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Baja 405
by By Walt Jennings
Sleek new flagship raises the bar — and the speed limit
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Baja boats are all about speed, so if you want to take several of your closest friends to Catalina for lunch on a calm day at speeds approaching 60 mph — and be back in time for a quiet dinner at home — the Baja 405 is the boat you want. The largest of all the Baja performance boats, the 405 is the flagship of Baja’s family-oriented performance boat line.
Ideally suited for warm climates with an open cockpit, the 405’s cockpit deck is a virtual party room and dance floor, and actually seats the number of passengers the manufacturer says she does (10). With a heavy-duty bolstered drop-down helm and companion seats, the 405 is comfortable to drive while sitting or standing. It should be noted that due to the angle of the foredeck, driver visibility at speed while seated is excellent.
We here at Sea don’t get to drive many high-performance boats, but the people at Baja are trusting souls and asked if we wanted to try our hand at the helm of the 405. Well, that was like asking a 6-year-old if he wants an ice cream cone. Once behind the wheel, we soon settled in at a leisurely pace of 40 mph — which, in calm seas on a boat like this, feels more like 20 mph. Note that this requires additional caution when approaching other boats, when considering the distance needed to stop and when executing turns, just to name a few of the skills you should hone before jumping into a vessel with this kind of power.
Bumping the throttles up a bit on the ergonomically designed helm, we had hit 50 mph before we knew it, with the 24-degree deadrise in the 405’s hull slicing through the light chop in Pine Island Sound on Florida’s southwest coast like it was not there. Speed thrills, and we were experiencing it in Baja’s largest high-tech high-performance boat.
One of the first things we noticed while accelerating, though, was how quiet the optional MerCruiser 425 hp High-Output engines were (due, we were told, to the optional muffler package). The large K-Plane trim tabs (also optional) performed as advertised, leveling the boat upon request.
The Baja 405 reached planing speed of 25 mph in just six seconds — very quick for a boat that weighs 5 tons, all the while putting out a minuscule 86 dB of sound. Sound levels what they were, the loudest sound at the helm was the air whooshing by, a tribute to the extensive wind-tunnel testing Baja does on prototypes at the University of Michigan’s wind-tunnel testing lab prior to building the final molds.
“With the 405, we have created a large, high-quality wide-beam fast cruiser that is priced very competitively,” said Jay Prestwood, Baja’s West Coast regional sales manager.
Inside Surprise
After our test ride, we had a chance to take a closer look around the cockpit area on the Baja 405. One of the first things that caught our eye was the huge swim platform on the transom. With a recessed collapsible boarding ladder, the platform itself was big enough for six adults to stand on, and lord knows how many kids could find room to jump off. Above an elongated grabrail and a ski tow ring on the 405’s transom, Baja has built a sundeck big enough for three adults; underneath there is a large storage compartment for fenders, lines and other items.
In the cockpit itself, there is an abundance of handholds, drink holders, stereo speakers and storage compartments, a testament to Baja’s listening skills and including the features its customers want. A 78-quart Igloo cooler sits under one of the seats and is accessible without anyone sitting on the seat having to move.
The cockpit is illuminated with numerous flush-mounted LED lights, a plumbed sink and a small 12v ice-maker. As mentioned, both helm seats have drop-down bolsters for standing against and were extremely comfortable at speed. The helm area was nicely laid out, and the second-generation Livorsi shift and throttle levers were easy to operate (and easy on the eyes). Several 12v power points were located throughout the helm area for charging cell phones or running spotlights and other 12v appliances that have a male cigarette lighter-type plug.
Just a couple of thoughts about the helm area: First, when driving the boat while standing, the top of the stainless steel windshield frame was at the same level as our 6-foot-tall driver’s eyes, so he either had to duck down or stand on his tiptoes to see over the frame. And second, while our test boat came with the optional radar arch, there was very little room in the helm area to mount electronics, let alone a radar screen.
Space Maker
Leaving the cockpit and entering the cabin required sliding the cabin’s recessed door to starboard and descending two steps. Once in the cabin, on the immediate left was the head, which held a large stand-up shower, a VacuFlush toilet, a counter, a mirror, a stainless steel sink, towel-hanging bars, a vent window and a storage area. Going forward onto the carpeted cabin floor, we were pleasantly taken aback by the amount of space we found in the cabin.
If you made that aforementioned trip to Catalina with nine friends and arrive to find it raining, everyone could fit and sit in the 405’s air-conditioned cabin with room to spare (air conditioning is optional). We measured 6 feet, 4 inches of headroom in the cabin, perhaps a few inches shy for Kobe Bryant (but he’s experienced at ducking).
The cabin is very comfortable and we felt that it had a homey feeling, with abundant use of padded tan and beige Ultrasuede, along with a vinyl overhead. A forward V-berth could sleep four in a pinch, but of course it’s more suited for two or three people. The berth converts to a dinette with seating for four.
With a Corian countertop, a stainless steel sink, a small microwave and a 2.7-cubic-foot refrigerator, the small portside galley adjacent to the head is just the right size for overnighting and could be utilized for longer trips (although food storage space is minimal).
Two huge half-moon-shaped overhead screened hatches allow light to enter the cabin, and when opened, fresh air. In addition, four oval portholes (two on each side, also screened) allow side ventilation to flow through the cabin. Cabin storage is ample with compartments located underneath the bench seats as well as in a large belowdeck storage compartment.
In the forward end of the cabin, Baja has installed a unique easy chair-like seat that is wide enough for two people to sit in. We envisioned two kids sitting in this seat while the boat was on plane in calm seas, bouncing around in the bow while having a fun time trying to hold onto anything they could grab. If the seas get a little too bumpy, the kids can move to the rear of the cabin, sit on the couch and watch DVDs on the optional 20-inch flat-screen TV.
A 53-gallon water tank supplies fresh water to the entertainment center sink in the cockpit, the shower and sink in the head, the kitchen sink, the hose shower on the aft swim platform as well as the 6-gallon hot-water heater.
Doing What it Does Best
You know that a boat-building company is doing something right when it commands a 40 percent share of its market, a tribute to Baja’s longtime commitment to the performance boat market. And with her deep-V hull, a long list of standard amenities and a price point below much of her competition, it is easy to see why Baja’s 405 performance model is the flagship of the fleet.
CONTACT: Baja Marine Corp., Bucyrus, OH; (866) 321-BAJA (2252); www.bajamarine.com
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This article first appeared in the January 2007 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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