On Boats: Sea Pro 199 CC

Sea Pro 199 CC

by Capt. John Page Williams

Sea Pro 199 CC

LOA: 19'9" Beam: 8'3"

Draft: 13" (engines up) Weight: 2,500 lb (without engine) Transom Deadrise: 16º Fuel Capacity: 60 gal Max Power: 175 hp

MSRP for the 199 CC as tested with a Yamaha F150 is $70,402. For more information, visit seapromfg.com/199center-console. Sea Pro’s Chesapeake dealers are Tri-State Marine, Deale, Md., (tristatemarine.com) and Lynnhaven Marine, Virginia Beach, Va. (lynnhavenmarine.com). Sea Pro’s 199 Center Console is a well-built, seaworthy, versatile utility boat that can serve many functions for Chesapeake boaters. It pairs well with 150-hp outboards from Yamaha, Mercury and Suzuki—a group of engines all known for power, efficiency and durability. (Our test boat, from Tri-State Marine in Deale, Md., had a Yamaha.) For boat rides of all sorts, there is comfortable, secure seating for up to seven people, including two on cushioned bow lounges with lift-up seat backs, one in front of the console, two on the helm seat/leaning post, and two in jump seats at the transom. For tow sports, order the sturdy optional transom arch.

The boat comes with twin batteries in a finished lazarette under the cockpit sole, actuated by a switch in the storage box beneath the helm. The 199 CC adapts well to light tackle fishing around the Bay, especially when equipped with an optional 36-volt bow trolling motor powered by three 12-volt batteries on dedicated pads in another finished compartment beneath the sole forward of the console. The bow mount would be a great accessory for both casting in shallow water and positioning over a reef or wreck for jigging or bait fishing.

At 2,500 lbs. plus outboard, fuel, batteries, gear and tandem-axle trailer, the boat fits easily within the 5,000-lb.

Above: The helm features SeaStar power steering and a 7" Simrad electronic display with sonar and GPS. Right: Guests can opt for jump seats at the transom. tow rating of a mid-size SUV like a Ford Explorer or a compact pickup like a Toyota Tacoma, making it a natural for exploring interesting Chesapeake rivers and ports as well as for keying in on new fishing waters.

On our sea trial day, the Bay was calm off Herring Bay but there was enough boat traffic to get a sense of how this Sea Pro model behaves in seas. With no trim tabs on our test boat, a light load and the air resistance of a T-top, the Yamaha F150 lifted the rig onto plane at about 3,300 rpm (18 mph).

At 3,500, it was running cleanly 25 mph, burning 5.6 gallons per hour. Four-thousand rpm produced 28 mph with a 6.4-gph fuel burn, and 4,500 yielded 34 mph with 8 gph. Top end was in the mid-40s at 5,600 rpm. The same boat with no T-top would have turned around 5,800. The 199 CC is clearly a good match for overall use,

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with plenty of power and speed for tow sports and covering water. For idling around, the engine burns 0.5 gph at 600 rpm.

The 199 CC’s hull has a moderate transom deadrise of 16 degrees that continues forward as a running surface about halfway before gradually sharpening and then cutting away quickly to the bow. The result is full hull volume forward to support the weight of three trolling motor batteries and two people sitting on the bow lounges, but that part of the hull will pound hard into short, choppy seas if driven too hard.

Trim tabs will allow the hull to lift onto plane at slower speeds and help lower the bow to use the sharpest deadrise for cleaving the waves. Running both into and with some steep powerboat wakes, the hull’s lifting strakes and double chines threw spray out flat to the sides and the boat felt solid, with no rattles or shakes even when we hit them harder than we should have. The hull is composite and foam-filled, with a limited, transferrable lifetime warranty.

The cockpit is self-bailing, with a high-volume, proprietary drain system. As with any semi-V-shaped bottom, time on the water experimenting with different combinations of trim and speed will yield a good partnership between skipper and vessel. By the way, the shape of this hull should make for good stability at slow, creek-crawling and sunset-watching speeds.

For the latter uses, we recommend the optional Bimini top, whose frame attaches with two easily removable pins and four straps at the corners that hook onto the gunwales. Put it on for socializing and remove it for more active pursuits.

The boat comes with many useful standard features, including SeaStar power steering, a 7" Simrad electronic display with sonar and GPS, an Audison stereo system, a raw-water washdown

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There's a single seat in front of the center console (right) facing the double lounges in the bow (below). system, a swim platform with threestep telescoping ladder, wiring and plug for a trolling motor, and a compass.

Other useful options for general use include a battery charger for the house and trolling motor batteries, Phender Pro bumper holders, a cushioned helm pad, a 50-liter Sea Pro cooler beneath the helm seat, a larger Simrad electronic display, and Sea Pro Connect by Boat Fix, which is a 24/7 cellular boat monitoring system with 24/7 concierge service. For hardcore fishing, add vertical rod holders on each side of the console, more on the back of the helm seat, and rod pockets for horizontal holders in the hull sides.

CBM Editor-at-Large, educator, guide, and author of three quintessential Chesapeake Bay books, Capt. John Page Williams was named a Maryland Admiral of the Bay in 2013.

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