Bayliner 3288 Motoryacht, the Pocket Fast Trawler Explained

Bayliner 3288: one hull, three names, fifteen years

The Bayliner 3288 is the last and most refined version of a boat that ran almost unchanged for fifteen years. Bayliner introduced the hull in 1981 as the 3270 Explorer, renamed it the 3270 Motor Yacht in 1985, sold it briefly as the 3218 around 1988, and called it the 3288 Motoryacht from 1989 through 1995. HMY's PowerBoat Guide calls it the all-time best-selling boat in its class and says more than 3,000 were sold.

It was conceived in an era of rising fuel prices as an efficient family cruiser, and owners still describe it as a fast trawler: a boat with trawler-style accommodations and economy at low speed that can also get up on plane and run in the teens. That dual personality is why so many are still cruising Puget Sound, the Great Lakes and the Intracoastal more than thirty years later.

Searches for a 1986 Bayliner or a 1992 Bayliner often lead to this boat. The good news for buyers is that the hull, deck and basic layout are essentially the same across the run; the differences are engines, cabinetry and trim colors.

Three sleeping areas on a 32-foot footprint

The genius of the 3288 is its use of space. The mid-cabin floor plan puts a private aft cabin beneath the raised salon dinette, a forward berth in the bow, and a dinette that converts to a third bed. That gives three separate sleeping areas on a boat barely over 32 feet, which is why owners call it the best-designed 32-foot yacht ever built.

The salon is bright and roomy thanks to big wraparound windows, and a lower helm is standard, so you can run the boat from inside in rain or cold. The galley is down, with good storage; boats from 1986 on gained a built-in microwave cabinet above the stove. The single head has a stand-up shower, and tankage of 65 gallons of water and 23 gallons of waste supports a long weekend aboard.

Outside, the cockpit has teak handrails and is large enough for fishing or crabbing, the side decks are wide enough to reach the bow comfortably, and a flybridge provides the second helm. A radar arch became standard in 1986, and transom doors arrived as standard equipment on 1992 and later boats.

• Forward berth, convertible salon dinette and private aft cabin
• Lower helm plus flybridge helm
• Galley down with good storage
• One head with stand-up shower
• Transom door standard from 1992

Hino diesel or gas V8: the decision that defines the boat

Engines are the main thing that changed over the years, and they decide what kind of boat you are buying. The earliest 3270 Explorers mostly had gasoline V6s, with a few 90 hp Nissan diesels that made them true trawlers capped around 10 knots. The 1985 to 1987 boats offered 110 hp Hino diesels or marinized Chevy 305 V8s, the 1988 3218 used 135 hp Hinos, and the 3288 of 1989 to 1995 offered 150 hp turbocharged Hino diesels alongside the 305 gas engines.

According to HMY, early 110 hp Hino boats cruise at about 12 knots, later 150 hp turbo Hinos cruise at 16 to 17 knots, and twin gas inboards cruise at 16 to 18 knots. The gas boat reaches a higher top speed but burns far more fuel; one long-time owner reports the gas versions get about 0.8 nautical miles per gallon at cruise, against roughly 2 nmpg for the small Hinos at displacement-plus speeds.

Hino is a Toyota-owned Japanese diesel maker, and owners describe the engines as simple, durable and reasonably priced to maintain. Parts are not as easy to source as a Cummins or Yanmar, so join the owner community and identify a mechanic who knows them before you buy. A 3288 diesel for sale with documented Hino service is the version most buyers want.

Owner-measured fuel burn from a Hino-powered 32

No magazine instrumented test of the 3288 survives online, but the owner who runs the bayliner32xx.com reference site published Floscan fuel-flow data from his sister-ship 3270 with twin 135 hp Hinos, two-thirds fuel, half water, a 400-pound generator and a full flybridge enclosure. The numbers show why these boats are so popular with budget cruisers.

At 7.2 knots the pair burned just 2.3 gph combined for more than 3 nautical miles per gallon. At 14 knots, which he calls the sweet spot at about 2,500 rpm, the burn was 8.4 gph and 1.67 nmpg, and wide open at 18 knots the boat used 14.4 gph. With the 200-gallon tank that translates into roughly 300 nautical miles of range at 14 knots with a 10 percent reserve. Expect a 150 hp turbo Hino 3288 to run a few knots faster at similar efficiency.

Prop pockets, rounded chines and the following-sea wiggle

The hull uses prop pockets that tuck the propellers up into the bottom. That reduces draft to 2 feet 11 inches, improves efficiency and lets the engines sit under the cockpit on straight shafts instead of under the salon with V-drives, which is a big reason the interior is so open. The engine room is reached through two cockpit hatches and is a tight fit for maintenance.

The cost of that design is handling. The rounded chines make the boat roll more than a hard-chine hull at anchor, and owners describe a squirrelly ride in a following sea. A popular fix is an aftermarket underhull or chine modification that squares up the chine, and some owners add a hull extension of about three feet that adds speed, storage and stability. A boat already modified this way is worth a premium if the work was done well.

Running costs and the upgrades owners make

A well-kept 3288 is cheap to own for a boat with an aft cabin and two engines. We estimate $8,000 to $17,000 a year excluding fuel and depreciation, covering moorage for a 32-foot slip in most markets, insurance, haul-out and bottom paint, engine and gear service, and canvas. Diesel boats that cruise at 14 knots burn roughly 8 to 12 gph, so fuel is modest compared with a planing express cruiser.

The common upgrades tell you how owners use the boat. Older boats without a transom door often have one retrofitted, a job owners price at $1,500 to $3,000. Flybridge enclosures and cockpit hardtops are near universal in the Pacific Northwest, turning the cockpit into a usable cold-weather room. A small 3 to 5 kW generator fits in the engine room, and inverters are popular for quiet nights at anchor. Fitted bayliner boat covers for the flybridge and cockpit are worth having on any boat stored outdoors.

Buying a 3288 today: what separates good boats from projects

Prices for a 3288 for sale run from the low twenties for tired gas boats to around $70,000 for exceptional late diesel boats with recent upgrades. Engines are the biggest risk at this age. A diesel survey with oil analysis, a sea trial at full load and a look at exhaust risers and heat exchangers are essential.

Structurally, check the flybridge deck and cockpit for soft spots, look hard at the fuel tanks and their access, and inspect windows and the radar arch base for leaks that rot interior wood. Many boats have had Hino parts sourced through owner networks; ask what has been replaced and where it came from.

For a couple or small family who wants a real cabin cruiser with a separate aft stateroom, a lower helm and diesel economy for under $70,000, few boats compete. Just buy the best maintained example you can afford rather than the cheapest one.