Some anglers look at a boat as nothing more than transportation to the hotspot, but anglers who are also boat-lovers see things a bit differently and if you happen to be a boat-loving fisherman who also appreciates sophistication, elegance, and a bit of panache, the different thing you might be seeing is a Century Coronado 23 Center Console.
Make no mistake about it: the Coronado is not a hard-core fishing machine. It’s more of a finely-styled dayboat with classic appeal — plus four rodholders in the gunwales, an LED-lighted livewell, a cooler integrated with the leaning post, and a rocket launcher on the hard top. There’s plenty of room for casting in the cockpit and enough space for tossing lures forward of the console, too, even though the bow has U-shaped seating (with removable backrests) built in.
The boat’s hull, which is based on a variable-degree design with 17 degrees of transom deadrise, is laminated with vinylester epoxy resin rather than the regular old el-cheapo stuff. And the belowdecks foam is sealed in resin to prevent water intrusion. This mode of construction keeps weight minimal, and with just 200 horses on the transom, cruising speed is close to 30 mph and top-end goes well over 40 mph. Also take note of the Nautolex vinyls used on this boat; when we laid hands on it, it seemed noticeably softer and more supple than the norm.
Another thing that jumped out at us when we perused the Coronado was its penchant for smart design tweaks. Consider the way the boat’s detailed with teak, for example. There’s a mix of real teak and faux teak, and as we walked through the boat we noticed that the real stuff was strategically placed where it’s protected from the sun. The faux material is used where a constant UV beating would cause endless maintenance headaches. Smart. Another example can be seen in the transom. It’s lined with seating inside the cockpit, which on most boats would mean stepping on one of those supple vinyl cushions to step back onto the swim platform. But in this case, the center backrest folds down to protect the fabric and provide you with a rigid non-slip surface to walk on.
Family-friendly features on the 23 Center console include a head compartment inside the console with a choice of portable MSD or fixed head; an optional transom shower; and a three-step swim ladder. We’ve also got to call out the forward console seat backrest cushion, which is contoured for additional comfort, and the fact that you can get a windlass with the anchor mounted on a pulpit.
Much as we here at FishTalk love blood-and-guts fishing machines, truth is, many folks have priorities that go beyond simply hooking and catching more, bigger fish (huh!?) and some people love their boats just as much as they love fishing on them. So if your eyes light up at classic styling and artful design just as much as they light up at rockfish breaking the 40-inch mark, you might want to treat those peepers to a peek at the Coronado.
Century Coronado 23 CC Specifications
LOA – 23’4”
Beam – 8’5”
Displacement – 2775 lbs.
Draft – 1’2”
Fuel Capacity – 85 gal.
Transom Deadrise – 17 degrees
Max. Power – 300 hp
Area Dealers – Annapolis Yacht Sales, Annapolis and Tracys Landing, MD (410) 267-8181 and Deltaville, VA (804) 776-7575.