Thinking of buying a boat? Stuart Field heads for Portland to test a boat from a renowned American builder you might not have heard from before.

While Pro-Line may not be a name that springs immediately to mind when thinking of sports fishers, these boats have been built in America since 1968 when fishermen Dan Atwood and his father founded the boating company. Just a couple of years later, the fledgling boating business had moved to its current home and it has been gradually expanding ever since.

Perhaps the secret of Pro-Line’s success during that time is down to the fact that the company has never forgotten its original boating philosophy - “Fishermen building boats for fishermen”. We first came across these boats on an American lake a few years back and, while we liked what we saw, there was no UK importer at the time. However, now that these boats are available to us Brits, courtesy of Cove Marine at Portland Marina, the chance to test one seemed far too good to miss.
First impressions

The subject of this particular test is the soft bimini-topped Pro-Line Express 23 with 225hp of Suzuki power on the transom. And firstly, (notwithstanding the inevitable manufacturer blurb), I have to say that Pro-Line products have a general moulding quality that cannot be faulted - and they boast interior trim of a similar standard. More importantly for the European market, however, these craft incorporate a great many standard features that American owners demand, plus some truly innovative details and amenities that are very rarely seen in our domestically built boats.

The 23 Express comes in standard form as an open boat with either hard or soft bimini tops. Our test boat features the latter, which is probably the more sensible option for UK users. The windows are very easily fitted and the rear section can totally protect the cockpit occupants should the weather suddenly turn.

Obviously though, with a cuddy taking up about a third of the boat and the comfortable helm area swallowing up more space, the working area of the cockpit is not as large as in some other fishers of the same length. Even so, the layout is very clever and the built in stowage maximises the on board room to the nth degree. It’s a salutary lesson in space management.

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