Are Pursuit Boats Good & Reliable Enough To Own?

Pursuit has a strong following among fisherman in the Northeast who wishes to go to and from the fishing areas in luxury.

The brand is noted for its high-quality construction and excellent customer service. The company’s boats are pricey.

Pursuit promises to build the greatest boats in the world. But are they worth the money? Can you rely on Pursuit to provide an enjoyable sailing experience?

How Good Pursuit Boats Are?

Pursuit Boats is a high-end marine powerboat brand. They make a central console as well as twin dashboards.

They also offer an offshore cruiser line and a premium sport boat line. Pursuit  are defined by their build quality, pleasant and functional layouts, and excellent customer service.

They produce 14 distinct boats in four categories (Offshore, Center Console, Dual Console, and Sport), ranging in size from 23 to 42 feet and powered by reliable Yamaha Outboards.

How Reliable Are Pursuit Boats?

Even though Pursuit Boats are meant for offshore pleasure, including fishing, they are often regarded as having more creature comforts than other manufacturers geared more at the hardcore angler.

The brand has been working with Yamaha for several decades, the dependability of their engines is well known across the industry. The wiring and hardware are also regarded as excellent.

Whereas another brand may have greater room for live wells or gutting fish, the Pursuit will have longer, more comfortable seats or more gadgets.

Similarly, they are less concerned with peak speed and more concerned with ride comfort. While they are intended for use offshore, the focus is on relaxation and leisure once there rather than performance in getting there.

How Durable Are Pursuit Boats?

Pursuit boats are distinguished by their hulls, which are strengthened with a resin-infused fiberglass structural grid system that gives a completed surface inside the bilge region.

Pursuit offers a five-year structural guarantee on the hull and deck, as well as a two-year component warranty that is transferable to subsequent owners.

While Pursuit still employs wood in portions of its construction – which some people find objectionable — all wood is encased in many layers of high-quality fiberglass, and all hardware holes are tightly bedded.

Their ultra-premium gel coat, which is backed by a five-year hull blister warranty, demonstrates their commitment to quality. Pursuit Boats’ durability is regarded as among the finest in the nautical industry.

Their composite fiberglass stringer grid technology reinforces their hulls, leaving the bilge region polished rather than bare.

What About Older Pursuit Boats?

Everything about Pursuit boats, from the design to the materials to the manufacturing process to the fit and finish, is regarded as industry-leading. There were no shortcuts made because Pursuit is a premium brand.

One of the main worries expressed by the internet community about Pursuit is how the brand will be affected by Malibu’s takeover.

Because everything has happened so quickly, planned alterations have yet to take effect, except minor line adjustments, and most owners of later models remark that the quality is still excellent.

This early dedication to quality helped to establish the company as one of the finest on the market.

You can visit the Boat Trader website if you want to buy used Pursuit boats for a good price.

Do They Still Make Parts For Older Models?

Some older components for boats that are no longer in production are still being created, although their website does not specify how far back their replacement parts shop extends.

The Pursuit owner has a few alternatives for parts that are no longer in manufacture.

The first is the Pursuit Boat Owners Forum, which is exclusively for Pursuit Boat owners. It’s a lively and well-supported community, with a lot of questions about specific replacement components.

People who require parts are recommended to contact their dealer for assistance at their Dealer Locator page.

Pursuit Boats is one of the internet vendors that sell replacement parts for all manufacturers. Greatlakesskipper.com, boatoutfitters.com, and boatseabass.com are the most popular.

Owner’s manuals dating back many decades are available from Pursuit Boats to assist with the identification of older parts.

What Are Typical Problems With Pursuit Boats?

Throughout their history, there have been a few production issues that have been identified with Pursuit boats.

The most serious issue was probably wood rot in particular hulls in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

According to the information supplied by the few owners who had this issue, some of the thru-hull connections leaked through the fiberglass, enabling water to enter the wood coring.

There were several owners in the late 2000s that experienced issues with gasoline smells.

This issue was attributed to the fact that part of the fuel tanks was made of plastic, and it appeared to be resolved by adjusting the venting.

In the late 2000s, there was a problem with leakage in the top liner on some cuddy cabin versions. Some of the wiper motors were found to be faulty, which caused the problems.

Due to improper electrical wiring, 178 3400 Express vehicles from 1997 were recalled in 2002. In 2005, the recall was completed. There is controversy about whether this was due to inadequate production control or to industry-wide building standards.

How Long Do Pursuit Boats Last Compare To Similar Brands?

Pursuit Boats builds its boats to endure, and their customer service is regarded as among the finest in the business if customers have any problems with their boats, whether or not they are covered by a warranty.

Their boats are known for being extremely durable, as five decades of production can attest. Pursuit boats from the 1990s and even the 1980s are ubiquitous on the water, especially along the east coast of the United States.

The primary caveat here, as usual, is the level of care given to a boat by its owner. Any ship, regardless of its quality of build, will degrade if maintenance and winterization are not kept up.

Do Pursuit Boats Hold Their Value?

Pursuit boats have a high resale value, ranging from above-average to extremely favorable.

In 2015, the OS 345 36-foot offshore sport boat sold for $401,490 new. That model currently has an average resale value of $350,950, indicating 13 percent depreciation, which is impressive for a luxury yacht in that price bracket.

In 2015, they sold their C 260 26-foot center console with a Yamaha 350 horsepower outboard for $132,970. The current average resale value for that model is $104,650, indicating 22 percent depreciation. This is a somewhat higher-than-average rate of depreciation.

Are Pursuit Boats Still Being Made?

Pursuit Boats are still manufactured in Fort Pierce, Florida, after moving there in 1983. Malibu Boats has been steadily modifying its lines since its purchase.

As a luxury brand, the boats are made with varying degrees of personalization depending on the model. They don’t publish any pricing information on their website. Instead, they refer interested purchasers to their local dealers.

Offshore cabin cruisers are available in three sizes, ranging from the 33-foot OS325 to the 40-foot OS385. The center console idea is at the heart of their Sport Boat lineup. The S268 is 27 feet long while the S428 is 43 feet long.

The 24-foot C238 is the only model that they call a center console at the moment. From the 25-foot DC245 to the 38-foot DC365, they offer five different dual-console variants.

You can visit their Models page to have a look at all of their models with specific details.

Final Thoughts

Over five decades of excellent boat manufacturing and servicing, Pursuit Boats has established its reputation as a top-tier boat.

As they move forward, the maritime industry’s attention will be drawn to how Malibu’s acquisition will influence them. Thus far, there appears to be no deterioration in quality, and they continue to produce some of the most pleasant overseas boats available.

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