After spending a year in Iraq, marine JP Howard wanted to find the “perfect” boat. It had to have a cabin for overnighting, as big a cockpit as possible for maximum fishability, the seakeeping abilities to take on the Chesapeake Bay plus occasional jaunts through the Ocean City inlet, and stern drive power with a motor under a box, to match his mechanical knowledge. He searched high and low while overseas—hey, even in Fallujah they have internet access—and eventually decided a Pursuit Denali 2460 would be the one.
After spending many days on the bay and several offshore on the Denali, I’m bummed Pursuit stopped making this model. It fit all of JP’s parameters, and then some. The finish is great (as always seems to be the case with Pursuits) and the performance is excellent: with a 5.7 liter, 280 HP Volvo and perfect conditions it gets 3.6 miles to the gallon while cruising at 32 MPH. Fully rigged, JP’s boat gets closer to 3 MPG while cruising at 30 MPH. For a boat of this size and heft (5,170) that’s pretty darn sweet. Handling is excellent, made easy by hydraulic-assisted power steering. One finger on the wheel is all it takes. The Denali also gets high marks for comfy seating, and beefy construction. We’ve banged this boat around pretty hard in three to four footers several times, and it always comes through unscathed. The down-side is you’re likely to get wet; this hull throws a lot of water, and when it’s rough out, you’d better be wearing your Grundens.
The cabin is comfortable but cramped, but that’s to be expected in a 24’ flush-deck cuddy boat. There’s enough room for two to overnight, a head under the berth, and the prerequisite tax-deducting “galley” which consists of a sink and a single-burner stove (which you’ll probably want to leave behind in the garage. Portable alcohol stove + boat = bomb.) Batteries are housed under the helm deck which is a blessing since they’re out of the way and the weight is centered in the boat, but a curse because accessing them from the cabin is tough. The helm station is another high point, since it’s large enough to house a 10” screen and wiring in new electronics has proven easy thanks to removable inwale pockets that grant full access to the wiring runs.
So, just what can you catch on a Denali? Even though this boat sacrifices some fishability to give you a cabin and some creature comforts, it gets the job done. JP’s Pursuit has seen 120-pound bluefin tuna, countless stripers and flounder, and even some giant golden tilefish. The perfect boat? There’s no such thing—but for a guy like JP, the Denali comes damn close.
Pursuit still has the Denali up on their web site, under Archive, at www.pursuitboats.com.
LOA – 24’9”
Beam – 8’6”
Draft – 2’10”
Dry weight – 5,170
Fuel capacity – 100
Max. HP – 280
Price – They went for $80,000 new.
Observed performance notes w/2 people and half load fuel, single 280 HP Volvo stern Drive, swinging an F5 stainless-steel propset:
|
Cruise RPM
|
Speed in MPH
|
Gallons per hour
|
Miles per gallon
|
|
Slow cruise/3000
|
28.0
|
7.0
|
4.0
|
|
Fast cruise/4000
|
36.5
|
10.8
|
3.4
|
|
Wide open throttle/4750
|
48.0
|
21.0
|
2.3
|
Test Note:These numbers are from Pursuit. I trust 'em, as they've never steered me wrong through the years, but I didn't collect them personally. They do more or less jibe with what we've seen on JP's Denali.
|
 |
| The transom bench seat is comfy... especially when you're holding a fish! |
|
|
