Polar Express
In the pursuit of an unforgettable fishing adventure, Polar's new flagship doesn't mind being taken out of its comfort zone.
by Alan Jones
January 24, 2008
H
ere's a crazy fish story about a fish that got away twice, but in the end, was still
caught. While testing the fishability of Polar's biggest boat ever, the 2700 Walkaround cuddy
cabin, on a beautiful day just south of Marco Island on Florida's Southwest coast, things start
normally with a mixed bag of catches. When fishing, it's difficult not to notice the incredible
amount of angling space in the cockpit. With its extra-wide beam of 9 feet 6 inches, the
27-foot-4-inch Polar features more wide-open space at the stern than you would find on even the
largest center console boats. The only downside of this wide-body design is that to trailer it, you
have to jump through the wide-load hoops that annoyingly vary from state-to-state.
In between pulling in Spanish mackerel, trout and tripletail, you get to admire the loads of
fishing features on the 2700, like plenty of rod storage with four rod holders in the stern, five
on the hardtop, four on top of the gunwales and six underneath. The standard transom bait station
has a 38-gallon livewell along with a cutting board, insulated bait storage, and even a freshwater
washdown with a 13-gallon tank. Since the boat is loaded to the gills with standard features, it's
surprising that the raw water washdown - a necessity when fishing - is an option. Not only does the
2700 feature fishing accoutrements like built-in tackle boxes, and knife and pliers storage, but
there are also plenty of creature comforts like the easy-to-deploy stern bench seat and transom cup
holders - something you seldom see on a fishing boat. On the stern there's a compact swim platform
with a concealed boarding ladder and a wire cage for stowing a pair of fenders.
The fishing remains steady until a pod of bottlenose dolphin comes rolling in and scares all
the fish away. Mike Keech, Polar's marketing specialist who's joining you for the day, mentions
that some lucky anglers had been catching permit - one of the premier sport fish that swims in
South Florida - on the nearby flats, but to catch them, you need small blue crabs for bait.
Fortunately, the guy at the marina doling out the live shrimp accidentally dipped one lonely crab
into the optional 50-gallon livewell, which sits behind the driver's seat. "One crab, one fish ...
let's go for it," says Keech, half kidding.
Many might argue that a beefy 6,400-pound cuddy cabin like the Polar 2700 isn't exactly the
sort of vessel you should use for stalking the wily and wary permit, but these flats are deep
enough to allow the twin 150-hp Yamaha 4-strokes to glide over the turtle grass with several feet
to spare. Standing on the bow holding a light spinning rod spooled with 12-pound test line, you
scan the horizon for fish. Although the 2700 is out of its comfort zone, standing on the non-skid
surface of the two-level deck above the cabin gives you an incredible height advantage that's a
huge help in the search for fish. For safety, there's also a tall bow rail attached to this area.
After about 45 minutes of stalking, you're feeling a little self-conscious as you endure the
bemused looks of other anglers cruising by in flat boats, but standing several feet higher than
them is worth it. Just when you're ready to give up, a dark cloud appears on the horizon. But this
one is in the water and zigzagging toward the Polar: It's a school of about three dozen huge
permit. "Cut off the engines!" you shout. Keech does so, and there's a tense wait as the school
gets within casting range. For once, you don't make the usual "buck-fever panic cast" and, instead,
you plop the crab attached to the circle hook squarely into the path of the school. Seconds later,
one of the larger fish eats it, and the reel screams as this royal member of the jack family heads
for Cuba. Keech fires up the Yamahas, and while you're at the bow, it's easy to follow and avoid
getting spooled.
When Polar decided to get into making larger boats, it didn't inch its way there, but
instead built a 4-foot-longer model than its previous flagship, the 2300. The difference is huge,
especially at the helm, where you have an incredible amount of space for electronics like the
12.1-inch-screen Raymarine C120 GPS plotter/radar display/fishfinder. Sliding into the helm's
adjustable ladderback command chair, which has a matching co-pilot seat that's close enough for
easy conversation while running, you sit behind a well-designed station that features a 13-inch
stainless-steel Edson wheel complete with a spinner knob for speedy, one-hand turning. To help keep
the Polar 2700 running level, there are standard Lenco trim tabs with position-indicator lights.
For the first half hour, the fight is pretty standard, with the permit waging its usual
dogged drag-testing fight. But then it swims directly away from you, and the line touches its tail,
causing it to spin in tight circles furiously three times like Curly of the Three Stooges. "I think
he thought 'the man in the brown suit' tapped him on the shoulder," you quip, referring to a shark.
Bingo! Seconds later, a 6-foot-long bull shark starts chasing the permit. To give the fish a
fighting chance, you flip the bail on the spinning rod, releasing the tension on the line, and then
the most amazing struggle for life begins. It looks like an airplane dogfight as the permit begins
furiously changing directions and speeds with the bull shark just inches behind. After five minutes
of frantic maneuvering, the shark gives up, but just to be safe, no pressure is put on the fish for
another five minutes to make sure the shark isn't lurking nearby. Re-engaging the reel, the fight
resumes, and a half hour later, the permit is landed, photographed by the paparazzi, and released.
After the battle, you walk along the just-wide-enough walkaround and head to the cabin where
there's a blast of cold air from the optional air-conditioner ($2,721) powered by a Westerbeke
generator ($10,221). The drinks are icy cold from the standard Norcold refrigerator in the galley,
which includes an alcohol/electric stove, microwave and hot-water sink. There's 6 feet 2 inches of
headroom down here, and you can't help but be amazed at the space, thanks to the wider beam toward
the bow. The cabin sleeps four, with twin, flip-up bunk beds to go along with the V-berth
underneath.
Rigged with a pair of Yamaha F150s, this is probably the smallest engine package you'll see
on the 2700, which is rated for twice the horsepower. Nevertheless, it still runs pretty well.
Getting on plane in six seconds and accelerating to 30 in 10 seconds with a top speed of 43 mph
won't win any drag races, but it gets nearly 2 miles per gallon at its best cruise speed of around
30 mph, according to the Yamaha Command Link digital gauges, which is pretty good. This boat should
probably have twin 250s on the stern, which would push it to an estimated speed in the mid 50s and
give it better punch out of the hole. With a 21-degree deadrise at the stern, the 2700 is
well-equipped for handling rough water and eats up the small bit of chop that kicks up late in the
day.
Although it's loaded with almost every expensive option available - like outriggers
($2,132), windlass ($1,949), fiberglass hardtop ($7,642), upscale Raymarine electronics ($5,983),
VacuFlush head ($1,887), and Kenwood 10 CD/Sirius stereo ($1,723), to name a few - the price is
still a reasonable $140,983. The base price for a well-equipped boat with Yamaha F150s is $101,276,
which is as about as affordable as you'll find for a good-looking offshore fishing boat that sleeps
four in comfort. So, whether you're cruising to the Bahamas looking to troll for marlin or working
inshore for permit, you'll always find the 2700 ready for action.new flagship doesn't mind being
taken out of its comfort zone.
The Verdict
The Polar 2700 WA is a versatile and stylish fishing boat that comes with a wide choice of
colors. It can also do double duty as a cruiser to sleep four comfortably, without having that
space-consuming amidships berth. Loads of standard features and availability of options make this a
boat you can customize to your needs and budget.
Polar 2700 WA
LOA 27'4"
Beam 9'6"
Weight 6,400 lbs.
Fuel 200 gal.
Top Speed 43.3 mph
(w/twin 150-hp Yamaha 4-strokes)
Time To Plane 6 seconds
0-30 mph 10.2 seconds
Decibels @ Idle 58 dB-A
Decibels @ 30 mph 84 dB-A
Decibels @ WOT 92 dB-A
Base Price $101,276
(w/twin 150-hp Yamaha 4-strokes)
Price As Tested $140,983
(w/twin 150-hp Yamaha 4-strokes)
Hull Warranty Limited Lifetime
Polar Boats
4500 Middlebury St.
Elkhart, IN 46516
(888) 463-3739
www.polarboats.com
