Cutwater C302 Coupe?

[ludadave]

The wife and I have "boat" fever bad. We will be moving to the east coast of North Carolina in a few years and plan to purchase a vessel next spring that we can keep at the marina to berth on and use initially on weekends/days off until we build a house and make the move. (we are currently in Raleigh, NC 2.5 hrs from the marina), then the dream is to take trips up and down the east coast to places like Boston, FL Keys, Bahamas and everywhere in between. We know we need something that can handle the open ocean since we don't wish to be limited by the ICW. I also would like to fish 35-50 miles offshore in the gulfstream. My eye is heavy on the C-302 Coupe with twin outboards for it's feature rich layout, storage capacity and diversity to go from leisure cruising to full on fishing/trolling as quick as you can sneeze, or so I dream. We cut our teeth on boating lakes but are new to the ocean and understand it is a different animal, so we are gathering as much information and hands on training as we can to become proficient.

I'm curious to hear from owners. Can this vessel handle the open Atlantic. How is the Cutwater fit & finish, customer support, etc? I see 2017 models with the layout I like so I am hoping to get a good price on a slightly used one but there are not many out there, I suspect this is a good thing. Any feedback on owning a Cutwater and in particular the 302 with outboards would be greatly appreciated.

regards,
David

 

[ludadave]

So we got aboard a 2016 Cutwater C28 docked, we did not get to take it out. I knew that it would be too small for my family/needs but I wanted to see the fit/finish. My takeaway is this, it’s a very aesthetically pleasing vessel and well thought out. The trim/hardware is nice looking but seems to just be screwed into the fiberglass/wood etc. I know this is common but I worry about durability for a vessel that is consistently slammed around. I’ve been on a Back Cove and they appeared to be an echelon above in their construction practices and along with that, price so I get it. I remember looking at a 2006 Searay and noticing the trim/hardware was in bad shape so I’m skeptical. I don’t know exactly how these things are constructed so I am speculating. The screens in place on all the portals were absolute garbage. These might be small things to some but at north of 300k I would expect better? Anyhoo these are just first impressions. FYI I have also fell in love with the layout of the 30 Command Bridge so anyone with feedback on any 30 footer in the Cutwater fleet please chime in.

Dave

 

[asm777]

Don't really have any feedback about use in the open Atlantic but if you liked the 30CB, note that it looks like there's a new C-32CB which is the command bridge version of the C302:
http://www.cutwaterboats.com/models.asp ... le=C-32-CB

We've been very happy with the customer support that we received both from our local dealer as well as directly from the factory to address the issues we had. While it would have been better to not have had issues to start with, boats aren't like cars that are massed produced on an assembly line... and on the bright side, having to resolve issues actually helped me to more intimately know and understand the features and components of our C30CB.

If the C-32CB had been available 4 years ago, I'm thinking that's what we'd have today. For our conditions on the West Coast, I often think it'd be nice to be able to cruise at 30 knots instead of the 16-18 knots of the single diesel inboard. Of course, then you have the trade-off of figuring out how to store/use a dinghy... =)

 

[ludadave]

asm777, I did not know about the 32CB, thanks for that. It’s the perfect layout minus the aft helm. I wonder why it’s not an option. That 26” draft with the engines up is nice, we could get really close to some beaches, the added storage and fuel plus as you mentioned the power is making my mouth water. Do you mind posting or sharing via pm what issues you had?

 

[ludadave]

Here's a question my wife asked.....do the jumper/pop-out seats in the cockpit bounced when underway...ie can someone sit in them when underway?

 

[Bruce Moore]

They are not meant to be deployed while underway. If they’re configured like other boats (i.e. the R-31) there will be a red light on the dash letting you know they’re out.

 

[ludadave]

Thanks Bruce, good to know and the dash indicator is a great feature.

 

[ludadave]

Another random thought...is a Cutwater 30-32 considered a Yacht? I know they are literally called "Cutwater Boats" by the manufacturer but I can never fully get what the proper term is for certain vessels and honestly that only really comes into play when naming it.

Dave

 

[ixlr8]

asm777, I did not know about the 32CB, thanks for that. It’s the perfect layout minus the aft helm. I wonder why it’s not an option. That 26” draft with the engines up is nice, we could get really close to some beaches, the added storage and fuel plus as you mentioned the power is making my mouth water. Do you mind posting or sharing via pm what issues you had?

I was wondering why the 302 had the aft helm and the 32CB did not. From what I have been able to find out, the Yamaha system can only handle 2 helm positions.

On the 302 there is the helm position in the cabin and the aft helm in the cockpit is an available option.

On the 32CB, there is the helm position in the cabin, and the helm position on the Command Bridge. The Yamaha system does not have the capacity to allow for a 3rd helm position in the cockpit.

I would like a 32CB with the aft helm position, but I guess the Yamaha system is the limiter.

 

[Rocky Lou]

I'm curious to hear from owners. Can this vessel handle the open Atlantic. How is the Cutwater fit & finish, customer support, etc? I see 2017 models with the layout I like so I am hoping to get a good price on a slightly used one but there are not many out there, I suspect this is a good thing. Any feedback on owning a Cutwater and in particular the 302 with outboards would be greatly appreciated.

I just ordered a C302 that will be operated on the Pacific coast mostly fishing and a bit of cruising. I spoke with the factory and asked for rough comparisons to a Grady White 330 Express that I was also considering. They suggested the CW would do nearly as well, but, lacked similar weight and beam. I also spoke to a C28 owner who fishes the same waters. He said the handling was adequate and the 'camping' features more than made up for it. I'm not concerned since I plan to come in on rough days, unlike when I younger and in less seaworthy vessels. With ~28 knots cruising speed I can out run most windy conditions if I stay alert.