251 Coastal Explorer

Hybrid center consoles have been amazingly popular in recent years with owners who want to enjoy their boating both in protected inshore waters and along the coast as well. Drawing just 14 inches of draft, the Coastal ideal for inshore fishing both with rod and reel and for net casting. The cockpit provides plenty of room to move around, and because the T-Top supports are attached to the console and not the deck there’s extra walking space around the console. A roomy forward seating/casting deck is made possible by inserting a filler piece over the center deck. Aft of the helm, the leaning bar features a backrest with four rod holders, lockable tackle storage, and a 25-gallon live well. For storage, a 51-qt. fish box sits on the centerline of the aft casting deck and twin 74-qt. boxes are mounted in the bow. On the downside, there’s no room in the console for a head. At the end of the day, the 251 Coastal is one of the few boats made that can explore skinny water bays and estuaries and then head 30–40 miles out in the ocean in comfort and safely. A single Yamaha 300hp engine delivers a top speed of 40–45 knots.