Many big center console boats are simply supersize versions of existing layouts. Not so with Pursuit’s new S 408 Sport. The company’s design team took a clean-slate approach. The result is an interior that you might mistake for a cruiser.
A 13-foot beam is fundamental to the interior. While other 40-foot-plus center consoles can claim similar dimensions, the S 408 Sport carries this width from shoulders to transom, rather than narrowing at the hips. This makes possible one of the most spacious cabins you’ll see in a center console. You step down through a wide pocket door on the port side of the helm deck to find a cabin you might expect aboard a cruiser. It’s appointed with touches of exquisite wood-veneer paneling. In the forward portion is a V-lounge, which converts into a berth. We had expected to see a removable dinette table, but this feature is not available. A skylight illuminates, and a 28-inch TV entertains.
A galley on the starboard side with a refrigerator lets you prep meals. A standard 8 kW diesel generator powers appliances when you’re away from shore power. The enclosed head to starboard features a VacuFlush porcelain marine toilet, sink with freshwater faucet, Corian countertop and a shower.
A laminated-glass windshield melds with the hardtop to shield the super-wide helm. An electrically operated vent at the top lets in a breeze. Louvered vents at the helm and on the seating module direct air conditioning to the crew on deck. A row of three comfortable helm seats features lumbar supports, flip-up bolsters and fold-down armrests. For extra height while standing, the footrest panel folds down to add 9-inches of elevation, a handy bonus. Under the starboard side seat pod is a refrigerator for stashing cold drinks and snacks.
Our test boat came with a Yamaha electronic throttle and shift to control the triple Yamaha F350 outboards. It also featured a joystick for a standard bow thruster for docking in tight quarters. This was in addition to the optional Yamaha Helm Master joystick control system ($34,030).
Twin Garmin GPSMap 7616 multifunction displays filled the 44-inch dash panel, offering views and control of the networked electronics. Atop the console is a handy glove box with a USB-charging port for your mobile devices.
There’s a 44-gallon transom livewell in the starboard quarter with a self-latching lid. In the center of the transom, a covered 47-gallon insulated locker with refrigerator/freezer coils stows frozen bait or cold provisions. The transom also includes a sink with fresh water, an electric grill, and a Corian cutting board. A pair of 61-gallon insulated insole fish lockers flanks the aft deck; the starboard locker features fridge/freezer coils.
Follow a hooked fish around the boat without bruising your thighs thanks to padded coaming bolsters. The step up to the bow results in a secure, but fishable, gunwale height. Teak inserts serve as visual warnings to the change in level.
The transom leads to the stern platform, which extends well aft on each side of the motors. A durable boarding ladder, with dedicated stowage, is provided.
In the cockpit, a beefy, inward-opening dive door on the starboard side let’s you pull aboard big tuna or swordfish, board from a floating dock or take a dip. A foldout boarding ladder makes it easy to climb back aboard.
You can watch the fishing action from the aft-facing mezzanine bench-style seat. Extend the electrically operated Makefast Sunshade from the aft edge of the top to escape the sun.
An inviting three-person lounge atop the forward console features sculpted backrests and fold-down armrests. If you’re shopping for a comparison model, the quad-powered Boston Whaler 420 Outrage ($744,561 with four Mercury Verado 300s) is a good example. It too combines cruising comforts and fishing features in a center console layout. However, the aft hardtop supports rest on the gunwales, eliminating the full fish-around capability.
U-shaped seating wraps around the bow with a dual-pedestal, teak table in the middle, turning the forward cockpit into a social center. You can convert each side of the seating into a lounger with tilt-and-lock angled backrests.
The S 408 knifed smoothly through 3-foot head seas. The boat also handled marvelously as we quartered down-sea at speeds in the high 40s. Cornering with the deep-V hull at speed proved predictable and uneventful. The boat felt solid and free of creaks or rattles. Pursuit ensures durability with its reinforced, infused one-piece stringer grid and patent-pending transom reinforcement grid, as well as a mechanically fastened hull-to-deck joint.
This boat is built for comfortable cruising, not high velocity, yet it still jumped to 30 mph from a standing start in 8 seconds and reached 51.4 mph at 6,000 rpm. The most efficient cruising speed came at 4,000 rpm and 32.7 mph where the triple F350s burned 39.1 gph for 0.84 mpg.
For boatbuilders, it takes time, talent and dedication to create a boat that’s truly different. The Pursuit S 408 Sport is just that. This model brings together the best in center console and cruiser features in ways any boater can appreciate.
Comparable Model: Boston Whaler 420 Outrage
