06seapro
Yes, you’ve heard of (or perhaps even seen) this boat before. But the old hull, prior to the Brunswick Saltwater Group’s redesign, couldn’t hold a candle to this one. While the construction has remained the same, the features and performance of this vessel represent a quantum leap forward in quality and efficiency.
Performance
The engineers improved the helm ergonomics by moving the wheel and controls farther to port and closer together, resulting in both the helmsman and a guest being able to use the leaning post bolster or seat without crowding each other.
We ran the boat out of the Whaler factory in Edgewater, Florida, where it now takes more than an hour to idle your way up the Intracoastal Waterway to Ponce de Leon Inlet, thanks to all the restricted zones. Interestingly, at idle speed, this boat and engine are absolutely silent.
When we could open it up, the Sea Pro 1900 hit 38 mph at 6,200 rpm with a 115 hp Mercury four-stroke burning 11 gph. With four large adults and a full fuel tank, it admittedly took about five seconds to get up on plane. A lighter load would plane faster. A set of optional trim tabs would help that too, as well as let you adjust out the slight torque heel. But even more importantly, with tabs, you can adjust for load distribution, as well as smooth the ride in a chop by dropping the bow or lifting the upwind side of the hull. I’d never own a boat like this without a set of tabs.
The 15-degree deadrise lets you turn fairly sharply without excess sliding and ride through a chop smoothly.
To the horror of my passengers, I ran out of the inlet into 4-foot seas and a stiff easterly wind. Nobody took a drop of spray on them, nor did they bounce in their seats unmercifully. All in all, head sea, beam sea, following sea – none of that mattered. The Sea Pro 1900 handled them all with grace and agility.
Fishing
Sea Pro’s main focus for improving this boat rested on making fishing easier and more productive. For example, the livewells no longer use standpipes that often fall out, draining the water and killing your baits. Now, each well has an outflow in the wall of the well near the top. Though the wells have neither gaskets nor adjustable outflow valves (affordable price is a major consideration for this boat), you could easily retrofit these, if that were a concern to you. Two livewells come standard with an optional third.
Admittedly, most anglers leave the fancy seat cushions back at the dock prior to fishing. But the newly designed 1900’s cushions allow you to open every hatch, well, etc., without having to unsnap or remove a single cushion. The expansive foredeck sports a toe rail to contain your cast net or fly line, while the pop-up cleat and removable bow light assure you won’t snag your fishing gear.
On the console front, you’ll find an insulated drink box covered with bottom and back cushions for seating. The seat back pops off, revealing removable tackle boxes.
Never before did Sea Pro offer under-gunwale rod storage. This new model provides space for two under and two more in each gunwale, as well as four more across the back of the optional T-top.
Those of you who anchor rather than using a Power-Pole will appreciate the anchor locker with plenty of room for line, as well as a molded hanger for a Danforth-type anchor and tie-downs to keep the anchor from bouncing around while underway.
Those of you who like to drift-fish will experience an unusual drifting attitude: The 1900 sets stern quarter to the seas, making for a smoother, but less predictable roll moment than if you were to drift beam-to. However, no matter what point of sea we drifted or anchored, I found the hull to be very quiet with virtually no wave-lap noise.
Design and Construction
So many improvements, so little space to discuss them. First, Sea Pro has vastly upgraded the wiring, with the runs now passing through a single hole in the console floor rather than a dozen little ones. Additionally, all the wires now sport waterproof plugs instead of splices or hard contacts.
Remember the awkward-looking, high side handrails? They’ve been replaced by low-profile versions. The optional T-Top has newly created D-tubing for increased strength as well as improved aerodynamics. Hatches qualify as another significant improvement, now sporting a glossy gelcoat finish on both sides. And you won’t find any splatter-finish on this boat ever again. Rather, Sea Pro now laminates diamond nonskid into all the walking areas.
Speaking of hatches, all the hi-pie hatches hiding access to valves, tanks, fittings and the like have now been recessed flush with the deck rather than being slightly raised so you could scrape your bare feet on them. The steering wheel is a heavier, destroyer type with a power knob for easier handling in tight quarters, and it comes standard, as does a magnetic compass. Sea Pro backs the fiberglass hull and stringer system with a 10-year transferable warranty.
Overall, the 1900 has a fresh new look for greater appeal.
LOA……19 ft. 6 in.
BEAM……8 ft.
HULL DRAFT……1 ft. 4 in.
DEADRISE……15 deg.
WEIGHT……1,950 lb. (w/o engine)
FUEL……56 gal.
MAX HP……150 hp OB
MSRP……$27,850 (w/ 115 hp four-stroke OB)
NMMA Certified
Sea Pro Boat / Newberry, South Carolina / 803-321-5777 / www.seaproboats.com
