Scout is not your average boat builder. Ever since he was a teenager growing up in South Carolina, Steve Potts has been building boats. As Scout’s president and chief designer, Steve has pioneered a number of radically different concepts that eventually have taken hold in the boating industry and now are emulated by competitors. Scout has embraced 100% composite and fiberglass construction from day #1, with no wood to rot. Their unique “reverse shoebox” construction makes Scout boats stronger and prevents water from penetrating the hull/deck joint in rough water conditions. Scout’s NuV3 “convex” hull design is comprised of variable deadrise angles in the running bottom, offering improved fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance. Their “Strata-Mount” is an advanced engine mounting system comprised of a factory-molded bracket which allows for the two main longitudinal grid stringers to pass through the transom and be directly integrated into the engine mount. This allows the natural stresses of the engine to be spread out over the entire hull, increasing strength, durability and performance. You get the picture, Steve Potts is a leader and trend-setter, not a follower and you can definitely pick out a Scout fishing boat from the pack in a crowded marina.
The new 195SF is elegant in its simplicity, but with enough unique features to embrace her Scout heritage. The classic center console layout offers the usual amenities and accoutrements for its genre, with 22 inches of cockpit depth aft and 27 inches amidships for security in rough water. There’s 14 square feet of dancing room aft of the standard leaning post set-up to bend a rod and an aggressive non-skid to grab the bottom of your Sperry’s when the cockpit sole is slick with spray. Notable standard features on the 195SF include stainless steel hardware; aerated leaning post baitwell; removable 94-quart Igloo cooler with cushions in front of the console; four stainless steel flush-mount rodholders; rod storage under the gunwales; two stern jump seats; a 12V plug; marine compass; glove box; console storage compartment; plus a swim platform for easy boarding.
Although she’s rated to carry a max of 150 Yamaha sea ponies on the transom, the beauty of the Scout 195SF’s NuV3 hull design is that it will perform great with a smaller, lighter (408 pounds) and less costly Yamaha F115 too. According to recent Yamaha test bulletins, the 195SF will hit a top speed of over 41 mph at wide open throttle powered by a F115 spinning a 13.25 D x 16 P prop. With two persons onboard and a half tank of fuel, she’ll get up on plane in 4.2 seconds and do zero to 30 mph in a tick over eight seconds, so she’s no slouch with the smaller four-stroke. If milking max MPGs out of the Scout’s 50-gallon fuel cell is your thing, dialing in 3500 rpms will hit 20.2 mph on the GPS Navigator while sipping only 3.5 gph for a net of 5.77 miles per gallon, which is impressive performance for a 19-½-footer that tips the scales at 2,150 pounds dry, without power. If you need to catch a hot bite in a hurry, advancing the throttle to 4000 revs will net 24.9 mph at 4.5 gph for 5.58 mpg; and 4500 rpms will hit 29.3 mph on the GPS while drinking 5.9 gph for a bottom line of 5.01 mpg.
The F150 Yamaha adds 80 pounds to the transom but has considerably more push at the prop and will actually plane the 195SF at only 3000 rpm. The 14-¼ x 18 prop will push her to a top speed of over 50 mph. Like with the smaller F115, 3500 rpm seems to be the sweet spot where the F150 will hit 26.4 mph on the GPS while consuming 4.9 gph for 5.4 mpg fuel efficiency. Dialing in the throttle to 4-grand, the cruise speed is 31.7 mph at 6.5 gph, for a net of 4.9 mpg, which is still impressive. Traveling at 4500 revs in the fast lane will get you 36.5 mph at 8.2 gph, for a bottom line of 4.5 mpg. Predictably, the F150 will snap the Scout 195SF up on plane is a scant three seconds while doing zero to 30 in a sizzling 4.95 seconds. If you want the sensation of driving a performance SUV, then the F150 package is for you.
Optional equipment includes a JBL AM/FM stereo with iPod jacks; hydraulic steering; Bimini top; t-top with rocket launcher; bow cushion; leaning post backrest; a folding backrest seat with ski tow; and a choice of four hull colors. The MSRP of the Scout 195SF outfitted with the F115 Yamaha four-stroke is $31,845, but the street price was $29,995 at the Ft. Lauderdale Show. Scout Boats is once again leading the way with a comprehensive three-year limited stem-to-stern warranty, in addition to a transferable ten-year limited structural hull warranty.
