by Lenny Rudow
Why are there a million and one Chesapeake Bay fishing fanatics plying the waters on 22 to 24 foot center consoles? Because this size range is a sweet-spot; the boat’s big enough to handle what the Chesapeake has to dish out, but it’s small enough to be economical to purchase and operate. It can ride out a gusty front, but it can still be trailered with a reasonably-sized tow vehicle. When the weather is right it can punch through the inlet and head out into the open Atlantic, but it can also creep back into a marsh island’s cuts and creeks. This size range, however, is also an extremely crowded field. In fact, there are so many 22 to 24 foot center consoles around, they tend to blend together. Until, that is, you spend a day aboard a boat like the Sailfish 236 CC.
What’s so special about this boat that it stands out from the crowd? It begins with hull design. Unlike many boats, a Sailfish’s deadrise—the angler of the V in the bottom—is based on three different running surfaces. It’s sharpest in the center, is where the hull meets the waves. The next segment of the hull is a bit flatter, to enhance planning and efficiency. And the final third is flatter yet, to enhance stability. This combination results in a smooth ride through a chop, but without sacrificing efficiency and stability, which is often the downfall of anoverly-aggressive wave-splitting hull. The smoothness of the ride and the lateral stability are things you have to experience for yourself to really believe, and you’ll see what we mean during a sea trial. As for efficiency, we can provide evidence: when rigged with a Yamaha V-6 Offshore F200 at a 4000 RPM cruise of 25.4 MPH, the boat gets 3.3 miles to the gallon. And even at wide-open throttle, doing 41.1 MPH, fuel efficiency remains above 2.0 miles to the gallon. These are real-world numbers, with three people and full fuel aboard.
Another thing that sets the Sailfish 236 apart from the pack is its list of standard features. The stock boat comes with a 25 gallon transom livewell, twin 120-quart forward fishboxes, a raw water washdown, hydraulic tilt steering, and cockpit coaming bolsters. We wish the console head compartment came with a head (who will buy the boat without it?) but we do note that some other “comfort” features (like the aft seating and a 14 gallon freshwater system with transom shower) do come as standards.
The bottom line? You have a lot of choices when it comes to 22 to 24 foot center consoles, and different things about each choice are more or less important to different anglers. But if this is the class you’re interested in, don’t make that choice until you’ve sea trialed a Sailfish 236 CC. Because this is one boat that’s most certainly not going to blend in with the crowd.
Sailfish 236 CC Specifications:
LOA – 23’6”
Beam – 8’6”
Displacement – 5,000 lbs
Draft (hull) – 1’6”
Transom deadrise – 22 – 24 (multi-angle)
Fuel Capacity – 110 gal
Water capacity – 14 gal.
Max HP – 300