ENTRY POINT The Sportster 25 offers an accessible entry into the Chris-Craft lineup, starting at $149,950. At 25 feet, she carries 11 passengers, offers sterndrive power up to 380 hp, and remains trailerable behind many midsize SUVs. A large stern sunpad and fold-out transom seat make her easy to use at anchor.

54 MPH DAYBOAT The AV28 OB is quick onto plane, topping out at 54.3 mph, while her layout stays focused on time aboard. The walk-through bow, retractable hardtop, and nearly 8 feet of platform behind the outboards give swimmers and watersports fans room to spread out.

FISHING READY This Long Island, NY-based 2023 Valhalla Boatworks V-33 center console pairs twin Mercury V10 400hp outboards with a Seakeeper SK2 for stability. She's rigged for fishing with a transom livewell, a Hooker Seachest 2500 pickup system, six rod holders, and an in-deck fishbox, all backed by a custom-built trailer for towing.

NOT ALL BELONG HERE Half of the people shopping for a center console should probably be in a different boat. For those who belong in one, this guide walks through hull categories, seating math, head compartment clearances, and the eight builders BoatTEST trusts after 25 years of sea trials. .

INSPIRED BY WHALES Humpback whale fins are teaching propeller designers something worth noting. Adding natural groove patterns called tubercles to prop blades showed real-world efficiency gains of up to 15% on displacement vessels. The cowling required creates too much drag for planing hulls, but the concept is also being explored for aircraft and wind turbines.

ANCHOR. SAVE. REPEAT. Fuel and marina fees get budgeted. Car storage, health coverage, and the spread between daily and monthly slip rates rarely do. Anchoring out wherever possible is the single biggest lever cruisers have on the expense side.