Monsters, Inc: Center Consoles Have Now Become Yachts in Their Own Right

For many center console owners in the earlier part of the century, the lay of the land looked much like this: either you had a center console sized from about 25 to 35 feet in length overall as your primary boat, or you had one as a secondary boat, and had either a mega yacht or a large sportfish as your number one. But over the past ten years or so, the traditional paradigm has very much shifted.

This article was written by Kevin Koenig. Photography courtesy of the Manufacturers.

Center consoles have now become yachts in their own right. Some would point to the Great Recession as a turning point in the “little boat” market. Changing social mores surrounding ostentatious displays of wealth—as well as other economic factors—may have persuaded many owners of larger boats to ditch the yacht and get an unassuming center console on which they could zip over to the Bahamas and spend their nights tucked away in a hotel or home. But as the recession receded, and larger boats became socially acceptable again, many center console owners found they had fallen in love with the no-muss-no-fuss nature of their waterborne SUVs. But they wanted something, you know, just a little bit bigger.

These days, the line between center console and yacht has been blurred to the point that building “monster center consoles” is a cottage industry in its own right, and one in which many of the top center console builders have staked a claim. Fit and finish onboard all these boats is often yacht quality, and a form of convergent evolution between the big center console builders and the outboard-engine companies that power them means these boats can seriously fly.

HCB 65 ESTRELLA

No list of large center consoles would be complete without the 800-pound gorilla in the room—the HCB 65 Estrella. The largest center console in the world measures 65 feet and tips the scales at a whopping 60,000 pounds. This center console comes with a massive cabin that includes a master stateroom and a pullman berth in the salon. She also can be outfitted with unlimited horsepower, according to HCB, though practically speaking you may have to settle for six (6!) 600-horsepower Mercurys. Livewells and in-sole fishboxes bolster this model’s fishing credentials while yacht-y touches like a beautifully crafted teak steering wheel keep the luxury commensurate with the $3 million-ish price tag.

VALHALLA V-55

Viking is nothing if not on trend. It seems as if the Jersey goliath may actually have gotten bored beating the tar out of its competition sales-wise in the semi-production sportfish market and needed a new challenge. Enter Valhalla Boatworks. The builder’s center console line spans from a 33 up to this 55-foot, 7-inch beast, which will debut in Miami in February. With a twin-stepped hull designed by Michael Peters, and the ability to handle an obscene quintuple Mercury 600 Verado setup, the 55 will offer thrilling performance packaged with tournament-ready fishing features including a massive cockpit, twin 65-gallon livewells, and loads of rocket launchers. A Seakeeper 9 gyrostabilizer ensures this resin-infused beast stays steady when drift fishing as well.

SCOUT 530 LXF

South Carolina’s Scout has always been known for two things: pretty lines and seaworthy hulls. The builder has an enviable contender in the monster center console market with the 530 LXF. The 53-foot, 5-inch vessel has a gently curved shearline that makes it pop in any anchorage. Scout uses cutting-edge carbon epoxy construction to build its boats, which makes this 530 both strong and light–at a 27,980-pound displacement sans engines. You can add another 5,000 pounds if you want the quad 600-horsepower Mercury option, which—let’s be honest here—you definitely do.

INTREPID 51 PANACEA

Intrepid has always been a major player when it comes to building center console tenders for big boats, thanks to a nearly unparalleled ability to customize its offerings. But this latest 51 Panacea is nearly a yacht in its own right. A highlight aboard this boat is the spacious cabin with a large V-berth, a full head, and a galley to handle cooking duties. The 51 will also come with Intrepid’s signature inward-opening dive door, a feature that helped put Intrepid on the map. Up top, the Intrepid features an array of seating, including two rows of seats beneath the hardtop—the best place to sit when the weather gets snotty.

PURSUIT S 428

The smallest entry on this list would have been one of the largest center consoles on the water not so very long ago, and she still has an imposing presence at the dock despite being just a mere 43 feet long. This boat is replete with seating, including a plush forward lounge that is a blast at the boat’s 59-mile-per-hour top-end (when powered by quad Yamaha 425 XTOs). Fold-out terraces in the cockpit mean the S 428 has plenty of room for entertaining—but the terraces also offer easy access to the water, as this boat was designed with in-water sports in mind. A three-seat-wide helm setup with flip-down armrests ensures the captain and his mates are comfortable when at work.

SŌLACE 41CS

The SŌLACE 41CS center console was built for performance. With a twin-stepped, carbon fiber and epoxy hull with tracking rail chines, and the capacity for up to 1,800 horsepower with a quad Mercury Racing 450r set up, this boat can blaze out to the fishing spot faster than most anything in its class. Plus, there are amenities aplenty. The 41 has a full wet bar with a barbecue and cutting board built into the aft end of its console. She also has mezzanine seating for three, three additional seats at the transom, and a bowdeck lounge, which means there are plenty of places to sit and relax and listen to the tunes blasting out of the amped-up JL Audio sound system.

The boats mentioned here are just a few of the many jaw-dropping center console options that would have been unthinkable not long ago. These are vessels that offer all the fun and adventure of a fast open boat, matched with amenities and a fit and finish that is befitting of a true yacht. It seems a true monster has been created, indeed.

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