Everglades 435cc: No Holds Barred

Fish, be afraid. Very afraid.

By Gary Reich

November 17, 2014

If you’ve read more than one or two of my boat reviews, you know that I’m partial to center-console boats that tilt toward fishing. So imagine how excited I was to be invited to the unveiling of Everglades Boats' brand-new monster center-console fishing machine at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The monster I speak of is the Everglades 435cc, and it is a full seven feet, four inches longer than the 355T model it trumps to take the title of the biggest, baddest, Everglades ever made.

Watch our first look video of the Everglades 435cc

No holds barred means no holds barred. The Everglades 435cc is perhaps the ultimate offshore fishing machine.

No holds barred means no holds barred. The Everglades 435cc is the ultimate offshore fishing machine.

Design-wise, the 435cc is classic Everglades and all about serious offshore fishing work. The transom sports a massive 25 degrees of transom deadrise with an overall hull average of 41 degrees. That means this big boat should make quick work of any nasty stuff off the coast. There’s an aggressive bow with a steep entry and forward-focused reverse sheer that reveals a slight flare at the bow, which should help keep occupants dry. The dry weight of this boat is 16,880 pounds, thanks primarily to its 100 percent composite construction.

Step aboard through the opening utility (aka “tuna”) door in the port topsides and you’ll see that Everglades took an all-or-nothing approach to this boat when it comes to fishing. Up forward at the bow is a 225-gallon fish locker with macerated overboard discharge. To give you an idea of how big that is, I jumped down into it to have a look and could comfortably close the gas-assist hatch without having to fold myself in two–and I’m a big guy. The next tipoff that this is a serious fishing boat is in its rod stowage capacity. I didn’t count, but the onsite Everglades rep told me the 435cc can swallow up 40 rods, including two kingfish rod holders. The twin 18-foot Taco Grandslam Outrigger package is standard.

The rigging station on the Everglades 435cc is nicer and better-equipped than the ones you'll find on many 50-plus foot sportfish yachts.

Aft on the transom are two 60-gallon livewells and—get this—a 45-gallon bait freezer to keep your ‘hoos and squid in a state of suspended animation. You could obviously make it pull double-duty as a small fish locker. The rigging station behind the second set of console seats is bigger and better equipped than some 55-foot and larger sportfish yachts I’ve been on. How well equipped? Ten tackle drawers, four leader spool holders, two cutting boards with built-in knife and cutting tool organizers, a large sink with freshwater and raw water spigots, and a partridge in a pear tree, that’s how well equipped.

The center console and hardtop are elongated, taking up about a full third of the deck space inside the 435cc. That said, there’s still plenty of room to negotiate around the whole affair on all sides. By taking advantage of the size of this boat and making the console and hard top so large, it allows Everglades to include a large upper helm station on the hard top, a second row of console seating, and a well-equipped cabin underneath the console. That cabin has a queen-size berth; a galley with sink, refrigerator, and microwave; a flat-screen television; and a head/shower area that can be curtained off. While you won’t sleep the whole crew down here, it’s comfortable and cozy enough to be a nice place to get out of the weather, eat, rinse off, or nap. My only quip with it was the entry door; it's a bit of a squeeze in the headroom department.

The extended console and hard top means there's lots of room for both a cabin, and also an upper helm station, on the Everglades 435cc.

Having such a large center console also gives the ability to have all sorts of toys at your fingertips. The dash is huge, and easily accommodates three Garmin 15-inch multifunction displays, two of Yamaha’s Command Link engine displays, 20 lighted rocker control switches, and two air conditioning vents. I’m not a huge fan of the proximity of the trim tab control panel near the joystick (I felt as if my palm would actuate it while using the joystick), but it’s not a huge deal, by any means. Otherwise, everything was thoughtfully laid out and within easy reach of the helmsman.

Performance Data
Test conditions: N/A. Performance data courtesy of Everglades Boats.
RPM	MPH	GPH	MPG
1000	7.4	8.0	0.93
2000	11.5	20.2	0.57
3000	23.6	37.3	0.63
4000	38.3	52.5	0.73
5000	48.3	88.3	0.55
6250	59.7	130.0	0.46
Power	Quadruple Yamaha F350 four-stroke outboards, each swinging a 21-inch Saltwater Series XL stainless-steel prop.

Standard power for the 435cc is a quadruple rack of Yamaha F350 350-horsepower four-stroke outboards that are coupled to Yamaha’s recently released Helm Master joystick system for quad outboard setups. As you may have guessed, that 1,400 horsepower on the transom provides spirited performance. Top speed at wide-open throttle is 59.7 mph at 6,250 rpm and 130 gallons per hour of fuel burn. But crank those four Yamaha’s back to just under 40 mph and you’re talking around 52 gallons per hour. If you’re like me, you’re doing the math to see how quickly that will get you out to the closest offshore canyon, right about now. For me that’s a quick hour and a half out to Poor Man’s Canyon off Ocean City, MD. The boat has a 570-gallon fuel capacity.

Specifications
Length	42'8"
Beam	12'0"
Draft (hull)	2'4"
Deadrise	25 degrees
Displacement	16,880 lbs
Fuel capacity	570 gal.
Water capacity	75 gal.

Everglades tells me that this boat is aimed at previous sportfish yacht owners looking to have a machine that doesn’t require all of the upkeep—or crew—that some of those boats require. That makes the fully equipped price of nearly $775,000 a relative bargain. I also see a market for this boat for folks who like to blast from Miami or Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas on weekends. It’s certainly capable, but I also feel as if the great fishing features of this boat might be lost on a mission like that.

Perhaps what I like best about this boat is that it doesn’t try to be all things to all people. There certainly are plusher offshore center consoles available. Take, for example, the Boston Whaler 420 Outrage that was also launched at this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. There’s nothing wrong with that boat (and the below-decks accommodations are certainly way nicer), but it has to sacrifice some fishing features to offer the level of luxury it delivers. So if a no-holds-barred fishing machine is what you’re looking for, it’s hard to think of a better place to start than the Everglades 435cc.

Other Choices: Although not a true center console (it's more of a center console/walk-around hybrid), the SeaVee 430 Fish-Around is worth a look.

Read our reviews of other Everglades models.

See listings for Everglades boats.

For more information, visit Everglades Boats.

Written by: Gary Reich

Gary Reich is a Chesapeake Bay-based freelance writer and photojournalist with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. He is the former editor of PropTalk Magazine and was the managing editor of the Waterway Guide. His writing and photography have been published in PassageMaker Magazine, Soundings, Fly Fishing in Salt Waters, Yachting Magazine, and Lakeland Boating, among others.