To the unfamiliar,  Sailfish sounds like a boat built for placid warm waters where subtropical billfish swim. But in truth, the Sailfish Boat brand is built on a rugged hull designed and constructed for performance and safety in big water and rough seas—the kind of conditions that are a fact of life for Northeast boaters.

Picture it: you left the dock at first light, ran 20 miles across calm seas, and found a wide-open tuna bite. Six hours later you’ve got sore arms, a tuna in the fishbox, a strong southwest wind, and steadily building seas. Sailfish’s tagline, “You choose to go out. You have to come back.” is brilliant marketing, but it’s also the absolute truth—the most important function of a fishing boat is to get you back to the dock.
 
Fishing in the Northeast is all about making the most of a limited season—finding weather windows, pushing the boundaries, leaving early, staying late, and riding home in rough water. Style and comfort matter, but while a roomy head and ample cupholders impress in the showroom, it’s on-the-water performance that will make you fall in love with your boat.

Are Three Hulls Better Than One?

Every boat brand in existence claims to offer a well-designed hull that performs well (although a sea trial will reveal the truth). What is it that distinguishes a Sailfish boat from all the others?

“Every boat manufacturer believes in its own hulls, just as we believe in ours,” says Denny Warren, sales and transportation manager at Sailfish. “The difference is our competition has mostly straight-degree deadrise bottoms, and those do not offer the same ride or stability.”

Warren is referring to Sailfish’s unique Variable Degree Stepped (VDS) hull system, which is characterized by three ’stepped’ surface areas. Taken together, these surfaces give the power of three hulls in one boat – each of them designed to aid with lift and stability.

The deepest of the three ‘steps’ has a steep 24-degree entry-point angle designed to peel open the water aggressively, providing for a unique, effortless ride experience. The second surface is positioned at a slightly shallower angle of 23 degrees, enabling air to flow efficiently under the hull, reducing friction and bringing a welcome higher rate of fuel economy. The third, and outermost, stepped surface is positioned at a flatter 22 degrees, enhancing stability at rest. In practical terms, this means less rocking when bottom fishing or battling a fish in big rollers.

Sailfish VDS hull performance really shows well when the water is big. “Our boats can ride back home in rough water faster and more comfortably than any competitor, because the multi-surface hulls can better handle a beating,” Denny adds.

The VDS hull system allows for other remarkable benefits: Sailfish has the tallest gunwales and deepest cockpits in its class. It also has taller stand-up head compartments, thanks to the extra depth, allowing you to access the head without having to contort your body into a cramped space.

How It’s Built: The Sailtech Process

Boat construction is often thought of as a tradeoff between rigid strength and efficiency-killing weight. Thanks to the technology behind the innovative “Sailtech” building process, that’s not the case with Sailfish Boats. The Sailfish build process is designed to layer and combine lightweight materials–including Kevlar, carbon fiber, and Trevira, in a way that multiplies the strength and structural integrity they provide. In other words, because of the way a Sailfish hull is constructed, the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

An integral part and material in the Sailtech build process is the use of quadriaxial mats, which give 360-degrees of structural integrity. The engineering behind the quadriaxial mats is fascinating, and you can learn more about it on the Sailfish website. In layman’s terms, it gives Sailfish the unique ability to create stronger parts while reducing the amount of time required to build them—and that means the customer gets a better boat at a better price.

Schedule a Sea Trial

If you’re shopping for a family-friendly but fishing-focused boat and quality is important to you, add Sailfish to your shortlist. You can check out their timeless exterior style and read about their blend of comfort for family and fishing features on the Sailfish website, but you’ll have to get on the water to experience the “three hulls” of the VDS system. Schedule a sea trial today >> FIND YOUR DEALER