Boat Test: 2024 Pursuit DC 306

Overview

There was a moment early in my test that perfectly illustrates why the new Pursuit DC 306 is so great. Just as I boarded, Mark Taiclet, Director of Brand Management for Pursuit, was ­wiping off the dew and put his hand in a recent bird deposit. He flipped up the lid of the cockpit wet bar, turned on the faucet, and rinsed off his hands. No problem. “We made this sink much ­bigger because our customers asked for it, so it’s perfect for just this moment,” Taiclet said.

Pursuit takes customer reviews and dealer comments seriously, and the DC 306 is the result of all that input: a delightful boat for both families and anglers.  

Interior and Accessories

The DC 306 replaces the popular DC 295, adding just 1 inch to the length and beam. But this allowed Pursuit to juggle everything, starting with a row of rod holders across the stern (anglers) and adding a centerline towing post (­families) that is anchored to the very core of the boat for strength. When popped up, ski tow lines easily clear the twin Yamaha outboards.

But that was the case everywhere I looked. A cardinal law of boating is there is never enough storage, but this 31-footer had every, and I mean every, nook and cranny turned into a drawer, a locker, a bin. No fewer than four spacious lockers dot the one-piece cockpit floor, including two insulated fish boxes with independent overboard pumps. Seat bottoms and seatbacks open to reveal more stash—or tackle—space, and I’ll get to the two console compartments in a moment. 

This is a classic walk-through dual-console design covered by a ­fiberglass hardtop with twin hatches for fresh air, as well as reinforced points for radar, antennas and outriggers. Nice touch: The lower wind door under the windshield opens flush—no snagged clothing.

The cockpit is flexible, from the foldaway transom seat (Dri-fast foam) to the fold-down portside seat with a ­removable table for dining. To ­starboard, the massive dive door makes boarding easy from the dock or water. Standard tackle storage lives in the aft-facing-seat backrest. Under Taiclet’s sink are a removable trash can and shelves. Huge tackle storage lives under the companion seat, unless you order the optional refrigerator.

The double-wide companion seat with ­bolster, like the helm, enjoys the panoramic windshield that reaches the hardtop. The ­skipper has a larger dash with twin 12-inch Garmin monitors and two rows of backlit rocker switches. Standard are a Garmin GPS and chart plotter, a sounder with 20-degree-beam angle transducer, and a VHF. Also ­fitted were Lenco trim tabs and an optional bow thruster. Another nice touch: Both skipper and companion have glove boxes overhead in the hardtop for loose gear, such as glasses and sun lotion, that are hard to corral.

In the bow, the expected ­forward-facing lounges create U-shaped seating with a ­removable table. A Lewmar windlass under a hatch has both wired and helm controls, with an anchor, 200 feet of rode, and both freshwater and raw-water washdowns. The standard beach boarding ladder is sure to be a hit. 

The console under the helm holds a ­surprisingly civilized head with a clever dual-action door and over 5 feet of headroom, so you can get out of a wet swimsuit without bruises. The electric toilet is standard, as is the molded sink with mirror and stowage.

The lockable port console has a pair of smallish bunks (kids’ naps), plus storage for the bow and cockpit tables, eight long rod racks, and ample stowage for safety or other gear.  

A word about construction: outstanding! Hand-laminated using vinylester resins (no blisters), the hull is braced by a massive foam-filled grid (no wood means no rot), plus a patented and resin-infused composite transom to carry the engines. Pursuit creates easy access to all systems, such as lift-out floor locker liners for access to the three batteries (two engine, one house) or to the bilge and washdown pumps, through-hulls, and engine plumbing.  

Pursuit earns points for using tinned, color-coded copper wiring with ­custom ­heat-sealed, mechanically crimped ­connections. A bonding system protects through-hull fittings, and both fuel tanks (116 and 108 gallons). Roto-molded, these are corrosion-free and have digital level indicators. A 36-gallon water tank serves the head, cockpit sink, and cockpit washdowns. Pursuit provides five-year hull and deck ­structural and blister warranties.

Engines

Underway, the twin Yamaha F300 V-6 ­Offshore outboards are controlled by the satin-smooth Helm Master EX featuring a digital throttle-and-shift system. Spin the brodie knob on the Edson wheel and the 306 banks as tight as you want, but the Yammies never suck air or cavitate. Flat out, I saw a bit over 51 mph, but I know that I could have upped that with some tinkering with trim and tabs.

Read Next: Pursuit DC 365

More important, however, is that the DC 306 gobbled up the miles at a 28 mph (3,500 rpm) real-life cruise speed, while sipping fuel at just 17.4 gph, giving us a nearly 350-mile range with a 10 percent safety margin.  

Pursuit has been legendary for hulls that are comfortable and dry offshore, and the DC 306 is no exception. The deep 21-degree deadrise meant that we could run flat out in mild chop and, at the cruise speed above, the lumpy Gulf Stream was no match. This is not only appealing to anglers, who go far offshore, but also to families who want that feeling of safety which comes from a well-designed hull. 

Both anglers and family boaters in the ­market for a new ride should consider ­Pursuit’s DC 306.

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin Yamaha F300 300 hp Offshore
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/15 ¼” x 18″ SWS II HP 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 180 gal. Water on Board: 20 gal. Crew Weight: 650 lb.

High Points

• Innovative companionway offers easy access to the enclosed head in the starboard console.
• Full windshield with a walk-through door protects the captain and crew from the elements.
• Yamaha instrumentation, twin Garmin MFDs and a VHF are standard. The only option is radar.
• Captain’s chair rotates 90 degrees to face port for socializing.
• Twin Yamaha F300 outboards provide plenty of fuel-efficient power.

Low Points

• The absence of a grill (or microwave) was bothersome. Pursuit believes owners will add a barbecue somewhere, but I’d like to see a grill in the wet bar behind the helm.
• With these berths, this isn’t going to be an overnighter, even in a pinch. Make hotel reservations.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation