Boat Tests

Shallow Minded

YELLOWFIN ENTERS THE BAY BOAT MARKET WITH A FAST AND STYLISH 24-FOOTER

BY JOHN BROWNLEE

Yellowfin Yachts builds fast boats, a fact that comes as no surprise to those who know company founder Wylie Nagler— after all, he comes from a racing background and has transferred the valuable lessons learned through years on the racing circuit into the fishing boat market. The new 24 Bay benefits greatly from that experience.

Nagler took me out for a test ride in Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and in no time at all we were cruising effortlessly at 40 mph at 4300 rpm, courtesy of the 24’s single 275 hp Mercury Verado, while burning only about 14 gph. The boat gets onto plane with almost no bow rise and accelerates very quickly. Like all Yellowfins, the 24 has a stepped hull to aerate the bottom and reduce friction, and the speed benefits become obvious in a hurry.

When he nailed the throttle, the 24 topped out at 62 mph at 6100 rpm, and Nagler believes faster speeds will come as he continues to experiment with props. Suffice it to say that you can choose just about any cruise speed between 40 and 50 mph and the 24 will handle it with ease.We rode in the open Gulf in a short chop, and the boat handled the seas well. It didn’t show a tendency to stuff the bow, always riding up and over the chop, and the ride was smooth and dry at all times.

This will be a great choice for those who need to cover large expanses of open water in a hurry. The hull has 15 degrees of transom deadrise and a generous amount of bow flair to keep occupants dry. These attributes allow the boat to perform very well in rough seas, yet still float in only 16 inches of water fully loaded.

A huge bow casting deck has absolutely cavernous storage space beneath it. All three of the hatches in the deck open into the same, single space, providing a tremendous amount of room for whatever gear you need to carry. The centerline hatch has a second, smaller hatch below it that opens to reveal the boat’s trolling motor batteries, neatly tucked away yet easily accessible.The two outboard hatches contain three rod tubes per side that will accommodate fly rods.The optional trolling motor mounts on the bow and popup cleats keep everything flush, plus an anchor lockerstores a vertically- mounted Danforth anchor up there.

The console features a seat that raises on gas rams, affording excellent accessibility to the boat’s batteries and switches, all housed beneath the console. Five upscale Gemlux vertical rod holders mount along the sides of the console, and the helm has a substantial space to flushmount electronics, with a recessed footrest for the helmsman, a stainless steel hand hold for passengers, and a small acrylic windshield.

Our test boat sported a leaning post with no rocket launcher rod holders, but future models will have rod holders available if you want them. A passenger seat aft of the leaning post opens to provide inner hull access to all pumps.

It’s a unique design in which the entire seat comes off to provide excellent access, a feature sorely lacking on some bay boats. A 35-gallon livewell sits on the centerline of the aft casting deck, with a second 35-gallon release well to port, and dry storage beneath a hatch to starboard. The engine comes mounted on a standard jackplate, and a Power Pole comes standard as well. Four large guys can easily fish on this boat given the size of the two casting decks— in fact, you have to see this boat in person to fully appreciate just how much fishing space it has.

In addition, you get Yellowfin’s high-tech construction methods, including Corecell coring above the waterline with Baltek coring in the running surface, and a composite foam transom. These rugged construction techniques provide peace of mind when you’re running through the chop at 50 mph, and it’s also good to know that you’ll be looking good while doing so!

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