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Boat Review - Contender 44FA

Let's take a closer look at the Contender 44FA in this boat review

Boat Review - Contender 44FA

Despite her considerable dimensions, at 44-feet in length- the 44FA from Contender displays nimble performance rated capabilities.

Since the beginning of this company's existence, Contender has been a dominant force in the competitive fishing world. The brand remains highly regarded for both exceptional big weather performance and fishability. The consumer demands to go further and faster in what are often less than hospitable sea conditions have been met head on with the new 44FA.

This design offers all of the performance traits of the original 44ST with some notable comfort upgrades added to accommodate anglers who spend the night offshore or weekends in the islands. A queen berth below along with galley sink, refrigerator/freezer, range top and fully enclosed head with a shower are available to take the edge off. Even if it's just a break from the tropical heat in ice cold air- this cabin is comfortable without dominating valuable work space on deck.

Despite her considerable dimensions, at 44-feet in length- the 44FA from Contender displays nimble performance rated capabilities.

At the helm, three-across custom Llebroc seating look across a pair of XL Garmin displays at the extremely wide and comfortable sun pad over the foredeck. Entry to the cabin below is via a rear-facing door to Port adjacent to the helm eliminating any obstruction around the console while underway. A second triple wide row of seating behind the Llebrocs is under the shade top and backs up to the cockpit tackle storage and rigging center. A wide Frigid Rigid cooler on a powered track offers rear facing seating when deployed and storage for lots of drinks and provisions.

The 44FA lacks nothing in the fishing department between matching 55-gallon livewells on the transom and a third Jacuzzi sized well in the cockpit deck- a 300-gallon insulated fish hold forward and another pair of 200-gallon boxes aft- she's ready to compete at the highest level. Add your own personal touches to the deck layout and rigging and the possibilities are without limit.

Although the 44FA is rated for up to 2000 HP- our test model with triple 425 XTO power ran easily into the mid-sixties offering just under a mile per gallon at cruising speed. More importantly she was capable of delivering those numbers comfortably through some fresh winds and less than ideal conditions- another check in the plus column for a brand that always seems to turn up on the leaderboard.

Contender 44 FA

  • Length: 43-10
  • Beam: 12-0
  • Draft: 27”
  • Deadrise: 22.7 degree
  • Weight: 22,500 fish ready
  • Max HP: 2000
  • Fuel: 575
  • Base price: 633,103-

www.contenderboats.com

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