Pacific's 26 will get you to the canyons fast, and for far less fuel.
Fiberglass may rule the world of saltwater sportfishing boats along the Atlantic coast, but could aluminum prove worthy of consideration for hard-core anglers? After spending an entire day aboard a Pacific 26 HT, I have to say yes – heck yes!
The fishing machine I tested was powered with a single 300-hp Suzuki four-stroke, yet it provided performance like most glass boats with another 100 to 200 horses on the transom. We cruised for Poor Man’s canyon at 4000 rpm, which kept speeds between 30- and 31.5-mph. Meanwhile, the Suzy burned 10.2 gallons per hour – netting us three miles to the gallon. Most 26’ fishboats need a pair of 200-hp powerplants to get this kind of performance at cruise, and they’ll be getting somewhere between 1.3 and 2.2 miles to the gallon. How can the Pacific do so much better? Weight is the obvious answer. While this hull hits the scales at 2,800 pounds, the average 26’ fiberglass boat is between 4,000 and 6,000 pounds. Added bonus: highway towing is a heck of a lot easier with this package, too.
The Pacific's wide-open layout maximizes fishing space.
Wait a sec – we all know boats are full of trade-offs, and that while lighter boats tend to go faster and run more efficiently then heavier boats, they also tend to get tossed around more by rough seas. Is this true in the Pacific’s case? Sure. But the cost-benefit ratio is way out of kilter. When we hit waves, my internal bump-O-meter felt like this boat was slightly lighter then a hefty glass boat, but not a lot. Nowhere near a third or a half lighter, in fact. It felt more like comparing a boat that was a sixth or a seventh lighter. Why? Because unlike glass boats which tend to punch into waves, the aluminum Pacific coasts over them. The abrupt deceleration of hitting a wave is muted, while horizontal acceleration is increased. Net result: fewer bumps, thumps, and hard impacts. Handling also gets a boost, as the boat responds to tweaks at the helm as though you were spinning the wheel hard-over.
The more time I spent on this boat, the more I liked the idea of aluminum at sea. Unexpected side-benefits to using this material came to mind throughout the day. First off, draft is a mere 16”. Bumping a piling doesn’t result in cracks and expensive fiberglass repair. The boat has foam floatation added in the belowdeck voids, so it’s essentially unsinkable. Since the hard top is aluminum, it’s capable of supporting some serious weight. The polyurethane decking (similar to pick-up truck bed liners) reflects sunlight, so it stays cool and feels good under bare feet. And the aluminum hullsides also reflect light, making the boat visible from afar and providing an unexpected safety boost.
Down-sides? The reflective nature of the material makes for a lot of glare, and you won’t want to forget your sunglasses when spending a day aboard the Pacific. You’ll also have to use aluminum-safe bottom paint, accept angular looks that some boaters find unattractive, and put up with a bit more water noise then a well-built glass boat produces. But the major down-side is cost. Price of the 26 can vary widely depending on what configuration, (the 26 can be purchased with several different style hard tops, partial cabins, and full cabins as well,) options, and powerplants you choose, but plan on spending between $100,000 and $120,000 for a fully-rigged boat. Competing glass boats will usually run 10 to 15 percent less, though some top-end 26’ center consoles do hit the $120,000 mark as well.
Another mahi for the box, on the Pacific 26.
What about strength? Can aluminum hold up like glass can, after years of canyon-running abuse? Fear not, this boat is built every bit as well as its competitors and then some. Hull plating is 5086 alloy, which is also used in Coast Guard rescue boats and M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The hull bottom is 0.25” thick, and hullsides are 0.19” thick. As a point of reference, most johnboat-style aluminum boats have hulls that are between 0.6” and 0.1” thick; obviously, the Pacific is built for far heavier duty.
So, should there be an aluminum boat in your future? If the down-sides of aluminum don’t scare you off and you like the idea of lighter tow weights, faster cruising, and burning less fuel, the answer might just be a yes. Heck yes!
Observed performance notes w/4 people and half load fuel, single Suzuki DF 300 four-stroke outboard, swinging a 16” x 23” three bladed stainless-steel prop:
Cruise RPM
Speed in MPH
Gallons per hour
Miles per gallon
Slow cruise/3500
27.0
7.5
3.6
Fast cruise/4500
36.0
13.5
2.7
Wide open throttle/6000
46.0
25.1
1.8
Bonus Test Note: Could the different sounds of water noise against an aluminum hull have a different effect on the fish? If so, judging by our experience it’s not a bad one—while running the Pacific we had a banner day, catching dozens of mahi-mahi plus several golden tilefish.
