Life is about choices. Left, or right? Sweet or sour? Batman or Superman? Early show or late show? Steak or seafood? Dog or cat? Autobots or Decepticons? We make decisions every day, and typically speaking, saying yes to one thing means having to say no to everything else. We’ve all learned to accept that concept on one level or another of consciousness, and while that may be part of growing up, and we learn to accept and be happy without decisions despite the outcome sometimes, it would be very disingenuous to say that sometimes, just sometimes, we wish we could have both.
Well the folks at Scarab has decided that they were fed up having to constantly make a decision between creating a fishing boat or a ski boat. There were just too many demands for a boat that could actually be both, and the term Fish N’Ski Boat was floated out (no pun intended) there and has been catching on. The Scarab 195 Open is somehow the perfect water toy towing boat and the perfect fisherman’s paradise.
Equipped with a supercharged 3-cylinder 250-horsepower propeller-less Rotax motor that turns a jet pump, this boat is ready for any activity you have in mind. The closed-loop cooling system helps maintain longevity in even the highest of salt conditions. The 195 Open chimes in with a dry weight of about 3,000 pounds and can hit a top speed of 42 mph at 7,900 rpm depending on conditions. Thanks to the shaft guard, you won’t be subjected to any sudden fun-killing weeds. The 195 Open’s best cruise can be found at about 6,500 rams where it sits comfortably at 27 mph and burns only 9 gallons per hour. This averages about 3 mpg and gives a range of about 80 miles with its hefty 31 gallons fuel tank.
The same Rota-equipped boat can run from 0-20 mph in about 5.5 seconds, and 0-30 mph in about 9 seconds. This get up and go is done with little fanfare and minimal bow rise, so there isn’t any sort of guesswork needed for figuring out which way you were going before you go on it. Scarab has also dealt with the typical issues associated with boats that operate sans-propeller. An independent machined aluminum reverse bucket that aims thrust from the jet nozzle in two directions which essentially means it uses thrust vectoring tight turning situations as well as neutral holding.
The Scarab 195 Open doesn’t just want to sit and let you fish all day, even though, it very easily could. Get on the throttle and you would be hard pressed to realize you were out there without a propeller. There is no feeling of an impending spinout at any moment. The 195 Open stays composed and feels solid through any series of turns, and even through the chop.
If you did want to just fish all day though, you’ll be in for a treat, because that’s exactly the other thing this boat can do too. At the bow are four sizable hatches to store gear, an insulated built in cool and an anchor locker. There is plenty of seating, and the padding is exemplary. There is even an optional fill cushion to create a full-sized sun pad for those lazy days out on the water.
The helm presents you with a custom Scarab dashboard with gauges that monitor the important engine functions going on at all times. Tilt steering and a built-in compass may not sound like much in the way of amenities … that is until you need them. There is also a Kicker stereo system that has six speakers and a sub-woofer, more proof that this isn’t your typical Bass Boat. Oh, and by the way, the entire face of the center console is mounted to gas shocks that allow the console to open up and give way to reveal a Narnia-like changing room and optional head.
The Scarab 195 Open is essentially two boats in one. You can tow friends and family along on their inner tubes or water skis, and then once you drop them off, convert the seats to face outward and bring out the fishing rods. Suddenly, with one single boat, Scarab has changed our mindsets forever. No longer do we need to choose a fishing boat or a fun ski boat. We now have both, for the price of one. Now, maybe Scarab could do something about helping us choose our dinner plans …
