T
here aren’t many boatbuilders left where the founder
is still hard at work designing new models. A fact that
made the debut of Scout Boats’ 380 LXF at the 2017 Miami
Boat Show a must-attend. Steve Potts has a twinkle in his eye
like the iconic Coca-Cola Santa Claus and the unrelenting
passion of the garage inventor. His walkthroughs of new
models are legendary, and the 380 LFX presentation came
to a conclusion with the proverbial epiphany, “I’ve saved
the best feature to the end — a closet with a rack for your
boat hook, cleaning brush, mooring lines and just about
everything else that clutters the deck.”
Not many people can sell a broom closet on a boat —
except for Steve. But after countless stubbed toes, hours
pondering where to mount the telescoping boat hook, and
doing acrobatics over the transom to a junk locker for all
the aforementioned necessities, I could see why he was so
enthusiastic about this closet.
It made perfect sense: Mold a flush-mounted door on
the starboard-side center console, carve out plenty of room
inside, and teach Home Depot a thing or two about vastly
improving a pegboard tool holder configuration. For those
who know Scout Boats, it’s more than just screwing a cheap
seat cover to a lid and calling it a day.
“One of the things that clearly separates our models
from our competition is fit and finish,” Potts adds. “Our
380 carries this principle forward with completely finished
doors, lids, hatches, bilges and, yes, a closet.”Taste for power
Scout’s luxury sportfish models showcase the blending of
high-performance fish boats with high-end cruisers. The
380 LXF is the seventh model in this category to date
and is built on Scout’s epoxy-infused, double-stepped,
fuel-efficient hull, which reduces the overall weight in the
boat while providing more stability in the hull. And boy did
we put those claims to the test in less than ideal conditions.
If you haven’t been to the new venue at the Miami
Marine Stadium Park and Basin, be sure to add it to next
year’s February flight from winter. In addition to landside
displays, the floating marina has more than 700 boats in
the water, many of them available for water demos on
the spot. Sunny skies, temps in the low 70s, Caribbean
colored water — it was enticing at 11 a.m., but my test ride
wasn’t until 4 p.m. Pick your metaphor about ex-wives,
flip-flopping politicians, squirrelly bosses, or just a typical
Lake Michigan day: A passing cold front turned the
basin into a Halloween witch’s cauldron by the time we
eased through the no-wake zone, cleared the MacArthur
Causeway and pointed the bow towards Key West.
“Do not get the model perched on the center console dual
lounger drenched with salt spray,” was the only instruction I
got before pushing the digital throttles forward and lighting up
our Mercury quad 300-hp engines. Wait. Did he say Mercs?Could have sworn the 380 LXF was rigged with Yamaha
triple 350-hp back at the debut. Right on both accounts.
Scout outfits the boat to the owner’s taste for power.
Just because keeping the lovely young lass dry while
quartering a stiff 23 mph on the nose distracted me, that
didn’t mean we were giving up on speed. Top-end is just
over 60 mph, but in the shallow bay’s blender of nastiness I
managed to eke out 51. Cruising speed is closer to 37. Left,
right, crossing our own wake, backing down on a pretend trophy
fish, the 380 never missed a beat, and we all stayed dry! How
much of that was due to the optional Seakeeper gyrostabilizer?
Plenty. While gyros take a good hour to spool up, its impact
is evident the instant you turn it off. If your “model” is even
slighty squeamish, this $59,286 (MSRP) option could very
well be the one feature that seals the deal.A touch of James Bond
Scout has the appearance of a luxury automobile, from
premium upgraded upholstery and a sleek aesthetics, to
a helm rich with large touch-screen technologies; you
instinctively want to trace the finish and sumptuous curves
along every inch of the 38-foot, 6-inch overall length and
12-foot, 1-inch beam. The optional hydraulic portside
beach platform is an ideal boarding design, set away from
the transom and engines. Other impressive touches include:
Gas shock-assisted hatches; flush-mount cleats; port and
starboard floor fish boxes; two hardtop, retractable hoses
for fresh and raw water; triple helm seating; and private
jet-like seating forward of the console and bow.
Now, throw in a little James Bond and the electronically-
actuated, raised, aft-facing lounge seat coverts into a leaning
post option that adds a Kenyon grill, a sink and cutting
board, along with a clear ice maker and tackle drawers.
That’s one fancy summer kitchen!
Need more Bond? With the touch of a button, you can
electronically raise or lower the hardtop-mounted rocket
launchers thanks to Scout’s innovative, award-winning
Articulating Rocket Launcher, allowing easy loading and
unloading of rods. It also works in conjunction with the 380’s
SureShade retractable awning feature; when the SureShade
is engaged, the rocket launchers will also engage and lower
in case you forget to lower them.
Below deck, the forward queen berth converts into a
dinette. A refrigerator, a cooktop and a microwave make
meal prep easy. An electric head, a vanity with sink and
an enclosed shower are found in the head compartment.
Fuel capacity is 405 gallons, and were it not for the
rough seas, I’m pretty sure we could have witnessed one of
Key West’s famous sunsets. This was one boat test I didn’t
want to end, due to the many options on-board to explore
and buttons to play with, like the hardtop-mounted train
horn. Up until that moment, the model was dry. Hey, I’m
just doing my job! ★Scout
380 LXF
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 38'6"
Beam: 12'1"
Draft: 27"
Weight (dry w/ triple
Yamaha 350s):
16,870 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 405 gals.
Water Capacity:
51 gals.
Base Price:
Contact dealer
SCOUTBOATS.COMDEALER
SkipperBud’s
SKIPPERBUDS.COM
847-201-4040T
LAKELANDBOATING.COM | JULY 2017 45BT_Scout_JUL17.indd 45 5/25/17 11:14 AM