As soon as I stepped aboard Pro-Line's 23 Express, I made a quick mental note: This is a surprisingly big 23-footer. I double-checked the boat's decal. Yeah, 23 Express. No mistake.

With 52 square feet of cockpit area and a cockpit depth of 25 inches, this single-outboard cabin boat provides the room anglers want and the safety families need. Pro-Line vice president Johnny Walker says this express, the smallest in a lineup that includes 29-, 32- and 35-footers, has "big-boat feel."
 
Performance
The Gulf of Mexico lay flat as a pancake griddle and almost as warm on the December day we ran out of Crystal River on Florida's west coast. About the roughest water we could muster was the wake we created running in circles.

The 23 took the wake in stride, of course, landing squarely and solidly, keeping spray away from the deck with its proud bow and broken sheer line.

Before the water calmed, I let the vessel rock in the swells and found a fairly short roll moment with moderate transitions. I trimmed the engines down and prepared to throttle up.

The 200 Mercury OptiMax surged quickly and punched the Express onto plane in about five seconds. Pro-Line allows for up to 300 hp on this transom, so a 250 might produce a bit peppier hole shot, if that's your goal.

A flat-out run proved so pleasurable on the calm seas that I took my time trimming up the engine to find a top end. At 5,600 rpm, we ran 43.2 mph, carrying a half-tank of fuel, two humans and our safety gear. At 3,500 rpm, we cruised at 24.2 mph.

Taking left and right turns at speed, we swapped directions in about one and a half boat lengths. Boat speed bled off promptly, and the hull slid comfortably in the turns.

The 23 Express spun responsively in reverse. At all forward speeds, the trim tabs (optional for the 23) evened out the ride immediately when a passenger shifted position.

Fishing
The boat we ran featured the Express' state-of-the-industry, optional hardtop,  fitted with a custom windshield through-bolted to the deck all the way around. The hardtop also provided four rod holders across the back for out-of-the-way  rod storage.