The island of Key Biscayne sits like a two-carat diamond amid the flash and glitter that's Miami, having survived the complete and utter private development that has erased much of the natural tropical beauty of South Florida ... all fancy landscaping aside. While many boaters in South Florida have cruised past it, anchored near it or read a lot about it, today is the day when you finally get a chance to fully explore its charms. Although Ponce de Leon was the first European to discover Key Biscayne back in 1513, a more recent island discovery is taking place here: the 277 Islander, Baja's newest flagship in its popular bowrider series.

The crew launches at the north end of the island at Crandon Park complex, which also features a world-class public golf course that's home to a Senior PGA Tour event, a massive 26-court tennis complex that hosts the NASDAQ-100 Pro Tennis Tournament, and in 2005, had one of the top 10-rated beaches in America, according to "Dr. Beach" Leatherman. Corey Norman, marketing specialist at Baja, turns the  key and fires up the 425-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG HO before backing it off the trailer, allowing the high-performance thunder to get your adrenaline pumping as you jump on board the integrated swim platform, which features a recessed boarding ladder.

You enter the cockpit through the centerline walk-through alley without having to step on the upholstery and make a graceful entrance, thanks to the step down. There's a filler cushion that fits into place when the entire crew - which also includes Baja event driver Jason Billmeyer - is on board. The first thing your eyes are drawn to is the unusual stern seats that feature V-shaped backrests ... huh? Your initial reaction to this most unusual design is to wonder if this isn't some horrible experiment that puts form before function. You're compelled to find the answer as soon as possible, so you plop down, plant your back against the inboard seatback half and kick your feet up facing forward. Guess what? It's exceedingly comfortable, and as you swing your feet onto the deck and switch to the outboard backrest of the V-seat, you also find   it ergonomically correct: Not only do you have two distinctly different positions, but later when Norman throws the 277 into a multi-G-generating hard-over turn, you realize the backrest configuration also acts like a bolster to keep you securely wedged into place.

Idling through the marina with the Corsa Quick and Quiet Plus set in the through-prop "stealth" mode, the MerCruiser bruiser registers 62 decibels on the decibel meter. As you exit, you flip the switch to the through-hull "Here I am" maxium-performance setting, and it bounces the needle up to 71.5 decibels. OK, it's time to fess up; this is "plan B" due to the steady, gentle rain that's showing no signs of letting up, but all three crew members have their rain suits on, it's warm, and they're determined to have some fun. The original plan was to rocket across Biscayne Bay, past the collection of weathered houses on poles called Stiltsville on the way to Boca Chita. There's a national park complete with a lighthouse, hiking trails and harbor where you can overnight in your boat (not that that was on the agenda). That plan is modified when a weather phenomenon is noted during performance testing: At a top speed of 61 mph, rain stings ... a lot. But that's the beauty of staging at a place like Key Biscayne, because on the south end of the island is Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (not Bilbo Baggins, you Tolkien fans), which features a lighthouse, a beach, hiking trails, a boat basin for overnighting, and a great restaurant.

Although the previous flagship of the Islander line - the 242 - also has the 425-hp version of the MerCruiser 496 HO available as an option, Baja has taken the 277 squarely into Outlaw and Performance series territory with a pair of racing-engine options: the 525-hp EFI and the new supercharged 600-hp SCI. These come at a rather steep upcharge of $53,077 and $72,308, respectively. With the wide range of engines available starting with the standard 325-hp, 6.2L V8, Baja is likely to attract two types of boaters: bowrider lovers looking to move up to a true performance boat, and go-fast enthusiasts who don't want to give up the ability to compete in poker runs but are looking for the versatility and fun-in-the-sun-bring-the-whole-gang-along flexibility that a 10-passenger bowrider affords.

For sheer wind-in-your-face attitude, Baja's Outlaw series is hard to beat, but today you're appreciative of the Islander's Oakley-esque wraparound windshield that gives you some protection against the elements, especially when you drop the seat bottom of the standard Aero bolster crew bucket seat and cowardly hunker down in the passenger seat for total protection. After doing a little cruising, it's time for an exploratory detour, so Norman hangs a left, and you enter Smuggler's Cove on your way to Pines Canal for a little fantasy tour.

Now would be an excellent time to try out the bowrider seats while the boat is idling, since the gentle rain won't be traveling at the muzzle-like velocity of a bullet out of a machine gun. Baja did it again with another innovative seating configuration up front: At first, the equal-length benches seem like normal bowrider seats that feature comfortable seat backs that recline just enough when lounging with your feet forward. But right at your heels, the seat bottom cushion can be "accordioned" rearward to form a hot tub-style seat. Like the stern bench seat, it's a case  of "I'm sure I won't like this, but after trying it, I love it." There's a grab rail for  a reclining bowrider in case the captain gets aggressive and a sculpted armrest for when they're behaving normally. Baja does a great job with its upholstery throughout its entire line, with firm, supportive foam wrapped in heavy-duty, 34-ounce marine vinyl that's UV-resistant. The use of black accents throughout - including on the roomy stern sunpad - looks fantastic, but you have to wonder how hot the panels will get on a blazingly hot day (not a problem today).

Although both ends of Key Biscayne are public parks, the middle third of the island is allotted to residential and commercial development. The channel the Baja cruises down is on the Southern border of habitation with the mangrove section of Bill Baggs Park off to the right. The magnificent canal-front houses are eclectic in style and totally out of the crew's price range.

After turning about and exiting "civilization," the journey continues a little farther south when the 277 is pointed toward the channel leading to No Name Harbor. Here, you find an overnight anchorage in completely protected waters. At the far end of the harbor is the Boater's Grill restaurant, which serves awesome whole fried snapper and other specialties with a Latin flair. The entire park is vegetated with lush, indigenous foliage, and there are miles of hiking and biking trails (bike and kayak rentals are available), and a lighthouse built in 1825 that's the oldest structure in South Florida.

Settling into the driver's bolster seat for the ride home, it quickly becomes apparent that this is a real-deal, high-performance helm and not merely a "sporty" bowrider driving station. Large Livorsi gauges stare at you from within the carbon-fiber dash, which matches the Isotta R-Evo racing wheel. Completing the performance setup is the Livorsi control binnacles and Lenco HD electric trim tabs with Christmas tree light position indicators. Burying the throttle, the 24-inch Revolution four-blade prop bites well and pushes the 277 on plane in five seconds, and to 30 mph in 9.1 seconds. This is pretty respectable, considering the Islander uses an offshore racing hull design with a continuous 24-degree deadrise. It might be slower out of the hole than a flatter hull, but it'll reap the rewards of an ultra-smooth ride in the rough stuff. It's an easy boat to drive at any speed and carves turns with alacrity. For those who want to take advantage of the standard ski tow, putting the tabs down gets you on plane much faster, allowing you to pull skiers with ease.

Base price for the 277 Islander with the standard 320-hp, 6.2L MerCruiser MX engine is $76,708, and the boat comes loaded with standard features like a Clarion Performance CD stereo system, electric engine compartment lift, power steering, portable head, 101-gallon fuel tank, and stainless-steel prop, just to name a few. There's a massive amount of storage space under the sunpad sections, in the extra-large consoles, under the seats, and within the in-floor locker.

The test boat is maxed out with options such as the 425-hp MerCruiser 496 HO ($12,615 upcharge), electric trim tabs ($1,667), performance exhaust ($2,158), Riptide graphics ($1,000), bimini top ($1,275), and the Special Options Package ($4,700), which gives you filler cushions, a depth finder, Sunbrella covers, Clarion/Sirius stereo with remote, and more. This puts your bottom line at $102,123, which is a great value for the level of performance, styling, and quality of build and ride you get with the Islander 277. This is a crossover boat that gives the bowrider crowd the amenities and fun-in-the-sun quotient they expect but with the performance they've always dreamed of. The closed-bow, go-fast crowd can still rip, but with more versatility. And like Ponce's island discovery, Baja's 277 Islander looks to be a great find.

Baja 277 Islander

LOA 27'5"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 5,100 lbs.
Fuel 101 gal.
Maximum HP 600
Base Price $76,708
(w/320-hp, 6.2L MerCruiser MX)
Price As Tested $102,123
(w/425-hp MerCruiser 496 HO)
Hull Warranty 5 years
NMMA Certified? Yes

Baja Marine Corp.
1520 Isaac Beal Road
Bucyrus, OH 44820
(877) 321-BAJA
www.bajamarine.com

Test Data
Performance data was gathered with a 425-hp MerCruiser 496 HO, three people on board and 50 gallons of fuel.

Top Speed 61 mph
Time To Plane 5 seconds
0-30 mph 9.1 seconds
Decibels @ Idle 62 dB-A/71.5 dB-A*
Decibels @ 30 mph 84 dB-A/88 dB-A*
Decibels @ WOT 94 dB-A/98 dB-A*
*Decibels with through-prop/through-hull setting

Notable Standard Features
Lighted head compartment with portable head, 25-quart cooler, courtesy lights, jumbo stainless-steel cup holders, 12-volt receptacle, Aero drop-down bolster seats, Clarion CD Performance stereo, electric-lift engine hatch, Livorsi controls and gauges, hour meter, horn, power steering, tilt sport wheel, 6-inch stainless-steel pop-up cleats, vinyl rub rail,  ski tow, stainless-steel prop, and storage, anchor and rope locker.

Notable Options
Sunbrella bimini and canvas options, compass, depth finder, Corsa Quick and Quiet Plus exhaust, filler cushions, fire extinguisher system, fume detector, hull graphics, docking lights, transom shower, GPS and Clarion Performance Plus CD/Sirius stereo.