Long Island Sound provides CT boaters with some of the best boating in the world, hands-down. CT boaters have countless destinations for fishing, cruising, anchoring, dock-and-dine, and more. In fact, a CT boater can boat every weekend without visiting the same destination twice! That said, there are certain boats that enhance your boating experience, making them the best for Long Island Sound.
Pursuit Boats is a luxury boatbuilder that offers more standard equipment than competitors, yet is often perceived as more expensive. In reality, you get more bang for your buck and a better value than competing brands like Grady-White and Boston Whaler.
The best boat for Long Island Sound must have four things: protection, versatility, safety/seaworthiness, and ample seating.
All Pursuit models check this box, but there is one in particular that really comes to mind….The Pursuit Boats DC326. Boasting a length overall (LOA) of 34’6’’ and an impressive beam of 10’10’’, this beast was designed for CT Boaters with Long Island Sound in mind.
First, protection: The DC326 offers a windshield that goes from the dash all the way to the hardtop. What does this do? Prevents the Captain and his crew from getting wet in inclement weather. That’s not the only part. Many can argue that the one draw back boating in CT is that everyone wishes the season was longer. With the DC326 (and ALL Pursuit Dual Console Models), the windshield extends your season on both fronts! Many of our Pursuit Dual Console customers put their boats in the water earlier than other customers with competing brands or center consoles. Why? The Windshield protects boaters from the cool spring air. Fast-forward to fall, and the windshield protects boaters from the cool air. Traditionally, most boaters put their boats in the water in mid to late May, when warmer temperatures make boating more enjoyable. The water is still cool in the spring and doesn’t get very warm until June. With the windshield, you don’t have cold air blowing on you as you’re cruising Long Island Sound. As previously mentioned, the Pursuit DC326 windshield is unique as it goes from the dash to the hardtop. Competitors like Grady-White and Boston Whaler use an isinglass/plastic panel that runs from their hard-top frame to their windshield frame. The drawback to that? If salt water gets on the isinglass, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to clean while you’re running the boat. Not only that, but isinglass becomes dirty and scratches, posing a safety concern because it significantly reduces visibility. Speaking of visibility, the DC326 (and all Pursuit Models) have best in class visibility. Hard-top supports are limited and engineered to avoid impacting sight lines. On a Grady-White or a Boston Whaler, it looks like you’re looking through a jungle gym every time you look out your windshield from the Captain’s Chair.
Versatility: what everyone wants when buying a boat. Buying a boat is a major decision. Taking into account how your guests will be using the boat with you is imperative when making a large decision like boat ownership. Pursuit is the king of versatility. When Pursuit Boat’s engineers were designing their dual console lineup, they had the definition of versatility printed on their computer screens so they knew their assignment: design a boat that can do a multitude of things, but be good at them all. The DC326 can be taken 100 miles offshore to catch sharks, Tuna, Swordfish; it can load up 5 couples and go over the Mystic CT for dinner and back on a sunset cruise; it can serve as a water sports boat with the optional ski tow; it can be the ultimate day boat, anchored in your favorite harbor, all while your crew is swimming and enjoying the water. Oh, and don’t forget, the DC326 has an optional grill package. Catch up some Mahi-Mahi off Montauk? Cook it up for your crew while you keep fishing. Does it get any fresher than that?
We all know those southwesterly breezes in summer that come across Long Island Sound. We’ve all been there, go over to Block Island in the morning with your crew, have the best day, when it’s time to come, as you glide through the Great Salt Pond, you see the rollers coming into the Harbor, and you know it will be a long ride home. Rest assured, the Pursuit lineup is the best-riding dual consoles ever made! That’s a bold claim, and here are the facts: when designing a Pursuit, the engineers at the factory focus on displacement (nautical term for weight), beam, and balance. Oh, and let’s not forget deadrise. That’s the angle of the transom “V” in the stern of the boat. The deeper the “V” (a very deep V would be 24 degrees), the easier the boat can slice through any waves. That being said, having an aggressive deadrise has it’s drawbacks too. One of the major drawbacks is the fact that the boat is more likely to “rock ‘n roll”, or not be as stable in rough seas, compared to boats with a flatter deadrise. Pursuit engineers have designed the perfect formula for deep deadrise, all while maintaining the stability that keeps boaters safe. How did they do this? Beam and balance. The beam (width) of the boat helps the boat from the rock ‘n roll motion (left to right) when adrift, the balance also helps with this. Pursuit is one of the only manufacturers (Tiara Yachts does this too) who is very careful about where they place equipment onboard when designing a boat. Water tanks, batteries, etc., all play a major roll in how the boat performs. Seems kinda crazy, right? How can batteries affect how a boat sits? Well, a DC326 for example has 5 batteries on board, thats over 200lbs! The more level a boat sits the better it performs.
The DC326 is the ideal boat for CT boaters and Long Island Sound Boaters.It’s safe, versatile, and offers protection that other manufacturers strive to achieve, but constantly fall short. The entire dual console lineup is available at Atlantic Outboard, take a look and you’ll see why the Pursuit’s are the #1 selling dual console in the CT market.
