I am looking at the 250C and the Cutwater 248 Coupe. They seem to be nearly identical other than the list of standard vs optional features. The 50 extra hp, radar, autopilot and larger Garmin seem like good things to have. This would be our first cabin boat for longer trips. It looks like they roll off the same assembly line too. Am I missing anything in the evaluation?
250C vs 248 Coupe
- Thread starter Tomlane14
- Start date
Rednuke1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2017
- Messages
- 65
- Location
- Naples, FL
- Fluid Motion Model
- S-250 C
- Non-Fluid Motion Model
- Key West 219FS
- Vessel Name
- Burnin’ Daylight
I think if you look a bit closer, you will see they do have different top-caps, IE: a bit different from the rub rail up. We just completed a 3000 mile boat trip on our Solara 250 Coupe. Both good boats, and we looked at and considered each. The Solara fit our needs closer, so we went that route. That extra 50 HP makes quite a difference by the way.
Rednuke1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2017
- Messages
- 65
- Location
- Naples, FL
- Fluid Motion Model
- S-250 C
- Non-Fluid Motion Model
- Key West 219FS
- Vessel Name
- Burnin’ Daylight
We really like the electric grill, and used it regularly. I bought the griddle for it and it works great for eggs, frying potatoes, etc. We ran it off the lithium batteries while at anchor; that worked great as well.
bmcminn
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2025
- Messages
- 55
- Fluid Motion Model
- C-248 C
- Vessel Name
- Umi Nami
I got a 2026 C248 in August of 2025. It has the digital throttle and steering, autopilot, electric grill, and lithium batteries. I have 180 hours of use in the San Juan Islands, trailer it, and use Squalicum Marina in Bellingham.
For six years prior to that I had a 19' C-Dory Angler that I dearly loved.
The Cutwater is fantastic and is an absolute delight to operate. An amazing fishing platform, as fast as I can safely travel, and comfortable on anchor for as many days as I can comfortably anchor (this is a highly personal thing, right?). The only time I feel like the hole shot is less than I want is when I’m loaded down with company. Really, that’s the only time I even notice it, as I like to get on plane a little gradually. When the water is calm you really do go very fast considering there are objects in the water you can’t always see. In chop I’m still staying mostly on plane and operating around 4300 to 4600 RPM.
The materials used and build quality are pretty good IMHO. I have found a couple things that seemed like they could have been fastened tighter or attached with a little better fitment. But for anything that is being mass produced I’m guessing it’s high quality at the best price they can make it. That being said, the wood is veneer and not solid teak, and the seats use synthetic leather.
The only reason I would hesitate to recommend this boat to anyone would be because they actually needed a totally different type of boat (RT, sailboat, jet-ski, whatever), or based on their size. I am 5'7" and 175 lbs. I feel like this boat fits me great. By myself I’m comfortable hanging out, working on my computer all day, and chilling all night. I can take my girls to the islands for a few days or company out for a long day. My girlfriend and I can go to a marina for 2-3 nights. But if I was much bigger in any direction things could start to feel a little cramped.
My plan is to spend even more time using this lovely boat. I think it's perfect for a single motor trailerable cruiser/fishing boat.
For six years prior to that I had a 19' C-Dory Angler that I dearly loved.
The Cutwater is fantastic and is an absolute delight to operate. An amazing fishing platform, as fast as I can safely travel, and comfortable on anchor for as many days as I can comfortably anchor (this is a highly personal thing, right?). The only time I feel like the hole shot is less than I want is when I’m loaded down with company. Really, that’s the only time I even notice it, as I like to get on plane a little gradually. When the water is calm you really do go very fast considering there are objects in the water you can’t always see. In chop I’m still staying mostly on plane and operating around 4300 to 4600 RPM.
The materials used and build quality are pretty good IMHO. I have found a couple things that seemed like they could have been fastened tighter or attached with a little better fitment. But for anything that is being mass produced I’m guessing it’s high quality at the best price they can make it. That being said, the wood is veneer and not solid teak, and the seats use synthetic leather.
The only reason I would hesitate to recommend this boat to anyone would be because they actually needed a totally different type of boat (RT, sailboat, jet-ski, whatever), or based on their size. I am 5'7" and 175 lbs. I feel like this boat fits me great. By myself I’m comfortable hanging out, working on my computer all day, and chilling all night. I can take my girls to the islands for a few days or company out for a long day. My girlfriend and I can go to a marina for 2-3 nights. But if I was much bigger in any direction things could start to feel a little cramped.
My plan is to spend even more time using this lovely boat. I think it's perfect for a single motor trailerable cruiser/fishing boat.
Thanks for the insight. We are scheduled for a sea trial this week to get a real feel for the boat. I’ve seen some complaints here and on the Facebook sites about quality issues post Covid but I would hope those have been ironed out by now. It is one of the reasons I wanted a new boat since everything is under warranty for at least 2 years ( 6 on the Yamaha with the current promotion). Every manufactured product will have some issues. How they are handled is the key. I don’t want another project as I have enough of those.