Whether you plan to enjoy some Chesapeake Bay Fishing or you're just going for a sea trial on a new boat like the NorthCoast 24CC, a north-east wind of 20 knots is not what you're hoping for as you launch at a western shore boat ramp. With seven or eight miles of open water between you and the lee, you know darn well that you’re going to get knocked around a bit. You know you’re going to get wet, and you know that the cup of coffee in your hand is about to spill all over the place. So as we putt-putted through the cut at Sandy Point State Park, after taking a final swig I held my Dunkin’ Doughnuts cup over the gunwale, inverted it, and bade my morning Joe a fond farewell. That would turn out to be a mistake. But before we find out why, let's take a quick peek inside the NorthCoast and look at a feature that no one would ever expect to find in a 24 foot center console.
When we went for our sea trial, as the boat came onto plane at a mellow 3500 the NorthCoast’s 22 degree transom deadrise and 4,500 pounds of heft worked together to keep the ride every bit as smooth and solid as one could hope for; there were no spine-compressing jolts as the bow met the waves, nor were there any of those hollow thrumming sounds that go along with vibrations that travel through a boat and into your body. I glanced wistfully at someone else’s coffee, still sitting securely in one of the stainless-steel cupholders at the helm. Darn.
After elbowing the NorthCoast rep away from the wheel I throttled the twin Suzuki 200’s up to 4500 RPM, aimed into the teeth of the white-caps, and ducked down behind the windshield to avoid the spray. That was mistake number two. While the NorthCoast’s bow is taller than most its flare doesn’t look extreme, yet the slightly concave hullsides, hard chines, and triple strakes do an excellent job of reducing spray. I say “reducing” as opposed to “eliminating” because there isn’t a 24-footer on the face of the planet that won’t throw some amount of spray in one condition or another. But the fact of the matter is that in our rather sporty boat-testing conditions, we stayed dry as a bone.
After swinging south and running towards Whitehall to find some calmer waters for speed trials, I made mistake number three: failing to leave myself enough running distance when I shut down one of the Suzukies and tilted it up to test the boat for single-engine get-home speed. I didn’t think I’d need much room because I never expected the 24CC to break a plane. Most boats with this much heft wallow along at 12 or 14 knots, at best, on a single screw. But plane we did, and after making a course adjustment away from the shallows to allow for more running room, the engine spooled up to 4700 RPM and the boat maintained 21 knots.
Running with both engines in the water, we cruised in the upper 20 knot range at 4500 RPM and hit 38.3 knots at WOT. That was with a real-world load of fuel, four people aboard, and a one to two foot chop. The guys from Buras Marine told me they’d hit 41 knots during a previous sea trial, and considering the conditions we had, I certainly believe them.
Seakeeping and performance would not, however, turn out to be the biggest surprise of the day. The real shocker was what we found inside this boat’s console, as you saw in the video. Sure, it has a head compartment (with the head itself tastefully hidden behind a swing-away enclosure). But that small berth extending up under the forward console seat is one of a kind. Sure, this will usually be used for additional stowage, but if you drop in an optional insert and cushion, it’s large enough for an angler or two (they’d have to be quite friendly) to stretch out and catch some shut-eye. That makes over-nighting with some modicum of comfort a possibility. Let’s say the tuna are chewing under the moonlight at Baltimore Canyon, and a weather-window presents itself—this boat is one of few 24-footers that gives you the option to go for it.
Other fishing features are just about what you’d expect from a boat of this type. The leaning post houses a 35 gallon livewell, tackle stowage boxes, a bait prep station with a sink, and four rodholders. Fish-stowage includes a 72-gallon box under the forward console seat, and a pair of slightly smaller boxes in the deck. The bow is open deck space instead of incorporating flanking seats, prioritizing fishability over seating capacity.
Room for improvement? Two things caught my eye. First off, the console door didn’t secure open, which means it could swing around and slam as the boat rocks. The NorthCoast rep said they were aware of the issue and were planning to address it either with a snap and strap or a magnetic catch, either of which would do the trick. Secondly, I didn’t like how low the batteries were mounted in the bilge. While this does improve ride and stability by keeping weight low and centered, it also means that if the bilge pumps and/or high water alarm ever hiccup the batteries could become over-topped rather quickly, possibly before you notice there’s a problem. If I were buying this boat I wouldn’t want to make that trade-off, and would ask them to add a shelf in the bilge (an easy and inexpensive fix) to raise the batteries up six or eight inches.
What about construction? The NorthCoast is a Rhode Island-built boat, put together in a rather traditional hand-laid glass fashion with a few modern touches. The transom, for example, is Penske board. Hatches and parts incorporate a mix of coring, vacuum infusion, and RTM molding, which result in lighter pieces-parts which are fully finished and maintain maximum strength, thanks to attaining the optimal fiberglass-to-resin ratio. The two-tone deck incorporates a lot of gray, which helps cut down on glare. And we also noted an extensive use of extra-beefy stainless-steel in parts like hinges and fittings.
The bottom line? While this fishing machine doesn’t have a number of the bells and whistles many modern production boats offer, like fancy stereos and wet-bars, nor does it carry the price tag those goodies demand. MSRP is around 160K and real-world pricing fully rigged and ready is closer to $139,000. Yet this relatively straight-forward fishing machine offers an excellent ride and a few surprise features that add to your angling options. Buying a 24 center console without first checking out a NorthCoast 24 CC? That would be mistake number four.
Quick Facts:
- LOA – 24’6”
- Beam – 9’1”
- Displacement – 4,500 lbs.
- Draft (hull) – 1’5”
- Transom deadrise – 22 degrees
- Fuel Capacity – 175 gal
- Max HP – 450
For more information visit NorthCoast Boats.