Pursuit DC 286: Fish Offshore, Dine at the Sandbar
By Marilyn DeMartini
The Pursuit DC 286 answers a question its own owners asked: what would the ideal 28-foot boat look like? Pursuit put that to its customers and dealers, then built the dual console they described — a 30-foot platform that fishes far offshore in the morning and hosts a sandbar gathering by afternoon.
At 30 feet LOA with a 9-foot-8-inch beam and a 2- to 3-foot draft, the 286 DC slots between the builder’s 268 DC and 308 DC, yet it leans toward the bigger boat in feel, finish, and features. Twin Yamaha F300s, a deep-V hull, and a walk-through layout give it the reach to run offshore and the manners to slide up to the flats. One boat, every kind of day.
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Why Pursuit Built an In-Between Model
Hearing about a new model between two proven sizes, I wondered what could really set it apart — and why Pursuit would develop it at all. The answer traces back to the way the company works. Pursuit asked its customers and dealers how they would equip a 28-foot boat, then folded those answers into a model that met the request. That habit of listening explains how a builder lasts 50 years.
Across five decades and several parent companies, the Pursuit brand held to its DNA: top-quality, award-winning fishing boats in Sport, Offshore, and Dual Console lines. The walk-through DC layout stays versatile across the range, and like every size from 23 to 38 feet, the 286 DC handles fishing and cruising with equal confidence. Owners adapt the same features for either use, so each day on the water feels a little different.
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A Cockpit That Fishes or Feasts
The aft deck opens into a broad, uncluttered cockpit — exactly what anglers want. The transom holds a 23-gallon livewell and a long fish box, and options add rod holders, a T-top rocket launcher, and 18-foot Gemlux outriggers. Work a spread offshore, and the space earns its keep.
That same cockpit converts to an alfresco dining room for a crowd. Insert the table — it stores strapped to the head door — then flip down the transom bench, the portside jump seat, and the starboard bench, and bring the mezzanine seat into play for round-table seating. A cooler tucks under the mezzanine for good measure. The boat trades roles in minutes.
Easy On, Easy Off the Water
Access to the water shapes a day boat as much as its seats. The starboard door handles boarding, swimming, and hauling a fish over the side, and a snap-in dive ladder stows in the anchor locker or under a bow seat. A transom door and an optional ski-tow mount — set between the transom rod holders — open the boat to watersports, while a portside telescopic ladder extends from the swim platform that wraps neatly around the twin Yamaha F300s.
Those 600 horses push the 286 DC to a top speed of 55 mph, with an easy 30-mph cruise. The 21-degree deadrise and deep-V, non-stepped hull deliver energetic performance whatever the day’s plan — a hard offshore run or a relaxed slide toward the sandbar.
A Bow That Does Double Duty
The bow carries the same flexible thinking forward. Two wide, cushioned lounges add ergonomic armrests, cup holders, and phone chargers; strip the self-draining cushions, and the lounges become a fishing platform. The windlass anchor locker doubles as a broad casting or dive platform and includes fresh- and saltwater washdowns plus a remote.
Move the cockpit tabletop forward, and the bow turns into a dining and social space. Drop it, add a filler cushion, and it becomes a generous sun pad. Two long hatches between the bow seats swallow fishing gear, fenders, and supplies, and the center windshield panel flips open one-handed for easy passage to the helm.
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A Helm Built for the Long Haul
The helm sits captain-ready. Ergonomic right-hand throttles, an optional joystick, and a soft-grip black wheel fall to hand, while a 12- or 16-inch Garmin display trimmed in faux teak anchors the dash, with backlit rocker switches, a cup holder, and an inductive phone charger alongside. A large glove box stores keys and accessories, and the helm seat swivels to center for socializing at anchor.
The passenger rides just as well in a matching wood-trimmed bench with a footrest. A drawer refrigerator-freezer under the seat keeps drinks cold, and the wet bar behind the helm — sink, Corian counter, and trash compartment — keeps the whole boat entertaining. A full curved-glass windshield with Pursuit’s signature fiberglass frame wraps the sides, and a center wind door adds comfort on breezy days. Swing out the portside door and a surprisingly finished head appears: wooden cabinetry, a Corian counter, a mirror, and a toilet — a genuine treat on a day boat.
Construction and a Reasonable Price Point
Pursuit’s graceful sheerline hides serious structure. The builder hand-laminates a five-ply, vinylester resin-infused composite hull, then strengthens it with a patented transom reinforcement grid and a foam-filled, infused-fiberglass structural grid. Many features — the side boarding step, the integrated bilge water-management system, bucket holders, cup holders, and storage cubbies — mold directly into the boat, and even the anchor beds into a structural beam for added strength. One plumbing line feeds all ports, and the bilge offers clean access to fuel tanks and pumps, so maintenance stays simple.
Pursuit also shows restraint where it counts. The decorative dash panel begs to hold a second display, but the builder holds back to protect a sensible price point — a deliberate choice that keeps the 286 DC within reach without thinning its standard equipment.
Is the Pursuit DC 286 Right for You?
Pursuit designed the 286 DC around one idea — flexibility — and it delivers. The boat feels bigger than its footprint yet handles with ease, and its shallow draft opens the flats and the sandbar as readily as the open ocean. Whether the plan calls for a serious fishing trip or a slow cruise off the grid, the Pursuit 286 Dual Console meets the day on its own terms.
Specifications
LOA | 30′0″ | Dry Weight | 9,340 lb. |
Beam | 9′8″ | Engines | Twin Yamaha F300 |
Draft (motors up) | 2′0″ | Top Speed | 55 mph |
Draft (motors down) | 2′11″ | Cruise Speed | 30 mph |
Clearance (w/ hardtop) | 8′7″ | Fuel Capacity | 217 gal. |
Water Capacity | 26 gal. | Holding Tank | 9 gal. |
Contact
pursuitboats.com · 800-947-8778
