In this article, we will describe a variety of center console boats. In so doing we will show that the center console suits a wide variety of boaters. There are large center consoles and small center consoles. Some center consoles are more expensive and some are less expensive. Originally developed for recreational fishing, center consoles now can be had for luxury, watersports, or fishing (or all three!). Center console boats may also feature a variety of power options. Read along as we provide examples in an attempt to show the breadth and depth of the center console boat type.
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Recommended Center Consoles by SizeA handy way to make the information about center console boats easier to digest is to break the category down by length. Know that for any length group, there will be center consoles of greater or lesser relative cost.
Review recommended center consoles: Under 25 ft. 26 ft. – 40 ft. Over 40 ft. Best Small Center Consoles (Under 25ft)Here are some great examples of center consoles under 25 feet long. It is not meant to be a definitive list, but rather to show the range in this size category. Note that we also offer a more complete list of Best Small Center Console Boats (Under 25ft).
Scout 177 SportA small, but exceptionally-well finished and equipped fishing center console.
The Scout 177 Sport represents the high-end of the small center console market, both in price and in construction and features. Its Carolina-flared hull sheds spray. While it’s clutter-free decks, ideal for fishing, may seem barren, this boat comes with many standard features that may be optional aboard other boats. Evidence of its top construction can be seen and even felt.Check the clean design inside and out, all the way to the completely-finished bilges and underside of all doors, lids and hatches. This small center console is a high-bred fishing machine.
.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Visit Scout Boats Build Your Scout Pricing and Specs Price:$32,195LOA:17’7″Beam:7’3″Draft (approx.):10″Dry Weight w/o Engine (approx.):1,000 lb.Seat/Weight Capacity:4/545 lb.Fuel Capacity:20 gal.What we like:
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– LOWER YOUR RATES –
Taking a boating safety course won’t just make you a better skipper. It could also help you save big on insurance.
A family fun center console powered by twin waterjets.
Yamaha’s 24’5” long 255 FSH Sport H offers boat buyers a versatile center console with jet power. Twin supercharged Yamaha Vortex High Output engines driving waterjets propel this center console to a top speed of 54 mph. These also offer outstanding maneuverability around the dock and at the launch ramp. On the water, you’ll find the 255 FSH Sport H ready to pull a tube, catch a fish, hit the sandbar or just chase big smiles. It comes with a standard single axle, painted, trailer.
.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Read Our Review Visit Yamaha Boats Build Your Yamaha Pricing and Specs Price:$107,799LOA:24’6″Beam:8’6″Draft (max):1’10”Dry Weight:4,835 lb.Seat/Weight Capacity:12/2,700 lb.Fuel Capacity:111 gal.What we like:
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A 23-foot center console that emphasizes family fun.
With its deep freeboard and broad bow, the Starcraft SVX 231 OB CC lends itself to a variety of activities, with friends and family on the lake, bay or river. It offers a big space inside the console for a “porta potty,“ the gunwales feature a unique shelf, complete with drink holders, which will prove useful during entertaining. Sure, its fiberglass cockpit sole, livewell and rod holders allow it to fish. But large platforms, fore and aft, plus the generous, deep, U-shaped seating in the bow place this center console firmly at the family fun end of the spectrum.
.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Read Our Review Visit Starcraft Build Your Starcraft Pricing and Specs MSRP:$83,291 (with Yamaha F300)LOA:22’8″Beam:8’6″Draft (max):NADry Weight:3,263 lb.Seat/Weight Capacity:14/1,900 lb.Fuel Capacity:60 gal.What we like:
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– CHECK THE WEATHER –
The weather changes all the time. Always check the forecast and prepare for the worst case.
Center consoles between 26- and 40 feet in length are large enough to truly offer the best of several boating worlds. Especially in the larger examples, one may find high-performance and fishability in equal measure, for instance. And, many boats in this range not only offer an enclosed head–there is often a Spartan berth, as well. Check out these center console boats as examples of what you can expect to find in this size range.
Regulator 30 XOThis is finely-crafted center console is an excellent example of the “crossover” sub-category of center consoles.
With its 30-foot-7-inch length and 10-foot-2-inch beam, the Regulator 30 XO offers a large working platform for casting, trolling, jigging—you name it. The forward and aft raised-deck fishing platforms on the 30XO work perfectly for plugging for stripers, hitting the inshore wrecks or working the edges of flats. The 30XO also proves a home run for family fun at the sandbar. The standard features list is greater than the options list, and that says a lot about the forethought that went into this boat. It is one of the best finished boats you will encounter.
Regulator’s 30XO runs on a nonstepped deep-V hull, delivering excellent ride and handling. Courtesy Regulator Marine Read Our Review Visit Regulator Build Your Regulator Pricing and Specs Price:$370,995 (starting)LOA:30’7″Beam:10’2″Draft:1’9″ (engines up); 2’11” (engines down)Displacement:9,525 lb.Transom Deadrise:15 degreesBridge Clearance:10’1″Max Cabin Headroom:5’5″Fuel Capacity:222 gal.Water Capacity:38 gal.Max Horsepower:600Available Power:Twin Yamaha outboards to 600 hpWhat we like:
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The offset console allows for a bigger cabin aboard this unique multi-tasker,
Solara’s S-310 CW offers a unique layout that it calls a center walkaround. The idea is you get bow-to-stern fishability–down one side of the boat. The helm extends to the other side, providing two things. One, more protection from wind and weather for the aft cockpit. And, two, with the port side closed off, there is more room for a bigger cabin. This boat is highly-versatile and with its stepped hull, will run efficiency with twin 300-hp outboards.
The S-310 CW efficiently cruises through most conditions. Courtesy Solara Boats Read Our Review Visit Solara Boats Pricing and Specs Price:$373,937 (base with twin Yamaha F300)LOA:30’10”Beam:10’0″Draft:2’1″Displacement:10,500 lb. (dry)Transom Deadrise:24 degreesBridge Clearance:8’4″ (9’2″ with radar)Max Cabin Headroom:6’1″Fuel Capacity:200 gal.Water Capacity:41 gal.Max Horsepower:600What we like:
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Fishing and comfort features for a moderate price.
The Cobia 350 CC is a purebred “offshore” center console, with its deep-V hull moderate beam-to-length ratio and high freeboard. It can be powered by up to triple 300-hp outboards, which provides 50-plus mph speed, but also the ability to carry a load of anglers, gear and ice through rough seas for a long distance. Fishing features abound, but you will also find plenty of comfort aboard the Cobia 350 CC.
.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Read Our Review Visit Cobia Build Your Cobia Pricing and Specs Price:$417,463 (with twin Yamaha 450s)LOA:34’4″Beam:11’2″Draft:2’0″ (motor up)Dry Weight:10,560 lb. (approx. with engines)Seat/Weight Capacity:Yacht CertifiedFuel Capacity:320 gal.Available Power:Yamaha outboards to 900 hpWhat we like:
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The Canyon 386 is packed with luxury and fishability.
The Canyon 386 slides through seas with ease and keeps the crew comfortable in aggressive turns or blistering speeds on its proven SeaV2 hull. The triple Yamaha 450 XTO engines are controlled from a wide helm. Finished in black, the helm keeps down glare and enhances visibility. Grady’s trademarked AirView2 (AV2) hardtop protects four captain’s chairs, and features an electric sunroof and a vented integrated full-height windshield. The throttle and wheel are centered, with the Yamaha Helm Master Full Maneuverability joystick alongside. The system makes docking easier, and allows the boat to maintain position and heading while bottomfishing. It can also maintain heading while allowing the boat to drift a rip or bottom contour.
Seakeeper stabilization tames rolling seas. Courtesy Grady-White Boats Read Our Review Visit Grady-White Build Your Grady-White Pricing and Specs Price:$1,014,500LOA:36’6″Beam:13’2″Draft:2’4″ (motors up)Dry Weight:14,950 lb.Seat/Weight Capacity:Yacht CertifiedFuel Capacity:410 gal.Available Power:Yamaha outboardsWhat we like:
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Large center consoles burst on the boating scene in the last 10 or 12 years. These boats allow their affluent owners to have it all: the size of the boats makes for very little compromise in combining fishing features with comforts. As an example, most center console boats in this size class offer luxurious weekend accommodations, in addition to acres of 360-degree fishing and entertaining space topside. Some models are full on fishing machines, though, while others are built for nothing but luxury. Suffice to say, center consoles over 40 feet LOA often cost more than one million dollars.
Invincible 46 Center ConsoleA cat-hulled center console to get you to the fish–and back–fast.
Seeking a huge cockpit, aboard a vessel that can travel at high speed to the far offshore grounds where pelagic gamesters live? Look at the Invincible 46 Center Console. The fishing cockpit has four livewells. Our tester, Randy Vance, wryly observed: ”There are so many rod holders on the gunwales and transom, you could just about close your eyes and slip a rod butt in one.“ Its two cat hulls, powered by four big outboards, provide speed and smooth going even in rough seas.
.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Read Our Review Visit Invincible Boats Pricing and Specs .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-0pky{border-color:inherit;text-align:left;vertical-align:top} Price: $1,100,000 (with test power) LOA: 45′11″ Beam: 12′0″ Draft (max): 2′0″ Displacement (approx.): 20,000 lb. (dry with engines) Deadrise: Variable Bridge Clearance: 10′0″ Fuel Capacity: 1,000 gal. Max Horsepower: 1,800 Available Power: Mercury and Yamaha outboardsWhat we like:
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A sport yacht with a center console layout.
With outboard power, the Intrepid 51 Panacea is a 71-plus mph luxury dayboat in a center console format. While one can fish from it, the true reason for this boat’s existence is performance combined with luxury. Steering from a center console helm delivers a feeling of being connected to a boat like no other, since you stand on the center of the boat, and at (or near) the center of gravity. Aboard the 51 Panacea, you’ll feel this boat-as-extension-of-yourself effect to the max. And when the fishing-diving-entertaining is done topside, you can retire to the swanky cabin below.
.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Read Our Review Visit Intrepid Boats Pricing and Specs Price:$2,300,000LOA:51’0″Beam:14’10”Draft:3’11” (motor down)Dry Weight:30,500 lb. (with engines)Seat/Weight Capacity:Yacht CertifiedFuel Capacity:900 gal.What we like:
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– TOW LIKE A PRO –
Remember to leave extra stopping room when trailering your boat. At the ramp, be considerate of others but take the time you need to launch and recover your boat safely. Always check tie-downs, safety chains, lights – and the drain plug.
When buying a center console,whether large or small, there are things to consider. Here is a list of considerations I feel is important for the center console buyer.
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