With a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins leading the way, the Ebbtide bowrider heads out of Ponce Inlet and into the Atlantic Ocean. Although from a distance conditions look pretty calm, as you cruise past the rocky breakwater, the ocean swells steepen to a stomach-lurching level, but the driver standing at the helm keeps going until he sees Daytona Beach from the offshore side. Hey, wait a minute. Isn't Ebbtide a lake boat? What the heck is it doing in the ocean? Actually, it's doing pretty nicely, because Ebbtide's newest flagship bowrider, the 2640 Z-Trak, is riding high through the swells and handling offshore conditions in style without getting a drop of water on the windshield. While it's true that the Ebbtide brand hasn't seen much saltwater duty in the Sunshine State, folks like Justin Miller, vice president at Dealer's Choice Marine based in Orlando, Fla., are working hard to change that fact and make Ebbtide a boat you'll be as likely to see in coastal places like nearby Daytona Beach as you would on J. Percy Priest Lake in Tennessee, where the boats are built.

The adventure begins as Miller splashes the stylish 26-foot-4-inch, navy-blue hull with a slender yellow accent stripe on the Halifax River in Ormond Beach, which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway here on this section of the East Coast of Florida. Despite being mid-January, the weather is more like June with temperatures in the low 80s and sunny skies above. Around Daytona Beach, there are a multitude of manatee go-slow zones in the Intracoastal with only a few places to run wide open, so when the opportunity comes to cruise, you take it. Flipping a rocker switch activates the through-hull setting on the optional Captain's Call exhaust ($3,140), resulting in a satisfying high-performance burble that emanates from the stainless-steel side pipes as you make sure the trim is all the way down on the twin prop Bravo III outdrive in preparation for launching the hole shot. Opening up the throttle makes the 375-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG snap to attention, and the Ebbtide 2640 jumps on plane in 3.5 seconds with little bow rise and accelerates to 30 mph in 6.3 seconds. In short order, the bowrider hits a top speed of 56.3 mph ... man, this hull is fast.

Featuring a vented design, Ebbtide's Z-Trak hull allows air underneath to literally unstick the boat from the water to reduce drag, which not only gives you more mph on the top end, but also allows the 5,200-pound hull to behave in a nimble fashion. Cranking the wheel hard over, you can carve a ridiculously tight turn in either direction without ventilation. Using 20 degrees of deadrise with an even sharper entry, the 2640's Z-Trak hull slices through the channel chop comfortably. Although many manufacturers have proudly declared that their boats are wood-free, Ebbtide boats still use wood stringers for one simple reason: The company believes that it's the best material for the job. Ebbtide touts the wood's flexible memory, which can absorb sound and vibration and contribute to a better ride, and after pounding around, there's no doubt that the Ebbtide does have a solid-feeling hull with a cushy ride. The only problem associated with wood occurs when you fail to totally encapsulate it with fiberglass and water gets into it. But if you build them like Ebbtide does - with a totally hand-laid hull that eschews the chop gun, which can make for uneven coverage and an inconsistent fiberglass-to-resin ratio - this isn't going to happen. To back up their confidence, owners get a lifetime-limited warranty on the hull and stringers.

Dropping down to idle, you notice a little bit of wandering, which is pretty typical for an inboard/outboard boat of this length, but soon you adjust and learn not to overcorrect, allowing you to keep it straight. To catch a little more air, you pop the side vent in the wraparound windshield, which is a useful, rare feature on boats these days. To catch even more breeze, you can flip up the bolster on the SAS Avenir bucket seats that feature four inner springs on the bottoms to absorb shocks while running in rough water.

A recommended feature on the 2640, and one that all boats should have, is the adjustable-height crew seats so drivers of all heights can have excellent visibility. And although the bucket seats also swivel, you can't turn them all the way aft to join in on the stern conversation. The helm features full instrumentation by Beede, including both a digital depth finder and hour meter that come standard. The test boat is equipped with the SL luxury package ($1,150) that gives you spun aluminum-faced gauges and matching faux-wood dash, and steering wheel inserts that actually look like wood, unlike most artificial attempts. With the package, you also get upgraded pearl-based upholstery, Boca Raton Infinity snap-in carpeting, high-backed SAS bucket seats and a classy, stainless-steel anchor scuff plate. Thanks to the gray dash panel on top, reflections are minimal. A glance down at the optional compass ($210), located just above the racecar-like sport wheel's column, confirms you are heading due south.

After some sightseeing along the Intracoastal, the 2640 hangs a right to stop at Caribbean Jack's Restaurant & Marina, which features a full-service marina that even has a pool for its full-time residents (restaurant guests can use the pool for an additional fee). After retrieving the docklines and fenders from the large port-side console, which also houses the optional Port-A-Potty with a gunwale-mounted pumpout ($375), they lash up to the dock and head to the back deck. Dining alfresco, the twosome starts with seared sesame tuna with extra wasabi and progresses to artfully prepared fried shrimp and grilled mahi-mahi.

Reboarding via the fully integrated swim platform, you flip up a section of the large stern sunpad along the centerline to reveal a walk-through alley that allows you to enter the cockpit without stepping on the cleanly stitched white upholstery with subtle black piping. In the cockpit, there's room for six or more in the wraparound U-lounge because little seating space is wasted on the mini wet bar found behind the captain's seat. It has a freshwater spigot and a built-in cooler with drain, similar to the one on the passenger-side dash. There's even a third carry-on cooler underneath the port-side cockpit lounge seat, although to access it, you have to remove the entire seat bottom instead of having hinges like most other top-tier boats.

For entertainment during the trip, Miller turns on the optional Sirius® radio ($325) and cranks up the volume to the "let's party" setting to illustrate its power. The standard components of this system include a four-speaker JBL system that even features separate tweeters for crisp, high-end response, and a CD player and MP3 input. Heading forward, the author strikes gold with a pair of bowrider seats that are so comfortable that owners will be tempted to let other passengers drive the boat just so they can ride up front. Although the port-side, forward-facing lounger is shorter than its starboard-side companion, because of the extra-large console behind it, there's still plenty of stretch out leg room for a 6-footer. Ebbtide definitely "gets it" when it comes to passenger seating comfort, as evidenced by the lavish amount of backrest recline angle and the ergonomically correct armrests. Just before reaching the inlet, the crew notices a pristine island beach that they can't resist checking out. After pulling into the swift incoming tide's lee and finding a deepwater approach to the island, Miller noses the 2640 against the sandy beach and prepares to go ashore. Although the air temperature is 80-something degrees, the water is a chilly 69 degrees, so rather than joining the polar bear club by disembarking from the stern ladder, he does the smart thing and heads up front where he finds a bow ladder hidden beneath a hatch, which also has an anchor cradle for a Danforth-style hook. While Miller climbs down, the author heads for the stern to check out the view. Ebbtide has figured out that people actually spend time on the stern and has included two small but comfortable padded jumpseats. There's a stern ladder and yet another drainable cooler back here (or storage for wet ski vests and ropes), making a total of four coolers, quite possibly a bowrider record for refreshment readiness.

After banging around offshore, the crew hangs a 180 and heads back toward Ormond Beach, settling into an econo-cruise speed of 30 mph (again, those pesky manatee zones), but it turns out that's a happy speed for this boat. As it lopes along, it's extremely quiet (with the through- hull exhaust disabled), registering only 78 decibels, which is no big surprise when you look at the amount of foam surrounding the engine hatch.

The price for the trailerable 2640 starts at $59,440 with a 250-hp, 5.7L MerCruiser engine, but to take this boat to its potential, you need more power. Moving up to the 375-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG costs a pretty penny, pushing the base price up to $72,730, and when loaded with options, it's not hard to crack the $80K barrier, but this is one of those times when you need to bite the "budgetorial" bullet and go for it. This puts the Ebbtide 2640 closer to the top, pricewise, than the middle, but this is a break-out-of-the-pack type of boat that's versatile, well-built, loaded with standard features, good-looking, quick out of the hole and at top end, and handles great. And that pretty well describes what a high-end bowrider should be.

Ebbtide 2640 Z-Trak Bowrider

LOA 26'4"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 5,200 lbs.
Fuel 70 gal.
Maximum HP 425
Base Price $59,440
(w/250-hp, 5.7L MerCruiser Alpha I)
Price As Tested $80,125
(w/375-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG)
Hull Warranty Lifetime Limited
NMMA Certified? Yes

Ebbtide Corp.
2545 Jones Creek Road
White Bluff, TN 37187
(615) 797-3193
www.ebbtideboats.com

Test Data
Performance data was gathered with a 375-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG, two people on board and 35 gallons of fuel.

Top Speed 56.3 mph
Time To Plane 3.5 seconds
0-30 mph 6.3 seconds
Decibels @ Idle 64/68 dB-A*
Decibels @ 30 mph 78/83 dB-A*
Decibels @ WOT 90/94 dB-A*
*Decibels with/without Captain's Call through-hull exhaust

Notable Standard Features
Color-matched bimini top and boot, two-tone gel coat, horn, navigation lights, stainless-steel bow rails, integrated stern swim platform, telescoping ladder and storage or cooler with drain fireport, pull-up cleats, ski tow, bow boarding ladder, bi-fold walk-through door, four-speaker stereo with CD and MP3 input, Port-A-Potty, lockable glove box, stainless-steel cup holders, deluxe tilt wheel with flex aluminum accents, table with two bases, courtesy lights, ski locker, carpeted hatches, tilt steering, trash can, and cockpit table with two-pedestal support.

Notable Options
Anchor, automatic fire extinguisher, canvas options, Captain's Call exhaust, compass, docking lights, low profile windshield, Sirius® satellite radio system, snap-in carpet, transom shower, filler cushions, and windshield wiper.