When you look over a specification sheet for a center-console boat (even if it is 36 feet in length), you know you’re dealing with something serious when the maximum horsepower rating reads “1400.” That’s enough to strap on three of Yamaha’s 350-horsepower, V-8, four-stroke outboards in one sitting… with a little room to spare. Think about a sexy boat with a 50 mph cruise and near-70 mph top-end and you start to paint a picture of what a Yellowfin Yachts fishing machine is all about.

Photo courtesy of Yellowfin Yachts At around 140 boats a year coming out of its Sarasota, FL, factory, Yellowfin Yachts could best be considered a semi-custom builder, and high-end fishing boats are not only its specialty, it’s all they build. The company employs composite constructing utilizing vinylester resin 100 percent throughout its line, resin infusion on its models under 24 feet, and hand-laid fiberglass on models over 24 feet. This stout construction is a good thing, too. These big boats are designed to go insanely fast, tough out the big weather at speed, get to the good spots first, and bring back owners from offshore waters safely. It’s easy to make a boat go fast if you strap enough horsepower to it; it’s an entirely different thing to make it fast, stable, safe, and easy to drive, which is what the Yellowfin 36 delivers. To provide speed and stability, the hull features two steps that provide positive air ventilation and additional strakes help to keep more of the hull out of the water to reduce drag. There’s a slight keel that helps keep chine walking to a minimum and her sheer line rises from her stern forward in a graceful sweep with a Carolina flare at the bow. Her tough design and speed are thanks in part to Wylie Nagle, the owner of Yellowfin Yachts, who prior to his foray into the boatbuilding business was a competitive offshore powerboat racer. Exterior finishes and equipment are exquisite (as they should be for a yacht of this caliber) on the Yellowfin 36. Pop-up navigation lights and cleats, recessed bow rails, under deck fishing rod holders, and under gunwale lights for rigging baits, lures, and rigs at night. An optional coffin box can be installed forward with a full rigging station and a large fish box lies just under the aft deck with easy access for the big ones. With three of the aforementioned Yamaha’s 350-horsepower, V-8, four-stroke outboards, the Yellowfin 36 tops out at 66.4 mph, and burns  98 gallons per hour at 6100 rpm. For more reasonable cruising to the offshore canyons, around 36 mph will put you in the 30 gph range. If you opt for Yamaha F300s, you only lose six mph of top end, but you’ll have a bit more fuel to play with at the end of a long day of fishing. At 55.8 mph, the F300s burn 58.7 gallons per hour, while at 55.7; the thirsty F350s munch up 63.4 gph. Not hugely significant in the grand scheme of things, but 50 gallons at the end of the day can be the difference between making it back to the inlet… or not. Fish on! Specifications: Length Overall: 36’ 8” Beam: 10’ Draft: 20” Weight: 9500 pounds Fuel: 525 gallons Price: $250,000 + With Optional Power by Gary Reich