Baja 340 Islander Outboard
Still haven't found what you're looking for? Put some fun and flexibility into fishing with the Baja 340 Islander Outboard.
February 1, 2002
There was a time not so long ago that fishing meant several hours of crawling out to the
fishing grounds followed by even more hours of droning homeward. Getting there was definitely not
much fun. With the Baja 340 Islander Outboard, however, you'll have as much fun going to and from
the fishing as you will wetting a line. With a top speed governed only by your white knuckles, this
twin-outboard screamer puts the fun back in fishing.
With speed aplenty on the 340, you have a choice: You can either get to your previously
favorite fishing grounds in no time, or you can decide to run farther offshore into areas you used
to consider the private hunting territory of the multimillion-dollar war-wagons that can stay out
for days. With a 272-gallon fuel tank and speed to burn, you have the range and the time to nail
the big ones far offshore.
Baja has made a name for itself with its range of high-performance deep-Vs that are
guaranteed to get the testosterone flowing through your veins. With the 340 Islander, Baja has
taken that performance expertise and used it to create a fishing machine that makes you want to
grin as soon as you step aboard.
This is a center console on steroids. With a length of just more than 34 feet and a
still-trailerable beam of 8 feet 6 inches, this is a long, lean stiletto that slides across the
water with ease. The test boat has a pair of 225-hp Mercury Optimax outboards, and with two people
aboard it blows along with the speedometer dancing between 65 and 70 mph. It's still 150 horses shy
of the maximum 600 hp, but how fast can you run offshore?
Step aboard the wide sidedeck, drop into the cockpit, and you suddenly realize how big the
340 is: It seems to stretch off into the distance. The test boat has an optional Sport Fish Pak
that sets the boat up for serious offshore angling. There's also an Adventure Pak with an air
compressor for filling scuba tanks, or you can simply opt for the standard setup, which is flexible
enough for most purposes.
Behind the console, the test boat has standard drop-down bolstered seats on stainless-steel
legs, allowing you to stand when you're running fast or sit when you're trolling along. Directly
behind the seats is a 30-gallon recirculating live bait tank with built-in rod holders, and a bench
seat folds down into the transom to free the cockpit for fighting fish.
A bait prep area is atop the transom, and it has a tackle box built in. With the full
fiberglass cockpit liner and the freshwater washdown, this is going to be a cinch to clean out even
after a long day on the water.
Unlike many center consoles that are open right to the bow, the 340 Islander has a foredeck
that conceals a pair of V-berths. Of course, this isn't intended as a weekender, and the
accommodations aren't going to worry Motel Six. But if you want an early start, the bunks are going
to be a lot more comfortable than sleeping in the front seat of the tow car, and they're a good
place to catch a quick nap on the water, too.
What is far more interesting about the 340 Islander is the immense enclosed head compartment
built into the forward side of the console. The entire forward part of the console, including the
front seating, hinges up easily on gas lifts, revealing the usual portable head two steps down in
an area big enough to stand up and change clothes. Options include both a shower and a sink, and
there's good access to the back of the instrument panel and the electronics, which simplifies
service.
Behind the three-spoked stainless-steel wheel, the dash clearly draws on the performance
background of Baja. The black-faced gauges are set in a faux machine-turned panel and are easy to
scan quickly. Just to the right of the wheel and exactly where you'd want them are the Kiekhaefer
throttles and shifters. Wrap your fist around those big levers, and it's hard not to giggle with
anticipation. There's plenty of space for flush-mounting fishing electronics, a big
Plexiglas-covered bin for personal gear, a chart area with cover and an array of rocker switches
under Plexiglas.
The test boat has a T-top, and it not only provides sun protection but rocket launchers for
rods as well. Another option is a utility tower, which can be fitted with kneeboard or water-ski
racks.
The Sport Fish Pak also includes a pair of immense fish boxes in the cockpit sole, which has
a non-slip surface as well as drain gutters on each side to get rid of water quickly. Aft, there's
a hatch that provides direct access to the batteries and the rigging for the outboards. The big
outboard bracket doubles as a swim step, and a hinged walk-through in the transom is either for
swimming access or to boat the big ones you're sure to catch with this fishing machine.
There are a number of thoughtful touches, such as the pop-up cleats fore and aft that won't
snag your lines, and additional storage under the two jump seats on each side of the cabin door.
The hidden cockpit lights are two-way, with red to preserve your vision during night running or
white for dockside use.
Stepping behind the wheel gets the adrenaline flowing. Twist the keys, and the outboards
cough throatily into life, suggesting they'd really like to be turned loose to run fast. And that's
exactly what the Baja 340 Islander does well: runs fast.
Shove a fistful of throttle forward, and the boat comes up hard, strong and flat even without
using the dual-ram trim tabs. At rest, it seems like the windshield is too narrow for protection,
but as the tachs wind up and the Baja gains momentum, it's clear that it is perfectly designed to
push the wind out to the side, and the breeze barely ruffles the hair of the driver and companion.
With a 24-degree transom deadrise, this is a true deep-V hull just like offshore racers, and
you can fine-tune the trim with the tabs, which have racing-style indicators. But even without
tabs, this is obviously a well-designed hull, and the tabs are really only needed for trimming out
the effects of weight or wind.
With the big Mercs howling happily behind, the speedometer sticks between 60 and 70 mph. It
rarely drops below 65 even when in glassy flat water, but as soon as wavelets loosen up the
surface, the Baja comes unstuck and the speedo slides back up toward 70.
Crank it hard into a turn, and you'll want the drives down because you're
pushing a big V-shaped hole through the water and you can hear the props biting air if you
don't. Still, the 340 banks solidly and predictably with no sense that the bow is going to trip.
With a dual hydraulic steering system, the wheel is light but positive, and the tilt wheel can be
set just where you want it for standing or sitting.
Construction on the 340 Islander is race-bred, with end-grain Baltek balsa coring, bi-axial
laminates to strengthen high-load areas, and a fully encapsulated interlocking plywood grid
stringer that both strengthens the flat panels on the hull and gives a solid feel to the cockpit
sole. Vinylester resin is used as a barrier coat to protect against blistering.
The only criticism of the 340 is that the non-slip surface on the foredeck only covers the
center of the deck, and the sides near the handrails are as slick as glass. A non-skid surface
isn't as pretty as a glossy one, but it's a whole lot safer if you're anchoring or handling
docklines when there's a little dew on deck.
The basic boat is well-equipped, including such niceties as dual-ram trim tabs, Clarion
performance stereo, remote oil fills and padded coamings. Baja has an extensive options list so you
can tailor the 340 exactly the way you want it, including various tops, towers and a full range of
graphics from mild to wild.
Whether you want to reach distant fishing grounds or just want to get to the old standbys
faster, the Baja 340 Islander Outboard is going to add a whole new dimension to your fishing.