When a company introduces a new boat into a category as popular with consumers as bowriders, it's difficult to come up with something fresh and innovative. Enter the Monterey 208 SI. This new 20-footer has just enough twists to breathe some excitement into this bread-and-butter segment of the market.

Even from a distance you can see that this is not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill 20-foot bowrider. That's because Monterey offers a variety of bright, colorful gel coats with color-coordinated canvas packages that make its boats stand out in a crowd. And while admiring the color up close, it's hard not to notice the boat's other welcome features. For one, the 208 sports a walk-through transom, common on big boats but not as common on a 20-footer. A close look at the hull reveals that it rides on a stepped chine ' a feature often seen on performance boats, but again, somewhat rare on smaller bowriders.

Yet another break from tradition is an engine hatch that lifts to the side rather than aft. The accessibility it offers is remarkable. With the hatch closed, it serves as a padded
5-foot-by-4-foot-2-inch sun lounge. Monterey calls it a Sun Island, hence the SI model designation. If you fold down the rear seat's backrest, it expands the sun lounge farther into the cockpit, making enough room for two adults to soak up rays in relative comfort. And to provide added styling, Monterey rounded the rear of the sun lounge and installed an oval stainless-steel railing along the back. The guardrail is a nice safety feature for the sun lounge and equally handy for anyone on the boat's extended swim platform, especially when the water is a bit rough.

On this test day, however, the water is anything but rough on Castaic Lake, a small southern California lake renowned for its trophy largemouth bass. But there's no time for fishing when you're driving a bowrider that sports a 220-hp, 5.0L V8 MerCruiser. Coupled to the engine is an Alpha 1 drive spinning a 23-inch-pitch, 3-bladed aluminum propeller. With a quarter-tank of fuel and about 500 pounds of passenger and gear weight, the boat hits a top speed of 50.1 mph on the Garmin GPS. That's faster than anticipated. But then, the 208 SI is surprising on several fronts. Monterey offers a pretty good selection of power options from both Volvo Penta and MerCruiser for the 208 SI. The standard setup is a 190-hp, 4.3L V6 MerCruiser.

Options include an MPI version of the 4.3L MerCruiser rated at 220 hp, and two 5.0L V8s ' a carbureted 220-hp model and a 260-hp MPI. (The same basic powerplants are also available from Volvo Penta.)' Turns are crisp and controlled at various speeds. Bowrise coming on plane obstructs forward visibility for a couple of seconds, but that's not out of the ordinary. The hull also handles a modicum of chop quite well and delivers a comfortable ride throughout the test. According to Monterey, its Air-Assist Chine System allows the boat to stay on plane at 18 to 22 mph, which it does in this case. The wake gener-ated at that speed, especially at the lower end of the range, will provide recreational wakeboarders plenty of action.

After a quick spin, it's time to see if Monterey paid as much attention to detail as they did to performance. The walk-through transom affords easy access to the swim platform. Watersports enthusiasts will be happy to see that the platform's extended, making it more conducive to wet and wild activities. It houses a recessed four-rung ladder and a wet locker for easy gear retrieval and storage. Large items like skis and wakeboards easily fit in the large in-sole cockpit locker.

The rest of the cockpit layout features twin bucket seats that swivel and adjust fore and aft. The driver's seat has a flip-up bolster that allows you to sit higher and look over the windshield when preferred. Drink holders are strategically placed throughout the boat, and storage space is plentiful. In addition to opengunwale storage, the rear bench and forward bow seats all incorporate storage compartments beneath the cushions. More expensive items can be put in the locking glove box built into the passenger's console. More refreshing items can be put in the built-in cooler, complete with drain, which is also in the console.

The helm has an attractive simulated woodgrain dash with all the necessary instruments arranged in an easy-to-read cluster, including a soft-touch remote control pad that lets the driver control the music throughout the boat. Monterey wisely used a gray gel coat for the top of the dash console to cut down on windshield glare.

Moving toward the bow you'll dis-cover yet another handy feature not commonly found on boats this size ' a companionway door. On brisk days the wind rushing into the cockpit from the bow can be bone-chilling, especially if you just came out of the water. Being able to close off airflow is a welcome feature. When not used, the bi-fold door stows flush into the side of the console.

The bow of the 208 SI is comfortable and features a couple of full-size lounges with built-in armrests and drink holders, two stereo speakers and both plastic and stainless-steel grab rails. At the forepeak is an anchor locker and a retractable bow ladder, which is not only convenient for getting in and out of the water, but also handy for climbing in and out of the boat when it's on the trailer.

If Monterey has proven one thing, it's that 20-footers might all be 20 feet, but they're not all created equal. You owe it to yourself to check out the 208 SI Monterey. You may find it ... refreshing.