Center console vs bay boat comes down to where you fish. In the three same-builder pairs compared here, each bay boat has a flatter 15-degree deadrise and draws 2 to 6 inches less with the engines up, while each center console carries more fuel and is rated for more people.
| Model (type) |
Deadrise |
Draft, engines up |
Fuel tank |
| Robalo R222, 2026 (center console) |
21° |
16 in |
90 gal |
| Robalo 226 Cayman, 2026 (bay boat) |
15° |
12 in |
65 gal |
| Sportsman Open 232 (center console) |
20° |
16 in |
116 gal |
| Sportsman Masters 227 (bay boat) |
15° |
14 in |
70 gal |
| Sportsman Open 252 (center console) |
21° |
20 in |
140 gal |
| Sportsman Masters 247 (bay boat) |
15° |
14 in |
71 gal |
Figures are the builders' own, read on 12 October 2026. Sportsman gives deadrise at the transom and total tank capacity, and its pages do not name a model year. Compare each pair within one builder, because the two builders do not measure everything the same way.
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The comparison uses builders that make both types at close to the same length, so the layout and hull are what change, not the size of the boat. Robalo builds the R222 center console and the 226 Cayman bay boat, which is a foot longer at 22 ft 6 in against 21 ft 6 in. Sportsman builds the Open center consoles and the Masters bay boats, and the Open 232 and Masters 227 and the Open 252 and Masters 247 are the closest pairs by length.
Every figure comes from the builder's own specification pages, read on 12 October 2026. Nothing here comes from a sea trial. Robalo quotes dry weight with engines and Sportsman quotes it without engines, so weights are only compared within one builder.
The bay boats here have flatter hulls and float in less water than the center consoles paired with them. All three bay boats here have a 15-degree deadrise, against 20 or 21 degrees for the center consoles paired with them. Deadrise is the angle of the V in the bottom of the hull, so a lower figure means a flatter bottom. Sportsman describes its traditional bay boats, which include the Masters 227 and 247, as shallow-draft boats built for skinny-water fishing, and its Open center consoles as built for serious offshore capability.
Draft follows the same pattern. Sportsman defines its draft figure as the water the boat floats in with the engines up or completely out of the water.
- Robalo: the 226 Cayman draws 12 inches with the engine up, against 16 inches for the R222. Robalo also lists a 31-inch draft for the R222 with the engine down.
- Sportsman, 22 to 23 feet: the Masters 227 draws 14 inches, against 16 inches for the Open 232.
- Sportsman, 24 to 25 feet: the Masters 247 draws 14 inches, against 20 inches for the Open 252.
The Masters 227 also comes with a 10-inch jack plate, which Sportsman says is required for its transom design and gives the ability to run in shallow water.
Each center console in this comparison has a larger fuel tank than the bay boat paired with it.
- Robalo R222 vs 226 Cayman: 90 gallons against 65, or 25 gallons more.
- Sportsman Open 232 vs Masters 227: 116 gallons against 70. Sportsman lists usable fuel of 106 and 60 gallons.
- Sportsman Open 252 vs Masters 247: 140 gallons against 71. Sportsman lists usable fuel of 128 and 65 gallons.
Sportsman explains that usable fuel is lower than tank capacity because modern fuel systems need an air gap at the top of the tank.
The bay boats are set up for live bait and casting, with more livewell capacity than the center consoles paired with them.
- Robalo: the 226 Cayman has a 20-gallon forward livewell and a 30-gallon aft livewell. The R222 has a 15-gallon livewell under the leaning post and twin 30-gallon fish boxes.
- Sportsman: the Masters 227 and Masters 247 each have two 25-gallon rear livewells and a console cooler that doubles as a livewell, 12 and 17 gallons. The Open 232 and Open 252 each have one 25-gallon rear livewell.
The bows differ too. Sportsman describes the Masters 227 bow as a large casting deck with recessed hardware, and the Open 232 bow as wrap-around seating with removable backrests.
The center consoles are rated for more people than the bay boats paired with them, while engine ratings and beam are close.
- Robalo R222 vs 226 Cayman: 10 people against 8. Both are rated for up to 250 hp and both have an 8 ft 6 in beam.
- Sportsman Open 232 vs Masters 227: 10 people against 8, 300 hp against 250 hp, and an 8 ft 6 in beam against 8 ft 4 in.
- Sportsman Open 252 vs Masters 247: 12 people against 10. Both are rated for up to 350 hp, and the beam is 9 ft 3 in against 8 ft 5 in.
On weight, the Robalo R222 is listed at 4,100 lb with engines and the 226 Cayman at 3,900 lb. Without engines, Sportsman lists the Open 232 at 3,950 lb and the Masters 227 at 3,663 lb.
Sportsman sells a hybrid bay boat for buyers who want some of both. It lists the Masters 288 as its one hybrid bay model and describes it as a blend of offshore capabilities with inshore conveniences. At 28 ft 4 in it is a larger boat than any pair compared here.
A bay boat suits the angler who fishes shallow water most of the time, and a center console suits the angler who wants more fuel or carries more people. Sportsman's own descriptions follow the same split: shallow-draft, skinny-water fishing for its traditional bay boats and offshore capability for its Open center consoles. On the figures above:
- Mostly shallow water: a bay boat, for its 15-degree deadrise and the shallower draft in every pair here.
- Lots of live bait: a bay boat, for the larger livewell capacity in every pair here.
- More fuel for longer runs: a center console, for the larger fuel tank in every pair here.
- More passengers: a center console, rated for two more people than the bay boat in each pair.
Compare bay boats for sale and center console boats for sale, or browse all boats for sale on Searchshop. For more help, read the best center console boats, center console vs dual console and the center console buying guide.
A bay boat is built for shallow water: Sportsman calls its traditional bay boats shallow-draft boats built for skinny-water fishing. In the same-builder pairs compared here, the bay boats have a 15-degree deadrise and the center consoles 20 or 21 degrees, and the center consoles carry more fuel and more people.
The builders compared here list draft, the depth of water the hull floats in with the engines up, rather than a running depth. Robalo lists 12 inches for the 226 Cayman, and Sportsman lists 14 inches for the Masters 227 and Masters 247. The center consoles paired with them draw 16 to 20 inches by the same measure, so ask the dealer about running depth with your engine and load.
Whether a trip is safe depends on the boat, the conditions and the skipper, so check the forecast and the builder's ratings. On the specifications compared here, each bay boat has a flatter hull and a smaller fuel tank than the center console of similar length from the same builder, and Sportsman describes its Open center consoles, not its Masters bay boats, as built for serious offshore capability.
In the pairs compared here, yes. The Robalo 226 Cayman has 50 gallons of livewell against 15 gallons for the R222, and the Sportsman Masters bay boats each have two 25-gallon livewells against one 25-gallon livewell on the Open center consoles paired with them.
