Every once in a while, though, we come across a model that has remained in a builder’s line for a significant length of time, because its enduring value continues to attract customers. This winter, four of these long established “modern classics” put us to thinking about what characteristics contribute to their continuing appeal. Here they are:

Everglades 243 CC

In 2004, BOATING tested hull #4 of the brand-new Everglades 243cc, the first “hybrid bay boat” that could run shallow inshore but still handle big seas offshore. It was impressive then and still is, eighteen years and 1,400 hulls later, judging by a new one we ran recently in sporty big-water seas on the lower Chesapeake. We asked David Brown, Vice President of Product Development & Engineering why Everglades Boats still offers it. “It’s the ride and the variable-deadrise hull shape,” he explained.  “We build 70-80 243cc’s each year because demand remains strong. It’s sort of a cult boat.” 

Even so, Everglades adds features as they become available. Everglades Founder Bob Dougherty designed the 243cc for Yamaha’s original 225-hp four-stroke outboard, which powered our 2004 tester. Today’s engine is the F300, which offers more power on less fuel, plus Helm Master EX electronic steering and controls, with autopilot and joystick. The original canvas T-top has morphed into a composite hardtop with VHF and storage box, stereo speakers, life jacket storage, rod holders, and a ski pylon. The optional Fishing Package includes a T-and-H Atlas jackplate, an 8’ Power Pole shallow water anchor, and a 36-volt Minn Kota iPilot bow mount trolling motor. For sight fishing, a full upper steering station is available with controls and electronics. A pair of transom lifting platforms, built separately and foam-filled, bolt on for added buoyancy, lift, and a base for the PowerPole. 

Other upgrades include lighted stereo speakers, SeaDek pads, a Yeti on a slide under the helm seat, and Garmin electronics. Everglades engineers monitor updates to the systems standards promulgated by the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).  For example, the three 12-volt trolling motor batteries fit into a bow compartment on mounts that must pass an ABYC pull test. After eighteen years, the Everglades 243cc remains a safe, seaworthy rig, an investment whose working lifespan measures in generations rather than years. It endures because it works.

Parker Offshore 21SE and 23SE

While Parker Offshore is now a division of Correct Craft, the boats are still built in Beaufort, NC by the same people who did so under Parker family ownership. The company adds Offshore to its name, but the 21SE and 23SE (Special Edition) models are simple and tough, with shallow drafts, true to Linwood Parker’s inshore workboat roots. Developed around 2004, the hull forms are 2^nd generation modified-Vs, with 14-degree running bottoms. The deadrise flows evenly from the transom to a sharp forefoot, with classic Carolina bow flare and sheerline. The chines turn up gradually to follow the sheer.

The hulls are rock-stable at rest but lift easily onto plane at speeds in the low teens. As the designer told us in a phone conversation, “Running outside, it’s all in how you use the boat [adjust speed to the seas].  She’s got a nice bottom and enough weight to ride well. The rising sheer and the flare mean the bow can’t go down into a sea without creating resistance. The flare peels water off, increasing buoyancy.”  Trim tabs recessed into the hull bottom are standard on the 23SE and optional on the 21SE. They are especially valuable for dialing in fore-and-aft trim while adjusting speed to fit sea conditions. 

To ensure self-bailing, the cockpit includes a carefully crowned deck an inch higher in the center, with scuppers 3” above the waterline. To prevent clogging, stainless grates cover the scuppers with one-way flaps at the transom. The hull’s interior provides 19-21” cockpit depth for bracing legs.

The Special Edition models do not have inner liners, which saves weight and cost while offering under-gunwale horizontal rod racks with toerails and showing off Parker’s strong hull-to-deck shoebox joint fastened with adhesive but also through-bolted with washers and stopnuts. A forward casting deck is optional, but light tackle guides operating in rough coastal waters often do without, allowing casters in the bow to stand lower and brace against the coaming. The 23SE offers 65” headroom in the console for a portable toilet.

These SE models were designed for Yamaha’s original F150 (21SE) and F225 (23SE). The efficiency of the hull form, however, has allowed the 23SE to run very well with the more-recently introduced F200, which keeps both the price and fuel burn low. Mike Patrick, Parker’s National Sales Manager, tells us the greatest demand for the 21SE and 23SE comes from anglers and families in the open waters of New England and the Chesapeake Bay (where they are favorites of several of this writer’s friends). Between the standard features and options, SE boats offer “Everything you need, nothing you don’t.” 

Pathfinder 2200 TRS

The 2200 TRS is the modern version of the original Pathfinder, introduced in 1998. The company adapted the hull from the Maverick 21 Master Angler, using the same running surface (which also survives today as the Redfisher 21 under the company’s sister brand, Hewes). “Around 2008,” Pathfinder’s longtime Director of Sales and Marketing Charlie Johnson told us, “we substituted a 25” transom to raise the topsides and create more distance between the cockpit floor and drains, improving self-bailing capability while adding just enough additional hull volume to offset the weight of four-stroke outboards.” He noted that 55% of 2200s go out rigged with Yamaha’s F200s and 35% with F150s.  Performance is excellent with both engines, which have well-deserved reputations for longevity and fuel efficiency. A few equipped with jackplates and F250s go to the Texas coastal bays.             

Also around 2008, Pathfinder added seats and storage under the stern deck, improved rigging access, and enlarged the anchor locker. The company relocated the hinges on the lids of the bow storage compartments to the forward edges for easier loading of rods (check Charlie’s 2200 TRS video on the Pathfinder web site). In 2012, they added under-gunwale rod racks, front access to the console, and a toe-kick under the console. “Cockpit drainage and access changes have been the big ones. “All of the changes to the 2200 over the years have been 100% based on experience with the boat by customers, dealers, and Pathfinder staff,” Charlie added. “My family owns a 2200. We do everything with it, offshore runs on good days for sailfish, water sports, sand bar picnics, sunset cruises. Cushions on the recessed forward lounges and grab rails beside them allow two passengers to ride facing forward on social trips. 

“It’s a good sea boat [this correspondent remembers running one of the originals through 4-5’ seas in Ft. Pierce Inlet in 1998]. Pick your days, know your boat, and pay attention. You’ll do fine. I don’t know if there’s a more successful family boat for utility and ease of use. The evolution of the 2200 comes from our being on the boats through the years and thinking about how to make ‘em better. It’s still our highest-selling boat.”

Read Next: The Future of Boat Design

Key West 1720 CC

“Our most popular model, year after year since 1992,” proclaims the Key West website. “It just fits,” said Tom Marlowe, longtime Director of Sales at Key West, with a smile, “fits your budget, fits your fuel bill, fits your tow vehicle, fits your family, fits your needs, fits your garage (in case your HOA doesn’t allow boats parked outdoors).” There has always (or at least for sixty years) been something special about 17’ center console skiffs that could go shallow or safely handle wide, choppy coastal bays. The Key West 1720 CC remains a worthy example of the breed.

We had a chance to live with one back in 1997, when Suzuki made it available to show off its then-new 70-hp four-stroke. It carried that engine well, but Key West rebalanced it around 2006, Marlowe told us, to carry 90-hp four-strokes better. The company shifted the battery from the starboard stern quarter to the console, moved fuel tank forward 4”, and increased its capacity from 31 to 40 gallons. “The most popular power has always been a 90,” he said, but a 70 is adequate for many uses.” The current 1720 CC has the same running bottom as its predecessor in 1992. 

Key West Boats believes in the enduring quality and seaworthiness of the 1720 CC enough to enter it each year in the Florida Skiff Challenge, a grueling, 1,300-mile circumnavigation of the Florida peninsula.  “She comes through just fine,” said Marlowe. (We note that his son Mike is one of the skippers). Trim tabs are optional on the 1720 CC “but generally not needed,” Marlowe added. The boat planes around 18 mph with a 90-hp engine and no tabs, tops out at 40. With a 70 (the horsepower limit, by the way, for the Skiff Challenge), it planes a little lower (and even lower with tabs) and tops out in the low 30s. The former would be the choice for lakes and calm coastal bays, the latter for broader, rougher open waters. 

When the time came for a new mold in 2016, Marlowe told us, the designers raised the topsides and cockpit sole 2” so the boat would self-bail with people aboard. They modified the console to accommodate flush-mount electronics, rounded the corners there and on the windshield, and softened the lines. The 1720 is now available with wiring for a bow-mount electric motor, dual batteries, and an on-board charger. Most buyers are serious fishermen, but plenty still buy the 1720 CC for general family use, sunset cruises, dock n’ dine trips, and sandbar visits. For all of these uses, it just fits.

Conclusions

So what factors build the enduring appeal of these modern classics?  Here’s what we found:

• All of them are versatile, open utility boats, ready for their owners to fit them to various water activities.
• Each is efficient enough for light tackle and fly-fishing that guides own and use them with clients.
• Each is a “little big boat”, an overachiever that is seaworthy for its size, with an engineered self-draining cockpit.
• Two (the Pathfinder and the Key West) have survived the transition from two-stroke to four-stroke outboards with modifications, including weight balance, higher topsides, and cockpit soles for self-draining.
• The others (the Everglades and the Parkers) were designed around original four-strokes in the early 2000s.
• They are relatively simple in layout, though options like lounges are optional on some. Only one (the Parker 23SE) offers enough headroom in the console (65”) for a toilet. People have for centuries found ways to work around that perceived limitation.
• All are economical to run.
• They are sturdy and well built.
• They are easy to maintain.
• They are trailerable with compact to standard SUVs and pickups.
• They hold their value; some family boats are passed down from generation to generation because they are so generally useful and, for that reason, well loved. They simply make sense.

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Editor’s Note: This story is a preview of a longer form article by Capt. John Page Williams that discusses a number of boat models that have remained current in their respective builder’s lines for decades. What makes a boat stand up to the test of time? Captain Williams will provide some answers. Look for his story coming in Spring 2023.

In 2004, BOATING tested hull #4 of the brand-new Everglades 243cc, the first “hybrid bay boat” that could run shallow inshore but still handle big seas offshore.  Built with Bob Dougherty’s patented, rock-solid RAMCAP process, it was impressive then and still is, eighteen years and 1,400 hulls later, judging by a new one we ran recently in sporty big-water seas.  Curious about why the basic 243cc hull remains in the Everglades line, we talked with David Brown, Vice President of Product Development & Engineering at Everglades Boats.  “It’s the ride and the variable-deadrise hull shape,” he explained.  We still build 70-80 243cc’s each year because demand remains strong.  It’s sort of a cult boat.”  Even so, Everglades adds features as they become available.

The 243cc was designed for Yamaha’s original 225-hp four-stroke outboard. Today’s engine is the company’s F300, which offers more power on less fuel, plus Helm Master EX electronic steering and controls, with autopilot and joystick. 

Other upgrades include switches, lighted stereo speakers, SeaDek pads, a Yeti cooler mounted on a slide under the helm seat, and Garmin electronics. Everglades engineers monitor updates to the systems standards promulgated by the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). For example, the three 12-volt trolling motor batteries fit into a bow compartment on mounts that must pass an ABYC pull test. After eighteen years, the Everglades 243cc remains a safe, seaworthy rig, an investment whose working lifespan measures in generations rather than years. It endures.

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The rise of the mega-center-console has been one of the most eye-popping trends in boating over the last 10 years. Yet even among these bluewater beasts, the Everglades 455cc stands out. Whether you’re a serious angler or super-social at the party cove, this boat has the goods to meet your expectations.

During sea trials, the 455cc effortlessly climbed onto plane with no loss of visibility at the helm, and handling was absolutely superb. With its quad 425 hp XTO outboards, this boat pushed to a near-60 mph top-end. During our sea trial, we ran the boat with only three of the Yamahas fired up, and the 455cc still managed to climb onto plane in about 5 seconds and record a top speed of 47.5 mph. Even with just two engines, we were able to plane the boat in about 15 seconds and run at 23.3 mph.

For fishing, the boat has rod holders everywhere. With its high freeboard, single-level deck, and wide passageways around the console, the 455cc is a 360-degree fishing boat. Powder-coated aluminum toe rails keep you secure while fighting a fish along the gunwales, and there’s always a handhold within reach. There are two pressurized circulating 50-gallon livewells with clear acrylic lids that make it easy to check on your bait. Keep your catch in one of several insulated fish boxes—a 75-gallon box and a 40-gallon box in the transom, two 22-gallon boxes in the main cockpit sole, and a 120-gallon one forward of the console.

The helm allows for vertically flush-mounted 22-inch electronics displays, so everything from navigation and radar to sonar and ship’s systems are all easily viewed. The forward helm seating has three independent seats with flip-up bolsters and flip-down armrests, as well as footrests, so that everyone can sit or stand to their liking. Three more independent seats reside just behind.

Other creature comforts include a sun lounge forward of the console, as well as removable cushions and forward-facing backrests in the U-shaped bow area. Belowdecks, the cabin has 6 feet, 10 inches of max headroom and a surprising amount of space to stretch out. There’s a galley and an enclosed head with a separate stand-up shower. So, go fish, cruise and enjoy.

High Points

• The three independent, flip-down footrests at the helm seats were originally designed to hold firemen standing on firetrucks and can support up to 300 pounds.
• When transiting the boat from stem to stern, there is always a handhold within reach.
• Even with only two of the four engines running, the boat could still climb onto plane and reach a top speed of
  23.3 mph at 4,500 rpm.
• Dash at the helm has room for three flush-mounted 22-inch MFD touchscreens.

How We Tested

• Engines: Quadruple 425 hp Yamaha XTO
• Drive/Props: Outboard/Yamaha XTO 16 3/8″ x 21″ 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.79:1 Fuel Load: 342 gal. Crew Weight: 415 lb.

Pricing and Specs

Everglades Boats – Edgewater, Florida; 386-429-2202; evergladesboats.com

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Powered by quad Yamaha outboards—to shrink distances and expand time—and fitted with a Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer, which tames roll in rough seas, the Everglades 455CC proves truly multi-dimensional when you consider that it’s also rigged to fish, equipped for luxury, and hosts its owners for comfortable overnights thanks to the king-size berth within the console.

Standard features for this unsinkable 47-foot-2-inch model include cabin amenities such as a galley, a convertible high-low teak table, a stand-up head with shower stall and skylight, air conditioning, a 32-inch flat-screen TV and more.

Topside coolness includes a patented hydraulic sliding windshield, room for two 22-inch multifunction displays at the helm, a fiberglass hardtop, an electrically actuated table for bow seating, plus livewells, rod and tackle stowage, and a host of other fishing and comfort features.

With its variable-deadrise deep-V hull and patented closed-molded RAMCAP construction, the 455CC will instill confidence.

Overview

The rise of the mega-center-console has been one of the most eye-popping trends in boating over the last 10 years. Just the sight of one of these long, lean and ornately outfitted machines adorned with multiple truck-size outboards is enough to make you stop in your tracks. Yet even among these bluewater beasts, the Everglades 455cc stands out. Whether you’re a serious angler or a super-social partygoer, this boat has the goods to deliver.

Engines

Let’s start with the ride. One thing I noted during sea trials was how effortlessly the 455cc climbed onto plane, with no loss of visibility at the helm. Many mega-consoles I’ve tested tend to squat climbing out of the hole, including the previous version of this boat, the old 435cc. Everglades tweaked its weight distribution and design to combat this problem, and the 455cc took off like a much smaller, lighter boat. The power source has something to do with it. Yamaha designed its 425 hp XTO outboards for applications just like this, and the quad setup pushed this boat to near-60 mph at top-end, which is damn impressive for a 28,000-pound boat. During our sea trial, we experimented with only three of the Yamahas fired up, and the 455cc still managed to climb onto plane in about 5 seconds and record a top speed of 47.5 mph. Even with just two engines, we were able to plane the boat in about 15 seconds and run at 23.3 mph. With full power, handling was superb. We could carve elegant turns and crank the wheel hard-over at 30 mph with no slippage or jerkiness—smooth as silk.

With its RAMCAP close-molded and foam-filled construction (aka its unsinkable Bob Dougherty heritage), the 455cc is an absolute tank. We noticed waves while running through a light bay chop about as much as an elephant would notice a gnat. No matter how much of a sea state we tried to manufacture by running in tight circles, we could not get the boat to register a shutter or rattle. It just felt like a boat that would be home in the Gulf Stream.

Interior and Accessories

If your first mission is fishing, please take note of the obscene number of rod holders on the boat—40 all told. That means you can equip the boat for any situation and always have a rod at the ready nearby. With its high freeboard, single-level deck, and wide passageways on each side of the console, the 455cc is truly a 360-degree fishing boat, easily traversed with a rod in hand from stem to stern. Powder-coated aluminum toe rails keep you secure while fighting a fish along the gunwales, and there’s always a handhold within reach. There are two pressurized circulating 50-gallon livewells with clear acrylic lids that make it easy to check on your bait. Keep your catch in one of several insulated fish boxes—a 75-gallon box and a 40-gallon box in the transom, two 22-gallon boxes in the main cockpit sole, and a 120-gallon one forward of the console. The main cockpit has dive doors to port and starboard that make it easy to bring in fish from each side. The hardtop features a second helm station that is a cinch to access via a ladder aft of the helm seats. A pair of 22-foot -Gemlux outriggers come standard. A standard Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer only adds to the boat’s comfort and stability.

For the captain (and the crew), the helm setup is incredible. The dash allows for three flush-mounted 22-inch electronics displays, so everything from navigation and radar to sonar and ship’s systems are all easily viewed. The custom-made Garmin digital switching system makes for seamless transition between functions. Pretty much everything on the boat can be controlled via touchscreen. (Here’s a cool feature: Through the Garmin system, the livewells are programmed to turn off and restart every few minutes to prevent air lock.) The forward helm seating has three independent seats with flip-up bolsters and flip-down armrests, as well as footrests, so that everyone can sit or stand to their liking. Three more independent seats reside just behind. With every seat deployed, the Yacht Certified 455cc can accommodate 27 people.

With all the creature comforts on board, any long-distance run or overnight expedition would be no sweat. With the aforementioned helm seats, the flip-down transom benches and aft-facing cockpit seats, places to kick back and rest abound. There’s a sun lounge forward of the console, as well as removable cushions and forward-facing backrests in the U-shaped bow area. Belowdecks, the cabin has 6 feet, 10 inches of max headroom and a surprising amount of space to stretch out. There’s a galley and an enclosed head with a separate stand-up shower.

For comparison shopping, it’s worth taking a look at the SeaVee 450z (around $1.3 million for the base boat with quad Mercury Racing 450 outboards), which hit 64.4 mph with the extra horsepower. Additionally, take a look at Valhalla Boatworks’ V-46, which also sells for around $1.3 million for the base boat with quad Mercury Racing 450s, and topped out around 70 mph. The slightly smaller Scout 425 LXF starts at a little over $1.1 million with triple Yamaha XTOs.

Either as a pure fishing boat or a pure pleasure boat, or anything in between, the Everglades 455cc should hold your attention.

How We Tested

• Engines: Quadruple 425 hp Yamaha XTO
• Drive/Props: Outboard/Yamaha XTO 16 3/8″ x 21″ 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.79:1 Fuel Load: 342 gal. Water Load: 50 gal. Crew Weight: 415 lb.

High Points

• When transiting the boat from stem to stern, there is always a handhold within reach.
• Even with only two of the four engines running, the boat could still climb onto plane and reach a top speed of 23.3 mph at 4,500 rpm.
• Dash at the helm has room for three flush-mounted 22-inch MFD touchscreens.

Low Points

• To access the ladder to the hardtop tower, you have to step on one of the aft-facing seat cushions, an arrangement Everglades says it will fix in production.
• Any outboard-powered boat is going to struggle with rod clearance at the transom when compared to working a fish around an inboard battlewagon.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Everglades Boats – Edgewater, Florida; 386-409-2202; evergladesboats.com

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Everglades calls its new 235cc an “entry-level” center-console. Not to contradict the boatbuilder, but this fishing/family boat is far beyond the usual stripped starter offering.

Check out the helm seats. Everglades has patented the clever swivel helm seat that turns the dual forward-facing seats into mezzanine seating that overlooks the cockpit while still giving the skipper a comfortable leaning post and ample standing room. Either way, the seats have folding armrests and flip-down footrests.

Powered by a 300 hp Yamaha Helm Master EX outboard, the 235cc tops out at nearly 46 mph—fast enough for distant fishing grounds and to tow kids on water toys, and plenty to get you home quickly if the weather turns. Drop back to 38 mph, and you get a 202-mile range.

The no-glare dashboard is ready for a single or pair of large-display Garmin GPS/chart plotters, sounder and VHF with AIS. Helm Master controls and Bocatech finish the dash.

Everyone is going to have something to love. Fishermen will appreciate the Everglades angler touches, with a rigging station, tackle-tray stowage, tool/leader storage and four rod holders. Tucked in the transom is a 17-gallon circulating livewell on one side, with an insulated cooler opposite. Undercoaming rod racks keep the cockpit clear, while both divers and anglers will use the standard fold-in utility door in the port hull side.

Families, on the other hand, will welcome the surprisingly spacious head compartment with a portable potty. Up front, the console has contoured seating plus another insulated cooler, and the wraparound seats flip into lounges. In the cockpit, retractable full-transom seating folds down.

The 235cc is unsinkable, with a lifetime hull warranty and no wood used in the hull construction. Strength is added by closed-cell foam, and the hull is protected by premium vinylester gelcoat.

If this is a “starter” boat, the 235cc raises the bar for all builders on layout, equipment and construction.

High Points

• Fiberglass hardtop is on a powder-coated frame, and includes LED lighting, spreader lights, electronics box and four rod holders, plus life-jacket storage. The sliding windshield is patented by Everglades.
• Sounds come from a premium Fusion 770 with Bluetooth, plus JL speakers, amps and a subwoofer.
• Unsinkable hull adds security, wiring is high-grade tinned copper, and the inner liner is fully finished. The hull carries a lifetime warranty.

Specs

LOA: 25′0 (with engine); 24′0″ (without engine)

Beam: 8′6″

Draft (max): 1′3″ (hull only); 2′6″ (engine down)

Dry Weight: 5,600 lb. (with power)

Seat/Weight Capacity: Yacht Certified

Fuel Capacity: 105 gal.

Available Power: Single Yamaha 300 hp

Price: $129,899 (base)

More Information

Everglades Boats – Edgewater, Florida; 386-416-0083; evergladesboats.com

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Everglades’ new 395 Center Console is designed for those looking for something larger than the company’s 365 CC but not as robust as the 435 CC. Packed with creature comforts, the 395 CC has standard mezzanine seating and full-beam-width folding transom seating, finished flooring within the opulent cabin, and an interior dining area that transforms into an oversize sleeping area. Air conditioning, TV and more are standard.

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The new Everglades 340DC possesses the superior offshore capabilities for which all Everglades models garner praise. Additionally, it provides outstanding amenities and comfort. What specific highlights await?

The 340DC’s hardtop integrates with the windshield, providing structural integrity and awesome weather protection. It looks great from without—as the photo above attests—and the view from the helm proved excellent. Grab rails installed on its underside proved a nice touch that many builders neglect. The windshield’s center pane closes electrically to seal the deal: Just hit the switch. Everglades integrates mounting pads into the top for the optional outriggers.

There are double-wide helm and companion seats; the companion seat converts into a chaise longue. Abaft the helm, a galley with sink, two-tiered Corian counter, refrigerator and optional grill reside. Inside the portside console, find a snug cabin complete with berth, TV and an optional air conditioner. A commodious head occupies the starboard console, providing privacy and comfort.

Now, head to the bow, with its richly upholstered lounges, integrated cooler and removable table. It’s deep and secure, as well as plush, so crew can truly enjoy the ride. And how does the 340DC ride?

The boat confidently burst through the inlet and raced toward the horizon as we met the incoming Atlantic swell. Soft and quiet under way, thanks to Everglades’ better-than-most construction and rigging, this boat encourages adding speed to your run as desired. Certainly, the twin 425 hp Yamaha XTO outboards delivered better than 1 mpg between trolling speed and 40 mph. These engines also hurtle this boat to 54 mph. For ultimate seaborne comfort, order the optional Seakeeper gyrostabilizer. It stopped the rock aboard our tester at the touch of a switch.

Anglers need not fear: With a 96- square-foot cockpit, a 24-gallon livewell, a 71-gallon fish box and optional Gemlux carbon-fiber outriggers, the 340DC stands ready to fish. With two folding seats at the transom, you’ll do it in comfort and style. Oh, yeah.

High Points

⋅The companion seat converts from a doublewide seat to a chaise longue.

⋅Optional Seakeeper gyrostabilizer tames the roll.

⋅What a hardtop!

⋅Everglades offers tough, unsinkable, premolded, foam-filled construction.

Specs

LOA: 33′6″

Beam: 11′11″

Draft: 2′8 1/4″ (drives up)

Dry Weight: 13,000 lb.

Seat/Weight Capacity: Yacht Certified

Fuel Capacity: 300 gal.

Price: $460,385

How We Tested

Engines: Twin 425 hp Yamaha XTO

Drive/Props: Outboard/16 5/8″ x 19″ 3-blade stainless steel

Gear Ratio: 1.79:1

Fuel Load: 148 gal.

Crew Weight: 600 lb.

More Information

Everglades Boats – Edgewater, Florida; 877-555-9300; evergladesboats.com

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Everglades Boats and the FFMD team held a celebratory giveaway ceremony on Thursday December 14th at Boaters Exchange New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Everglades and FFMD joined forces earlier this year to give one lucky winner a chance to own a 2017 Everglades 243cc for as little as $100. Interested supporters bought $100 raffle tickets for a chance at winning the brand new boat. Raffle ticket sales generated more than $200,000 with proceeds going to benefit FFMD and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in their efforts to increase awareness of muscle disease and to support research for Muscular Dystrophy. The winner was pulled at the Washington DC MDA Muscle Team Gala in November.

Learn About Another Good Cause Everglades Raised Money For

Everglades dealers nationwide worked extremely hard all year long to sell thousands of tickets – ultimately the winner was Matt Montgomery of Ormond Beach. The Everglades team couldn’t be prouder to see FFMD represented locally. “We’d like to extend our most sincere congratulations to Matt Montgomery and his family. We are so proud to be partnered with such an incredible cause and hope the boat brings the Montgomery family lots of joy for years to come” Said Bryan Harris, VP of Sales and Marketing.

The 243cc with Yamaha 300 4-stroke – Everglades’ best-selling model – will include a hard top, upper second station, twin lifting platforms, an Amera-Trail Aluminum Trailer, and a Sign Zoo Wrap (to be provided new for the winner). In addition, the boat will include state-of-the-art electronics, a top-of-the-line fishing package, and Everglades’ premium lighting package, amidst countless other features.

About Everglades Boats

For 16 years, Everglades Boats has led the industry with their premier line of luxury center console fishing boats. Known for their patented RAMCAP hull design, functional fishibility, and innovative features, the Florida-based company has continued to disrupt the market with innovative designs, unmatched quality, and a warranty that can’t be beat. For more information about Everglades Boats or to find a dealer near you, visit www.EvergladesBoats.com

About Fishing for Muscular Dystrophy

Fishing for Muscular Dystrophy was created in 2015 by Paul Robertson. The team’s mission is to raise funds to help fund treatments and research to find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. Profits from tournament winnings are donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. For more information about the FFMD team, visit www.fishingforMD.com

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Each year, Boating ­editors test over 100 different powerboats of just about every description in just about every category. At each test, our tech team notes the standout features of the boats, as well as any features we believe require remediation. These are catalogued as the “High Points” and “Low Points” published with each boat test. Often these points relate to construction, design, and safety in accordance with published standards, such as those of the American Boat and Yacht Council, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. At a minimum, the Boat of the Year must not exhibit violations of such standards. To avoid comparing apples and oranges — because what is acceptable for an inshore runabout may not be for an offshore fishing boat — we utilize considered opinion along with the hard data. We compare the test boat to other boats in the same category, asking not just “How well does this boat fulfill its intended mission?” but also “How much better does this boat fulfill its intended mission compared to other similar boats?” The boats are viewed through the lens of an experienced team possessing over 150 years of combined time on the water, both personally and assessing boats for a living. Ultimately, the winner is the boat that stands out in its category more than any other boat tested stands out in any other category. After a year’s testing, much debate and heated discussion, here are Boating’s Boat of the Year finalists for 2017. The Boat of the Year winner will be announced in our January 2018 issue of the magazine, and the trophy will be awarded at the Progressive Miami International Boat Show in February 2018.

Everglades 253 CC (May 2017)
Our test team was impressed by the Everglades 253 CC’s, and we quote, “blend of unsinkable durability, hardcore fishability, and family comfort.” We can add that Everglades builds its own tops and produces its own wire harnesses, and its metalwork and electrical systems are worthy to use as standards by which to judge those installed aboard other boats. As with our other Boat of the Year finalists, the fit and finish aboard the Everglades 253 CC rank among the best we’ve seen.

Full Test

Formula 430 Super Sport Crossover (July 2017)
This quad-outboard performer delivered high-performance speed and handling during our test, qualities we’ve come to expect from a Formula Super Sport. Its layout proves unique, with a full windshield and portside access to the open bow. Structural highlights include a hull-to-deck joint that’s both chemically bonded and through-bolted. Crossover? This boat can be a weekend getaway for a couple or a fun island for grandparents wishing to bring aboard the clan for the day.

Full Test

Grady-White Freedom 235 (March 2017)
Grady-White’s Freedom 235 represents the finest execution of a dual console boat we’ve seen, blending the best elements of a bowrider, fishing boat and watersports boat into one easily trailerable craft that can ply an inland canal with as much aplomb as it can run through a coastal inlet. Structurally, one of many design elements to note is that, like its cockpit, every single compartment drains overboard. That’s a great safety feature.

Full Test

Sea Ray SLX 400 (October 2017)
Our tester termed Sea Ray’s SLX 400 “your own floating water park,” in reference to this boat’s abundant versatility. This “cruiser” handles nimbly at 40 knots, makes a great weekender, and boasts many design innovations, not the least of which is the expandable swim platform known as the swim terrace. It will be available with outboard power by the time you read this. Dedicated stowage for a stand-up paddleboard is just one example that reflects a builder in touch with the current wishes of many boaters.

Full Test

Supra SE 550 (June 2017)
That this was the boat that pulled the Pro Tour comes as no surprise. It creates wakes that are not just large (did we mention “humongous”?) but can be shaped to suit using a variety of proprietary devices and systems. Integrating technology into the total boat, its Vision Dash delivers touchscreen control of not only wakes and waves but also engine status, navigation and entertainment. A unique tower design makes garage stowage or low-bridge situations easy to handle, while innovative seating allows the cockpit to work for sunset cruises as well as wakesurfing sessions.

Full Test

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Ramcap unsinkable construction, factory-built hardtops, hydraulically lifted windshields, and some of the best wiring and plumbing systems we’ve seen mark Everglades‘ latest edition to its crossover inshore/offshore center consoles, the 253 CC.

What is the big deal about this 25-foot inshore/offshore category that makes these boats the most sizzling, hottest vessels at the dock? Well, with the 253 CC, it’s the destroyer-class durability and rigidity of the Ramcap hull with an incredibly solid connection to the hardtop and superstructure that give the 253 the ability to cut through the ferryboat and tug wakes we encountered near Key Biscayne. It’s also the 20-degree deadrise that cuts yet allows for a drive-up draft of just 16 inches, which means that snook, redfish, trout and tarpon are within your grasp. And on those incredible days when the seas lie down, the 253 CC has everything you need to slip along the beach and bang some cobia. After our check ride, we wouldn’t be a bit reluctant to head farther offshore to hook some mahi, kings or sails.

The active ingredients for successful fishing are all in place. An oval leaning-post livewell with side drain and gasketed lid keeps bait circulating, lively and fresh to attract your prey. We were surprised at the ample cockpit space behind the leaning post, which means crew can fight fish while the gaffer moves around easily to bring the catch aboard.

The 253’s aft deck comprises a single platform of optimum height to step on and get to the transom to guide a stubborn fish around the motor. Undergunwale rod storage features SeaDek pads to protect reels. Ample rod holders in the gunwale and four more standard to the hardtop kept sticks at the ready. All gunwale rod holders are plumbed and drained, keeping water where it belongs — out of the boat.

Fish lockers are forward and large enough to hold a good-size wahoo and certainly all the kings and mahi you might gaff. The compartments are insulated and drain overboard without needing pumps. You can’t beat gravity for reliability. ­Tackle compartments on either side of the livewell help keep you organized. Lockers that swing from under the gunwales hold lines, utility tackle boxes and other gear.

You can opt for outriggers at any time thanks to the built-in sockets molded into every Everglades hardtop. Adding the sockets later will make them factory-sturdy and is easy to accomplish.

Everglades specially designed its leaning post to fit two 30-quart Yeti Hoppers, and they’ll ensure the crew can bring adequate refreshments. There is additional cooler space ahead of the console.

As lifelong anglers, we can’t help but ­focus on fishing, but we’re also family men, luring kids and neighbors to the coast for fun and fellowship. As a comfort machine, Everglades goes beyond superior seakeeping capabilities with luxurious amenities.

The forward casting decks have stowable seat cushions with forward-facing backrests fit to rod holders. A thickly padded bolster with military-quality corners and double stitching makes the forward deck a perfect area for sunning, reclining or dinner-cruising conversation.

You’d have to look at Scout‘s 251 XS ($89,199 with hardtop) to get that kind of luxury, but the Scout is definitively more inshoreish in style. Lower, sleek gunwales ­reduce windage needed to keep on track with a trolling motor, and the ­18-degree deadrise allows a shallower 13-inch draft. But the offshore amenities such as a livewell, rod holders and durable construction are all there. Everglades takes top nod, though, on its optional windlass because it’s concealed below deck, clearing the space for snag-free bait netting.

Back on the aft deck, it’s no surprise that two seats flip up out of the casting platform, but it’s a treat to see the cooler between them. It has a nonskid lid for secure footing, should swimmers be entering or leaving via the portside swim platform, and a stainless-steel boarding ladder. With these amenities, the Everglades 253 CC is well suited for entertaining a crowd, and will be the most popular vessel at the sandbar gathering.

It will be even more so with its Fusion audio system with five-channel amplifier, 8-inch JL speakers for syrupy sound ­clarity, and a subwoofer to add a deeper thump.

Everglades leaves navigation gear ­selection to the boater and the dealer, but it maximizes every space by carefully positioning switches ergonomically up front while tucking lesser-used switches, like the battery switch, below the helm. The arrangement creates an enormous ­playing field for adding digital instrumentation and multifunction displays — up to 20 inches. Everglades installs SeaStar power steering, standard on the 253 CC, and you won’t find a smoother helm underway.

High Points
* Integrated Rigid Industries LED spreader, side and forward lights illuminate the whole boat when needed without overdraining batteries.
* Side-draining livewell is more reliable and convenient than standpipe livewells.
* Forward seating is comfortable, practical and easily stowable for fishing.

Low Points
* Additional utility box compartments would be desirable.
* We’d like to see the optional center deck platform as a standard feature.

Price: $138,462 (with test power)

Available Power: Outboard

How We Tested
Engines: Yamaha F300
Drive/Prop: SWS II 15.5″ x 17″ 3-blade stainless steel
Gear Ratio: 1.75:1
Fuel Load: 80 gal.
Water On Board: 0 gal.
Crew Weight: 400 lb.

Everglades Boats
Edgewater, Florida; 386-409-2202; evergladesboats.com

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