Wellcraft 302 Fisherman Review

OVERVIEW
For decades the US Wellcraft and Scarab brands have been associated with high performance boating and offshore boat racing. The brands gained world-wide fame during the mid 1980s thanks to the hit TV cop show Miami Vice - and its super cool, pastel-coloured suit wearing main character, Sonny Crockett (aka actor Don Johnson).

In pursuit of drug smugglers, crooks and all-round bad guys, the show's characters Crocket and his side-kick vice cop Ricardo Tubbs, would regularly take to the water in a Wellcraft Scarab 38KV, the TV exposure lifting Wellcraft sales dramatically during the late 1980s and raising the profile of the brand internationally.

The TV show Miami Vice did wonders for boosting sales of Wellcraft Scarab sports boats back in the day, but the Wellcraft brand was popular and successful long before the 1980s cop show first aired, and continues as a mainstream brand today, with dealer representation throughout the world.

Wellcraft, along with sister brands Scarab, Glastron and Four Winns, is now owned by the giant French boat builder, the Beneteau Group. Since acquiring Wellcraft in 2014, the parent company has slimmed down the range, refined the manufacturing techniques and introduced several new models. Chief among the new boats, and the subject of this review, is the 302 Fisherman centre console.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Wellcraft's big, wide beam, yet still trailerable (with permits) 302F is a very well appointed open deck boat with a centre console helm configuration and a 22-degree deadrise deep vee hull, reminiscent of those pointy-nosed racing Scarabs of the 1980s.

The boat offered for testing by the Gold Coast's HiOctane Marine performed like an offshore racer too - thanks to the dual Mercury Racing 400R super-charged Verado four-stroke outboards mounted on the transom. With these stunningly quick, high-revving inline six-cylinder motors, the test rig easily cracks the 50-knot barrier.

You don't need 800hp however. A pair of 250hp Mercury Verados will provide ample power (43 knots) for most anglers and day boaters - and you'll save a few bucks too.

With the smaller Verado engines HiOctane Marine has base boat packages (sans trailer) starting from just $255,800. That's a very competitive price for a 9.0m boat.

The big Wellcraft is also very well equipped - but rather than list all the standard features we'll make note of the key options fitted to the test rig. You can then figure on just about everything else being standard.

Our test boat was customised and rigged with plenty of options. In addition to the upgrade to dual Mercury 400R outboards, the sleek looking 302 Fisherman had a giant Garmin 22" multi-function display combining GPS/Fish Finder, Radar, Garmin VHF, two-tone paint, bow seating package, anchor windless, rope and chain, bow table, bow infill cushion, back rests and ice box, electric toilet in console, premium sound system, Taco outriggers, Sea Deck cockpit matting, dive door, boarding ladder, and more.

With the above additions and upgrades the price rises to $380k (or $400k with a trailer), but that still represents excellent value against comparable sized, similarly outfitted craft from several rival US brands.

DESIGN AND LAYOUT
The 302 Fishermen is a big, open, centre console boat with a layout that is equally well suited to day boating on the harbour as offshore sport fishing.

Families and fishermen alike will appreciate the comfortable bucket helm chairs, the fold-down rear bench seating, vast sub-floor storage areas, and the side-opening head compartment beneath the console, which has full standing headroom, a toilet, wash basin and mirror.

will also appreciate the bow seating area, although it is an option in the Wellcraft. Apart from the seat/storage box in front of the console, there is no standard seating up in the bow. This is intended to allow anglers to stand and fish right forward with the security of full deck-to-coaming freeboard.

Even when the side seating is ordered with the boat, it can still be removed as it does not come as part of the deck mould. This feature alone separates the Wellcraft from nearly all other US centre console imports, as most of the others have fixed, moulded side seating at the bow.

Our test boat was rigged with the optional side seats with smart looking vinyl upholstered cushions and slot-in head-rests, as well as a small, removable cooler positioned against the forward bulkhead.

Beneath the non-slip surfaced foredeck is the anchor well which has a plough anchor mounted on rollers through the stem of the boat, and ready to drop.

Other features included recessed coaming rails, an optional cocktail table, Sea Deck flooring, wrap-around coaming bolsters/back-rests, pop-up cleats, and an array of stainless steel coaming rod holders which cleverly double as drink/cup holders.

Storage areas abound. There is space for safety gear under the optional bow side seats, a locker under the floor at the bow for buckets, etc., and two levels of storage under the forward console seat.

In the rear of the boat you'll find fold-out coaming tackle drawers, two modest sized sub-floor storage bins as well as two large underfloor fish box/kill tanks with macerators and overboard drains.

Anglers will also appreciate the horizontal rod racks under the gunnels, the forward and aft facing hard-top spreader lights, hard-top frame rocket-launcher rod rack, deep, spacious self-draining cockpit, optional transom door, and the aft facing console entertainment/food preparation station, which incorporates a slide-out, removable ice box beneath dual, gravity drained sinks with a single freshwater faucet.

You could rig baits from the console sink/ice box location, but there is also a bait box with macerator and a cutting board situated on the transom, between two impressively large 87L live bait tanks with clear viewing lids.

Beneath the transom, behind the fold-down bench seating, there is access to the bilge for servicing the pumps, steering gear, etc.

The batteries are mounted forward, beneath the helm seat module, below the comfortable bucket helm chairs.

There is excellent visibility from the helm and the flip-up front seat bolsters and three level foot-rest ensures the boat is easy and comfortable to drive while seated or standing up.

The broad, anti-glare coloured fascia and dash easily accommodates all of your instrumentation, engine gauges and flush-fitted displays, while a box under the hard-top provides added storage and caters for your marine radios.

ON THE WATER
The Wellcraft 302 has a purposeful looking, wide beam deep vee hull and we made the most of it during out test in heavy sea conditions off the Gold Coast.

Heading out through the Seaway bar in the test rig we encountered some big, steep looking waves, but the Wellcraft dismissed them pretty easily, thanks to a combination of the hull's fine entry shape and long water-line length.

The ride proved comfortable, stable and well balanced, though we did need to run a fair bit of negative engine trim and tabs down to keep the hull tracking nicely through the heavy chop and to limit wave jumping.

Plenty of spray was thrown about too, but this was hardly surprising given the strong breeze and moderate to rough sea conditions.

Throughout the sea trial the Wellcraft handled itself well and we were certainly not lacking in performance. As you can imagine, hole-shots are pretty quick with 800hp on the transom, even when you have a boat that is 30ft long.

The big Mercury 400R Verados delivered heaps of power - more than we could use offshore in the adverse conditions, although it was reassuring to be able to just jab the throttles whilst sitting on the back of a big wave and feel the hull surge forward.

Do you need 800hp? No you don't but it is a lot of fun having that much power immediately to hand. In reality you could wind back to a pair of 250-300hp outboard engines and still retain plenty of performance.

As noted earlier, rigged with the Mercury 400R Verado four-stroke outboards the test rig will run to a top speed of 53 knots. The performance data numbers shown below were supplied by the manufacturer, but we did verify the top speed ourselves.

VERDICT
The Wellcraft 302 Fishermen is a pretty special craft. In this size and class of boat it is great value, sturdily built (foam-filled and no timber), nicely finished and well outfitted.

On the water, the Wellcraft has all the bases covered with regard to handling, ride and performance, while the versatile layout and modular seating design allows the boat to be configured as a family day boat/bay cruiser... or as a full-blown offshore sport and game fishing boat. — Jeff Webster words and pics.

PERFORMANCE - SPEED
6.6kts (12.2km/h) @ 1000rpm
7.8kts (14.4km/h) @ 1500rpm
8.4kts (15.5km/h) @ 2000rpm
8.7kts (16.1km/h) @ 2500rpm
8.7kts (16.1km/h) @ 3000rpm
10.3kt (19.0km/h) @ 3500rpm
15.6kt (28.9km/h) @ 4000rpm
32.1kts (59.4km/h) @ 4500rpm
40.0kts (74.0km/h) @ 5000rpm
46.0kts (85.1km/h) @ 5500rpm
49.5kts (91.62km/h) @ 6000rpm
52.1kts (96.4km/h) @ 6500rpm
53.0kts (98.0km/h) @ 7100rpm (WOT

PERFORMANCE - ECONOMY (BOTH ENGINES)
10.2 l/ph @ 1000rpm
14.8 l/ph @ 1500rpm
24.2 l/ph @ 2000rpm
38.2 l/ph @ 2500rpm
56.0 l/ph @ 3000rpm
75.0 l/ph @ 3500rpm
98.0 l/ph @ 4000rpm
124.0 l/ph @ 4500rpm
156.0 l/ph @ 5000rpm
193.0 l/ph @ 5500rpm
235.0 l/ph @ 6000rpm
267.0 l/ph @ 6500rpm
288.0 l/ph @ 7100rpm (WOT)

MAXIMUM RANGE ON 95% OF 1010LT FUEL TANK: 248.4nm @ 4500rpm

Specifications: Wellcraft 302 Fisherman
Price: $380,000 including dual Mercury Racing 400R Verado 400hp extra-longshaft (25") super-charged six cylinder four-stroke outboards with hydraulic steering, digital controls, 12 months registration and an offshore safety gear pack. Notable options fitted include a Garmin GPSMAP 8422 multi-function display combining GPS/fish finder, radar, Garmin VHF, two-tone paint, bow seating package, anchor windless, rope and chain, bow table, bow infill cushion, back-rests and ice box, electric toilet in console, premium sound system, Taco outriggers, Sea Deck cockpit matting, dive door, boarding ladder, and more. Add $20,000 for an Australian specification 4,500kg rated tri-axle trailer.

Priced from: $255,800 with dual Mercury Verado 250hp extra-longshaft (25") super-charged four-stroke outboards with hydraulic steering, digital controls, 12 months registration and an offshore safety gear pack for six adults.

Length overall: 9.20m
Beam: 2.95m
Draft: 780mm
Deadrise: 22 degrees
Hull weight: Approx: 3,345kg
Weight on trailer (dry): Approx: 4500kg
Maximum power: 2 x 400hp (dual 25" extra-longshaft)
Engines as tested: Dual Mercury 400hp four-stroke outboards
Fuel: 1010lt
Freshwater: 49lt
Live bait tank: 2 x 87lt
Maximum persons: 12

Supplied by:
HiOctane Marine
More at Wellcraft