2001 Doral 230 BR

By Matt Spencer

Large bowriders make perfect transition boats for those who want to move up from a small bowrider but aren’t ready to give up the sportiness. This 2001 Doral 230 Bow Rider would make the perfect used boat to do so.

Doral, which has been building boats of every shape and size for almost 40 years, also manufactured the 230 in a cuddy cabin so the bowrider version of this model has many of the same amenities of its overnighter cousin. Both are very rare finds when shopping the used market.

The swim platform is moulded and there’s plenty of room to move about for swimming or water sports. Directly forward, the MerCruiser 5.7L EFI sits under a mini engine hatch, a smaller top section that hinges up with more access under the centre seat below. Equipped with the 5.7 EFI, you can load the boat up with gear and still have plenty of power to spare. And since this is quite a popular engine in the MerCruiser lineup finding parts would be a breeze.

While moving forward into the cockpit may be a little awkward over the seats, the impressive U-shaped seating configuration and storage below makes up for it. Under the port side there’s plenty of room in the carpet-lined storage, which provides a great place for y extra gear or coolers. Under the starboard side, there’s similar storage that makes a great place to store the canvas.

Continuing with the storage theme, there is a large, drained in-floor locker big enough for water-skis with convenient clips for your cover support bars – a great way to keep things out of the way.

The 230 BR also features storage in the port and starboard consoles behind the helm and the co-pilot. The spacious port-side compartment is made for a porta-potty to answer nature’s call in private.

The bow on the 230 really is its own living area, offering storage under each of the seats and its own table that can be converted into a sun pad.

The same is true in the aft with comfortable moulded seats on the U-shaped lounge, which has a large table for meals or snacks that can also be converted into an extra large sun bed for catching some rays.

The bucket seats are quite stylish and the white upholstery with blue trim tastefully matches the rest of the boat’s interior. The co-pilot can play DJ on the CD player or bartender at the sink, and there’s a small storage compartment for wallets and operator cards.

The same comfort is made available to the captain on the swivelling and sliding seat, which has gotten a little sticky on our test boat but is still functional. Sitting at the helm, it’s hard not to get taken in by the wood-accented wheel and faux wood dash. This detail, which really says this is a big-time bowrider, speaks to the little touches Doral includes in all of its boats.

The stainless bevelled gauges are smartly organized with speed and tach front and centre with the others settled below and the switches out of way to the left hand side.

On the water, it was apparent this was a boat of contrasts. Cruising along at a steady 30 mph, the 230 felt like a much larger boat that would be stable with lots of people on board. Then its sport boat personality shone through heading into turns, handling like a much smaller boat. The turning radius was sharp and agile, which honestly surprised me in a good way.

The 5.7 EFI and Bravo Three drive had no problem getting the 230 out of the water to 20 mph in less than four seconds. While the 5.7 might be a thirsty engine for some, it really provides the sport in this sport boat. It’s comfortable and quiet cruising at around 20 to 30 mph, reaching a top speed of 46 mph on GPS.

Sport boats like this Doral 230 Bow Rider make great boats for those who want to extend their days on the water. It has plenty of space and amenities for a great day cruising the water or at anchor, but the power is still there for water sports and high speed thrills.

So if you’re looking to jump up to a 23-foot plus bowrider, keep an eye out for one like this 2001 Doral 230 BR. And if you find one, make sure you bring plenty of friends along for your water trial.

Test boat engine
MerCruiser 5.7L EFI producing 260 hp with a Bravo Three outdrive spinning 26p counter-rotating props
ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-20 / 3.9 ; 0-30 / 5.7 ; 0-40 / 9.6
TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
4500 / 46.0
CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
2500 / 20.1 ; 3000 / 29.6 ; 3500 / 33.8 ; 4000 / 42.0