We have touched on obvious so now it's time to start hitting some of the features you don't see right off the bat. What is arguably the biggest feature of the new 288 is the Bimini top. On every single single engine deck I can think of if you have a bimini on on board it is either up, or you are stepping over it when you get off the back of the boat. Occasionally you will have those that are stored in the half up position that you can kind of "duck under" getting off the back of the boat, but no matter what it is always in the way.
With this boat I knew there was something new about it regarding the bimini, but I actually had to ask Gene "Where is it?" Gene smirked a little bit before asking Marc (the new owner) to push the hatch switch. The hatch started to come up, and along with it the entire back of the boat! The stairs and hatch are one piece, and the bimini when it's stored sits flat on the floor underneath all of it!
The bimini actually lays on the floor gunnel to gunnel, and with the hatch up is a (mfg claimed) 40 second program from stowed to full up right! There are quick disconnect fittings on the side interior panels where you just lift up the ends and pop them in and then "fold out." As an added bonus, if it's a weekend where the weather is up and down, you can leave the quick connects on the sides connected and it will lower down under the hatch leaving the poles connected.