Introduced for the 2012 season, Scout’s new 225 XSF replaces their popular 222 model and offers Fisherman readers a unique 22-foot trailerable sportfisher.
I had a chance to take a closer look at this latest addition to Scout’s center console lineup down at last month’s Miami Boat Show. The 22XSF offers coastal anglers a classic center console layout, but with a few interesting Scout twists. The transom features a built-in fiberglass bracket that includes twin swim platforms in the corners, a collapsible stainless steel boarding ladder to port, aft spray rails on each side and a short setback for the outboard engine aft of the hull’s running surface. A neat fiberglass wave gate with fold-down stern seat offers seating for the crew and tucks out of the way when it’s time to bend the rods. Jump seats tucked into each corner offer dry stowage areas down under. The cockpit provides 22 to 23 inches of internal freeboard aft, rising dramatically via her broken shear line to offer thigh-high support amidships. The standard leaning post includes a two-rod rocket launcher, plus a built-in 38-gallon aerated and recirculating livewell, which will keep your baits fresh and lively all day. Four flush-mount rodholders are standard (I’d recommend caps on these to prevent them from draining into the bilge area) and there is under-gunwale rod stowage for a total of four outfits.
The center console command station puts all of the necessary controls within fingertip reach, including port and starboard accessory panels and a convenient 18-inch by ten-inch dash panel to flush mount your marine electronics displays. A locking glove box to starboard will keep your sunglasses, smartphone, lotions and other loose items from flying around when underway, and a marine compass topsides completes this efficient console layout. There’s a private head area accessed via a portside companionway with 62 inches of standing headroom down below. Going forward, a 165-quart insulated beverage box is tucked under the console’s forward bench seat, while the split bench seats in the bow feature removable backrests and 76-quart insulated storage areas down under with overboard drains. A convenient bow anchor locker is accessed via a flush hatch set in the forepeak.
The standard power package on the Scout 225 XSF is Yamaha’s proven 2.7-liter F150. Before you think that this motor might be a bit light for this hull, consider this: Scout’s President Steve Potts is not your everyday boat designer and he and his engineering team have designed this newbie with their revolutionary Nu-V3 fuel-saving running bottom. With a net weight of approximately 2,200 pounds, dry and without power, this Carolina girl can get up and go with modest power. Loaded with a half tank of fuel and two persons onboard, factory tests with the Yamaha F150 pushed this 20-degree aft deadrise hull to a top speed of 44.6 spinning a 17-inch pitch Reliance Series S/S prop. Dialing it down to more sedate cruising speeds was further confirmation that the F150 choice was good to go, with an optimum cruising speed of 27.1 mph at 4000 rpms, using 6.4 gallons of fuel per hour, netting 4.23 mpg. If you need to travel to a hot bite in the fast lane, bumping the throttle up to 4500 revs will hit 32.1 mph on the GPS, while drinking 8.3 gph for a net of 3.87 mpg, which is still great fuel economy when you compare this Scout to her peer group of competitive center consoles. Time to plane from a standing hole-shot is 4.8 seconds and she’ll go from 0 to 30 mph in under nine seconds. If you have a need for more sea ponies on the transom, you can opt from a trio of Yamaha V-6 outboards ranging from 200, 225 and 250 Horsepower. The F225 will push the Scout 225 XSF along at a top speed of 50 mph, but will also bump up the acquisition cost by a few grand, as well as add another 100 pounds or so aft. If you visit the Scout website, there’s a video link that shows the 225 XSF underway, showing a very flat and dry running attitude in a choppy bay, powered by an F225 Yamaha.
Notable standard features on the Scout 225 XSF include Teleflex Sea Star hydraulic steering with tilt helm; raw water washdown; cockpit coaming bolsters; trim tabs; plus bow bolsters and full cushion set. The MSRP for this fully loaded rig with a T-Top (+$5K), four-rod overhead rocket launcher, spreader lights and more was $62K, but the Miami boat show price was only $50,395, rigged with a Yamaha F150 four-stroke. Scout Boats are backed by a comprehensive three-year limited stem to-stern warranty, in addition to Scout’s transferable ten-year limited structural hull warranty.
Specifications:
Length- 22 feet, five inches
Beam- eight feet, six inches
Weight- 2,200 lbs (dry, without power)
Deadrise Aft- 20 degrees
Draft- 14 inches (engine drive up)
Fuel Capacity- 100 gallons
Max Power- 250 HP (single outboard)