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Southport boats are the product of technology, boat-building experience and a lot of days on the water
In the fall of 2003, an experienced group of boat builders began planning a boat company designed specifically around the new heavyweight four-stroke outboards. With ideas garnered from experiences with the world’s leading boat brands, the results are striking. The result is Southport Boats.
Southport boats are designed from the keel up to take advantage of offshore outboard power: big, four-stroke six
cylinder engines. The economy and quiet power of the new four-strokes is phenomenal. Yet, most offshore boats are designed around outboard engines of the 1990s that weigh as much as 150 pounds less than the new power plants.
Beamy, with deep vees, Southport hull designs are meant to handle these heavyweight outboards, providing a wider range of planning speeds, and soft, dry ride in rough conditions. All with a sense of style and fishing function all their own.
Southport boats are a unique combination of leading edge technology, offshore racing experience and hours watching baits.
Frank Longino spent a career at Grady-White Boats before joining a turnaround team at Chris-Craft. Val Jenkins ran Mako, Black Fin and Cigarette operations before joining Frank at Chris Craft. At Southport, they are realizing a dream of bringing together a team of the best boat builders they’ve ever worked with; to design and build extraordinary outboard-powered sport fishing boats.
Southport boats are designed around four-stroke power. That means the continuously-variable deep vee hulls are designed by Hunt to maximize the sharpness of the entry while retaining stability at trolling speeds and at rest. The secret is actually using the heavy weight of four strokes as an advantage in order to allow Southport boats both more beam and deeper vees than comparable competitive models. This combination results in a dry, stable platform with sharp entry and ultra-smooth ride. Best of all, a Southport has a wide range of easy-planing cruising speeds instead of the all-or-nothing speeds of fishing boats based on older offshore racing hulls.
The secret is actually using the heavy weight of four strokes as an advantage in order to allow Southport boats both more beam and deeper vees than comparable, competitive models. This combination results in a dry, stable platform with sharp entry and ultra-smooth ride. Best of all, a Southport has a wide range of easy-planing cruising speeds instead of the all-or-nothing speeds of fishing boats based on older offshore racing hulls.
The talk around the design table at Southport includes plenty of “war stories” about big fish and bad storms, lessons about boat building taught well – the “hard way”. Though all are fishermen first, the unique aspect of Southport is that the design team has built everything; from 15-foot flats boats to custom yachts, from flying bridge sport fishermen to the world’s fastest offshore ocean racers.
The resulting fishing designs aren’t bound by conventional outboard boat-building thinking. In a Southport, you’ll find electrical systems designed in a yacht-like manner. Scuppers that evacuate green water like a custom sport fish. Structure learned from attacking six foot seas at three figure velocities. And linesthat reflect some of the most beautiful products ever afloat.
Perhaps the most important element of a Southport’s design is passion. We firmly believe that great boats demand great talent, great materials and a passion for excellence that creates an extraordinary ownership experience.
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