To simply say that Scout Boats is an innovative company would be a gross understatement. Under the guiding vision
of company President Steve Potts, Scout has earned a reputation for being on the cutting edge of design and quality. Consider just a few of the unique design features that make a Scout a Scout. It all starts with the in-house design team headed by Steve Potts.
Through his thirty plus years of boat building experience, Steve has learned what works and what doesn't when it comes to boat design. What may look good to a designer on a drawing board may not work when it comes to the real world rigors of the marine environment. When Steve set out to design his Scout boats, he already had a firm knowledge base from which to draw upon. He paid special attention to what designs didn't work and why, valuable knowledge when you're designing your own boats from scratch. One important lesson Steve learned was that the conventional way of bonding the deck to the hull was poorly conceived from the beginning. Most manufacturers lay the deck over the hull and then screw the two parts together. The flaw here is that in rough conditions, water is allowed to get between the joint and into the boat, the last place it should be. By pioneering the industry's first reverse-shoebox hull/deck design, Steve not only increased the overall strength of his hulls, but made them safer at the same time.
Another innovation that Scout helped to pioneer was the eradication of all wood in boat construction. Wood rots, it's just that simple. No matter where wood is placed during the construction of a boat, eventually it will rot and the resulting damage can be beyond repair. That's why,
from the very beginning, Scout boats have had composite stringers and transoms. An additional innovation unique to Scout is the Air-Assist hull. Steve designed this unique feature specifically to combat the problem of static stability, common on small boats. With additional longitudinal buoyancy, the Air-Assist hull increases static floatation and decreases time to plane and also vastly improves overall handling characteristics. An important advantage of this design is increased fuel economy.
Scout is always developing new and innovative construction methods. For instance, the engine mounting system on the 210 Sportfish and larger models, called the "Scout Strata-Mount" is a fully factory molded bracket with one very important feature: the two main longitudinal grid stringers pass through the transom and are integrated into the engine mount. This design allows the natural stresses of the engines to be spread out over the entire hull, increasing strength, durability and performance. Scout's state-of-the-art 134,000 square foot manufacturing facility is climate controlled and houses two 6,000 sq. ft. bridge cranes, a sophisticated 32' X 12' test tank for water testing, a high-tech vacuum system, a quality control laboratory and an employee fitness center. A fifth phase of expansion, scheduled to begin in 2005, will add another 50,000 sq. ft. to the facility, which currently produces 1,500 high-quality boats a year.
While SeaStrike has big plans for new 28- to 36-foot sport-fishing boats at its massive new factory in Perry, Florida, we still find plenty to like about its current top-of-the-line model, the 240 CC.
For more than five decades, Skeeter has been building some of the world's best freshwater boats. Credited with creating the "bass boat" design, Skeeter has also branched out into the saltwater market.
A true backcountry skiff, the Hewes Redfisher was designed to fish shallow water and make long runs across open bays. Equipped with three live wells, locking rod storage and recessed trim tabs, the Redfisher is an ideal boat for the serious angler.
Another big name in bass boats, Triton is known for building strong boats without excess weight. Triton’s accelerate well, have good top end speed and provide a dry ride in rough water.
* The Price Range, as well as specifications and features are subject to change without notice. All prices are manufacturer suggested retail prices in U.S. currency. Total price excludes tax, title, registration, license tag, rigging and freight fees and charges, and is usually for a base model incl. engine but excluding trailer and options.
(Photos may show optional equipment.) See detailed boat description for specifics.
