5 minute read
ON THE WATER Rossiter 20 Coastal Cruiser Review
Drew McMillin An avid waterskier, his summers growing up were spent behind the boat on Peninsula Lake in Huntsville, Ontario. A graduate of the College of Sports Media, Drew put in stints at TSN and CTV Northern Ontario before securing his dream job on the water hosting PowerBoat TV every Saturday morning on Global TV.
Rossiter 20 Coastal Cruiser
Review
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WALKERS POINT MARINA
Since the financial crisis of 2008, it’s become rare to see a “Made in Canada” label on a fibreglass boat, as the Great Recession claimed many of our nation’s most prolific producers of powerboats. Well-established brands like Doral and Grew were among those that found themselves in receivership shortly after the 2008 crash.
Using the very latest technology and materials, Rossiter boats are built to last a lifetime. Every Rossiter is built to the highest industry standards.
For domestic builders who were able to weather the storm and continue manufacturing north of the border, challenges still abound. One Ontario builder, Rossiter Boats, has built a fiercely loyal customer base in Muskoka and Georgian Bay, but financial struggles still led to bankruptcy in 2018.
“Probably the single largest hurdle that the company has to overcome is doing business in Canada,” says Blair Levinsky, who rescued Rossiter from insolvency, purchasing the company three years ago. “There’s not many of us left.” Already the owner of a 23-foot Rossiter outboard, Levinsky seized the opportunity to rescue a brand near and dear to his heart.
“There’s tremendous pride in the fact that we produce these boats in Ontario, Canada, notwithstanding all of the challenges,” he says. “The easiest and best way is just to do what we do. Rossiter is an iconic Canadian brand, equally known for its classic design as it is for the quality of construction and the strength of its performance.”
This was on full display on my visit to Rossiter’s production facilities last fall, where the company hand-builds 150 to 200 “semi-custom” boats each year in Markdale, Ontario. It’s come a long way since George Rossiter began building canoes and rowboats in his shed in 1974.
The Rossiter 20 Coastal Cruiser combines superior big water performance with Rossiter’s trademark practicality, beauty, and comfort.
George’s first motorized offering was a 14-foot fibreglass outboard, which he designed with a lifting pad at the stern of a deep-vee hull. This lifted the craft on top of the water, which coupled with steep deadrise at the bow, was intended to give the small boat much bigger capability than expected.
Given a bleak kidney cancer diagnosis, George sold his company in the early 2000s, but that design and his attention to detail provided the foundation on which Rossiter expanded its line to 17-, 20- and 23-foot models.
After being declared cancer free some years later, George is back on board as a consultant with the company that has carried on his legacy.
Knowing all this history, I was excited to finally sit behind the wheel of Rossiter’s R20 Coastal Cruiser. Introduced in 2017, the 20’ 6” boat offers practicality in its size, but big water capability in its design.
The R20 is a striking boat on the water, with traditional customizable colour options pairing well with classic lines and a tall windshield to keep boaters warm and dry late into our short season. Along with a beautiful mix of teak and stainless steel, my favourite aesthetic feature is the rope rub rail accented with flecks of the same navy blue and black of the hull of our test model.
The windshield is pushed about as far forward as possible, carrying the R20’s eight-foot, three-and-a-half-inch beam right up to a short closed bow. This allows for room for nine riders behind the windshield and pushes weight forward to get the boat out of the hole and up on plane as quickly as possible.
The cockpit layout is one of the most unique I’ve seen, with asymmetric organization enhancing sociability on board. I love the double-wide bolstered captain’s bench that allows for two to enjoy the helm together while underway, with a single seat on the opposite side. Living room-style seating wraps around the aft cockpit with a removable bench on the port side opening room for a snack table to be inserted. Each seat cushion is premium upholstered and removable to access storage compartments, or a transom walkthrough in the case of the aft starboard side.
Our test model’s 200HP Yamaha four stroke – one of many outboard power options – allows for room to walk about the platform or swim off either side, with a telescoping ladder recessed to starboard. There’s also a pop-up ski pylon hidden flush to the transom.
A large ski locker runs up the floor, with open shelves in each gunwale, a large glovebox and plenty more storage inside the closed bow, which can be used as a daybed or outfitted with an optional head.
The helm is well appointed and ergonomic, but a large empty teak space is begging for the 10” touchscreen chartplotter offered as an option.
On the water, the R20 was nothing short of an absolute delight to drive. George Rossiter’s lifting pad design puts the boat up on plane as quickly as any outboard I’ve driven.
With the throttle down, the boat feels solid at every point. The deep hull slices through waves with no rattling from any fixtures on board. Taking corners at speed, it stays level the whole way with no skipping or aspiration from the motor. The boat wanted to ride around 28 or 29 MPH, where we settled into an incredibly comfortable cruise.
rossiterboats.com walkerspointmarina.com 1035 Marina Rd, Gravenhurst, Ontario
