Cutwater C-24 Coupe
T
here was a time when my defi nition of “island hopping”
was regulated to aquamarine waters and sugar sand
beaches. Oh, ye of little mind. Such a narrow defi nition
was fi rmly recalibrated on a recent trip to the Pacifi c
Northwest. Arriving in Seattle, the San Juan archipela-
go stretched out before us, a collection of over 400 islands—only
128 of which are named—each begging to be explored.
Wearing an Army green Seahawks hat, Matt Ouilette, VP of Sales
at Bellingham Yacht Sales, volunteered a Cutwater C-24 Coupe as
chase boat for our expedition. A native of Bellingham, Ouilette has
been selling boats in these parts for years. According to him, the
all-new, competitively priced (around $100,000) 24 hits a sweet
spot among his clientele of young families looking to enter the
sport and older passagemaking couples looking to downsize.
Standing at the helm, I looked down at the chartplotter and
noticed miles of existing tracks winding this way and that had been
logged before our voyage. Such a discovery reaffi rmed the obvi-
ous. Th is wasn’t this particular 24’s—or Ouilette’s—fi rst rodeo in
the San Juans. Considering Cutwater and Ranger Tugs are locally
built by Fluid Motion—all in-house, near Seattle, by a team of 200
skilled tradespeople—this made sense. Our 24 was equipped with a
250-hp Yamaha outboard, more than enough horsepower to get us
cruising around 28 knots, with a top hop of over 42 knots. And that
was with four people on board.
It didn’t take long to realize the versatility of the 24’s double-
stepped hull design. A deep cockpit and over 8-foot beam managed
to fi t a BBQ, livewell and baitwell, while a ski pylon stood at the
ready to pull tubers and skiers. A medium-sized berth could be
used in a pinch. And she was certainly easy to operate solo: From
the helm, it wasn’t too much trouble to tie off a fender from the
starboard side window.
No matter where we went on our island-hopping adventures,
Mt. Baker loomed large in the not-so-distant horizon. An active
volcano, it lent an unmistakable credence to the wildness of these
shores. Everyone wanted to drive the 24, so a game of musical
chairs became our de facto approach to cruising. When I wasn’t at
the helm, I’d sit back on the best seating arrangement: an aft -facing,
reversible dinette seat, with an eye peeled in our wake for an eagle
or a pod of orcas.
Maybe most impressive of all was her fuel burn. It was 30 miles
from Roche Harbor to Bellingham—the last leg of our voyage—
and at our average cruising speed, we only burned 16 gallons. Th e
24 certainly won’t break the bank. And as we tied up to the dock, I
thought back to what Ouilette had said about one of the most un-
derrated features. “Nice thing about a boat this size, it doesn’t take
long to give her a wash.” No complaints here. —Simon MurrayNEW BOATS
An infi nitely towable pocket cruiser is ready for adventure in the San Juan Islands or wherever you roam.
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