For a gallery of the DC 265 in action click here, and for a video test click here.
Few crossover boats do well in bridging the gap between hard-core fisher and family cruiser. That was Pursuit’s challenge in creating its new DC 265: designing a luxury fisher that can jump from extreme sports like diving to the niceties of entertaining.
Like many dual-console deck plans, this one at first appeared spartan and open. But once aboard, we found it goes above grade with luxury touches such as firm but comfortable forward lounges, a relaxing captain’s chair and foldaway aft lounges that switch from full-length sun pad to clear-the-deck-for-fish-fighting space.
In the cockpit, aft and port lounges snap out quickly for comfort, and bolsters on the gunwales give back support to loungers. When I say “snap out,” I mean snap out. The job was effortless, encouraging boaters to enjoy both the fishability and the comfort. Forward lounge bottoms flip up on hinges for full clearance to the ample storage below. By contrast, Edgewater’s shorter 245 CX offers comparable styling and transom seating, but no seating along the port gunwale.
We found the captain’s chair easily swivels and slides for legroom adjustments. A flip-up bolster increases stand-up driving comfort — and visibility for a shorter pilot. Yamaha instrumentation gave all the readouts necessary to manage engine speed and fuel consumption and to keep the crew safe. The optional Raymarine electronics suite was positioned well for visibility and was easy to reach from the captain’s chair.
None of this comfort would attract the upscale customer if it weren’t for the styling. The hull lines are classic Pursuit — sharp, with enough bow flare to keep the cockpit dry. The curved glass windshield is surrounded by a full fiberglass frame to add rigidity while keeping the lines fluid. Even the hardtop flows well with the hull lines, and blends with the color scheme, thanks to powder coated aluminum tubing.
Performance with test power was ideal for long-range fishing or hauling kids on tubes. In rough water and crosswinds, the hull tracked true with a minimum of engine or trim tab input, easing the job of the entertaining captain.
Price: $112,765 (w/test power, plus Hardtop $9600)
Toughest Competitor: Grady White’s Freedom 255 offers a hardtop and is also available with a Yamaha F350($99,805 w/test power, plus Hardtop $9,750). Options include a colored hull, anchor windlass and flushing head, either electric flush or macerated pump-out. It’s a tad shorter than the DC 265, though a 275 model is offered. It doesn’t have the cool fiberglass windshield rim and has a sleeper seat and hide-away transom bench instead of the Pursuit’s foldaway L-shaped cockpit seats.
Comparable models: Edgewater 245 CX, Grady-White Freedom 255
