We had the pleasure of joining the Florida Sportsman team in the 2017 ‘Best Boat’ series. Below you can find the video and write up by Florida Sportsman. Thank you to Florida Sportsman for this great opportunity.
Offshore anglers who like an open deck plan for kite fishing and drifting with a large, multi-bait spread, who also need to run in less than favorable sea conditions and want to get there quickly have overwhelmingly agreed on a design that works for them. A mid-thirty-foot open model with enough deadrise to split waves and a bottom design built for speed, with enough beam to keep you from rolling out of the boat is very popular among this group. Starting with a proven hull design and adding modifications to improve speed and fish-ability, Sea Lion Boats has entered the marketplace with a fine example of this model. The 3410CC is a fast, soft riding, wide open design that serious blue water anglers will appreciate.
This flush deck model features a roomy foredeck and open cockpit that are easy to transit between while utilizing the entire length of the boat to fish across. A ten-foot beam adds stability while drifting in the trough. Keeping everything below the deck can create a lack of storage on a boat but this isn’t the case with the Sea Lion. The forward insulated fish box is an impressive 210-gallons and an additional 60-gallon storage compartment shares the same deck. Alongside the console amidships, are a pair of insulated 75-gallon compartments and in the cockpit deck there are matching 140-gallon fish boxes to round out the collection. This is a remarkable amount of space to keep fish and gear in, without cluttering the deck. Additional dry storage is available in the console Head compartment. The standard boat features two live wells in the transom totaling 50-gallons and a third optional well is available for the tournament angler who needs massive supplies of live bait.
Sea Lion builds these boats to order and can customize the boat to suit the needs of serious anglers or weekend hobbyists alike. The model we tested fell into the former category and was all business. There was no place you could stand on this boat without having a rod holder at arm’s reach. All of the deck hardware was clean and flush with quality components used throughout. A tackle center/helm station behind very comfortable seating handled all of our gear storage needs and both live wells loaded up with herring stored more than enough bait for a long day offshore. The Sea Lion ran like a champ in 3-4’ slop and 15-20 knot south winds keeping up a 40-mph cruising pace for 20 miles running home directly into it. She jumped out of the hole quickly and cornered tightly never losing traction. This boat is somewhat of a new kid on the block and enters a marketplace with a lot of competition in this size and class. As a fresh arrival this boat is priced at a point where new boat shoppers looking for something in a size class below this may consider jumping up to the next level.
Specifications
Length – 34’
Beam – 10’
Draft – 24”
Dead rise – 22.5-degrees
Max HP – 1050
Fuel – 300-gallons
Fresh Water – 45-gallons
Credit Florida Sportsman Magazine | http://www.floridasportsman.com/2018/07/26/sea-lion-3410-cc/
