Stingray 23 OSX

Visiting Stingray Boats in South Carolina’s rural Pee Dee countryside is always fun. It means spending quality time on sparkling Lake Robinson, playing with boats.

On this particular spring day, I arrived at the company’s lakefront property outside Hartsville fully prepared to hop aboard the latest model. I didn’t realize I was about to experience a morning filled with surprises.

Sportscar vibes

Drew Gantt, Stingray’s director of engineering, met me at the dock. Nearby, the new Stingray 23 OSX sat quietly; with its sleek, stylish lines and 300-hp Yamaha outboard, the sportboat looked like a bullet poised to exit the chamber.

The 23 OSX made its official debut at the 2024 Chicago Boat Show in January. Gantt says the buzz was immediate. “This is something people haven’t seen from us, and they’ve been asking for it, especially in the Midwest and Northeast,” he explains. “We were well known as a sterndrive company, but we’re 100% outboard now.

“This model isn’t a sterndrive boat with an outboard bolted on,” he continues. “It is designed for outboard power from the ground up, but it’s still in keeping with our heritage.”

Long recognized for performance, the 45-year-old independent boat builder is leveling up that heritage and opening an exciting new chapter with the 23 OSX. This new flagship is evidence that the company hasn’t just made the transition to outboard power — it has fully embraced it.

Stingray 23 OSX

Climbing aboard, my first impression is that of a sportscar, starting with the attractive Italian steering wheel and clean, automotive-style dashboard. Our test boat featured the optional Garmin 743 electronics display with edge-to-edge touchscreen glass. This system incorporates high-resolution displays, digital switches, sonar, chartplotting and engine integration, and owners can manage operations from nearly anywhere. This, Gantt says, is necessary in today’s marketplace.

“Younger boaters are accustomed to having this type of experience with their cars, so they expect it with their boats,” he says. “Everything needs to be in one place and easy to use.”

The 23 OSX’s seating also provides an automotive experience, from the dual bucket seats with bolsters to the bow and cockpit seats with flip-down armrests and well-placed grab handles. I also noted the spacious deckboat-style cockpit, impressive aboard a 23-foot sportboat.

“We hand-built the molds from the old 225 SX molds, without CNC (computer numerical control) cutting,” Gantt says. “We made more room in the cockpit by putting the new seats forward of the old ones.”

Stingray 23 OSX

Thoughtful design

No space is wasted aboard the 23 OSX. Bow and cockpit seats are hinged, lifting up to reveal storage lockers. The dual consoles also conceal sizable storage compartments, one of which accommodates a 25-quart removable Igloo cooler. A hinged, oversized door in the cockpit floor reveals additional storage large enough to accommodate waterskis, wakeboards and surfboards.

What’s more, the sportboat features a forward anchor locker with a slide-out, improving accessibility when you’re ready to drop the hook. Bilge access is easy, too.

Overall fit and finish is top-notch, including the stainless steel pop-up cleats and stainless steel through-hulls (instead of a fiberglass-plastic blend) in the self-bailing cockpit. As Gantt observes, such through-hulls are normally found on offshore boats more than 25 feet in length.

Stingray 23 OSX

In fact, all hardware aboard the 23 OSX is 316-grade stainless steel, which has superior corrosion resistance compared to other grades. This includes the Stingray-fabricated tubing for the optional Bimini top.

Then there are standard amenities, such as the large cooler/storage box with an overboard drain, the removable Igloo cooler, a bow filler cushion for sunbathing and a stainless steel swim ladder. I was astonished to see a transom shower; this will be deeply appreciated, especially for boaters in saltwater.

“This boat isn’t just for lakes,” Gantt advises. “It’s very capable in saltwater, and our customers are pretty evenly split between coastal and lake environments.”

One of my favorite things about Stingray Boats is the sheer number of standard features and amenities. So much is incorporated into the new 23 OSX, you won’t have many additional decisions to make.

You can select custom colors and styles for the hull and upholstery. If you come from a family of watersports enthusiasts, you’ll want the pop-up stainless steel ski pole. You could also choose to add the Bimini top, a taller windshield, a battery charger, LED docking lights, an amplifier for the stereo, and hydraulic or power-assist steering.

Stingray 23 OSX

Sportscar performance

The only other major decision involves the engine. You’ve got three Suzuki and three Yamaha options ranging from 250 to 300 hp.

“With the 250-hp outboard, this boat is for everyone,” Gantt says. “With the 300, it’s for boaters who really know how to drive.”

As it turns out, pretty much everyone wants to try their hand at driving this boat. That became readily apparent during Stingray’s 2023 dealer meeting last September.

“We ran more than 150 miles in just one day, and this lake is only 3 miles long,” Gantt says, laughing. “Our Yamaha rep ran it for seven hours straight.”

Now it was my turn to see what all the fuss was about. We motored to the middle of the narrow lake, closed the walk-through windshield, settled into our bucket seats, and took off.

The acceleration was immediate, flattening us into our seats. We hit 40 mph, then 50, then 60.

Behind the protective, low-profile windshield, it certainly didn’t feel like we were going that fast. The 23 OSX was solid and steady, powerfully charging across the flat water.

The speedometer ticked past 65 mph. The boat lifted and started to walk a little, behaving more like a bass boat yet easier to manage. I trimmed the bow and pressed my feet against the base of the console as I held our course.

The lake’s far shore rapidly approached. We lightly kissed the 70-mph mark, then I dropped our speed and spun the wheel.

The boat dug in and hugged the corner tightly, tucking one rail and sending the other skyward — in a good way (I might have let out a loud whoop).

“With the 300, wide open is about 69-70 mph with two people onboard,” Gantt remarks. “You’ll get about 2.5 miles per gallon at that speed, but that jumps to 4 or 5 miles per gallon at a cruising speed of 30-40 mph.

“We might have been able to go even faster this time, but we’re full of fuel,” he adds with a grin.

An all-composite boat, the 23 OSX is quite light. It’s fuel-efficient, it’s fast, and it most definitely handles like a sportscar. The fact that everyone seems to want this boat with the higher horsepower engines should come as no surprise.

After all, a Porsche can tear up a race track, but that’s not how the average Porsche owner uses it. That same car is also a blast to drive to the movies, dinner and even the grocery store.

The same principle applies here. The Stingray 23 OSX delivers high-octane performance and head-turning design while also providing the versatility and comfort you need for making memories with family and friends.

MORE INFORMATION

2025 Sneak Peek

I had one final surprise during my morning with the Stingray Boats crew: The 23 OSX was not alone at the dock. The Stingray design team has created a fraternal twin sister with a cuddy cabin. According to Bob vanVollenhoven, Stingray’s vice president of sales and marketing, this is an exciting development for the boating community.

“It fills a niche,” he says. “No one is really building anything like this with outboard power.”

Years ago, boat manufacturers produced a variety of small cruisers with cuddy cabins and sterndrives. These disappeared as the industry shifted focus to outboard power and day cruising.

Cuddies are now poised to make a comeback. We can’t say too much yet, but imagine a sportboat with the same hull as the 23 OSX that also offers a comfortable double V-berth with an 18-inch hatch, sink, portable toilet, portable grill with removable stovetop, charging station and more.

This new sister will be part of the 2025 model lineup, debuting later this year. Stay tuned!