The Grady-White Canyon 306 center console (LOA: 30′ 6″, Beam: 10′ 7″) takes on bluewater fishing with her SeaV2® hull performance and true self-bailing cockpit, while offering more creature comforts than ever. The dynamic helm design is highly functional and versatile and has ample room for two 16-inch displays with dedicated space for multiple electronics.
Practicality continues in the bow with forward-facing, fold-away backrests adding to an already family-friendly lounge area. The re-engineered T-top with full-height windshield, dry-storage and LED lighting provides protection from rough weather conditions. Powered by twin Yamaha 300-hp outboard engines, the boat runs to a top speed of 50.5 mph on the SeaV2 hull, and cruises at 30.2 mph for a range of 478.5 miles using the 290-gallon fuel tank.
The Southport 33 ST (Sport Tower) builds upon the heritage of Southport as a stable, dry and seaworthy offshore boat, and now adds the advantage of the performance of triple engines and extra fishing capability of the Sport Tower. The 33 ST (LOA: 32′ 6″, Beam: 10′ 8″) is a variant of the 33 FE (Family Edition), which shows the versatility of the Southport 33 platform. Powered by triple Yamaha or Suzuki 300-hp engines, the Southport 33 ST reaches 63 mph and cruises comfortably anywhere between 25 and 40 mph, with no added motion from the all-aluminum and fiberglass fully customizable sport tower.
Like all Southport models, she corners like on rails and never shows any signs of confusion or uncertainty no matter the sea conditions. Once you arrive on the fi sh, the massive forward and aft cockpits leave plenty of room for setting up gear and working fish, with the helmsman high above it all.
The Rossiter 17 Center Console offers a host of new improvements for 2018, including an upgraded baitwell, dash glovebox, jump seat with upholstered backrests, and forward seat bolster for extra comfort.
The Rossiter 17 CC is the first center console powerboat delivered by the premier Canadian boat manufacturer based in Markdale, Ontario. Its unique hull design with a variable deadrise hull of 22 degrees reaches a top speed of 43 mph with a 90-hp outboard engine and 50 mph with a 115-hp outboard, both able to provide a safe and smooth ride. With a capacity for seven adults and plenty of storage, this boat is perfect for fishing excursions or a day of tubing or boarding with the family in fresh and salt water.
The Bonadeo 37 (LOA: 37′, Beam: 9′ 10″) is custom-built as a one-of-a-kind mini yacht for the discerning few. She was designed from concept to completion as a consortium between the custom builder, Bonadeo Boatworks and a Florida client. Keeping this boat simple for hard-core fishing while making it comfortable for guests was the goal, including adding a Seakeeper 3 stabilizer.
Inside the cavernous cabin, there is more than six feet, five inches of headroom, a queen berth with freshwater head and sink and a cedar-lined hanging locker. Forward of the helm is a sunpad with an aft-facing bench that includes a built-in cooler which can be optioned for a second livewell. Aft of the helm is a wet bar/rigging station with an aft tackle storage unit. The 37 is powered by triple 350-hp Mercury Verado engines and cruises in the high 40-mph range, with a top speed of 60 mph.
The Striper 200 CC-S (LOA: 20′ 2″, Beam: 8′ 2″) is built with the essentials for great days on the water. Akin to its larger brethren, the 200 CC-S comes standard with two in-floor fish boxes for keeping those big catches fresh and a huge lockable center console area for storage.
In addition, the center console offers an option for a Porta-Potti head with pump-out, increasing the convenience and comfort of the boat. The 200 CC-S is built to fish, cruise or even tube, making it an all-around platform for anglers and families. The boat’s bottom design features Striper’s signature V-Trac hull.
The 200 CC-S performs like a bigger vessel and has one of the largest fuel capacities in this class at 91 gallons. Offered standard with a galvanized trailer, owners can take their Striper 200 CC-S to everyday fishing spots or wherever the fish might be biting.
The Dusky 242 Bay (LOA: 24′ 2″, Beam:7′ 8″) features a front casting platform that is both spacious and stable, and the stern area offers plenty of room to maneuver while fishing. The versatile Dusky 242 Bay has been designed to handle the shallower bay waters, while still being offshore-friendly, making her a well-rounded, seaworthy craft.
Standard features include hydraulic steering, binnacle control, twin pedestal chairs, port and starboard rod racks, and bow and anchor storage compartments. She has a 100-gallon fuel capacity and is available with a wide variety of outboard motors for the power-driven boater.
The Marlow Prowler Havana can now be powered by large outboard engines in twin, triple or quad configurations.
The Marlow Prowler 375 Havana continues to evolve from its initial introduction in 2010. The newest model is powered by triple Yamaha 300-hp outboards that, per the builder, will get you to where you’re going at speeds up to 40 knots.
With her deep-V hull, she’ll part the waves easily and then ride on the flatter aft sections that offer good stability. The latest Havana has a larger console than the debut model had with ample dash space to accommodate twin MFDs as well as engine displays and more. Two captain’s chairs offer personalized comfort, and the windshield deflects spray regardless of speed. Impressive features include gyrostabilization, a generator, refrigeration, livewell, and a transom door for safety and convenience.
Although technically a center console open fisherman, the Havana offers a full interior with accommodations in the V-berth, an enclosed head, facing settees, and a galley. The interior has more than six feet of standing headroom and plenty of natural light so you won’t feel buried below.
The Jupiter 38 HFS (LOA: 38′ 2″, Beam: 10′ 7″) is a versatile center console that is fully customizable. The boat’s hull design provides a smooth, dry ride in challenging sea conditions. With three motor options—dual Yamaha F350s, triple Yamaha F300s and triple Yamaha F350s—customers may equip their Jupiter with the power desired.
Exhilarating tournament performance comes easily with a top speed of 69 mph with triple 350s, and the 38 HFS can comfortably cruise at 35.9 mph with a fuel burn of 1.31 mpg with the triple 300s. The Jupiter 38 HFS is a proven tournament winner that features premium angling necessities, including hybrid forward seating, two 104-gallon fi sh boxes, a bait prep center with a 53-gallon stand-up livewell, six rod-holders, four rod rack sets, multiple storage compartments, and a customizable T-top tower package. This 38 HFS was designed to not only accommodate the serious angler but also provide room, comfort, and amenities for family cruising or day boating.
The Pathfinder 2500 Hybrid (LOA: 24′ 9″, Beam: 8′ 6″) offers a double-stepped hull, a bustle transom, and two four-bank console rod racks. With a Yamaha 300-hp outboard engine, the 2500 Hybrid tops out at close to 61 mph. The boat achieves nearly four miles to the gallon at 36 mph. Her 16-degree deadrise, slightly higher freeboard and generous bow flare translates into exceptional open-water running performance, yet the boat still only draws 13 inches at rest with a full load.
The Pathfinder 2500 Hybrid combines the elevated casting deck forward with a more open cockpit aft, giving the angler the ability to see fish in shallow water o the bow and still comfortably bottom fish or troll off the stern in big water from the security of the cockpit. Standard features include flip-up rear seats, a deluxe tackle station with convertible bolster seats, a 35-gallon livewell, and a 43-gallon insulated fish box.
The Buddy Davis 28 Center Console (LOA: 28′, Beam: 9′ 6″) from Buddy Davis is filled with luxurious appointments. However, make no mistake, the 28 CC was bred to fish. Heritage and technology meet, and all the hulls are vacuum-infused with vinylester resin and Dyvinacell-cored, making them strong, quiet and solid. Standard options include a forward fish box (large enough to fit two bigeye tuna), rocket launcher rod holders, livewell, plenty of storage, and a rear insulated fish box/cooler. The huge helm dash can accommodate two 16-inch Raymarine glass bridge displays, autopilot and two VHF radios.
The Buddy Davis 28 is powered by twin 300-hp Yamaha engines, the boat has a top speed of nearly 60 knots and achieves 1.4 miles per gallon at 30 knots. That provides a range of 360 miles at a cruising speed of 30 knots.
The Sea Force IX 41.5 Sport CC (LOA: 41′ 5″, Beam: 12′) is the first in a new line of 41.5- to 56.5-foot boats from the Palmetto, Florida-based builder. The launch date for hull No. 1 is mid-summer 2017. When equipped with 1,200 maximum horsepower, the boat is expected to run at a top speed of approximately 60 mph and cruise at 40 mph, with an estimated 400-plus-mile range using the 500-gallon fuel tank.
The Sea Force IX 41.5 Sport CC also carries 60 gallons of fresh water, has a 15-gallon holding tank and carries 30 gallons of diesel for the optional generator. The boat is loaded with standard features like dual-transom side-entry boarding doors, electric head, AGM batteries, LED lighting throughout, microwave, AC/DC refrigerator, air conditioning in the console cabin as well as plumbed to the helm, three-wide helm seating with flip-up bolsters and armrests, and full powder-coated aluminum pipework. All construction will be 100 percent composite utilizing high-quality vinylester resins, epoxy, high-density PVC core, and the most advanced multi-directional knitted fiberglass available.
Anglers can test their luck in a couple of fishing tournaments this month on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The Kitty Hawk Surf Company Kayak Fishing Tournament is Saturday, September 16th. Fishing is allowed anywhere between Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk to the north, Hatteras Inlet to the south, up to one mile offshore to the east, and west to the Currituck and Manns Harbor shorelines.
Tournament species include flounder, speckled trout, and red drum. All fish must be caught from a watercraft, and wading is not allowed. It’s a photo catch-and-release tournament, and all pictures must include a custom badge that will be distributed at a Captain’s Meeting the night before the event.
The Hatteras Island Surf Fishing Challenge, Friday, September 22nd to Sunday, September 24th, features four divisions: bluefish, sea mullet, flounder/black drum, and Spanish mackerel/pompano (species chosen depending on fishing reports). Five weigh-in spots are located throughout the islands.
The cost to enter is $60 per angler before September 12th and $70 thereafter, with more than $8,000 in cash and prizes going to the winners. The tournament ends with an awards ceremony at Camp Hatteras. fishermanspost.com
The International Billfish Tournament (IBT) turns 65.
The IBT is the longest consecutively held big game fishing tournament in the world.
The tournament is hosted by Club Nautico de San Juan in Puerto Rico, takes place October 15-21. Longevity is far from the IBT’s only claim to fame.
Over the past decade alone, organizers have maintained a cutting-edge vibe to this event by introducing elements like hotspot metrics to identify water qualities consistent with a good bite, critter cams in coordination with the National Geographic Society for research purposes, conservation conscious rules for 30-pound test line only, and most recently, a mobile app to track real-time bites, hook-ups and releases during the tournament.
This year, the new twist is a date change. The October IBT dates were purposely chosen to take advantage of a trio of plusses. Those include a perfectly full moon, warm water temperatures and a diversity of billfish. This time of year, fish swim through the world famous “Marlin Alley,” a mile-and-a-half deep trench located off the island’s north coast.
“In October, anglers will be able to hook different billfish species such as blues, whites, and sails, rather than just blue marlin, which are more prevalent in September,” says Salvador Egea, Jr. He’s the IBT chairman for the third year. Visiting anglers have a unique opportunity to fly in and fish on a different boat each day. There are also nightly parties, all for one set price.
FOR A 10-YEAR-OLD BOY ON VACATION FROM OHIO, the offshore fishing trip with his grandfather was enough of a treat. Heading out from the New Pass Inlet in Sarasota, Florida, day boats didn’t have to travel far for tourists to have a successful day of Goliath Grouper fishing in the 1960s.
I can still remember the high pitched noise as line played out and deckhands came running to help Gramps as he struggled to land a 321-pound goliath grouper. The battle lasted nearly an hour, and for the retired bank messenger who had moved from Cleveland to Siesta Key, it was the catch of a lifetime.
Since 1990, it’s been illegal to land the goliath groupers. Overfished in the ’70s and ’80s, these beasts can top 800 pounds, measure over 8 feet in length and have been known to live at least 35 years—some marine biologists believe up to 50 years.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting 15 workshops across the state from the Panhandle to Naples through October to gather public input on goliath grouper management, including the possibility of a limited harvest season in Florida state waters.
Goliath grouper populations have substantially recovered since the harvest prohibition took effect. According to the FWC, “There have been increases in abundance in certain areas (Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor and the Ten Thousand Islands), and the distribution of goliath grouper populations has extended into areas of its former range throughout Florida, including the Big Bend and Panhandle regions.”
Continued regulation may be focused on areas where the species spawns and the young mature. The Ten Thousand Islands off southwest Florida is of particular interest where young goliath grouper spend up to six years in mangrove habitat—a nursery of sorts.
Interestingly, they have been known to form spawning groups of 100 or more. Courtship behavior is regularly observed at chartered wrecks or rock ledges in the eastern Gulf during the full moons of August and September. For boaters and anglers interested in attending one of the workshops, a list of dates and locations is on the FWC website myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/rulemaking/workshops.
Fishing Friendly
The Albemarle 29 Express is built for hard-core fishing, yet also offers a gentler, family-oriented side.
Ten rocket launchers—the sporty angling term for rod holders—are poised for action on the gleaming pipework of the new Albemarle 29 Express. The round cylinders are angled at 45 degrees and ready to accept the butt end of a fishing rod. Having so many places to store fishing rods instantly brands the latest Albemarle as a hard-core fishingmachine—yet a closer look reveals a softer side.
For example, inside the forward cabin, a 4kW generator powered an air conditioning system that kept things a cool 68 degrees in the afternoon swelter of the 2016 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The 29 Express was introduced at the show after more than a year of design work, as the Albemarle team collaborated with renowned designer Lou Codega and Marine Concepts.
“Marine Concepts offers the ability to design and show you in 3D on a computer what it’s all going to look like,” explained Keith Privott, director of sales and product development for Albemarle. “That saves a lot of our time out in the shop doing the tooling by hand. Lou Codega designed the deck and the hull, and together the finishing touches were put on in the last four months.”
Weighing more than 14,000 pounds, the 29 Express is heavier than most boats in her class. “There’s an old saying that ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’ and that’s certainly true with this boat,” Privott said. “The hull has a 24-degree deadrise, reverse chine and the keel is a little wider. So, in big water the 29 Express never slams. It always goes in easy.”
Much of what makes the Albemarle 29 Express a serious Sportfishing machine also makes it a great family boat. For example, powered by twin Yamaha F350 outboard engines, the 29 Express can be equipped with Optimus 360 joystick control, so it is far easier to operate in low-speed conditions for the family member who doesn’t have a lot of time behind the helm, explained Privott. “Experienced captains will like it when backing down on fish and around the docks.”
The 29 Express comes standard with twin 300-hp Yamahas, but Privott said most customers opt for the 350s, which power the boat to a top speed of 47 knots, with a 300-nautical-mile range at 34 knots. “Our target buyer is someone who wants to go offshore on a regular basis in the worst possible conditions, but still have tthe protectionof the cabin,” Privott said.
Twin Yamaha 350s power the 29 Express to a top speed of 47 knots.
The high-tech helm.
The single cabin is designed with two Pullman bunks, as well as a head and small but functional galley.
The boat’s fishing features, however, are front and center, starting with those 10 rocket launchers on the tower. “When there’s a strike you need somewhere for those other rods to go, and the place is not in the gunwale rod holders. They will just be in the way,” Privott said. “Rocket launchers make it really easy for clearing rods or for holding other types of rigs that you want ready to go if the conditions are right.”
A second helm station sits atop the tower, built near the Albemarle factory by local company Ashley Welding. “We have been working with them for 35 years,” Privott said, adding that their T-top and tower design sets them apart. “Instead of taking two pipes and cutting the ends square and welding them together, they mill the pipes, so the weld gap is shorter and it’s a tighter fi t, making the tower stronger.”
The tower location offers the captain excellent visibility of the huge 64-square-foot cockpit on the 29 Express, which is large enough for a fighting chair or smaller battle station.The cockpit sole features two 56-gallon fish boxes that are glassed to be leak-proof and equipped with macerators for easy drainage. The transom offers a 30-gallon livewell with starboard-side door and a flip-down bench seat. The shore power connection comes standard. “We built a dedicated pump room in the center of the cockpit,” Privott explained. He demonstrated that everything is accessible, and there is room for a Seakeeper 3 stabilizer.
The 29 Express features a rigging station to starboard amidships, while a mezzanine aft-facing bench seat is to port. The center walkway leads to the single helm station to starboard, with a two-person co-pilot setup opposite. A signature attribute of the 29 Express is the front windshield, which offers a unique design for the captain and crew to enjoy unobstructed views courtesy of the molded fiberglass structure with a single laminated front glass panel. In addition, the huge dash has room for two 12-inch multifunction displays (MFDs) or one large 22-inch MFD. The throttle and shifter are to the right of the steering wheel in a comfortable location, while a mechanical compass sits atop the dash. Privott said the entire helm area can be closed off with isinglass and air conditioned.
The cabin below features a head with shower to starboard, and galley with freshwater sink and microwave to port. Two Pullman bunks provide overnight accommodations for up to four people. The joinery is satin-finished cherry, complemented by Ultraleather upholstery for softness and durability. A deck hatch in the center offers natural light and ventilation.
“We’re always thinking about comfort and safety, so up on the bow we have a lot of comfortable handholds and nonskid surfaces for traction,” Privott said. “About half of our customers go for the power windlass, so they can do a quick anchor set and release and never leave the helm. This is a boat with features we know customers want through 39 years of experience. It combines the amenities of a fishing boat with the comforts of a family cruiser.”
