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SOLID CITIZEN
A BOAT FOR THOSE WHO WON'T ACCEPT THE ORDINARY
EVERGLADES 240CC BY JOHN BROWNLEE
Bob and Stephen Dougherty build tough, unsinkable boats, a fact that I appreciated more and more as I approached Ponce Inlet in their 240 CC. A hard falling tide and a 20-knot east wind had combined to whip this infamous Florida inlet into a frothy mess of confused, nearly vertical seas, and whitecaps. Perfect conditions for testing an Everglades.
We headed out of the inlet and any apprehension we may have felt gave way to exhilaration as we ran the boat back and forth in the slop. It felt like having our own personal roller coaster for a few minutes, and the 240 handled the whole affair with ease.We never took any spray, and never heard a solitary creak or groan emanate from within the hull.
This is one solid boat. Thirty minutes spent in this kind of water yields more relevant information about how a boat is designed and built than would a week on a smooth lake.The 240 has exemplary handling characteristics, and tracks well in all circumstances, even extreme ones that might imperil a lesser boat. The solid feel comes from the company’s patented Rapid Molded Core Assembly Process, known as RAMCAP, which fills the inner hull with foam and provides a solid glass and foam boat that’s very tough, and entirely unsinkable. But RAMCAP is only one of the innovations that the Dougherty’s bring to the table at Everglades.
They also design and build unique systems into the boat that not only look good, they also make a lot of sense. Take the console, for instance. Everglades builds a well thought-out console with plenty of room for mounting large-screen electronics, with the boat’s gauges and switches arranged above the electronics surface and storage galore, including a general purpose storage cubby and two strategically mounted drink holders.
But they also build a beautifully styled T-top out of oversized pipe to complete the package. The tops have powder-coated metal surfaces with a fiberglass hard top, and the underside of the hard top has gelcoat that matches the hullsides. The top has virtually everything you need built in and recessed, including spreader and running lights, stereo speakers, recessed LED lights, rod holders and a horn. It’s an impressive unit. Our test boat also had the new electrically operated windshield forward, which raises and lowers at the touch of a switch. This innovative feature should put to rest any complaints about too much,or not enough, wind.
The leaning post has bolster-style seats, which fold up so you can lean against them while driving standing up, or fold down to make a proper seat.A 45-gallon livewell sits aft, on the centerline in the launcher, and there’s also a sink and a knife-and-pliers rack. Trays recessed into the port side of the launcher keep tackle items handy, yet out of the way.
A roomy cockpit contains a 50-gallon fish box beneath the sole, and a fold-down seat that disappears into the transom bulkhead while you’re fishing.A bait tray in the bulkhead keeps rigged baits at your fingertips, and a transom gate lies to starboard. A large storage area under the bait tray can hold lots of different things, and is big enough for a large bucket.
Forward, the 240 has built-in seat backs on the front of the console, and a 104-quart Ultra-Cool cooler serves as the passenger seat. A huge, 129-gallon fish box lies sub-deck between the two raised passenger seating areas, and both fish boxes drain via dedicated macerator pumps.The bow area features a triangular anchor locker with a standard pulpit and windlass, and pop-up cleats. Our test boat came powered by twin 175 hp Suzuki fourstrokes, and the 240 performed well with this power option.
Wide open the boat reached 48 mph in the calm waters of the intracoastal waterway, and a 4500 rpm cruise moved us along at 33 mph. Given the boat’s generous 163-gallon fuel capacity, range should be exemplary with the Suzuki’s too.
Like all Everglades boats, the 240 CC has excellent fit-andfinish, performs admirably, and it comes with a host of innovative features that most other companies don’t offer. That’s what knowledgeable boat buyers have come to expect from the Dougherty’s over the years, and the 240 certainly delivers.