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We feel that this boat resembles a Cabo with outboards,” says EdgeWater president Peter Truslow, referring to the engineering, features and exceptional finish work found in a noted industry benchmark. But the EdgeWater philosophy goes still further by making the boat unsinkable.
Performance
We found seas composed of two- to three-footers outside Ponce de Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, with considerably larger wind-against-tide seas at the mouth of the channel. Prudent speeds through the big stuff made for a perfectly comfortable ride without spray on the windscreen. Once outside, we ran beam-to the seas for speed tests, determining top speed to be 50.6 mph at 6,000 rpm with the twin Yamaha 350 V-8s burning 69 gph. A fast cruise of 40 mph at 5,000 rpm used 46.5 gph, and a slower cruise of 27 mph at 4,000 rpm dropped consumption to 28.7 gph.
The moderate 20-degree deadrise at the transom (shallower than other EdgeWaters) accomplishes several things, including a more comfortable and stable ride when drifting and trolling in beam seas. It also helps the 335 rise onto plane faster and achieve better fuel economy. And the Lenco electric trim tabs provide wide-ranging trim ability.
Trolling speed produced significant subsurface turbulence, but it dissipates by the second wave back. Otherwise, the 335 generates only very limited surface foam.
Fishing
Despite EdgeWater’s goal of building a large family cruiser that can also fish, the engineers are simply too fanatical not to make this a well-appointed fishing machine. It boasts a large transom fish box as well as a huge fish box in the cockpit deck. I particularly appreciate that EdgeWater has changed over to all diaphragm pumps rather than macerators in its fish boxes. Simple guts and scales will never have any effect on them. In fact, they can pump an entire baitfish through them and can run dry forever.
Two livewells assure you’re never more than one giant step away from a fresh livey. EdgeWater provides three rod holders under and two in each gunwale, with more on the back and legs of the hardtop. Another novel feature finds an aft-facing, foldaway jump seat in the port cockpit module, which you can replace with tackle drawers if you wish. The starboard module offers a choice of a stainless-steel, drop-in bait freezer, a 240-volt Kenyon electric grill or a simple insulated cooler.
In a blazing fit of common sense, EdgeWater locates the breakers for all fishing electrical systems (washdown pumps, livewells, etc.) on a panel in the cockpit. All other ship’s systems breakers are at the helm.
Design and Construction
Back in 1996, I defined EdgeWater as a small company living on the leading edge of technology. If anything, that’s truer today. The most noteworthy aspect of this 335 has to be its unusual construction technology. The company refers to it as SPI (Single Piece Infusion).
After spraying the gelcoat layer, EdgeWater lays in all the dry ingredients, such as specially engineered fiberglass and Divinycell coring. Then it encases the laminate in a plastic bag with a strong vacuum pump attached at one end and the vinylester resin supply on the other. Turn on the vacuum, and the pump sucks the resin throughout the laminate. The bag, combined with the vacuum pressure, prevents excess resin buildup and any air bubbles or voids. The resultant hull has an optimum glass-to-resin ratio and better than any ratio achievable by older lamination methods.
This boat incorporates an all-new structural grid concept for EdgeWater. The company engineers the entire structural grid to accept every hull element such as fuel tanks, storage boxes, pumps, filters, rigging, cabin liners, etc. in a precise position. Everything fits exactly.
The transom and stringer grid are made from composite and glass that are bonded into the hull right from the start rather than glued in after the hull is finished.
Other nice innovations include pop-up buttons from stem to stern that let you tie fenders where you need them quickly and easily. In the galley, slide-out dish racks, a hidden trash barrel and a pullout 12/120-volt coffee maker keep the living quarters clean but not Spartan.
Another unique feature lets you zip open enclosure sections and slide them over other panels, effectively creating an open window without rolling them up or tacking them to the overhead. The back of the enclosure snaps to the overhead, so you’ll never have to remove and store the panels.
This boat has a notably deep cabin with higher-than-average headroom. A small, C-shaped dinette area includes a beautiful teak table, which drops to form a berth for two (one in reality). The forward V-berth can accommodate two modest-sized people, and the midship berth can handle two as well. However, if all the crew members are guys, figure that the 335 sleeps three.
Significant others will like the Caradon counters (an expensive marble substitute) and the novel mirror inside a drawer in the head, which folds out and functions as a vanity mirror for anyone seated on the commode. It’s thoughtful touches like this that will convince your significant other that this boat is well worth the money.
LENGTH…… 34 ft. 6 in.
BEAM…… 11 ft. 2 in.
DRAFT…… 2 ft. 3 in.
DEADRISE…… 20 deg.
WEIGHT…… 13,000 lb.
FUEL…… 300 gal.
MAX POWER…… Twin 350 hp Yamaha OB
MSRP…… $360,852
(w/ twin 350 hp four-stroke OB)
EdgeWater Power Boats / Edgewater, Florida / 386-426-5457 / www.ewboats.com
