The 280 Thunder Offshore from Caliber 1 Power Boats has all the qualities you need in a family sport boat

by Jason Johnson

With more than 30 years in the boat-building business, the crew at Caliber 1 Power Boats knows what it takes to build a versatile family sport boat. The company has a full lineup of V-bottoms in the 20-foot range to prove it.

The largest model in the group is the 280 Thunder Offshore, which Caliber 1 introduced in 2005. The single-step V-bottom with a 22-degree deadrise is available in closed-deck or open-bow configurations, giving it broad appeal to its primarily West Coast customer base.

In December, the Corona, Calif., manufacturer delivered its latest 280 Thunder Offshore to Parker, Ariz., for a quick evaluation by the Powerboat Test Team. With a handful of options that bumped the boat’s price up about $12,000, the builder still kept the price at less than $100,000. In today’s sport-boat market, that’s not easy to do.

Equipped with the base power package, a MerCruiser 496 Mag engine, Caliber 1 chose a 21"-pitch Mercury Quicksilver propeller with a left-hand rotation and a Bravo One drive with a 1.5:1 gear ratio.

Making good use of the 375-horsepower motor, the 280 Thunder Offshore reached a top speed of 61 mph at 4,800 rpm. It was quick to reach plane—3.9 seconds—with the Eddie Marine billet trim tabs down, and the V-bottom accelerated from 30 to 50 mph in 8.6 seconds. Cruising at 50 mph, the engine was pumping out an even 4,000 rpm.

Due to the prop torque, the boat leaned a little to the right at speeds up to 35 mph. It was nothing too concerning, but enough to catch our test driver’s attention. Other than that, the V-bottom handled exceptionally well. It carved all of the turns and slalom drills on the glassy Colorado River conditions.

“Just about anybody can drive this boat,” said Bob Teague, Powerboat’s chief test driver. “It does exactly what you tell it to do. It’s not very fast, so it’s hard to get in trouble.”

Teague was particularly impressed with the comfort of the bucket seats for the driver and co-pilot, as well as the boat’s overall interior, which was an extra $6,000. The upholstery work throughout the 280 Thunder Offshore was done in shades of gray with black stitching. Caliber 1 included its logo in the bucket seat headrests as well as the headrests for the sectioned four-person rear bench.

Also matching the cockpit upholstery was the facing bench seats in the boat’s midcabin and the lounges in the open bow. For those seated up front, the builder included stainless-steel grab handles on the deck and stowage in the gunwales.

The midcabin was fairly spacious for a 28-foot sport boat, plus it had plenty of stowage between the cabinets in the aft bulkheads and the compartments below the seat cushions. Gray marine-grade carpet was installed on the floor.

In the cockpit, Caliber 1 left the white fiberglass floor uncovered with blue rubber mat inserts in front of each seat. At the driver’s spot to starboard, there was a tilt helm, standard Livorsi Marine gauges in blue bezels and white rocker switches on a blue panel to the left of the wheel. Matching blue Dana Marine controls were mounted on an extension from the gunwale with trim-tab switches up ahead.

Rigging in the engine compartment was straightforward and tidy. The engine hatch lifted on a single screw jack and there was plenty of room on both sides of the engine if work needed to be done.

At $98,935, the V-bottom had a lot to offer. From its roomy seating arrangement to its custom gelcoat graphics, the 280 Thunder Offshore is a great option within the family sport boat market.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Caliber 1 Marine, 1884 Pomona Road, Corona, CA 92880, 951-738-0880, www.caliber1.com

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