Elegant is the first word you think of when you see this latest launch from Ryco Marine. The clean sheer line, uncluttered foredeck and spacious cockpit all tell you that this boat is not only designed for serious fishing, but also to turn heads as she passes by.

Powered by a pair of Volvo TAMD 74 diesels, Charmer has a 30-knot cruising speed and a maximum of 38. If you're not used to it, the two-speed ZF 300 ATS transmission is a lot of fun: push a button and hold on as the acceleration throws you backwards.

Built of double-diagonal, cold-molded, epoxy-saturated marine plywood, Rycos have the feel and the ride you experience only on a wooden boat. (For all that, they are also a testament to the marvels of modern chemical bonding agents.) Teak is used lavishly throughout, from the varnished trim on the shear to the bare wood coamings in the cockpit. The traditional Ryco helm is another teak masterpiece. Below, the motif is followed with matching teak veneer on all bulkheads. A nice touch is the ash insert in the door pulls.

Being an open boat, a large part of which is devoted to to fishing, the the interior is that of a long-weekender rather than a cruiser. Not that it's cramped, but you do your eating in the cockpit. A galley with a Princess ceramic two-burner stove and a microwave occupies the starboard aft of the interior. Opposite is the head with a seperate shower. The forepeak is the sleeping cabin with three single bunks, two upper and one lower. Cedar-lined lockers are installed on either side.

At the helm you find the Vetus bow thruster control and Floscan guages to monitor everything, including fuel consumption. The electronics include a North Star 961 XD GPS Plotter, Furuno radar, FCV 292 color sounder, SEA 156 VHF, Robertson AP 20 autopilot and a Link depth sounder. Did I mention the miniature TV that pops out of the cockpit's forward bulkhead? Well, we've got that, too.

The 8'6" x 11' cockpit abounds in fishing apparatus like tackle drawers and aerators and rod storage and baitwells, including one which is fed fresh ice from an Eskimo ice-maker installed under the bridge deck floor.

At the risk of repeating myself, this is one lovely boat, the sort that brings a tear to the eye of all who appreciate an elegant, well-crafted, seaworthy hull. This charmer is well-named.

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