Boating – June 2019

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· LOA: 27'0"· BEAM: 9'6"· DRAFT: 1'3" (motors

up)· DISPLACEMENT: 5,288 lb. (without power)

· TRANSOM DEADRISE: 20 degrees· BRIDGE

CLEARANCE:NA· FUEL CAPACITY: 181 gal.· MAX

HORSEPOWER: (^500) · AVAILABLE POWER:Single or
twin outboards from Evinrude, Honda, Mercury, Suzuki
or Yamaha to 500 hp
AVAILABLE POWER:
OUTBOARD
The 27 HFC from Sea Chaser
by Carolina Skiff shows how
many features you can inte-
grate into a 27-foot center-
console. Serious anglers will
revel in the 40-gallon live-
well in the leaning post, and
the additional 30-gallon live-
well in the port quarter mul-
tiplies the joy for fi shermen.
A covered sink and fresh-
water faucet in the middle
of the full transom lets an-
glers clean up after fi lleting
the day’s catch, but can also
double as a place to prep
snacks. Twin bench seats
fold out from the transom.
An insulated 52-gallon fi sh
box under the aft deck lets
you ice down plenty of table
fare. A transom door in the
starboard quarter leads to a
swim platform and foldout
boarding ladder. A beefy
inward-opening door on the
port side eases boarding or
sliding a big fi sh aboard. The
SEA CHASER
27 HFC
SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION
rpm knots mph gph naut. mpg stat. mpg range n. mi. range s. mi. angle soundlevel
1000 3.91 4.50 1.14 3.43 3.95 559 643 0 62
1500 5.04 5.80 1.88 2.68 3.09 437 503 0 70
2000 6.00 6.90 2.64 2.27 2.61 370 426 1 71
2500 7.30 8.40 4.68 1.56 1.79 254 292 2 73
3000 7.91 9.10 6.92 1.14 1.32 186 214 4 80
3500 18.25 21.00 8.74 2.09 2.40 340 391 2 81
4000 23.46 27.00 10.99 2.13 2.46 348 400 1 86
4500 28.15 32.40 14.10 2.00 2.30 325 374 1 85
5000 30.50 35.10 19.15 1.59 1.83 259 299 1 87
5500 35.19 40.50 50.00 1.57 1.80 255 294 1 89
6000 39.19 45.10 27.30 1.44 1.65 234 269 1 92
6200 41.02 47.20 30.19 1.36 1.56 221 255 1 95
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED
High Points
XUniquely designed forward console seat
folds away for more forward deck
space.
XA pair of livewells offer 70 gallons of
bait capacity.
XHardtop uprights integrate into the
console to eliminate tripping points.
Low Points
XCruisers love the bow-seating pod, but
the backrests can obstruct fishing.
XWider helm seats would increase com-
fort when accommodating two people.
XHigher handrails are needed abaft the
helm seating for crew security.
Toughest Competitor
XCobia’s 277 CC ($132,262 with twin
Yamaha F200s) is a bit longer and
wider, but offers less bait capacity.
HOW WE TESTED
ENGINE: Suzuki 350 hp DF350A DRIVE/PROP:
Outboard/15^1 / 2 " x 19^1 / 2 " Suzuki 3-blade stainless steel
GEAR RATIO: 2.29:1 FUEL LOAD: 145 gal. CREW
WEIGHT: 430 lb.
9½-foot beam grants stabil-
ity. An elevated U-shaped
pod forms the base for twin
bow loungers and off ers
100 gallons of stowage space
underneath. A removable
pedestal table mounts in the
middle. The forward console
seat folds up to create extra
deck space.
Cabinets for stowage re-
side in both of the backrest
modules for the bow seating.
There’s more stowage in a
foldout compartment along
the starboard inwale. A
starboard-side entry to the
step-down center-console
interior leads to more
than 5 feet of headroom
and an electric-fl ushing
marine toilet.
The helm seats feature
fl ip-up bolsters and fold-
down armrests, and there’s
a fold-down footrest on the
seating module, plus an an-
gled footrest at the base of
the console. The helm panel
boasts room to fl ush-mount a
pair of 15-inch displays.
A single Suzuki 350 out-
board with contra-rotating
propellers pushed the 27 HFC
to a top speed of 47.2  mph at
6,200 rpm. The single-step
hull knifed smoothly through
choppy waters. The 100 per-
cent composite construc-
tion was free of creaks and
rattles. When cornering, the
props refused to relinquish
their bite.
The 27 HFC represents
a highly functional fi shing
machine, yet this boat can
also shine on an entertaining
cruise with your family and
friends. —Jim Hendricks
For a photo gallery of the Sea Chaser
27 HFC, visit boatingmag.com/3137.
SEA CHASER BY CAROLINA SKIFF
Waycross, Georgia; 912-287-0547; carolinaskiff.com
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Price: $95,269
(base without power)
74 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JUNE 2019