SEE THE
VIDEOSPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.43 5.10 1.00 4.43 5.10 148 170 2 68
1500 5.91 6.80 1.60 3.69 4.25 123 142 3 69
2000 7.39 8.50 2.70 2.74 3.15 91 105 6 72
2500 16.16 18.60 3.10 5.21 6.00 174 200 3 73
3000 22.25 25.60 4.50 4.94 5.69 165 189 2 75
3500 26.16 30.10 6.00 4.36 5.02 145 167 2 76
4000 33.19 38.20 8.90 3.73 4.29 124 143 2 76
4500 36.41 41.90 10.70 3.40 3.92 113 130 2 78
5000 40.58 46.70 13.30 3.05 3.51 102 117 2 80
5200 41.71 48.00 14.10 2.96 3.40 99 113 2 81
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEEDHigh Points
XPull-up changing room is a sur-
prise bonus aboard a fi shing boat.
XIn-sole rod locker can hold six
rods; lockable hatch lets you keep
them on the boat at all times.
XTwo 17-gallon livewells, one in the
bow and one in the stern, keep bait
at the ready.
XTotal of six fl oor seat bases let you
move the pedestal seats around to
your preferences.
XA 7-inch Simrad evo3 touchscreen
multifunction display comes
standard in the dash.Specs
· LOA: 18'6" · BEAM: 7'11"
· DRY WEIGHT: 1,651 lb. · SEATING/
WEIGHT CAPACITY: 8/1,902 lb. · FUEL
CAPACITY: 37 gal.How We Tested
ENGINE: Mercury 150 FourStroke
DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/Enertia 15" x 15"
3-blade stainless steel
GEAR RATIO: 1.75:1
FUEL LOAD: 17 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 355 lb.
Price
$50,080 (as tested)PRINCECRAFT
Platinum SE 186
seat bases means you can move the ped-
estal seats around so anglers can stand or
sit to their liking. The in-sole rod locker
between the consoles holds up to six rods
and can be locked while the boat is unat-
tended, keeping your gear safe.
Multispecies? How about multipur-
pose? Our test model came equipped with
the optional bowrider seat cushions that,
when deployed, turn this boat from fi sh-
ing machine to family runabout. Add in
the stereo, seven standard cup holders,
telescoping boarding ladder on the swim
step off the transom, and the pop-up pri-
vacy curtain in the aft platform (a portable
MSD is optional) and suddenly the boat is
perfect for a family jaunt around the lake.
Just keep a rod handy in one of the dedi-
cated holders, just in case.The Princecraft Platinum SE 186 cuts a
nice profi le while dashing across a lake.
Part of that stems from its sharp entry
point and deadrise, which tapers to 17 de-
grees at the transom, that help it slash
through a tight lake chop. A level, stable
riding boat always paints a
pretty picture. But the hull
paint and construction have
a lot to do with it too. Rather
than attaching the side
panels with typical rivets,
Princecraft uses airplane-
grade glue to “weld” the hull
sides into place. The resulting
look is sleek and seamless, as
well as structurally stout. The
high-gloss urethane paint job
shimmers in the sun’s refl ec-
tion too.
Rigged with a 150 hp
Mercury FourStroke out-
board, our test model put upimpressive performance numbers, top-
ping out at 48 mph at 5,200 rpm. It took 3.3
seconds to hop onto plane en route to an
8.3-second sprint to 30 mph. But anglers
looking to go out in rougher conditions
will appreciate that it holds plane at 2,500
rpm and 16 mph. (Note: We recorded 18.6
mph at 2,500 rpm during our sea trial due
to the driver’s trimming for optimal per-
formance.) The full protective windshield
keeps away the wind and spray. Once the
crew reaches the honey hole, the anglers
aboard will appreciate the bow casting
deck with a built-in 17-gallon livewell. The
a f t jump seats fold dow n to create a second
casting deck at the stern, complete with
its own 17-gallon livewell. A total of sixPHOTOS: COURTESY PRINCECRAFT BOATSPRINCECRAFT BOATS
Princeville, Quebec; 800-395-8858; princecraft.comTo watch our
video review of
the Platinum SE
186, scan this tag
or visit boating
mag.com/bbg18/
princecraft
platinumse186.
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