Fishing boats are a lot like shoes. You can spend as much money as you want, because there will always be a product at just about any price point you can think of. Some will fit better, some will not. Some will be a little tight and will feel way too big. The shoes you stick with however, don’t always end up being the most expensive ones out there, but the ones that feel like they are the best value and provide the most comfort for that money. The Tidewater 250 CC Adventure is a perfect example of the right amount of comfort, style, and cost-effective use of space and features to make any fishing trip feel like a walk in the park.
The 250 CC Adventure is an absolute joy to take out for a day of seafaring fun. It’s communicative and quick and seems to be a little bit intuitive. While not a huge boat by anyone’s standards: it has a centerline of 24’ 8”, a beam of 9’ 3” and weighs in at a tuna over 4000 pounds, this boat feels like has more room than you might think. There is a seating area up at the bow, enough for 4-6 people depending on the amount of gear they have with them. The seats hide two large fishing boxes under those seats, while at the stern there is another bench seat that can also fold up to allow more room to move about the deck. Also, out back is a large 25-gallon aerated live well complete with a bronze through-hull pickup. Behind the captain’s chair are a myriad of rod holders, enough to ensure at least one good story for the day.
The console is fairly straight forward and simple, but when you’re out fishing, what do you really need? The brushed aluminum steering wheel sits front and center, flanked to the right by the throttle control. Up on the dashboard behind the steering wheel are a myriad of toggle switches to control all of the main functions on the boat. Above and to the right side of the switches are the Polk Audio System controls, as well as the Garmin navigation system or systems, depending on what options are chosen. And let’s be clear, there are quite a few options to choose from Tidewater. Some of the more popular ones for the 250 CC include things like bow bolsters and cushions, a 12-24V charger system, and extra stainless-steel rod holder, power assisted steering, a port potti, a raw water wash down, a T-Top with electronic box and spreader lights, as well as a T-Top spray shield.
Out on the water, the 250 CC feels capable. The ride is solid, and the boat is foam filled, with no wood anywhere, so any rattling will be coming from the T-Top hitting the frame. The boat does seem to ride a little high, and the bow lift does seem a little excessive from time to time. But aside from that, this boat turns on a dime, and while equipped with twin 150 horsepower Yamaha F150TXR / LF 150TXR, the 250 CC Adventure can hit a top speed of 52.2 mph @ 6000 rpm. Top efficiency was achieved at a speed of 21.4 mph @ 3000 rpm, at 7.9 mph and averaging 2.71 mpg.
All in all, the Tidewater 250 CC Adventure is a very nice and economical boat. It gives a lot, both in terms of features, comfort, overall sailing pleasure for the money. Of course, you could probably find a bigger boat, and certainly a boat that would cost a lot more money. But, like sneakers or pumps, sometimes it’s not necessarily about how much you spend, it’s about how well the shoe fits.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Centerline :: 24′ 8″
Beam :: 9′ 3″
Weight :: 4150 lbs.
Fuel Capacity :: 126 gal.
Max HP :: 300 HP
Rec. HP :: Twin 115’s HP
Transom Height :: 25″ Twins
Deadrise at Transom :: 21°
Appox. Draft :: 16″ Twins
Cockpit Depth (Aft) :: 27.5″
Midship Depth :: 33.5″
Bow Depth :: 33.5″
Bridge Clearance :: 96″
AVAILABLE HULL COLORS
Carbon (Gray)
Ice Blue
Horizon Blue
Marlin Blue
Driftwood (Tan)
Black