First off, there’s plenty of room to roam on this 24-footer, with 30-inches of cockpit depth aft and 40-inches forward, so she will offer plenty of support for angler and crew when bringing the big ones to boatside. A wave gate is standard in the port corner, equipped with a boarding ladder that makes getting on and off the boat a breeze. A 30-gallon recirculating livewell is tucked into the starboard corner. A total of eight gunwale mounted flush rodholders are standard, with an additional quartet set in the aft rocket launcher of one of the four optional leaning posts. Cockpit bolsters are standard, as are stainless steel toe rails port and starboard.
There’s access to a roomy head area under the spacious console via a port side companionway, which includes a standard freshwater sink. A porta-pottie unit is a desirable option to offer all-day capabilities for family and crew. The redesigned dash panel offers room to flush-mount a giant 15-inch multi-function display for your marine electronics. Moving forward, twin raised bench seats offer 288-qt insulated coolers down under with overboard drains, plus there’s a handy anchor locker in the forepeak. Both freshwater and raw water washdown systems are a welcome part of the standard features list.
Sailfish’s proprietary Variable Degree Stepped (VDS) hull is designed to provide one of the smoothest rides of any fishing boat on the market. Its unique configuration features three distinct running surfaces. The center hull offers a deep 24-degree aft deadrise that cuts through the water, while the middle sections are somewhat flatter at 23-degrees and offer turn-down strakes to create lift. The outboard sections of the hull feature 22-degrees of aft deadrise and create stability when trolling or on the drift.
POWER OPTIONS
Sailfish offers potential owners their choice of either Mercury or Yamaha four-stroke outboard power. Two possible choices that come to mind are outfitting this hull with either a pair of 150s or a single 300.
According to recent factory performance tests, rigging the Sailfish 242 CC’s transom with twin Yamaha F150s will dial in a top speed of 51.8-mph at 5800 rpm, spinning 14.25-inch diameter by 20-inch pitch counter-rotating 3-blade stainless steel props. Optimum fuel economy with this set-up will occur at 3000 rpm, where she will hit 25.8-mph on the GPS Nav unit, while drinking only 8.6-gph, for a net of 3.0-mpg. While these numbers might please your accountant, most folks will want to bump up the throttles to more frisky cruising speeds. Following this logic, these twin in-line four cylinder four-strokes will move along at 31.3-mph at 3500 revs at 11.5-gph/2.72-mpg and 37.1-mph at four-grand, while drinking 15.2-gph for a bottom line of 2.44-mpg.
If you opt for a single 300 on this rig, the power choices are Merc’s exciting new 300 FourStroke V-8 or Yamaha’s proven 4.2L V-6 Offshore series. Performance tests with a Yamaha F300 show that she will hit a top speed just a breath under 50-mph at 5900 rpm swinging a 17-inch pitch SWS II 3-blade S/S prop. This Georgia girl will cruise all day long while loafing along at 3500 rpm, hitting 27.2-mph at 8.3-gph, for a net of 3.28-mpg. Once again, while these numbers are nice when considering optimum fuel economy, most center console jockeys will want to feel the exhilaration of having the wind blow through their hair at a higher rate of speed. The 242 CC will cruise at 32.7-mph at 4000 revs, drinking 11.2-gph for a bottom line of 2.92-mpg, so there’s a minimal penalty for generating that extra speed. If you need to operate in the fast lane, bumping up the throttle to 4500 rpm will hit 37.1-mph on the GPS at 14.6-gph, which equates to 2.54-mpg.
Sailfish boats are built using only the best 100% fiberglass and composite materials and proven manufacturing techniques, with advanced Kevlar and carbon grid materials supporting the hull and deck. They are backed by a 10-year hull warranty and the entire stringer system is foam-filled for added safety.
