Canadian Yachting October 2021 - 49

content and expertise from the commercial
shipyard for the hulls plus, he can
easily change up his designs using their
resources. He then receives the complete
hull up to the gunwales and his people in
Canada go to work completing it.
Oakley boats have four different hulls
available and they can complete them in
any one of four different configurations
here in Canada. The Oakley 245 CC
has extensive EVA decking on the topsides
from bow to stern and throughout
the interior. They get those parts all cut
by CNC router and they install the sheet
here achieving a considerable saving.
The EVA surfaces are hard-wearing, cool,
grippy and soft for bare feet. The EVA
also reduces noise and vibration that can
be loud in unfinished aluminum boats.
Our test boat was the 245 CC cuddy
cabin model that seems to us, to be an
ideal design and layout for Georgian Bay.
The 245 CC is 24 feet overall and has
an 8-foot 3-inch trailerable beam at the
gunwale. If the boat seems a bit high and
square, that's because it is, with a beam
of 7-feet 10-inches at the waterline. While
the boat draws just 26 inches of water
with the motor up, the hull has a maximum
depth of 4.75 feet, so it's a deep boat
for its size.
The Oakley 245 CC has a double
reverse chine and a very deep 23 degrees
of deadrise to really slice through the
waves. With its deep freeboard, the 245
CC feels very safe. Where this boat shines
is being a safe, dry cottage hauler or fishing
boat and it's perfect for water access
Cottagers who often carry lots of people
or cargo, sometimes through inclement
weather. The beam at the chines translates
into stability and that's an asset for fishing,
loading cargo and carrying passengers.
The test boat had a 2021 Suzuki 250
horsepower outboard, but as the builder,
Oakley can work with any engine brand
a buyer prefers and the 245 CC can be
rigged with single or twin engines up to
300 hp. The Suzuki ran great and featured
electronic shift and SeaStar steering. The
DF 250 has a dual overhead cam powerhead
with four valves per cylinder and
multi-point sequential electronic fuel
injection. Suzuki includes Variable Valve
Timing (VVT), which maximises torque
in the low/mid-range while a multi-stage
induction system maximizes airflow efficiency
for top-end performance.
With a starboard side gate and walk through, the swim platform will be quite usable.
The EVA decking continues right to the bow and gives both secure footing and noise insulation
too.
Our readers may not be as familiar with
Suzuki engines as some other brands, but
Suzuki is sold globally, has comparable
features to the top competitors and Suzuki
offers a full line of engines right up to 350
horsepower.
ONBOARD ACCOMMODATIONS
It's all about space for people and
cargo. The cuddy cabin is surprisingly
spacious and under the hardtop is 6 feet
6 inches of headroom meaning that even
a very tall owner is probably going to be
comfortable in this boat.
There is a toilet in the centre cuddy
cabin area under a cushion and there's lots
of space around it, but our test boat was
set up with the cuddy cabin totally open
so there was no real privacy for using the
head (although a simple curtain could fix
that). On the other hand, most Cottagers
would prefer the very wide-open access
for loading cargo, groceries, luggage and
so on.
Perhaps the main feature for most
owners will be the very large and open
cockpit. The high sides have a number of
advantages. Obviously, it has a lot of freeboard
for rough water, but we found that
at the docks on Georgian Bay where we
were, it was easy to just sit down on the
gunwale and swing your legs in. For me
as a 6-footer, it was effortless to just stand
right up. There was no big step down and
if I had been fishing, I would feel very
secure leaning against the sides.
An interesting and valuable feature of
the Oakley 245 CC is the fact that it has
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Canadian Yachting October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2021