These 10 New Center Console Fishing Boats Can Double as Luxurious Day Cruisers

Not so long ago, the center console was all about chasing the big catch miles offshore. Today it’s as much about lounging on cushy sunpads with friends and family, firing up the grill and having a fun day anchored to a sandbar. The good news, with a decade’s worth growth, is that both US and European builders are pushing design boundaries, giving boaters more options than ever. Hard-core fishing machines and gentleman’s cruisers are equal parts of the new generation.

Despite the differences, the common denominator has always been performance. Which means these 10 new high-powered center consoles will all get you where want to go, exceedingly fast.

Midnight Express 60 Pied-a-Mer

Ponder this stat for a second. Powered by a pair of 1,900-hp MAN diesels hooked up to surface drives, Midnight Express’ latest 60-ft. Pied-a-Mer can hit a blistering 90 mph top speed. And even with the more popular six-pack of Mercury Racing 450R outboards, it can run at 60 mph-plus. No wonder they call this center console The Beast. But what arguably sets the boat apart is its surprisingly spacious accommodations. Belowdecks, there are two equal-sized master cabins sprawled across 15 feet of beam, with a galley and lounge. A pied-a-mer indeed.

Valhalla V-55

To tower. Or not to tower. That is the question. Aiming to use Valhalla Boatworks’ brand-new flagship V-55 as a pure offshore, fish-fighting machine, you’ll probably want the tuna tower. Using it more as a super-luxury, super-spacious weekender for blasting across to Bimini, then the tuna tower is redundant. Blast it will. Featuring a smooth-riding, twin-stepped deep-V hull from designer Michael Peters, the V-55 will slice through the whitecaps at 60mph-plus with its quad 600-hp Mercury Verado V12 outboards. And to give the center console the range to get places, it comes with a 1,200-gallon tank.

Wallypower 58

The brand-new Wallypower 58 is a flying scimitar of a center console unencumbered by anything as trivial as handrails or even hull windows. As for the latter, the 58 features so-called “magic portholes” featuring outside cameras hooked up to screens inside the cabin to give a wide-angled view of the world outside. Inspired, design-wise, by the bonkers Wallypower 118, this plumb-bowed 57-footer features a similar massively-raked windshield and swept-back hardtop. Powering this Mad Max machine is a trio of either Volvo IPS 700s or 800s. Fast? Si.

Windy SR44

Next to ABBA, arguably the most famous Swedish ensemble is the powerboat powerhouse called Windy Boats. It recently introduced a brand-new performance center console, badged the SR44 SX, that trades inboard power for a set of 600-hp Mercury V12s or triple Yamaha 425XTOs. With more of a focus on family fun than hooking herring, this razor-nosed 44-footer has a spacious twin-cabin layout, multiple sunpads, and a large, U-shaped cockpit dinette for alfresco dining. Designed to tackle the often turbulent Swedish coastal waters, it’s reckoned to be one of the smoothest-riding center consoles out there.

Solaris 40 Open

Lobster-boat-style center consoles don’t come any prettier than this new Solaris Power 40 Open from Italy. The hull shape alone is a work of art, with its bold, plumb bow, its sweeps and curves and well-defined side strakes. Add to these a curvy windshield and dramatic t-top supported by a single pillar. And there’s real elegance here, with its salty teak decks, classy upholstery and high-quality fittings. Below deck are twin cabins, with a spacious master in the bow that have interior volumes reckoned to match Solaris’ larger Open 44. Multiple power options range from gas, diesel or outboard, with Volvo D6 440-hp diesels with stern drives being the go-to package. 

Phenom 37

A fresh-faced entry into the burgeoning sub-40-foot offshore center console market is this innovative 37-footer from South Carolina-based Phenom Yachts. The new Phenom 37 rides on a raceboat-inspired, twin-stepped running surface the company calls NextStep. Add to this a forward section of the hull that features three deep, well-defined strakes for a softer, smoother ride, less pounding in big seas, and on-rails tracking. Power comes from either triple Mercury 400-hp V10 Verados, or a pair of Verado V12 600s, both offering a 70mph-plus top speed. One feature we’re loving: air-conditioned helm seats.

Intrepid 427 Nomad SE

Who in the boating world doesn’t know Intrepid Powerboats’ mustachioed president, Ken “The Boat GOAT” Clinton from his almost daily Tik Tok, Facebook and Instagram social media posts? His latest posts from this year’s Miami boat show have focused on Intrepid’s brand-new 427 Nomad SE center console making its debut at the show. Based on Intrepid’s 42-foot Nomad FE, it features an all-new deck layout with an oversized hardtop covering two rows of seats, a bigger console cabin with side-entry—hence the SE badging—and a wider dashboard to accommodate the latest flat-screen electronics. Unchanged is Intrepid’s smooth-riding stepped hull and choice of two or four outboards.

Aquila 47 Molokai

You don’t mess with the turbulent waters skirting the Hawaiian island of Molokai unless you have a serious boat. Which is why Florida-based Aquila Catamarans has christened its brand-new, twin-hulled fish-chasing cat the 47 Molokai. Designed to pound through the surf at speeds up to 60mph, this razor-bowed speedster just made its concept debut at this year’s Miami boat show, with the first production versions due in May. Engine options will include either twin 600hp Mercury Verado V12s, four of the brand-new 450-horse Mercury V10s, or a quartet of tried-and-tested Mercury Racing 450s. 

Freeman 43

When Jimmy Buffett went looking for a fast boat to head out to his favorite offshore fishing spots, he turned to South Carolina’s Freeman Boats for one of their tough-as-nails Freeman 42 power catamarans. Don’t be surprised if the son-of-a-sailor trades up to Freeman’s brand-new 43, with greater creature comforts, feistier performance from a quartet of Mercury Racing 450Rs, and added functionality. Did we mention the 50-plus rod holders scattered around the deck? With a modified version of the 42’s proven hull design, comfier seating with two rows of bucket seats, and even more livewells, tackle boxes and storage bins, this new 43 could be the ultimate fishing machine.

Pardo P50

Yes, technically, it’s a center console. But this classy Italian thoroughbred is as much a super-luxe weekender as a fisherman’s friend. Stretch out in the spacious master suite, or soak-up rays on one of the 50-footer’s huge padded sunpads on the bow and stern. Instantly recognizable from its wave-slicing, axe-like reverse bow, the P50 is a fixture of every major sunny boating hot spot, from Miami to Mallorca. Big brother to Pardo’s P38 and P43 center consoles, this flagship 50 comes with the choice of three Volvo IPS powertrains ranging from standard twin 600s, to optional 700s, or top-choice 600-hp 800 diesels, delivering a 40mph-plus top speed. Talk about a bella macchina.