F I S H A B I L I T Y

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BriefPursuitPursuit's new C200 proves good thingscome in small packages.

BY JOHN BROWNLEE

C O N D I T I O N S

Pursuit Boats enjoys a well-deserved reputation as abuilder of high-quality fishing and cruising boats,which come assembled with top-shelf materials and

sport impeccable fit and finish. But most of these vesselsare 30-plus feet, some as large as 38 feet. Until recently, a23-footer served as the smallest Pursuit.

But at the recent Miami International Boat Show, Pursuitshowed a new face to the boating public — a 20-foot center con-sole, the smallest boat ever produced by the company. Though thisdiminutive craft may be smaller than what we've come to expect

from Pursuit, it comes with thesame legacy of quality craftsman-ship found in even the largestboats the company builds.

I ran the new C200 out ofthe marina at Caribee BoatSales, the Florida Keys Pursuitdealer in Islamorada. As is Pur-suit's typical practice, the C200comes loaded with a lengthylist of standard equipment,including a plumbed livewell,a raw-water washdown, andhydraulic steering with astainless-steel steering wheel.

Caribee owner Bill Gilbert and I put the C200 thoughits paces in Florida Bay and were both pleasantly surprisedby the boat's performance with a single F150 Yamaha four-stroke outboard. The C200 jumped on plane quickly, with aslight bow rise, and settled into a nice running attitude and acruise speed of about 34 mph at 4,500 rpm, burning only alittle over nine gallons per hour.

A strong east wind had Florida Bay whipped into a shortchop, and once again, the little Pursuit surprised us, giving asoft and dry ride you would expect to find on a bigger boat.Predictable and sure high-speed handling made driving the boateasy and enjoyable, and the optional trim tabs helped control

LOCATION: Isiamorada,Florida

WIND: East 15 knots

SEA STATE: 2-foot chop

TEST LOAD: 2 adults, full fuel

78 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM JUNE 2011

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Pursuit C200LOA: 20'2" (without pulpit) Beam: 8 3 Hull draft: 13'/2"

Dry weight: 2,787 Ibs. (with a Yamaha F150) Max hp: 150

Fuel: 60 gals. Deadrise: 18° Base price: $39,095 (with a Yamaha F150)

Pursuit Boats: 772-465-6006 • pursuitboats.com

JUNE 2011 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM 79

F I S H A B I L I T Y

the angle of attack to ensure the best ride. In addition, theboat's 8-foot-3-inch beam enabled it to remain steady in abeam sea when drifting. Altogether, the C200 put on anoutstanding show during the sea trial.

Back at the dock, Gilbert and I looked the boat overclosely. The optional T-top on our test boat providedplenty of shade at the helm, and the C200 comes withan innovative seating arrangement that quickly convertsfrom a seat to a leaning post, as the seats tilt forward at thepull of a knob to provide a comfortable and secure surfaceagainst which to lean while steering.

The boat comes with two integrated passenger seatsin the aft deck, with cushions and padded backrests forcomfort. An insulated storage box lies beneath the star-board seat, and the boat's 19-gallon livewell sits beneaththe port seat. The freshwater fill sits atop the transombulkhead, along with the freshwater shower. A hatch onthe forward edge of the bulkhead affords easy access tothe inner hull and all pumps and through-hull fittings.

The compact console features an acrylic windshield,

RPM MPH GPH4,000 26.9

4,500 34.3

5,000 36.25,500 40.75,800 43.2

I 6,050 45.4 15.8

With a single Yamaha F150

6.49.4

"io.o13.7

14.7

with a port-mounted helm and the throttle binnacle on thecenterline. Gauges sit squarely above the wheel, and there'sample space for mounting an LCD sonar-plotter unit. Thebiggest surprise came when we looked beneath the con-sole through the starboard side door and found a standardporta-potty below. All the comforts of home, although theclaustrophobic need not apply.

The raised forward deck offers lots of casting space, and theentire sole comes finished with Pursuit's molded-in, aggressivediamond nonskid surface for sure footing. Beneath the for-ward deck, a 203-quart insulated fish box will hold as manyfish as you're likely to catch, and it drains overboard for easy

cleanup. A one-piece welded stainless-steel bow rail surroundsthe bow for a sure hand grip even in rough water.

Like all Pursuit boats, the C200 comes with the PursuitProtection Plan, a strong five-year hull/deck structural war-ranty, plus a five-year blister-free warranty and a two-yearlimited warranty. This all adds up to your being able to getinto a Pursuit, complete with all of the company's notablequality and prestige, in a smaller, more affordable package.The new C200 will likely lead to a whole new generationof dedicated Pursuit owners, as those who purchase thesmaller boats will discover what the owners of larger Pur-suits have known and appreciated for years, x^

80 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM JUNE 2011