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2016 Fishing Boat Buyers Guide: SeaVee 270Z

The 270Z is a bay boat with offshore DNA running through its veins.

Balance. The range of survey scores for SeaVee was a minuscule 0.14 points on a scale to 50 among the four main categories — fishability, performance, design/construction and value — with each of them near the top of the brand pack.

Clearly, people who own or have experience with SeaVee boats have true, balanced respect for them.

SeaVee founder Capt. Don McGee sold directly to customers so he could offer outstanding fishing boats at lower prices, tailoring the particular boat ideal for each individual customer. More than 40 years later, the company follows that proven course with its diverse line of high-performance sport-fishing boats.

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Begin with a boat model, then select power, electronics, creature comforts and fishing features to meet your needs. The options menu is generous: T-tops, second stations, underwater lights, electric reel outlets, bow thrusters, anti-roll gyros and more. Only after you’ve made your choices does handcrafting of the boat begin.

The heart of that construction is the patented SeaVee Z cored hull, cross-ventilated and twin-stepped, with multiple lifting bodies producing a fixed running-trim angle at any speed and in a variety of conditions. (Say goodbye to horizon-blocking bow rise!) Speed rails provide lateral stability during hard ­maneuvering at speed.

270Z

This biggest of the bay boats is the smallest in SeaVee’s line. It is built to shine as a sturdy fishing platform on large, exposed bays and coastal areas, and it’s ready to sneak offshore from time to time.

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This whopper is not only long but wide, clocking in at 9 feet 1 inch, creating a stable expanse of fishing space dominated by huge bow and aft casting platforms.

Jack plates on the transom support the motor, assuring hull length is translated into cockpit space. Go ahead, add an optional Power-Pole anchoring system; you actually have enough space for two. Outboards up, the 270Z’s hull draws but 15 inches and can prowl the shallows on trolling-motor power.

Ample livewells with powerful circulation are unobtrusively nestled beneath flush deck hatches. Insulated fish boxes and storage lockers — 17 hatches in all, one reviewer counted — keep it organized and fishable. Two rod lockers handle 9-footers; stand-up racks at the console and leaning post hold up to 19 rods.

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The fishing-friendly console has plenty of space for flush-mount electronics and other controls. Switches mounted on vertical surfaces, along with a compartment for cellphones and wallets, keep dry what’s meant to be dry.

SeaVee describes the 270Z as “a bay boat with offshore DNA running through its veins.” And you just know they’re grinning proudly when they say it.

Quick specs. LOA: 27″0 | Beam: 9’1″ | Fuel Capacity: 116 gal | Max HP: 450
Shallow-water anchors like the hydraulic Power-Pole are optional, but they’re seldom passed up on bay boats.
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