Salt Water Sportsman – August 2019

tucks neatly under the gunwale, and a
transom bench for two with patented,
adjustable backrest and drink hold-
er, instantly turns the aft social zone
into a spacious, fi shing-ready cockpit
complete with a tackle center and stor-
age, plus a 31-gallon insulated fi sh box
on the transom, a 20-gallon recircu-
lating livewell with clear Plexiglas lid
and calming blue fi nish inside, and a
transom walk-through door. There’s al-
so a rack for two rods on the starboard
gunwale, as well as four fl ush-mounted
holders on the covering boards, raw-
and freshwater washdowns.
Four rocket-launcher-style rod hold-
ers mounted on the hardtop’s powder-
coated aluminum frame are among the
options, which include power steering,
a JL audio sound system and remote
windlass; forward Mediterranean sun-
shade, cockpit cover, three-piece drop
curtain with Strataglass, aft curtain,
Stamoid bow tonneau cover; underwa-
ter lights, and accent lighting.

After our detailed sur-

vey, we began the sea

trial just outside Fort

Pierce Inlet, Florida,

where a stiff onshore

breeze kicked up 4-

to 5-foot waves. The

Pursuit proved up to the

task in the considerable

chop, but we found the

Intracoastal Waterway

more conducive to a

thorough performance

test.

The DC 266’s pep

and maneuverability

were immediately evi-

dent. Rigged with twin

Ya ma h a F 2 0 0 s , ou r

test boat’s hole shot

was quick, even into the

wind, and we jumped from zero to 30

mph in an average time of 8.4 seconds.

Mashing the controls, we reached

a top speed of 51.1 mph at wide-open

throttle without por-

poising or feeling too

loose.

Aided by the optional

power steering, driving

the Pursuit single-

handed was a cinch. It

responded instantly to

the slightest turn of the

wheel, with no sign of

feedback, even during

abrupt turns at speed.

The boat displayed the

predictable handling and

tight turning radius that

make for enjoyable rides

and—when a partly sub-

merged log materializes

a few feet off your bow—

safer evasive maneuvers.

If you’re shopping for

a well-built, jack-of-all-trades kind of

boat with elegant touches, solid perfor-

mance and plenty of dock appeal, give

the Pursuit DC 266 a close look.

SEPTEMBER 2019 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM 73

RPM MPH GPH

3,500 27.7 11.3

4,000 33.3 15.1

4,500 37.9 19.8

5,000 43.1 26.5

5,975 51.3 40.2

CRUISE AND EXPLORE

With twin Yamaha 200s

and a full fuel tank, the

DC 266 has a range of

about 307 miles.

PERFORMANCE

TWIN

YA

AM

AH

S 002 F