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Yellowfin 54 Offshore: 2021 Boat Buyers Guide

The 54 Offshore mixes hardcore fishability with luxury amenities.
Yellowfin 54 Offshore running through the bay
The 54 Offshore is a serious fishing platform. Courtesy Yellowfin Yachts

Yellowfin Yachts founder and president Wylie Nagler listens to his customers. They asked for a bigger boat; he’s launched a 54-foot center-console. They wanted a midsize boat that can perform a variety of tasks; he built a 26-foot hybrid. They ask and Nagler delivers.

Whichever custom-built boat one selects from an impressive Yellowfin lineup, from a 17-foot skiff to that 54-foot CC, Nagler pledges personal responsibility for standout quality. Every Yellowfin features the highest-grade materials and delivers a product skillfully assembled for the harsh demands of saltwater fishing.

Built in Sarasota, Florida, Yellowfin boats none-the-less clearly show their design influences in their wide flares and high bows. They snap onto plane on stepped hulls.

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Yellowfin 54 Offshore

Yellowfin’s biggest boat ever by 12 solid feet, the all-new 54 Offshore, the company says, “raises the bar in terms of what buyers can expect from a center-console boat.” What won’t change is the level of stepped-hull performance that has become synonymous with the brand.

Power options include quad and quint outboards which, along with a 900-gallon fuel capacity, provide the ability and range to reach the bluewater big ones—and at speeds of 60-plus mph.

A hardcore fisher, the 54 Offshore doesn’t skimp on comfort touches. Beneath the console, a spacious cabin area houses a full queen berth, fully equipped kitchenette, wraparound seating that converts to a bed, along with a head, sink and shower with stand-up headroom.

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The helm seats four before a massive dash that can support three 24-inch displays. Behind the helm seats, a sumptuous bench—atop storage and mechanicals—provides more forward-facing seating.

Handrails provide gunwale security, and racks port and starboard hold five dive tanks each. A gyrostabilizer is optional. Forward seating is built-in, with a space at the bow between them to make fish-fighting easier.

Yes, this boat remains all about fishing, and proves it with aft livewell capacity totaling 150 gallons, installed as one massive well or divided into two 75-gallon tanks. That clever arrangement is a crowd-pleaser—69 percent of respondents said that they needed just one livewell, but 27 percent wanted a second to keep bait separated (52 percent of offshore CC anglers say that they use live bait at least half the time).

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Six transom-mounted rod holders meet or exceed the needs of 68 percent of survey respondents, with more holders circling the boat’s gunwales.

A door at starboard provides access to crew, passengers and, in keeping with this boat’s purpose, big fish; it adjoins a transverse 800-quart fish box in the cockpit sole. A massive in-deck compartment forward provides storage for fish or gear.

Survey Says: On Target

  • Custom-built to owner specs and wishes
  • Both fishing-focused and comfortable

Owners Say

  • Most comfortable ride around
  • Fast and fuel efficient; great hull design
  • Best ride

Brand Says

  • Serious fishing platform
  • Unmatched attention to detail

Reader Response

  • “Awesome ride in rough seas”

Specs

LOA: 54′

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Beam: 15′

Fuel Capacity: 900 gal.

Dry Weight: 28,000 lb. with power *

Max HP: 3,000

More Info

yellowfin.com

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