Style isn’t what we thought about at the helm of Mako’s 414 CC Bluewater Family Edition when we pressed the Mercury Marine electronic throttles with one hand and tapped the fingertip-control power steering with the other. The boat proves solid and ready to cross the Gulf Stream, and with a fuel capacity of 464 gallons, it’s good to make many Bahamas destinations.
Our boat was factory-equipped with dual Garmin multifunction displays and sonar. The 17-inch screens are standard. Dual pressurized livewells on the transom are divided by an array of shotgun rod holders, easily reached with legs braced against the padded coamings. Under the gunwale, premium stainless-steel rod hangers are supplemented with surf-mat pads to protect the reels and the coamings from damage in hard runs. There was no shortage of rod holders in the gunwales, and there were plenty of rocket launchers in the hardtop, all reachable from the deck.
The Bluewater Family Edition package is a healthy $50,000 upcharge but makes the boat a formidable family-fun machine without so much as putting a nick in the hardcore fishability of the standard Sportfish edition. Coaming and transom seats, well-padded and well-placed, add cruising seats for seven or more, and forward seating included removable back bolsters that turn the forward casting steps into lounges. And we didn’t fail to note the comfortable, secure-riding dual lounger on the front of the console. There’s even an outdoor grill. Below the console is a spacious compartment with a head and double berth.
It was lucky that Mako landed in the hands of boatbuilder Johnny Morris, founder of Tracker Marine. Morris wanted to deliver fishing boats like Chevy delivers Tahoes — ready for action right out the factory door. And for boaters spending north of $500 large, the Mako 414 CC Bluewater Family Edition does so with the style that stokes pride in ownership.
High Points
* Color options allow customizing and matching the hull to the hardtop.
* Optional electric shade covers the cockpit.
Low Points
* Harnesses for quad engines make for crowded but still organized rigging.
* It’s a big stretch to the gunwale from the cockpit sole, unless you step on one of the foldaway seats.
Toughest Competitor
Regulator’s 41 ($769,995) looks like a dead ringer for the Mako. It weighs in at just over 20,000 pounds when powered with quad Yamaha 350s. Its center console has similar seating and an open cockpit, standard hardtop and an available upper station ($59,735).
Price: $529,995 (as tested, without trailer)
Available Power: Outboard
How We Tested
Engine: Quad Mercury Verado 350 hp
Drive/Prop: Outboards/Mercury Revolution 4 19″ 4-blade stainless steel
Gear Ratio: 1.75: 1
Fuel Load: 290 gal.
Crew Weight: 550 lb.
More Information
Mako Marine – Springfield, Missouri; 855-804-8402; mako-boats.com
