the boat handled effortlessly around the dock, thanks to the joystick control, even with a stiff breeze blowing. In the open waters of Georgian Bay, the waters were calm, and with a little finesse with the trim we were able to hit a max speed of just over 50 mph. Tight turns, at a variety of speeds and aggressiveness, were made with ease, and with only our wake to work with, the hull was able to cut through the chop with ease.
With its elegant and sleek styling, the 298 SS is sure to be a hit for those looking for a large and sporty bow rider. With a long list of standard features, combined with Monterey’s functional ‘Build a Boat’ feature on their web-site, customers should have no issue creating ‘the boat of their dreams!’
By Mike Burns