The Century Resorter name harkens as far back as the 1950s, a time when wooden boats with straight inboards ruled the recreational boating market and Boating magazine was just getting underway.

The new 24 Resorter from Florida-based Century Boats looks a lot different than those models of yesteryear. Its deep-V fiberglass hull, outboard power and dual-console interior design offer boating families the versatility to enjoy a range of watersports, offshore fishing, diving and day cruising in comfort.

Our test boat also reflected the latest in technological conveniences, including Uflex power steering, electronic throttle and shift, and digital switching via a Raymarine eS127 HybridTouch 12-inch multifunction display that also replaces conventional engine gauges. It serves as a fish finder and navigational chart plotter as well.

It’s easy to relax aboard the 24 Resorter, especially with the optional hardtop ($7,052) with a beefy powder-coated aluminum frame that provides abundant shade from the midday sun, as well as a ski-tow eye for wakeboarding or water skiing, six overhead rod holders, and four built-in stereo speakers. You can also order a misting system ($963) to help keep everyone cool on sultry days.

Seating aboard the 24 Resorter includes twin loungers in the open bow, each with angled backrests, fold-down armrests to the inside, and permanent armrests to the outside. Spradling’s Silvertex vinyl used for upholstery on the 24 Resorter is engineered to resist stains, UV light, mildew and discoloration.

An optional, removable clear acrylic table between the loungers lets you enjoy snacks and beverages, and it can be relocated to the cockpit. Under the bow seating is beaucoup stowage, including a pair of lockers that doubles as insulated fish boxes.

A forward compartment on our test boat concealed a Lewmar windlass, which deploys and retrieves the anchor through an in-stem chute with a roller. Low-profile, stainless-steel grab rails bracket the bow for an extra measure of safety when going forward. Century designers have also cleverly integrated a telescoping, beach-boarding ladder under the boat deck for those days when you want to nose up to a quiet, remote shoreline and let the kids hop off to go exploring.

You might want to stay aboard and relax in the portside passenger seat, which is one of the most versatile we’ve seen. It offers four different seating positions, ranging from a traditional back-to-back seat to a forward-facing lounge. It also becomes an aft-facing lounger with extended leg support, or you can lay the backrest flat to get completely horizontal and take a nap. Underneath it all, you’ll find an insulated 35-quart cooler to keep your drinks ice cold.

A cavernous insole ski locker resides between the two consoles. It’s a great place for stashing skis, towropes and other watersports gear. A concealed head compartment in the port console features 49 inches of headroom and a permanent porcelain marine toilet with a holding tank. It’s also a great place to stow additional gear.

Across the transom, you’ll discover a 30-gallon livewell, 55-quart insulated fish box, and tackle prep/mini snack station. Use the tackle storage in the port inwale to carry a selection of hooks, lures, sinkers and other tackle items.

Four gunwale rod holders let you set up to troll, and you can order a pair of optional Taco Grand Slam outriggers to mount on the hardtop to create a wide spread of lures when trolling offshore.

A flip-up stern bench creates additional seating while entertaining or moving between fishing spots. A raw-water washdown spigot lets you clean up after filleting tasty mahimahi or tracking in dirt when guests step aboard.

You’ll appreciate the swim platform and transom door in the starboard quarter when you want to go snorkeling, wakeboarding, or just take a dip to cool off. A telescoping boarding ladder and stainless-steel grab rail let you easily climb back in. Rinse off with the pullout freshwater transom shower once you’re on board.

This 23-foot-9-inch Resorter rides with exceptional smoothness and comfort, even in choppy conditions, owing partly to the deep-V hull with 20 degrees of deadrise at the transom, and partly to the relative heft of the hull; it displaces 4,800 pounds with power.

Propelled by a Yamaha F300 outboard and turning a 17-inch-pitch propeller, the 24 Resorter required 12 seconds to reach 30 mph from a standing start. If you want a faster hole shot for water skiing, think about less prop pitch or upgrading to twin 200 engines. Top speed was 44.4 mph at 5,800 rpm. Handling proved superb as the 24 Resorter carved turns with grace and confidence at speed.

Few boats offer capabilities and features focusing on both offshore fishing and watersports, as well as day cruising. Another one that does is the Grady-White Freedom 235 ($101,980 base price with a single Yamaha F300 outboard). This dual console also offers offshore fishing features, but it has a ski pylon in the transom for watersports (versus a ski-tow eye on the hardtop).

The Resorter name may be steeped in boating history, but this boat has evolved far beyond the original. It emerges as one of the most versatile, comfortable and technologically advanced models on the market today.

Comparable Model: Grady-White Freedom 235

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Vital Stats * Length Overall: 23′ * Beam: 8’6″ * Dry Weight(w/out motor): 4,200 lb. * Max HP: 300 * NMMA Certified: Yes

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The boat’s 140-gallon fuel capacity is huge for a fish boat of this size, but it’s a great advantage for boaters who want to go longer distances and not worry about finding a marina to refuel. Plus, we’d much rather go long in a dual-console boat with bucket seats and a full windshield for the comfort and protection. It helps to have a reliable motor doing the work, like the Yamaha F250 on our test boat. We recorded an economical 8.3 gph at a cruising speed of 4,000 rpm. Top speed with the V-tech hull was a hair under 50 mph. For nearshore or freshwater boating, we could see dropping down to a 200 hp motor.

The helm on the 2350 is all business. Our dash held an optional eight-inch chart plotter/GPS/fish finder, and the Yamaha digital tach and fuel management system – another big plus when heading offshore. Anglers will like the standard 15-gallon baitwell behind the helm seat. Also standard is a Jensen stereo gasket-sealed to withstand spray and incorporating an iPod jack.

The passenger seat swivels to face aft and mates with a flip-up footrest to form a lounge chair. We felt we’d seen every boat-seat variation in existence, but this was a new one to us. The rear seat also folds down to provide fishing room, another example of how Century turned the 2350 into a genuine hybrid.

Notable features
* Head in the port console helps during longer trips away from shore.
* Storage includes two 185-quart bow compartments and a 24-quart in-sole locker.
* A 15-gallon baitwell behind helm seat and a drawer under the passenger seat will come in handy for anglers.
* The passenger seat swivels to form chaise longue; rear seat is removable.
* Jensen stereo system with iPod/MP3 jack is a nice entertainment package.

At a Glance
A 140-gallon fuel tank and a fuel-sipping Yamaha four-stroke give this boat a range at cruise of more than 400 miles.

Vital Stats
Length Overall: 23′
Beam: 8’6″
Dry Weight (w/o engine): 4,200 lb.
Weight Capacity: 1,500 lb.
Fuel Capacity: 140 gal.
Maximum HP: 250
MSRP (test boat w/ Yamaha F250): $64,194
NMMA certified: Yes

Test Drive
Test Engine: Yamaha F250
Test Prop: Yamaha 14.5 x 19T
Test Load: People (420 lb.); Fuel (40 gal.)
Top Speed: 48.8 MPH @ 6,000 RPM
Time to Plane: 4.4 sec.
Time to 30 MPH: 8.3 sec.

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DON’T BLINK. Luckily, its good looks are more than skin deep. Belowdecks, my 3200 WA test boat continued pleasing the eye, with the optional ($12,000) wood interior. It had an awesome finish-I felt as if I were stepping inside a custom fishing machine, not a production boat. If you want a little more cruisability than your typical hard-core fishboat offers but you like the versatility and practicality of the walkaround design, this upgrade may be just the thing. On the other hand, if you’re the type to toss a bloody blackfin belowdecks…maybe not.

Although the wood-finished interior is optional, many other perks included on the 3200 WA are standard: a full galley with sink, hot water, microwave, refrigerator, and a hanging locker, for example. Even air conditioning is included at no extra cost – a rare treat in boats this size. But if you want to enjoy the chilled breeze when you’re away from the dock, you’ll need to spring for the generator, an $8,600 option. On shorepower, by the way, the air conditioning is virtually noiseless and dries the air as well as cools it, eliminating that clammy feeling you get in so many cabins. The V-berth features thick foam upholstery that makes overnighting comfortable. This area converts to a dinette by day and there’s 6’8″ of headroom. There’s also added sleeping space in the aft bunk, which measures 6’8″-by-3’6″. Headroom here is only 3’9″, short for adults. Of course, in the real world, midcabins such as this usually become bulk stowage areas or playpens for the kids. The standup head includes an electric commode and sink, and the six-gallon hot water tank will be adequate for weekending so long as everyone aboard understands what a “boat shower” is.

Our test boat had the standard venturi windshield, which is a low-cut shield with a reverse flair designed to push air over the heads of those at the helm. It worked well enough for air flow but not for salt spray. I’d opt for the traditional aft-rake shield.

The 3200 WA is Century’s beamiest hull at 10’6″, and that extra beam adds a lot to the usable space both in the cabin and cockpit. It also adds weight: This is a heavy boat-10,800 pounds without power. Weight can be good or bad in an offshore boat, depending on how you use the boat. It makes any boat slower at a given horsepower, to be sure. But it also stabilizes the hull in bumpy seas and makes the ride more comfortable. Contender’s 31 Fisharound ($97,000 without power) shares the same LOA but is 1’2″ inches narrower and a whopping 3,400 pounds lighter. The result is a considerably faster boat that reportedly can run a mile a minute with the twin 300-hp outboards. However, you give up the creature comforts of the Century’s luxury cabin, and the Contender’s narrower beam means less space in the cockpit.

The 3200 WA is no weakling in the performance department: With the twin four-stroke Yamaha 250s, it managed a respectable 46.2 mph at top end. And the best cruise comes at 4500 rpm and 34.7 mph, when it consumes 23.9 gallons per hour for a 1.5 mpg. With a full load of fuel and two aboard, it took about 9.5 seconds to plane, longer than some, but at no point do you lose forward vision over the bow as long as you drop the tabs before takeoff. You’ll also use the tabs to tweak the attitude of the boat when running beam seas-like most deep-V hulls (this one boasts 23 degrees), the 3200 leans into strong winds.

FISHIN’ MISSION. Fishability is a strong suit, as is usually the case with any boat in the Century line. The transom livewell is a monster, holding 62 gallons. I liked the lockable rodboxes and admired the liftout tacklebox-offshore lures are too expensive to leave them lying out for light-fingered dock bums. This arrangement also means you can easily take your tackle home for freshwater rinses, detangling, and reorganizing.

Century builds the 3200 WA as it does the rest of its fleet, with structurally wood-free construction consisting of fiberglass stringers and a high-density foam transom that’s rot-proof for the life of the boat. All through-hulls below the waterline are brass, and all hoses double-clamped. Above the waterline, through-hulls are solid stainless steel. Century uses chrome-plated stainless-steel screws throughout, and these fasteners are epoxy-coated. When they’re power-driven home, the heat locks the epoxy in place and the screw never backs out. No, you can’t see it with your eyes-but it’s the details on this boat that make it so beautiful. Test Results Next Page…

The Highs: Liftout tackle box is a great idea. Tons of extras come with the standard equipment package. At 62 gallons, that’s not just a baitwell, it’s a bait tank. The boat’s heft will help smooth rough sea bumps. ****

The Lows: The venturi windscreen doesn’t block spray. The deep-V windward lean means you’ll want to pay attention to the trim tab settings on breezy days. The boat’s heft won’t win it any races.

LOA: 32’6″

Beam: 10’6″

Draft (max.): 3’3″

Displacement (lbs., approx.; w/o power): 10,800

Transom deadrise: 23*

Bridge clearance: 7’7″

Max. cabin headroom: 6’8″

Fuel capacity (gal.): 300

Water capacity (gal.): 30

Price (w/o power): $121,000

Price (w/test power): $163,600

STANDARD POWER: None. ****

OPTIONAL POWER: Twin outboards to 600 hp. Test boat power Twin 250-hp V-6 Yamaha four-stroke outboards with 204.6 cid, swinging 15¼” x 19″ three-bladed ss props through 2.00:1 reductions. ****

STANDARD EQUIPMENT: (major items) Microwave; refrigerator; electric stove; AM/FM/CD stereo; a/c; electric commode; standup head w/shower; hanging locker; drop-down dinette; midcabin bunk; water heater; raw/freshwater washdowns; 62-gal. baitwell; hawse pipe; bow pulpit and roller; transom door; transom sink; locking rod lockers; trim tabs.

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If you’re a hardcore angler like me, you usually leave the dock before sunrise, which is another reason to appreciate the 2600 CC. It’s rigged with lights everywhere, including in the 42-gallon livewell, on the mechanical access hatch in the transom, and throughout the cockpit. Even the electronics switches are lighted.

Another nice feature is the dual fuel fills. There’s one located on each gunwale, and both feed a single 200-gallon tank. During fill-ups, you’re not hassled about which side of the boat faces the fuel dock. Full gunwale bolsters are also included. Not only are they more comfortable, they also make the cockpit look a lot better. The head in the console has a freshwater sink and 5’10” of headroom. And if you’re a diver, you’ll like the transom door and stainless-steel boarding ladder.

There’s an adjustable backrest on the leaning post. And the electric trim tabs, always handy when you need to smooth the ride in rough water, come standard. Same goes for the Yamaha multifunction gauges, which indicate mph, speed, fuel flow, oil level, and other essential functions.

Competitors? The Regulator 26 ($76,000 with twin Yamaha 225-hp outboards) costs more, weighs more, and has a less comprehensive list of standard equipment than the 2600 CC. It’s not quite as fast as the 2600 CC either, but the Regulator 26’s through-bolted hull-to-deck joint, single-piece fiberglass stringer system, and great fit and finish make it a strong competitor.

LAST WORD. Fast, fun and truly fishable, the Century 2600 CC is a lot of boat for the buck.

LOA…..26’2″

Beam…..8’6″

Draft…..2’3″ ** **

Displacement (lbs., approx.) …..4,200

Transom deadrise..23°

Bridge clearance..6’0″ ** **

Minimum cockpit depth……….2’4″

Max. headroom..5’10”

Fuel capacity (gal.) ……….200

Water capacity (gal.) ……….20

Price (w/o power) ……….$43,560 ****

Price (w/test power) ……….$73,464 ****

STANDARD POWER: None.

OPTIONAL POWER: Single or twin outboards to 450 hp total.

TEST BOAT POWER: Twin 225-hp Yamaha V-6 outboards with 191 cid, 3.54″ bore x 3.23″ stroke, swinging 15 1/4″ x 19″ three-bladed ss props through 1.81:1 reductions.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT (major items): Aerated, recirculating 42-gallon livewell; pressure freshwater system; dual battery switches; Yamaha multifunction meters; hydraulic trim tabs; cockpit and bow coaming bolsters; integrated bow pulpit, roller, and rail; head compartment; locking rodboxes; transom sink w/cutting board; compass; integrated tacklebox; boarding ladder; transom door.

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Fear not, this is still a fishboat. The 45-gallon aerated livewell in the center of the transom has a clear Plexiglas window in the front, so you can keep an eye on the number and condition of your baits. Twin 45-gallon fishboxes are macerator equipped and have struts on the hatches, making it easy to make deposits and withdrawals. There’s a bait rigging station with a cutting board, and coaming bolsters surround the cockpit. But the most impressive fishing feature is fuel capacity: With 250 gallons belowdecks, you can take the 2900 WA to the edge of the continental shelf, troll for hours, and return with plenty of gas to spare.

Sometimes walkarounds in this size range are lethargic, but rigged with our test boat’s pair of 250-hp Yamaha outboards, the 2900 WA is impressively quick, easily topping 52 mph. And at 23 degrees, the deadrise is sharp enough to ride soft in rough water. There’s a tradeoff here, however; when I put the 2900 WA into a sharp emergency turn, it heeled over pretty far. Fortunately, this is a tendency you won’t notice under normal conditions, and the trim tabs can be used to level the boat when beam-sea conditions create a lean. Pro-Line’s 28 WA ($58,000 without power), which is 8″ wider and 1,200 pounds heavier, has 18 degrees of deadrise.

The dual padded seat up forward will be a popular spot for lounging at idle. The anchor locker hatch up there is rather narrow, however, at just 5 1/2″ wide, which could make it tough to sort out a tangle in the rode. Otherwise, it’s hard to find anything to complain about. Construction is all composites, with stringers made of a matrix of foam and fiberglass and a transom formed of high-density urethane and fiberglass. The gel coat sports a deep shine, and the hullsides are as smooth as the rear panels on a Cadillac. Each 10″ cleat is backed by aluminum plates, and electrical connections are all shrink-wrapped.

LAST WORD. Seaworthy enough to chase tuna 50 miles out and comfortable enough for the cruising family to gunkhole its way through the summer.

LOA………29’4″ ** **

Beam………9’6″

Draft………2’7″

Displacement (lbs., approx.) ………5,300 ** **

Transom deadrise…23° ** **

Bridge clearance…..6’10” ** **

Minimum cockpit depth ………2’2″ ** **

Max. cabin headroom…..6’2″ ****

Fuel capacity (gal.)…250 ****

Water capacity (gal.) ……….20 ****

Price (w/o power) ………$70,193 ****

Price (w/test power) ………$101,600 ****

STANDARD POWER: None. ****

OPTIONAL POWER: Twin Yamaha outboards to 500 hp total.

TEST BOAT POWER: Twin 250-hp Yamaha EFI V-6 outboards with 191″ cid, 3.54″ bore x 3.23″ stroke, swinging 14 7/8″ x 21″ three-bladed ss props through 1.81:1 reductions.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT (major items): Norcold refrigerator; Samsung microwave; Kenyon alcohol stove; faux-granite countertops; head w/shower; ss boarding ladder; 45-gal. aerated livewell; cockpit bolsters; trim tabs; bow pulpit w/anchor roller; integrated swim platform.

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