IMAGINE grabbing a few friends or family, loading the boat with some food, a few drinks and the overnight bag and heading out on the water for the weekend. It’s a nice thought, isn’t it? Swimming at your leisure, a game of cards on the back deck after the evening meal, and then wasting away a few hours with a glass of wine looking up at the stars.

It’s certainly a picture many of us would like to enjoy, but perhaps feel is a bit out of our league. However, you’d be surprised at what you could buy for around $90,000. I know that’s still a lot of money, but you pay nearly that for many of the fishing boats around 6m to 7m, and there’s generally not a lot of comfort on these for a few to sleep on.

The Mustang 2400 Club Sport is only a bit bigger than that and is still trailerable. Admittedly, you need the likes of a LandCruiser to tow it, but at least you can to take it to a few different places.

We towed the Mustang from Sundown Marine the few kilometres to the boat ramp with the company’s LandCruiser ute and it wasn’t a problem at all. With the right trailer, the boat just glides off into the water and you can pick up the rest of the crew on the pontoon.

Onboard, you soon appreciate the boat has been set up for social days and overnighters. The skipper has his or her own standalone chair at the helm, while on the passenger’s side is a lush padded lounge with room for a couple more to sit. Right behind this area is more lounge-style seating. In all, six adults can sit around this area while you cruise across the bay or sit around for some R and R.

Most of this area is covered with the overhead targa top. The surrounds are clear clip-off sections with a big wraparound windscreen. The beauty of this is that it gives everyone a good all round view, and with the clears off you get that good through ventilation which is great on those hot sticky days.

If you want to pick up a few rays from the sun, there’s a good size duckboard across the transom on which you can lay (although the top side of the cabin is more suited for sun baking). This is accessed via a walkthrough door on the transom. It’s also the ideal place to jump off for a swim or dive. A rear-mounted shower in the transom is also just the thing for washing off the salt.

Most of the aft area is taken up by the rear lounges with a small sink, tap and fridge positioned behind the helm seat, hence there is not a lot of room for fishing. It’s not meant to be a fishing boat, though you could still throw over a line and there are a couple of rod holders provided.

Inside, the cabin is perhaps the most spacious area with a big double-vee berth bunk forward and a galley as you walk down from the helm. The galley is well equipped with fridge, freezer, microwave, TV, video, sound system and yes, the kitchen sink. A fair size stand-up toilet and shower is also provided and is totally enclosed for privacy.

A top idea is the second double bunk which is positioned back under the helm area. It is accessed by walking down into the cabin, then once down the stairs you turn back and walk into this area. It’s space well used.

The whole cabin area has more than enough storage and the front bunk, when not being slept in, soon turns into two lounges with a table in the centre. If the weather turns sour, there is plenty of room under cover where you’re not going to be tripping over everyone else on the boat.

The boat is very easy to drive and there is no need to be overwhelmed. Power steering eliminates any torque at the wheel and all the necessary instruments are right in front of you at the helm. The steering wheel tilts to a number of positions so you can be comfortable while sitting and driving or standing and driving.

The profile of the boat, with that big down-swept front section, isn’t fully appreciated until at the wheel. It allows you to see immediately at the foot of the bow. In the rough this allows you to see each and every wave that you come in contact with instead of guessing.

When pulling up at the pontoon or nosing the boat into the trailer, once again you can see exactly where the bow is for easy manoeuvring. It may not seem like a big deal, but it certainly does help driving and controlling the boat.

The Mustang Club Sport has plenty of grunt in the power department with a five-litre fuel-injected MerCruiser engine. For a big boat, it motors along with a top speed of over 30 knots.

The hull handles exceptionally well too. We came back across the bay in 20kt winds and maintained speeds around the 20-knot mark. It was nice to sit at the wheel with the wind blowing through and not have to worry about being covered in spray.

On those occasions when you might be out on the water with people who might be a bit nervous in rough conditions, it’s also nice to know you’re in a boat that can handle a bit of rough.

Another attractive alternative in this boat is the ability to stay over night. As long as you can find a calm anchorage, you’ve got all the comforts of home and plenty of supplies, you may as well enjoy it.

I’ve never really been attracted to boats like this but the idea of spending a weekend away just relaxing and not really doing anything at all is mighty inviting. Once you take one of these for a test run I’m sure similar thoughts will start running through your mind.

Boat as tested priced at $93,300 (trailer not included). For more enquires or a test run contact Sundown Marine on (07) 3203 3007.

[FACT BOX]

SPECIFICATIONS

Make/model - Mustang 2400 Club Sport

Length - 8.3m overall

Beam - 2.5m

Weight - 2500kg

Deadrise - 19 degrees.

Fuel – 210lt

Water – 150lt

1) If you enjoy boating and getting away from it all in comfort, then check out the 2400 Mustang Club Sport.

2) The Mustang is no slouch on the water with a top speed of over 30kt.

3) The layout of the dash offers all right in front of you with the inclusion of a tilt steering wheel for driving seated or standing.

4) The helm and aft deck area work as one area providing plenty of room for social times on the water.

5) A fair amount of room is dedicated to comfort on the inside of the cabin with a galley, walk in shower/toilet, two sets of double berth bunks and plenty of room to move around.

6) These boats are not really intended for fishing, though there is still somewhere to drop a line over the back.

7) No shortage of room to stretch out in the front double berth.

8) A stand up shower and toilet are always welcome.