While most sea trials only last an hour or so, I had an entire season to put the Pursuit C 260 through her paces while filming New England Boating TV.

Over the summer and fall of 2015, we towed the Pursuit as far west as Norwalk, Connecticut, and as far east as Yarmouth, Maine. And we even let her taste some sweet water on Sebago Lake. Oh, and let’s not forget our epic 130-mile journey to and from the offshore fishing grounds south of Martha’s Vineyard. Throughout, the Pursuit performed flawlessly, and we eventually came to think of her as an integral member of the production crew.

As I can attest after running the C 260 through a variety of sea conditions, this is one solid and smooth-riding boat. The sharp entry and 21-degree transom deadrise allow her to cut through chop and slop without sacrificing stability at rest. The boat’s 8’ 9” beam and semi-reverse chines help with the latter, of course, while also knocking down spray (I honestly don’t remember getting wet on this boat). In rough seas, the C 260 exhibited a rock-solid, vibration-free ride. Our boat was rigged with twin 150-hp Yamaha 4-strokes, which made for excellent maneuverability and easy docking. By the way, top speed with that power was 49 mph, with a respectable cruise in the mid- to upper 20s. Miles per gallon at cruise is around 2.25.

Full performance data is available here: http://www.pursuitboats.com/performance/C260/C260Yamaha150s.pdf

One other important aspect of the C 260 hull is worth pointing out: with the engines tilted up, the boat draws only 1’ 8”, which allowed us to beach her in places such as “The Spit” on Sebago and the sandy shore of Waquoit Inlet on Cape Cod. This is a great family boat.

The C 260 is no slouch in the fishing department either, and helped us catch everything from sharks to stripers during the 2015 season. Her maneuverability and quick-to-plane speed came in handy for chasing false albacore in Buzzards Bay, while her stability was appreciated when drifting beam-to the seas when drifting for fluke and sea bass in Long Island Sound. We also loved the big, insulated fishbox in the transom, which we put to good use while bailing mahi mahi during the Falmouth episode. Yes, fresh fish is one of the big perks of producing a boating show!

As you can imagine, we carry a lot of equipment with us while traveling from point to point, and in many cases the C 260 served as our floating pickup truck. At these times we really appreciated all of the storage space onboard, including the huge walk-in head compartment with its easy-entry forward-opening door. This roomy space also served as a convenient changing room.

With its wide, cushioned, adjustable bolster seats at the helm, the C 260 was a joy to run, and I found all of the gauges and switches well laid out and the electronics set up for easy viewing. During the rare downtimes, the crew enjoyed lounging on the comfortable seats in the bow—and even stealing a nap (although I’m not naming names). Other highlights of the C 260 that come to mind include the electric, through-hull anchor windlass, convenient outlets for charging cell phones and mobile devices, recessed grab rails, and the wide transom gate. And the sturdy, hideaway swim ladder was ideal for helping us get on and off the boat—more times than I can count!

Overall, we loved the C 260, and you can see for yourself how rugged, versatile—and good-looking—this boat is by watching Season 2 of the TV show.

Details

• LOA 25’ 10”
• Beam 8’ 9”
• Draft 1’ 8”
• Clearance w/ hardtop (from waterline) 8’ 0”
• Approx. dry weight
•   (w/ twin 150 engines) 5,896 lbs.
• Fuel 139 gals.
• Water 18.5 gals.
• Max. power 400 hp
• Deadrise 21°

Price:

Base boat w/ twin Yamaha 150-hp 4-strokes: $132,030

Full specs available here: http://www.pursuitboats.com/C260.php