Overview
Family cruiser, dock-hopping party boat, blood-on-deck fishing machine, or serious dive boat? The Cutwater C-288 Coupe surely offers versatility. This boat also comes with standards that other boatbuilders charge for, such as a Garmin 8612xsv touchscreen display with sonar, xHD radar, autopilot, bow thruster with remote, windlass, inverter, solar panel, heat and air conditioning, barbecue and more.
Engines
I found the Cutwater C-288 Coupe fun to run. Powered by twin Yamaha F250s, the double-stepped hull planes smoothly and easily. I measured a zippy zero-to-50 mph in 24 seconds. The 10-foot beam adds cabin space but provides stability underway banking into sharp 40 mph turns. Small indentations in the hull (think divots on a golf ball) that Cutwater calls Laminar Flow Interrupters improve cornering. At 3,800 rpm, I looped around at 30 mph and barely slowed down, even in hard turns. A speed of 36.7 mph consumes 26.9 gph (1.37 mpg), providing a cruising range of 246 miles with a 10 percent reserve in the tank.
Interior and Accessories
Salon seats face forward when running and can face aft to surround the dinette when it’s mealtime. The rear seat flips to face the cockpit through an opening hatch with a footrest. A midberth cabin stretches under the settee, and the salon table converts into a berth. The fully equipped galley has room for meal prep and serving. The helm station offers good visibility, sliding overhead hatches, and opening side windows. A private cabin forward features a full-beam bed, an electric head and a shower.
The aft cockpit seat is remarkably versatile, able to face either forward into the cockpit or aft to the swim platform, or to fold into a padded leaning post for fishing. Accessed through the transom door, the Clear Path swim platform stretches past the outboards, facilitating a stern tie/Med mooring. Cutwater also installed rails for boarding and a retractable swim ladder. Outboard cables, wires and hoses are conveniently routed through the platform, creating uncluttered usable space that extends the cockpit.
Read Next: 2022 Cutwater C-24 CW
How We Tested
- Engines: Twin 250 hp Yamaha F250
- Drive/Prop: Outboard/15 1/4” x 18″ 3-blade stainless steel
- Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 100 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 360 lb.
High Points
- Versatile configuration, seating that flips, and multiple bed and berth options.
- Opening hatches, doors and windows provide climate control.
- Fast performance and tight, controlled cornering make it a pleasure to drive.
Low Points
- Three windshield panes, but the center one does not have a wiper.
- Midberth cabin is great for kids but might be confining for some adults.
- Its 10-foot beam might require a wide-load permit when trailering.
Toughest Competitor
It is hard to nail down comparable boats because of the do-all nature of the Cutwater. The Nimbus 305 Coupe ($320,000 base; $400,000 nicely equipped) delivers a similar style, cruising features and layout, but comes with a single inboard diesel and isn’t trailerable. Also check out Jeanneau’s NC1095 ($381,123 powered by twin 300 hp Yamahas).
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $314,937 (base with test power) |
| LOA: | 33’7″ |
| Beam: | 10’0″ |
| Draft (max): | 2’9″ |
| Displacement (approx.): | 10,000 lb. |
| Transom Deadrise: | 24 degrees |
| Bridge Clearance (mast up/down): | 9’2″/11’0″ |
| Max Cabin Headroom: | 6’5″ |
| Fuel Capacity: | 200 gal. |
| Max Horsepower: | 500 |
| Available Power: | Twin Yamaha 250 hp outboards |
Speed, Efficiency, Operation
Cutwater Boats – Auburn, Washington; 253-839-5213; cutwaterboats.com
