Formula Boats 387 Center Console Fish
New Design
For 60-plus years, Formula Boats has been known for creating luxury cruising vessels. The yachtbuilder’s 387 Center Console Fish leverages the company’s extensive experience to create this fishing-focused craft. The 387 CCF starts with the builder’s wave-slicing FAS3Tech hull, a deep-V form with 23 degrees of transom deadrise. A foam-filled structural grid adds strength without excessive weight. The 387 CCF displaces 22,500 pounds, so it’s got the hull form and the heft for rough-water running.
Fishing Mission
Notable equipment includes two 40-gallon pressurized livewells, two in-deck fish boxes with macerators, 18-foot Gemlux telescoping outriggers, a cockpit leaning post with slide-away mezzanine seating, a rigging station, a cutting board, tackle-box organizers and more. An optional Seakeeper 3 gyrostabilizer helps remove roll in big water.
Performance
Power options include triple 300, 350 or 400 hp Mercury Verados, triple 450 hp Mercury 450R racing engines or twin 600 hp V-12 Mercury Verados.
Sōlace 415CS
Efficient Thinking
Sōlace collaborated with Volvo Penta to create the twin-stepped hull 415CS center-console. The goal was to show that when powered with Volvo Penta’s D6-440 diesel Aquamatic drives, the Sōlace 415CS was a more efficient fishing platform than a comparably equipped center-console with outboards.
Did It Work?
According to Volvo Penta, the 415CS with the D6s has a 403-nautical-mile range at a 36.5-knot cruise speed on a 444-gallon fuel capacity, compared with a 221 nm range at the same speed for the same boat powered with quad outboards and a 555-gallon fuel capacity. Range advantage goes to the 415CS diesel boat. Additionally, the design allows for a full-beam swim platform and dual transom doors leading to the cockpit.
At the Helm
The glass-bridge setup has a modern look and provides the helmsman with intuitive functions. Garmin is the electronics package of choice. As shown below, this boat has 360 degrees of fishability and room for an armada of gunwale rod holders for kite-fishing, trolling, drift-fishing and the like.
Scout 260 LXF
Rigged and Ready
The Scout Boats 260 LXF—part of the builder’s 10-model luxury center-console series stretching from 22 to 53 feet length overall—may be on the smaller side of the spectrum, but it has the same stout, hand-laid build as its larger siblings. It also has the same high level of fit and finish, and options for customization.
Singles or Twins?
Maximum horsepower for the 260 LXF is 400, and it comes in the form of single or twin outboards from Mercury or Yamaha. Twin engines start at 150 hp apiece, and a single starts at 300 hp. Notable standard equipment includes a Seakeeper Ride, a Garmin 943xsv display, a fiberglass leaning post with a bait-prep station, tackle drawers, helm seats, a 45-quart Yeti cooler, a windlass and an integrated fiberglass T-top with spreader lights.
Online Shopping
The Scout Boats website lets prospective owners spec and price out a 260 LXF, including hull colors, autopilot, radar, FLIR cameras, VHF radio, outriggers, hardtop rocket launchers, steering upgrades and underwater lighting, to name a few of the available options.
Contender 44FA
Long-Run Comfort
The Contender 44 Fisharound has the type of 360-degree fishability that’s usually found on a traditional center-console, along with the elements-eliminating cabin of an express boat—which should come in handy on overnight excursions and on extended canyon runs for pelagics. The belowdecks berth is queen size. There is also a head with a shower, and a galley with a fridge, freezer and sink.
Out and Back Fast
When powered with triple 425 hp V-8 Yamaha outboards, the 44FA tops out around 58 knots at 6,000 rpm. At 4,000 rpm, fast cruise speed is 34.6 knots. Dial the motors back to 3,500 rpm, and cruise speed is 27.6 knots, which is also the boat’s most efficient velocity with triples. Need more kick? Quads are available. Max total horsepower is 2,000. There are three bolster-style helm seats, along with a second-row bench seat for guests.
Fishing Features
Anglers will find standard amenities, such as a 300-gallon fish box forward, two 100-gallon in-deck fish boxes, twin 55-gallon livewells and four flush-mounted gunwale rod holders.
Intrepid 41 Valor
Listening First
Intrepid Powerboats is always surveying its owners to find out what they like and what they want. The 41 Valor is a model developed on the basis of customer input.
What’s Different?
The 41 Valor has a new stepped-hull form as well as a wider beam, and it’s penned to accommodate an owner’s desire for a variety of power options, including 425 hp Yamahas or 600 hp Mercury Verados. The builder says it designed the helm for larger electronics displays. Belowdecks are a queen-size berth, a galley and a head with a separate shower for longer trips. The 41 Valor is constructed on a deep-V hull form that is vacuum-bagged, foam-cored and resin-infused. A stringer grid system enhances strength and rigidity for use in tempestuous seas.
Options for Anglers
Because it is a semicustom boat, the 41 Valor is available with angling options such as port and/or starboard cockpit livewells, a helm-seat livewell upgrade, outriggers, gunwale rod holders, a hardtop and a splash well. Spearfishing enthusiasts can add dive tanks.
Jupiter 40
About the Ride
Like all Jupiter models, the super-size Jupiter 40 center-console has the builder’s deep-V hull form with a sharp, 24-degree transom deadrise and a Posi-Stern hull pad. Jupiter says the hull pad “creates a variable dynamic stern lift,” which, in turn, means a flatter running attitude as well as increased overall performance.
Power Play
With regard to performance, the Jupiter 40 accommodates a maximum of 1,350 horsepower, which includes a triple 425 hp Yamaha, triple 400 hp Mercury or twin 600 hp Mercury outboard option.
Pursuing Pelagics
The Jupiter 40 is built with 360 degrees of coaming pads, a design feature that makes fighting a big fish around the boat more comfortable, especially at the rail. Standard angling amenities include two 100-gallon in-sole fish boxes with macerators, a 126-gallon fish box forward, a mezzanine bench seat with a 48-gallon bait freezer, a transom livewell and GEM outrigger bases with 22-foot carbon-fiber poles to optimize the trolling spread. A Seakeeper gyrostabilizer is optional.
Grady-White Canyon 306
Inshore or Offshore
Flexibility is at the heart of Grady-White’s Canyon 306. With a 21-inch draft, this boat is skinny-water accessible for chasing striped bass, redfish and the like. The broad-shouldered, 10-foot-7-inch beam and variable-deadrise SeaV2 hull form let it knock back chop and sprint offshore to pursue tuna and billfish.
Sprint Indeed
The Canyon 306 is designed for a pair of twin 300 hp Yamaha outboards, which provide a top hop of 44 knots and about a 30-knot cruise speed at 4,000 rpm. Dial it back to 3,600 rpm, and cruise speed is 26.2 knots, which is the boat’s most efficient speed with a fuel burn of 18.3 gph. Considering a 10 percent fuel reserve, maximum range at cruise speed is 373 nautical miles.
Angling Arsenal
Standard gear includes a 47-gallon livewell, a rigging station with a sink and an insulated bait box, two in-sole 150-quart fish boxes, a 304-quart transom fish box aft and four rod holders. The casting platform forward converts to seating when extra guests are on board. With a pair of 18-foot T-top-mounted outriggers, the only thing left to consider is where to start fishing.
Pursuit S 328
Underneath It All
The Pursuit S 328 has a deep-V hull form with a 20-degree transom deadrise. The hull is hand-laminated fiberglass reinforced with an infused fiberglass structural grid, as well as a resin-infused transom reinforcement grid to handle the rigors of offshore duty. The Pursuit S 328 comes with a five-year structural hull warranty.
It’s Got Kick
Powered with twin 300 hp Yamahas, the Pursuit S 328 cruises at 28 knots at 4,000 rpm with a 24.5 gph fuel burn. At cruise speed, range is 308 nm considering a 10 percent reserve. Top hop is 43 knots. The S 328 has a knife-like entry to beat back the seas and run to the deep in comfort. There are four seating areas: dual helm seats, a bench seat aft, bench seating forward of the console and bow seating.
Time to Fish
The S 328 is outfitted with a 24-gallon livewell, insulated-sole fish boxes to port and starboard, five transom rod holders, four gunwale rod holders and rod stowage under the hardtop. For anglers who have to navigate under bridges to get to the fishing grounds, clearance with the hardtop is 8 feet, 2 inches.
