Game Changer – 2022 Weldcraft 240 Cuddy King

Background

Game Changer is a 2022 Weldcraft 240 Cuddy King.  As the second “Game Changer”, it succeeds a Hewescraft 240 Pacific Cruiser which was in and of itself a game changer for fishing on the big pond, and the new Game Changer promises to be an even bigger one.

Why the change from one 24′ cuddy cabin to another? While they are the exact same length, there are a number of advantages to the Cuddy King over the Pacific Cruiser, but the primary drivers were safety and comfort – opening up even more fishing opportunities and the possibility of cruising it.

Game changer is one-of-a-kind with extensive upgrades you generally only find on larger boats.

Game Changer Features

Features as delivered from Weldcraft

  • Self Bailing Deck
  • Offshore bracket as extension of hull
  • In-floor fish box w/macerator
  • Washdown pump
  • Sliding door to pilot house
  • Transom entry door
  • Aft helm station
  • Twin 200 Yamaha Outboards
  • Yamaha 9.9 Kicker
  • Fly-by-wire controls – control of mains at both helms
  • 170 Gallon Fuel Tank
  • Downrigger mounts
  • Dinette w/reversible front seat
  • Boarding Ladder on offshore bracket
  • Back deck LED lights

Installed by us

  • Standup Head
  • Built-in fishing gear storage
  • Garmin Reactor 40 Autopilot
  • Seastar Power Assist
  • Windless w/600′ anchor line
  • Fans
  • Intermittent wipers + single on/off switch
  • Diesel Heater
  • EPIRB
  • 6 Man Survival Raft
  • FishEng Rails w/slides (pole holders/accessories)
  • Bottom Paint
  • 6 gal Fresh Water/pump

Installed by us

  • Many USB/12v plugs
  • Bluetooth Stereo with front/back waterproof speakers
  • Downrigger/electric reel plugs (5)
  • 12″ Garmin GPSMap Touch Screen
  • Thru-hull transducer
  • Garmin Radar
  • AIS Transciever
  • VHR Radio with rear helm extension
  • Dual VHF Antennas
  • IPAD mount at rear station w/USB plug
  • 300 Amp Hour Lithium Ion House Battery
  • Isolated start batteries for each main motor
  • Inverter/Charger
  • Shore Power Plug-in
  • Galvanic Isolator
  • Battery to Battery Charger (start to house)
  • Start batter charger

More about the boat

Front Helm

12″ Garmin 1243xsv touch Chart Plotter/Sonar, Garmin Reactor 40 Autopilot, VHF, Yamaha digital display, and while they are hard to see Marinco Intermittent Wiper switches (love, love, love them)

Cuddy cabin view. We don’t keep the cushions or middle board in for fishing, which provides room for the 12v cooler in the bow.

Dinette on the Port side has a reversible seat in the front to sit forward or backward. Seats will sit two people each, even if a little cozy.

The boat came with a seat along the wall behind the Captain’s chair, which is now a standup head and fishing gear storage. The diesel heater is installed behind the storage cabinet. Despite installing standup heads in the exact same spot on 26′ Cuddy King, Weldcraft refused to install a head in this 24, so we had to build it from the ground up. Well worth it, making the boat more comfortable and cruisable.

In place of the seat, we built a custom cabinet with slide-ins for gear boxes and several drawers. Built out of Starboard, it’s almost indestructible. The tray on top is quite handy as well.  Next to the storage is the head, which was quite a project.

The rear helm has an optional seat that is easily removed. Also has an iPad mount that provides a secondary display using Active Captain (as well as a back-up chart plotter with Navionics App in the event of electronics loss). Of course outside speakers, rear-helm extension for the VHF, and the autopilot handled remote at the rear helm. Love the second control for the mains at the rear helm!