The new Scout 235 XSF covers the best of both worlds with good looks and some extremely ergonomic fishing and comfort features. The impressive list of standard appointments makes this South Carolina girl a must-see if you are in the market for either trading up or simplifying down to a mid-sized 23/24 center console.
When I jumped aboard this newbie at the Ft Lauderdale International Boat Show back in November, I realized right away that there was something totally different with this Scout. She was spacious and roomy, with high gunwales, plenty of cockpit depth to secure captain and crew when fighting large pelagics, and brawny too, with a hefty 3,655-lb dry weight without power. Plus, she’s an oversized 23-footer, with an overall length of 23-feet, eight-inches and plenty of space in the cockpit.
Starting aft and working forward, the transom arrangement is first class, with a pull-down doublewide bench seat that tucks out of the way when fishing. A sealed deck hatch in the sole allows easy access to the critical plumbing in the bilge area. There’s a 15-gallon full-height recirculating livewell tucked into in the port corner, with a wave gate to starboard, which allows easy egress to the full-width transom platform. Scout went with a longer 30-inch outboard shaft, which eliminates the transom splash well, creating a level swim platform for safer footing. A telescoping boarding ladder built into a recess in the aft deck outside of the wave gate completes the layout, which is one of the nicest transom arrangements that I’ve seen on a boat in the 23-24 foot class.
The standard leaning bar includes a four-rod rocket launcher and a trio of handy cup holders. Upgrading to the deluxe version adds a tackle station, a removable insulated Igloo cooler down under (with a 65-qt Yeti upgrade), plus twin flip up seat bolsters that allow for totally comfortable transit whether sitting or leaning into the backrest when underway. The roomy console dash mounts a standard Garmin 942XS multi-function display directly in front of the operator, equipped with a B60 transducer for GPS and fish-finding duties. A four level accessory breaker panel is installed in the center of the dash, with a handy locking glove box to port for your normal everyday items like sunglasses, sun screen, car keys, cell phones, etc. If this were my rig, I would probably relocate the standard marine compass from the centerline area at the top of the dash to the portside, so it would be in the direct line of sight of the driver. Stepping down below via the portside companionway in the console, there’s room for an optional porta-pottie or porcelain marine head.
Heading towards the bow, comfort features abound on the Scout 23 XSF, with a wide cushioned lounge seat set forward of the console, twin raised forward bench seats with removable backrests, seat and bolster cushions, with insulated 31-gallon storage boxes (with overboard drains) directly underneath, plus split stainless steel bow rails and a recessed anchor locker with a flush hatch for easy access. An optional removable teak table for the bow will really turn this girl into a bona fide party platform when entertaining friends back at dockside.
Fishing features on the Scout 235 XSF include the aforementioned 15-gallon transom livewell, four flush-mount aft rodholders, a pair of horizontal rod racks under each gunwale, plus a quad of vertical rocket launchers in the standard leaning post. Your catch of the day can chill out in the huge 61-gallon insulated fishbox that is conveniently positioned directly under the lounge forward of the center console. The standard T-Top/hardtop can be equipped with an optional four-rod rocket launcher. The standard glass front windscreen and side panels will help keep spray from the helm.
You can have this Scout rigged with your choice of either Mercury 250/300 four-stroke supercharged Verados or Yamaha’s 4.2-liter V-6 four-stroke F250/F300. Factory tests with a Yamaha F300 spinning an 18-inch pitch SWSII 3-blade S/S prop show that the 235 XSF hit a top speed of 53.5-mph at 5900 rpm with two crew onboard. Optimum fuel economy occurred at 3500 revs, where she cruised at 31-mph while drinking 8.9-gph, for a net of 3.48-mpg. This is outstanding for a beefy 23.5-footer and a testimony to the slippery and fuel-efficient nature of the Scout’s proprietary NuV3 hull design. Advancing the F300’s electronic throttle control to 4000 revs, she tooled along at 35.4-mph/12.1-gph, for a bottom line of 2.93-mpg…that’s impressive! Other notable standards include a 12-V power port and five USB connections at the helm, electric trim tabs, Sea Star hydraulic steering with tilt helm, a six-pack of stainless pull-up cleats and more. For additional information, visit
www.scoutboats.com.
SPECIFICATIONS:
LENGTH: 23-feet, eight-inches
BEAM: eight-feet, six-inches
DEADRISE AFT: 20-degrees
WEIGHT: 3,655 lbs (dry, without power)
OUTBOARD SHAFT: 30-inches
DRAFT: 19.5-inches (engine drive up)
FRESHWATER CAPACITY: 15-gallons
FUEL CAPACITY: 100-gallons
MAX POWER: 300 HP (single outboard)
