You want to boil the water with a top-end speed pushing 50 mph, slice through the chop with a 22.5-degree deep-V hull, and arrive at the fishing grounds with a center console fishing boat armed with goodies like a 30-gallon pressurized livewell and a Simrad NSS12 EVO3? Then get ready to add a little spice into your life, with the Sea Pro 259. Heck, add some spice to your day right now, by checking out this quick video we shot of a 259.
The real story behind this boat – the queen of Sea Pro’s Deep-V fleet – is in just how well equipped it comes right out of the box. The list of standard features is stellar, and includes big-ticket items that virtually every other builder charges extra for on a 26-footer. Take the through-hull anchoring system, for example. Most boats of this size don’t have a through-hull system, and even fewer include a Lewmar Pro Fish 1000 windlass. But that’s part of the package with no extra charge, so you’ll never have to wrestle with the anchor line again. Or consider the tilt-hydraulic steering, Fusion RA70 stereo system with four speakers, or the raw water washdown and freshwater shower. Yup, again, all are standards, and all are the sorts of items other builders charge you extra for.
When you arrive at the hotspot you’ll also appreciate features like the quad rocket launchers on the leaning post and hard top, the pair of kingfish holders on the top, the leaning post tackle center, and the twin 40-gallon fishboxes in the deck. Those fishboxes drain via macerators (though we’d rather see diaphragm pumps here, since they tend to handle scales and bones better) that feed a manifold drain, which also evacuates any water entering the scuppers. The big up-side here is that by utilizing the manifold system you don’t need to have multiple through-hulls perforating the boat. In fact, the only through-hulls you’ll find on the 259 are those of the manifolds and the bilge pumps. Sweet.
One rather unusual option: the 259 can be had with a dive-door and ladder in the portside gunwale. True, that’s something most Chesapeake dwellers won’t use much, unless you enjoy diving in waters where you can barely see your hand in front of your mask. But it could come in handy for boarding or re-boarding, particularly if you often take out senior anglers. And if you want it, your opportunities in this size range will be quite limited.
Like most modern CCs the Sea Pro is designed to add a bit of comfort to your fishing day. While we’re certainly not going to prioritize that over fishability, just in case you need to reassure your better half that he’ll be able to kick back and relax in luxury, we do want to note that this boat has a couple of seating perks you won’t find elsewhere. The fold-down aft bench seat has a unique backrest that’s adjustable, and the forward sets have both flip-up backrests and removable (optional) lounger backrests. Plus coaming bolsters ring the cockpit, and for the helm seats you can have flip-down bolster Llebrocs. Ahhhhh, Llebroacs...
There are a ton of center consoles in this size range on the market, and anyone interested in a boat like this has a lot of sifting to do before they can narrow down their search. If you’ve done your sifting and the Sea Pro 259 seems like a fit, you’ll be glad that thanks to that comprehensive standard feature list you get a turn-key boat right out of the box – and you can get out there and start boiling the water just soon as you fill up the fuel tank.
Sea Pro 259 Specifications:
LOA – 25’9”
Beam – 9’4”
Displacement – 4850 lbs.
Draft (hull) – 1’7”
Transom Deadrise – 22.5
Fuel Capacity – 147 gal.
Max HP – 400
Area Dealers – Tradewinds Marina, Middle River, MD (410) 335-7000; Danny’s Marine, East New Market MD, (410) 228-0234.