Editor’s Note: Boating’s Tech Team will be sea-trialing this new Sailfish 232 CC soon. One thing we note, without even taking her out, is that you can power this Sallfish with a variety of outboard brands. You can choose from Mercury, Yamaha or Suzuki, which gives you more flexibility in choosing your dealer. Look for our full boat test report coming soon.

Sailfish Boats announces the 232 Center Console (CC). Engineered with precision and design for unparalleled performance, safety, and comfort. The 232 CC has everything boaters need and more.

Step aboard the 232 CC and discover a world of upscale amenities and comfort at your fingertips. The Sailfish 232 boasts an array of innovative features designed to enhance every aspect of your on water boating experience. From the convenience of port and starboard transom entry points, to the versatility of twin 10-gallon livewells tucked beneath the rear bench seat, every detail has been carefully crafted with the modern boater in mind.

From the integrated full-height windshield built into the T-top frame, to the bow seating with built-in chaise backrests, every detail exudes quality, comfort and ease of use for a day of fishing or just enjoying the day on the water. With head access from the front of the console, complete with a standard portable head, pump-out optional. Equipped with a 108-gallon (45.4 L) fuel tank – the largest in its competitive set – and a transom Baja beach cooler for easy access to refreshments when hanging in the water, the 232 ensures that your adventures continue uninterrupted. Additional features, such as the standard 65-quart Engel hard side carry-on cooler with slide out tray beneath the leaning post, provide ample storage for all of your essentials.

While the 232 CC prioritizes comfort, it does not lack in the performance department. Like all Sailfish models, the 232 sits on the revolutionary VDS hull design, delivering unmatched stability, agility and efficiency on the water. This innovative three-hulls-in-one platform offers an ideal blend of stability and performance, whether navigating calms waters or powering through choppy conditions. The deepest “step” features a steep 24-degree angle, expertly designed to slice through the water with remarkable ease, ensuring a smooth ride. Positioned slightly shallower at 23-degrees, the second surface facilitates easy airflow under the hull, reducing friction and maximizing fuel efficiency. Finally, the outermost stepped surface, set at a flatter 22-degree angle, enhances stability when the boat is at rest. In practical terms, this means passengers will not experience that dreaded rocking feeling, even after a long day on the water.

Sailfish’s Sailtech construction process enhances the already impressive ride characteristics of the VDS Hull. Combining a strong building philosophy and premium materials like Kevlar®, carbon fiber, quad-axial fiberglass mat, Prisma® beams on the underside of the deck and Trevira®. Sailtech delivers the next-level strength, quality and durability to stand out from the rest. With Sailtech, boaters can relax and enjoy the quality of the build and comfort knowing that they are aboard one of the most secure models on the market. Standard power is 200HP or choose the optional 250-hp motor from Mercury, Yamaha or Suzuki engines, ensuring top performance both new or seasoned captains alike.

Read Next: Sailfish 312 CC

Finally, tailor your Sailfish 232 Center Console to suit your unique preferences with a range of options. Choose from features such as a reversible leaning post that can face aft, single Garmin 1243 GPS screen, or the entertainment package, including a retractable ski tow pylon, fusion transom remote and Hella underwater lights to further enhance your boat and boating experience.

Sailfish Boats is excited to embark on a new era of boating excellence with the 232 Center Console. Whether you are an avid angler, water sports enthusiast, or just want a take a leisurely cruise, this center console promises to meet your every expectation. The new 232 Center Console will be in dealerships starting this summer. Visit your local dealer to learn more about the new Sailfish 232 CC and the entire line-up of boats.

Preliminary Specifications

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If you’re shopping for a boat that can accommodate your family, your fishing trips, and your comfort needs, a dual console boat might be the perfect choice for you. When looking for a dual console boat, it’s important to consider features such as depth in the cockpit, stowaway space for inflatables and watersports gear, fishing functionality and a wide bow seating area. You want a deep cockpit area because it makes it stable and easy to get your footing while fishing, and provides safety for small children.

An amazing feature is the wraparound windshield for extra protection in choppy waters. Boats of this nature offer the easy convenience of a changing room on board with a portable head or a flushing toilet. Dual consoles have the perfect seating configuration of a bowrider but the rugged durability of an inshore/offshore fishing boat which makes it great to operate in both areas. These ideal features are perfect for fishing, cruising comfort, and provide ample space for all your activities.

The post What to Look For in a Dual Console Boat appeared first on Boating Mag.

The Sailfish 226 Dual Console crosses over so well from a freshwater runabout to a saltwater fishing boat. Featured on this boat with a Suzuki 200 horsepower outboard motor, it is extremely powerful, and fuel efficient.

Sailfish boats have their VDS hull which involves 3 different planning surfaces: sharper at the keel, moderate in the middle, and by the time you get out to the chines it’s a lot shallower, that gives you great stability at slow speeds.

You’ll notice and love the full wraparound windshield, optimal legroom, 7-inch display on the helm, and the center console trademark of comfortable seating.

Learn more about the Sailfish 226 Dual Console here.

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Overview

In a sea full of center-console sport-fishers, Sailfish stands out by attending to all the details needed for an efficient big-game platform. The company adheres to standards of high quality that keeps it on the top shelf of production-boat brands. The new 312 CC has all of Sailfish’s attributes, including comfortable cruising, stability at trolling speeds, and fuel efficiency from a well-designed hull.

Our tests prove Sailfish’s design team is comprised of fishermen and accomplished skippers who draw from their experience to develop features and building techniques that favor hardcore fishability, exemplary seakeeping abilities in the roughest waters, and the durability to support an extended warranty. Just as important, Sailfish keeps family and crew comfort in mind, making its boats ideal candidates for families anticipating a wide assortment of recreational activities.

Interior and Accessories

Fourteen rod holders, including six shotgun holders, are arranged around the cockpit. Five more are located in the hardtop, as are two kingfish rod holders port and starboard. Those are particularly important for kingfish, obviously, but are also handy in bump-trolling with livies for pelagics such as mahi or sailfish. Also built into the hardtop are backing plates to receive outriggers as an aftermarket accessory.

There are 62 gallons of livewell capacity between the portside transom livewell and the leaning-post livewell. Keep goggle-eyes in one and pilchards in the other. They are rounded inside to improve bait movement, well-aerated, and covered with acrylic lids for keen observation. We liked the setup of the rigging station in the leaning post, with tackle drawers, slots for utility boxes, and spots to keep tools handy.

The bow deck is ready for anglers too, with rod holders conveniently located, and removable lounge cushions to convert seating into casting platforms. The cockpit itself has stowable lounges. When deployed, they can seat four to six passengers. When stowed, they complete the gunwale and transom bolsters, allowing anglers to brace comfortably while battling fish. We also found the gunwale height well-balanced between providing a safe cockpit depth and the ability to reach the water to bill a fish.

Hand in hand with fishability is performance. The boat is stable at rest under crew movement and comfortable at speed in seas and heavy chop. Sailfish employs a hull design it calls VDS for variable-degree stepped hull, which features three separate planing surfaces on both sides of the keel. The one nearest the keel has a 24-degree deadrise to cleave waves at speed. The middle surface is 23 degrees, broadening out to improve stability, and the planes closest to the chine are 22 degrees, ensuring optimal balance between at-rest stability and high-seas performance.

Sail Tech is what Sailfish calls its construction process with a lamination schedule and assembly. It includes strategic use of Kevlar, carbon fiber and quad-axial fiberglass to create a rigid hull that can handle rough reentry from seas. It’s what makes the boat rigid, durable and smooth while riding in rough water.

Engines

Handling the boat in our tests was a blast thanks to Yamaha’s F300 outboards with digital controls and joystick. Docking it was easy. Acceleration was snappy, tipping over to plane in a little over 3 seconds and hitting 30 mph in 8 seconds. With a 10 percent fuel reserve, it has a range of 430 miles at 29.5 mph.

The helm station had thickly padded bucket seats set a comfortable distance from the wheel and throttles. Seated driving was more comfortable than most boats we’ve tested, and the footrest in the station was comfortably located. With the bolster up, the skipper is easily in control with an outstanding view through the tempered-glass windshield. On top of the helm, where everyone dumps their wallets and phones, Sailfish installed an acrylic compartment with dividers and a clear lid to stow the crew’s valuables, glasses and such. If you choose to add radar, the hardtop is durably built to handle it.

Side boarding doors are becoming mandatory among boat buyers, and Sailfish’s was well done. It opened inward on solid stainless-steel hinges and closed watertight with a beefy, highly polished latch.

Robalo’s 302 ($286,697 base with test power) is 16 inches shorter but 9 inches wider, putting its footprint toe-to-toe with the Sailfish. The 302 doesn’t sport the portside door, but its cockpit space is comparable and complete with an additional lounge chair that the Sailfish forgoes in favor of the door. The Robalo also sports dual livewells.

Conveniences at the bow included a cooler under the center-console seat and retractable lounge backs. A flip-up center bow seat improves access to the windlass and anchor compartment. Inside the console is a roomy compartment with more than 6 feet of headroom, housing a sink, toilet, and convenient access to battery switches and wiring.

The Sailfish 312 CC is one of the latest in the company’s full line of fishing-focused, family-friendly boats. In my experience, it’s among the best in its class.

How We Tested

• Engines: Dual Yamaha F300s
• Drive/Prop: SWS II 15.25″ x 18″
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 60 gal. Water On Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 400 lb.

High Points

• Livewells have powerful pumps and ample circulation. Clear lids make it easy to keep an eye on bait condition.
• Sailfish’s battery system includes voltage-sensing relays for optimizing alternator power.
• Standard through-stem anchor chute and windlass ease bottomfishing chores.
• Acrylic lidded locker atop the console keeps phones and wallets secure.

Low Points

• We liked the bow seatbacks that extend or lower, but would’ve preferred them to be removable and stowable.
• An optional upper station would be a good factory addition.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Sailfish Boats – Cairo, Georgia; 229-377-2125; sailfishboats.com

The post Boat Test: 2023 Sailfish 312 CC appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

Those who say dual-console boats aren’t real fishing boats have never stepped aboard a boat like the Sailfish 316 DC, with a vast expanse of open cockpit space that channels the same feel as a traditional sport-fishing boat. Its best-of-both-worlds design allows occupants to go from fishing to entertaining in a blink or do both simultaneously.

Interior and Accessories

The other vast attention-getter is the 316’s 41-inch-high, three-piece windshield. Extra-tall windshields are one of the fastest-growing trends in modern recreational boating design but usually confined to boats like the decidedly unfishy Sea Ray 370 outboard. The 316 DC comes equipped with a standard hardtop, stiffened by carbon fiber in stress points, and joined to the windshield to provide an oasis from the wind and sea. And under the big top is 6 feet, 10 inches of headroom that could fit NBA star Kevin Durant. While a couple of small vents or an air-conditioning option would be nice on blazing days, the sliding center section of the windshield allows for a variable amount of airflow without the usual all-or-nothing option provided by flip-open windshield sectionals, though it can’t be secured unless fully open or shut. For extra cockpit shade, there’s a manual SureShade option for $10,414.

Sailfish encourages owners to load up the 316 DC with reasonably priced options such as the Entertainment Package ($3,076), which includes features that expand its versatility with a ski-tow pylon, cockpit table with fore and aft receivers, Fusion transom remote control and three underwater lights. Our test boat came equipped with the galley option ($3,683) that includes a 12-volt Isotherm refrigerator, a sink with spigot, a wine rack cooler, and ample Corian countertop space that can double as a bait-rigging station. The bow section epitomizes the 316’s recreational vibe with twin Cleopatra couches that have the perfect amount of recline, although the flip-down armrests were unnaturally high. A table ($921) can also be placed aft, and it becomes a perfect place for dining or card play. A beverage is never far away with a bow cooler and a sandbar cooler built into the portside swim platformette.

A portside dive door enables easy passage for dockside guests and swimmers alike, and a rear-facing club seat in the open cockpit makes a perfect throne to observe a trolling spread, with storage for the dive-door ladder. In addition, three flip-down bench seats provide seating for seven-plus in a socially friendly layout without limiting fishing space. There are six rod holders at the transom, a pair in the gunwales, and six rocket launchers positioned on the hardtop support pillars, and an in-floor rod storage-locker option ($317). To keep bait frisky, there’s a curved 30-gallon transom recirculating livewell to port. Dual in-floor fish boxes give plenty of capacity, long enough for pelagic fish like extra-large wahoo.

At the compact helm, owners will find enough room for a pair of 12-inch Garmin displays, and a standard Mercury SmartCraft screen is above. The electronically adjustable helm seat has a flip-up bolster to create stand-up room or a higher perspective while seated. Black padding on top of the dash reduces reflective ghosts in the windshield. The companion helm seat is extra wide for comfort and sits far back enough to allow the head door to swing open without conflict. Inside is a yachtlike head compartment with a sink and electric toilet.

Engines

Our test boat was equipped with standard twin 300 hp Mercury Verado V-8 outboards that give the 316 DC a suggested retail price of $315,147, but the biggest no-brainer on the option sheet is an upgrade to twin Verado 350s for just $7,233. Another fishing-forward center-console to consider is the Grady-White Freedom 307, which comes standard with twin Yamaha F300 outboards. It has 10 inches more beam than the Sailfish 316 DC but is pricier, with a suggested retail of $345,058.

The twin Mercury 300 hp package provides sporty performance and pushed the 9-foot-9-inch-wide, 32-foot-6-inch-long hull with an estimated rigged weight of 11,315 pounds to a top speed of 51.1 mph during our sea trial. Acceleration was swift with a time to plane of 4.5 seconds and a zero-to-30 mph time of 8 seconds.

Sailfish’s Variable Degree Stepped (VDS) hull was put to the test in a gnarly Palm Beach Inlet churning up steep 4- to 5-footers. It’s not stepped in the traditional sense of adding a longitudinal notch with a vent that introduces air under the hull. Instead, the VDS hull uses a steep 24 degrees of deadrise at the centerline that gently flattens to 23 degrees, moving outward before tapering to 22 degrees at the outside of the hull, which gives it plenty of slicing ability without being too tender at rest. In front, the hull’s entry is 58 degrees, which helped it neatly slice through the maelstrom cleanly. The big windshield kept our faces dry as a stiff headwind blasted the spray. Fortunately, there’s a driverside windshield wiper with a fresh-water spritzer to keep it clear.

Part of our inlet adventure included breaking out the fishing rods to prospect for snook, and a ripping tide made it easy to do some vertical jigging. Although we remained in a state of snooklessness, the tall cockpit gunwale height, which averages 31 inches, made it easy to brace against the coaming pads for comfort and security.

Read Next: 2022 Sailfish 276DC

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin Mercury Verado V-8 300 hp
• Drive/Props: Outboard/19″ x 19″ Revolution 4 4-blade
• Fuel Load: 150 gal. Crew Weight: 415 lb.

High Points

• Excellent access to pumps, batteries and the seacock.
• Open cockpit layout offers more room for fishing than most dual-console boats.
• Heavy-duty hardware illustrates Sailfish’s approach to boatbuilding.

Low Points

• Bow chaise longue armrests are set too high.
• Adding vents to the windshield would add needed airflow on hot days.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Sailfish Boats – Cairo, Georgia; 229-377-2125; sailfishboats.com

The post 2022 Sailfish 316 DC appeared first on Boating Mag.

Overview

I admit it. I almost fell into using the threadbare simile often found in boating reviews, where a boat is described as being a Swiss Army knife. It’s shorthand for a boat that does everything well. And I started to use that on the Sailfish 276DC, but realized that would be completely, totally false. It does not do everything well.

It will not open a bottle of wine.

But the 276 does everything else extremely well. The 276DC (for Dual Console) is a boat for all reasons and all seasons.  

Interior and Accessories

Pile a bunch of fishing buddies aboard and the spacious cockpit has the openness you’d expect from a center-console, not to mention underfloor rod storage and six rod holders in the transom.  

For your family outings, the forward seating is clearly pilfered from a luxurious bowrider, with easy access between the consoles and both a door and folding windshield to control the breeze. Adventures with the kids are easy too with the optional retractable ski bar for towing water toys or skiers. 

Families and anglers are going to appreciate the head tucked neatly in the port console. Having a head aboard makes all-day outings comfortable, and Sailfish has two surprises here. The first is 52-inch headroom, so you can actually change out of a wet bathing suit. Second, the electric marine head is standard, so no more portable marine toilet or pumping action.  

Sailfish allows tailoring each 276DC to your particular fun zone, with an optional dive and tuna door in the port side (which also makes boarding from docks easy), and a cockpit galley and bar that’s able to accommodate a fridge. The impressive fiberglass hardtop with powder-coated supports is standard (including docking lights and PFD stowage), but you can add a SureShade awning to shade the aft cockpit.  

The standard equipment list is nothing short of impressive. It ranges from easy-to-clean SeaDek flooring in the head to a midship ski locker, and from built-in tackle trays to a circulating 30-gallon baitwell (LED-lit) that will please anglers, as will the two in-floor fish boxes and another insulated box forward that can double as a cooler. The raw-water washdown is for fishing cleanup, and a freshwater shower (14-gallon tank) is for swimmers or sandy beachgoers. And don’t miss the extended transoms on each side of the outboards; one hides the four-step boarding ladder, and the other has a built-in cooler for easy access at the sandbar.

Engines

Base power is twin Mercury or Yamaha 150 outboards, but I’d vote for the twin Yamaha F200 upgrade on our test boat as a good balance between speed and economy.  

A word about construction: The 276DC is built like a tank. For starters, there is no wood. Anywhere. So, the worry of dry rot in plywood reinforcing is gone. The fiberglass hull stringers are foam-filled, and both Kevlar and carbon fiber are used in areas with high loads. Thoughtful details include backing plates built into the hardtop, which make adding electronics a cinch. And anyone who has tried to chase wiring through a hull will bless Sailfish for using built-in rigging tubes with pull cords to add or replace wires. And to cap it off, Sailfish offers a 10-year hull warranty.

Besides the two aft-facing seats, there’s a 38-inch fold-down rear bench, plus fold-down seating standard on the starboard side. With these out of the way, anglers have wide-open deck space and 30-inch-high coamings for security. The skipper gets a power-adjustable chair with flip-up bolster for standing. Forward, the backrests (with folding armrests) are higher than the norm at 22 inches for all-day comfort. Aft, parents will appreciate the 31-inch-high coamings for safety.

Shopping? Consider the Pursuit DC266 ($196,089 with twin Yamaha 200s), which is close in size and layout.

One of the selling points of the 276DC is the Sailfish Variable Degree Stepped (VDS) hull, now in its sixth generation. This hull changes the deadrise in three 1-degree increments from 24 degrees (a true deep-V) to 22 degrees. The result is a hull that offers a deep-V’s soft ride offshore as well as speed and economy in smooth water.  

Underway, the 276DC proved the efficacy of the VDS shape. We topped out at 45.2 mph, and barely produced a sneeze of spray punching back through our own wake, thanks to the triple strakes and hard chines that throw spray to the side. Steering was light, and carving slaloms was just pure fun.

Putting the hammer down from a dead stop was a tribute to the strakes in the VDS hull, and we didn’t have to touch the trim tabs to minimize any bow rise.  

The Sailfish 276DC is also allergic to fuel docks; you can run comfortably at over 35 mph while burning just 20 gph. And with the sound level at 83 dB(A) at 5,000 rpm, you can carry on conversations without shouting.

Yep, I liked the 276DC a lot, but I have one piece of advice: Bring your own corkscrew.

How We Tested

• Engine: Twin Yamaha F200 outboards
• Drive/Props: Outboard/14 ¹/₄” x 17″ Reliance 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.86:1 Fuel Load: 100 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 350 lb.

High Points

• Deck areas boast aggressive nonskid but are easy to clean.
• Through-stem anchor chute with integrated roller is out of the way but accessible.
• Long standards list, so be sure you compare against other boats when shopping. 

Low Points

• Glove box in front of the companion seat isn’t water-sealed; don’t stash your phone there.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Sailfish Boats – Cairo, Georgia; 229-377-2125; sailfishboats.com

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Overview

Sailfish Boats sets a standard with its new 360 CC, a wide-beam 36-footer. It’s elegant and sophisticated, well-planned and well-executed. With the 360 CC, Sailfish blends a hardcore fishing machine with a comfortable family cruiser.

You certainly get a sensation of mass when boarding. Unusually high gunwales offer security to passengers, and everywhere you look has someplace to sit—comfortably.

An expansive forward area for bow fishing converts to lounges with an electric table on centerline. Removable backrests let you face forward—or sprawl on the huge centerline lounge hiding tons of stowage for fenders, lines, tackle, dive gear and cleaning supplies. Sailfish also insulates it so it can double as a coffin box for all those fish it will raise. In fact, throughout the 360, a masterful use of space provides copious storage.

A through-stem anchor roller and a windlass work in concert with another big-boat feature: a freshwater washdown outlet (along with transom and amidships outlets) to clear the mud off the anchor and rode.

The console houses a stand-up shower, berth, Corian counters and head, all capped by a handsome T-top with tinted opening vents and molded channels to carry water away from passengers.

Sailfish employs a “dot-matrix” nonskid pattern that grips well yet doesn’t tear up your bare feet or knees and cleans more easily than more aggressive patterns. Additionally, all lights aboard are LED and can flood the boat with 360 degrees of illumination. Underwater lights come standard as well. The only options include a Garmin electronics package and the outriggers.

Pricewise, this boat is middle of the road for its type. Compare the Sailfish 360 CC to Cobia’s 344 CC ($222,583 with twin Yamaha F350s). Also check out Boston Whaler’s 350 Outrage ($414,991 powered by triple 300 hp Mercury Verado outboards).

Engine

Triple Yamaha F300s powered our test boat admirably. It’s a big, heavy boat, so we didn’t experience head-snapping acceleration or frightening top speed, but these engines delivered ample performance.

The 360 proved stable and dry. It runs flat, so you won’t need to use tabs except for lateral trim. If anything, it would be nice if the bow rode a bit higher in a following sea. However, prudent seamanship combined with all that internal volume in the bow should alleviate any problems. The boat responds instantly, and if you turn the wheel hard over at speed, it grabs and turns sharply rather than sliding the transom around. It’s a good riding hull, and unique too.

Sailfish boats ride a hull design the builder calls a variable degree stepped hull, or VDS. Rather than a transverse step—or steps across the beam—with chine vents, as is more common, Sailfish’s VDS hull features longitudinal steps.

From the centerline along the keel to about one-third of the hull bottom’s width is a panel with a deep deadrise. The middle third of the bottom is a panel with slightly less deadrise. And the most outboard hull panel, terminating at the inside edge of the reverse chines, is a different deadrise angle again. For a simple visual, imagine an inverted shingled roof, in which each course of shingles is at a slightly steeper angle.

Interior and Accessories

A side door opens inward so you can easily board from a floating dock. This one also has an excellent four-step ladder for climbing out of the water. However, such doors and ladders are no substitute for a real boarding ladder that you can deploy while in the water. The 360 CC transom has one of those as well. Space has even been engineered into the 360 to fit a Seakeeper stabilizer, should you choose that option.

In addition to comfortable seating for three at the helm (with impact cushioning on an adjustable-height platform), mezzanine seating faces aft for another three, and a foldout transom seat accommodates more. The huge console fits a pair of 16- or triple 12-inch multifunction displays.

With 34 rod holders, two pressurized baitwells of 42 and 32 gallons with a dedicated sea-chest pump system, built-in tackle storage, outriggers, insulated coffin box and choice of several fish boxes, the Sailfish 360 CC leaves little doubt as to its angling chops.

How We Tested

• Engine: Triple 300 hp Yamaha F300 outboard motors
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/15″ x 20″
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 160 gal. Water on Board: 35 gal. Crew Weight: 499 lb.

High Points

• Impressive standard equipment list.
• Boat is roomy, with elegant styling, fit and finish.
• Auto-engine flush system included.

Low Points

• Runs flat without any tabs; would prefer a little higher bow angle for following seas.
• A little more “slide” in hard-over turns might be welcome.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Sailfish Boats – Cairo, Georgia; 229-377-2125; sailfishboats.com

The post 2020 Sailfish 360 CC appeared first on Boating Mag.

Sailfish 2360 CC Open

Most fish-boat companies call their boat a “family boat” in apology for the compromise between fishability, affordability and versatility. The Sailfish 2360 cc, however, unabashedly accomplishes all three, satisfying tournament kingfishers who want to cruise, wakeboard and chill with their family after the weigh-in.

To be “hard-core” as a fisher, rod holders have to be positioned for easy access and there must be enough of them to meet the objective of tournament angling – which is to maximize your catch by efficiently offering the most baits possible. Ten rod holders in the gunnels and transom do just that. Eight more in the t-top and four in the optional leaning post add even more flexibility. Three rod racks under each gunwale give a down-low approach to safely stowing tackle on the run. With the transom jump seats removed and the padded Yeti cooler slipped under the leaning post, the fighting cockpit is wide open for battle. We could lean deeply over the gunwales by tucking our toes under the inside toe rail and resting our thighs against the thickly padded coaming bolsters. The round 30-gallon livewell, starboard on the transom, keeps baits better than wells with corners. A hefty trophy could easily be hauled over the platform and through the transom door to port.

For day-and-play boating, we liked the way the deck converted quickly by putting into play the optional bowseating cushions and the standard transom jump seats. You can add an optional seat to the front of the console for bigger crowds. Coaming bolsters (aft) also wrap the bow, giving comfortable backrests to all seats. While we were duly impressed with the “playability” of this fisher already, an audible “aha!” was the builder’s reward when he pulled up the ski pylon in the transom, neatly answering the dilemma of a convenient tow point on a center console. The tow point would also be the point from which to tow a big dredge or spreader-bar teaser on a short cord.

While inspecting the 2360, we found heavy-duty, highly polished stainless-steel hardware. It’s quality stuff too, not the metal that looks good in the showroom and then tarnishes or spot-rusts in 12 months when most warranties cease to cover it. Should water splash over onto the deck, enormous scuppers drain the interior quickly, and stainless-steel strainers keep sinkers, shrimp and acorns (should you keep your rig in the driveway) from plugging the pipes. Heavy-duty hardware is also evident in tinned wire that resists the destruction wrought by salt and moisture. Sailfish rigs exclusively with Yamaha, and using the F250 engine allows Sailfish to connect the engine to Yamaha’s reliable command link digital instruments, which can be tuned to your preference of displays: engine, trim, fuel and other data.

Access to the batteries is effortless, which are in their bays beneath the helm. A voltage-sensitive relay monitors both starting and house batteries, and shifts engine-alternator power from the starter to the house should it be drained by electronics, livewell pumps or a booming subwoofer – an ideal option to go with the premium stereo system. All the above means you spend more time running your Sailfish and less time maintaining. Such details are found only on boats built by anglers for anglers – something we’ve complimented Sailfish on before.

Our tests showed the solid rig could easily tap 45 mph at WOT and then give maximum fuel economy by cruising in the high 20s at 4,000 rpm. Sailfish offers an innovative hull style that reverses the strakes from the bottom rather than adding them on. The deadrise is steepest between keel and first strake. Apply power, and the boat lifts naturally and rides softly on the steeper deadrise. At slower speeds, when some boats with constant deadrise tend to wallow or list in response to passengers moving about, this one continues to offer solid stability. The 3.9-second step to plane we experienced is mandatory for yanking a wakeboard rider out of the water. When even more speed was needed, we got it up to 30 mph in 7.5 seconds.

While Sailfish tells us it competes in the family market, we think it undersells its solidly constructed hull, superior hardware and hard-core fishability. We liked it over the equally well-built Century 2300 (equipped and priced comparably to our test boat at $73,049 – yet lacking that extra 6 inches of beam we found on the Sailfish 2360). The 2360 also offered a softer ride than the lighter Pro-Line 24 we tested with a 250 hp Suzuki, though the Pro-Line showed added pep from its more-favorable horsepower-to-weight ratio ($59,077 with an F250).

Thanks to Yamaha’s reputation for reliability and Sailfish’s quality all-composite construction, we think the Sailfish 2360 cc will satisfy the needs of kingfish-tournament hounds and the desires of their family members in more-casual pursuits.

Contact: 229-377-2125, www.sailfishboats.com

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The synthetic teak trim, covering practically every surface on which you might step, is a real head-turner. The composite material has an excellent nonslip finish and the manufacturer says it won’t fade from long-term sun exposure. Putting the stuff on the dash is a little overkill, at least for my taste, but it makes the boat unusual. Order it without the trim to save $12,000.

The 2860 LTD has 17 rodholders and racks for downrigger balls. There are two big aerated baitwells, lighted and with magnet catches to hold open the lids, four jumbo fishboxes, and a saltwater washdown. The tackle stowage box built into the top of the console has a clear plastic cover so you can see what’s inside.

The 2860 LTD is built offshore tough. Its matrix stringer system is composite, and the transom is high-density urethane encased in layers of woven roving. Stress points in the decks are backed with carbon fiber for strength. The console and leaning post are secured with Plexus adhesive, making a seamless, unbreakable “weld” with the deck. Four 2″ scuppers drain the cockpit, and there are deep gutters that draw water to those drains. Belowdecks, three 2,000-gph bilge pumps stand ready.

The 2860 LTD’s bow height is 4’9″, giving this rig more freeboard forward than some 40-footers. That could be a big factor for those who like to go fishing weather be damned; hardcore anglers will rejoice at its rigging.

The test boat steering was a bit stiff. I suggest adding power-assist steering ($2,100). The 2860 LTD is stable at trolling speeds, doesn’t lean excessively in emergency turns, gets out of the hole fast (4.9 seconds), and delivers a brisk top end of 53.0 mph with the twin Yamaha F250s. The 30.6 cruising speed, delivering 2.2 mpg, is a plus in a boat this size as well.

MSRP: Standard power – $112,777 Test power – $117,070 ****

Contact: 229.377.2125 www.sailfishboats.com

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Our T-top-equipped test boat had plenty of rod holders above, including kingfish holders to port and starboard. Gunwale and transom rod holders for fishing plus more under the gunwale racks for storage put the rod capacity of this boat in the dozens. The lighted livewell with a clear lid will keep bait fresh, and pumps below deck are easy to access.

Yet, all over we saw comfortable seating that can be quickly stashed away when the action gets messy and the fish slime flies. The bow area in our boat was equipped with bolsters and benches for maximum sunning and cruising comfort. Even an optional tow pylon made it water-sports ready. In the center console, a freshwater shower adds to the convenience of a pump-out head.

Yamaha is the only available power on a Sailfish, and that consistency helps the company improve customer satisfaction by becoming specialists in installing only one brand of power and instrumentation. Yamaha, a consistent J.D. Power winner, keeps Sailfish customers content with fishing/playing machines like this one.

Key Note: Sailfish’s 2360 fishes so well that it’s easy to overlook the many features that make it family friendly.

Standout Features
• Furniture-grade Yeti cooler is optional on the 2360, adding seating and cooling capacity.
• Overboard scuppers are oversize to clear the deck quickly in rough waters.
• Aft jump seats are great for cruising and stowing away to open the fishing deck.
• The helm station has plenty of space for electronics.

Vital Stats
* Length Overall: 23’6″
* Beam: 9′
* Dry Weight: 3,400 lb.
* Seating/Weight Capacity: 10/1,500 lb.
* Fuel Capacity: 153 gal.
* Maximum HP: 300
* MSRP (test boat w/ Yamaha F250): $80,555
* NMMA Certified: Yes

Test Drive
* Test Engine: Yamaha F250
* Test Prop: 15.5 x 17 Saltwater Series II
* Test Load: People (235 lb.); Fuel (75 gal.)
* Optimum Cruise Speed: 28.1 mph @ 4,000 rpm @ 8.6 gph
* Top Speed: 44.6 mph @ 6,000 rpm
* Time to Plane: 3.9 sec.
* Time to 30 MPH: 7.5 sec.

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