Those in search of a fishing machine that delivers the ultimate in comfort along with angling prowess may well have been interested in the Formula 387 CCF. Just how comfortable is it? We’re talking about enjoying perks like cool breezes wafting across the helm-deck thanks to indoor/outdoor air conditioning; uber-cushy seats; tunes piped in via a Rockford Fosgate stereo system; and a sunshade that covers the entire cockpit at the press of a button. And we enjoyed all that stuff when we trekked down to Miami and spent a day fishing aboard the 387 CCF. What we enjoyed even more, however, was the new addition to this fishing machine: an upper station. Let's check it out.
This upper station is, in our opinion, is just too substantial to call a mere tower. Climb the stairs integrated into the hard top pipework, push open the hatch, and step up top. You’ll find a fiberglass brow with a full helm including goodies like a wireless cell phone charger, cup holders, and even a joystick in addition to the wheel and throttles. There’s a helm chair to starboard and yes this one’s uber-comfy, too. To port there’s a lounger, and if you walk aft you have access to the rocket launchers lining the back rails. It’s shady up there as well, thanks to a small hard top overhead. Grab rails are all around, and Formula added grab handles at a couple of strategic points on the lounger and beneath the helm chair. When going up and down the ladder they’re perfectly positioned for an easy reach.
Is it a flying bridge by technical standards? That’s debatable since the top isn’t part of a house, but it’s certainly much more substantial than your average tower. We rode up top for quite a while as we cruised through the open Atlantic, and it also has the stability of a flybridge as opposed to the seat-of-your-pants feel that many towers deliver. What’s even more important is that this is made by Formula, specifically for the 387 CCF. You can add an upper station to any boat big enough to support it, but aftermarket modifications this substantial carry a fair amount of risk. So, it’s nice to know that you can now get the upper station directly from the Formula factory.
We noticed a few other items of note while fishing—and unfortunately we did a lot more fishing than catching, which is why you don’t see any glorious pics of billing sailfish nor gaffing blackfin tuna on these pages—with one big standout being the design of the tackle station/mezzanine seat. There’s gobs of stowage for your gear, which we’d call a no-brainer. But when you press a button a huge cooler slides out from underneath. It also serves as a footrest when you slide the seat out over the rigging station, as a step up to the flybridge ladder, and as a step up for grabbing rods out of the rocket launchers. We found that through the course of the day as we used all these things it was quite helpful, and at the press of a button we could slide it back underneath so it was out of the way for fishing.
The pair of 40-gallon livewells are another high point. We loaded them up with five dozen pilchards, which all remained spunky until we ran a hook through ‘em. (At which point some became even more spunky). Fishbox capacity is awesome too, with a pair of 90-gallon boxes in the deck. And we note that there are rodholders pretty much everywhere you turn.
The bottom line? The 387 CCF was already a cool fishboat, and it just became a whole lot cooler for those of us who enjoy riding up top and watching for flotsam, working birds, fish breaking water, and fish in the spread. Now, if only we had spotted a few of those when we were fishing…
Formula 387 CCF Specifications
- LOA – 38’7”
- Beam – 12’0”
- Displacement – 22,500 lbs.
- Draft (min.) – 3’10”
- Transom Deadrise – 23 degrees
- Fuel Capacity – 500 gal.
- Water Capacity: 55 gal.
- Max. Power – 1350 hp
Check out the 387 CCF on Formula's website, or give 'em a ring at 844/526-0473.