January 21, 2020
By Florida Sportsman Editor
Stingray Boats is celebrating their 40th year of boat building this year and a notable departure from what has kept this company afloat for so long is dipping their feet into the sport fishing market. While more commonly known for their practical sport decks and cuddy style cruising boats you might find in a well-appointed boathouse on a lake or coastal river, the 236CC we tested this year while still being displayed under the deck boat heading on their website, showed no lack of solid fishing boat pedigree.
The 236CC is built on the foundation of more established bottom designs from Stingray, more specifically; their very easy riding “Z-Plane” hull. This design features a proprietary strake profile that more closely resembles a series of layered down angle chines rather than the conventional lifting strake angle protruding from a uniform surface. The Z-Plane strakes provided us a remarkably smooth and very dry ride in conditions ranging from a light chop to a more confused multi-directional slop brought on by afternoon convection winds of about 15 knots. In addition to a dry ride the design allowed us to motivate quickly onto plane and into the 40-MPH range within seconds.
When viewed from the outside one can imagine the deck boat lineage if you try hard enough but from above the rub rails looking down, this is a straight ahead Hybrid Fishing platform built to explore waters ranging from inshore backwater creeks and deep flats with the aid of an optional IPilot trolling motor and PowerPole, to the coastal beaches and nearshore reefs and wrecks. Our testing only took us a couple of miles from shore but after a day behind the wheel on this rig I wouldn't have any reservations about venturing offshore to the blue water in her.
A few noteworthy features from a fishing standpoint included first, a pretty unique extended fantail deck (aft) that offered a seamless route from the cockpit to the engine's mounting position. This deck provided easy access to the engine while fighting a large fish and made keeping lines away from your running gear simple without the need for repositioning the boat. Next, after a short time fishing 360-degrees around the 236 CC We noticed you never lacked a spot to put a rod down due to the 20 assorted rod holders which seemed to be located at every turn. Finally, during my extended shift at the wheel on a very hot afternoon I appreciated a generous measure of shade beneath the optional Hard Top which featured extension well aft, beyond the helm position to assure maximum protection from the tropical heat and rays. All of this shade was enjoyed while monitoring the twin 9-inch Garmin MFD's to keep us on top of the bait and multiple predator species in tow.
A pair of live wells (19 and 15-gallons) both forward and aft along with matching 80-quart insulated fish boxes forward, an Engel 74-quart drink box beneath the rocket launcher, multiple dry storage compartments throughout and a tackle storage rigging station complete the standard fishing features. Among other upgrade items included (at no extra charge) are all stainless pull up cleats, Tilt Steering wheel, Trim Tabs with LED indicators, and a stainless Multi-Step Aft boarding ladder.
The Stingray 236 CC Deck Hybrid doesn't only serve as an able platform for anglers, it also proved to be a very capable cruising and sand bar chilling machine. Comfortable seating for up to 12 and a quick stick of the PowerPole later found us loading crew onto this rig for lunch and the included Fusion SRX 400 audio system provided a relaxing atmosphere for a midday break from the fishing action. For the casual cruiser to the determined angler alike the first time at bat into the hybrid sport fishing realm for Stingray Boats looks to be a winner offered at a very competitive price.
Stingray 236 CC Deck Hybrid Specifications
Length: 23-feet 8-inches
Beam: 8-feet 5-inches
Draft: 16-inches
Deadrise: 21-degrees
Max HP: 300
Fuel: 68-gallons
Fresh water: 13-gallons
Capacity: 12 people/3250-pounds
Base price: $57,300
With an appeal to the more serious fisherman in mind, Stingray boats has really checked all of the boxes with the 236 CC.
With an appeal to the more serious fisherman in mind, Stingray boats has really checked all of the boxes with the 236 CC.
The “Z-Plane” strake design featured on this model really kept the spray down.
A flush deck pass-through access to the fantail style transom makes it easy to work a fish around the engine.
Stingray hasn’t abandoned the comfort and conveniences of a deck boat at all as seen here with their forward lounge configuration.
The foredeck serves as a lounge area and fishing platform at once while offering plenty of dry storage as well.
A galley/prep area with stow able trash receptacle comes in handy for picnic cruises.
A clean dash panel layout including twin 9-inch Garmin display units is thoughtfully laid out for the helmsman.
A two-person leaning helm seat design features thick padded upholstery for added comfort.
Convertible jump seats flank a double wide bench across the transom.
A livewell and insulated storage compartment share space beneath the transom seating.
An extended transom deck profile allows easy access to the engine as well as simplifying your boarding ladder passage to and from the water.
