The tugboat trailed a solid set of wakes that stretched behind it by more than 6′ and there wasn’t much room for us to pass between it and the jetty. I started to pull the throttles back when the Twin Vee guy said I should firewall them.
How could I resist? We picked up speed and hit the first wave like it was a ramp (I may have even screamed), but to my surprise I didn’t lose any teeth when coming down because there was no hard impact to speak of. The deep, sharp hulls split the waves and reentered softly. In fact, once outside the inlet, I tried everything to make the boat pound or ride squirrelly, but to no avail.
How does the 29 CC fish once you’re at the deep? I glanced back into the spread and saw a clean and organized wake – no messy froth as you’d see on some cats. With a 9’10” beam and more than 120 square feet of cockpit space, your day should stay enjoyable even with a nagging brother-in-law at your heels. I was impressed with the twin forward rod stowage hatches that together can rack 12 assembled trolling rods with the tips running down 71/2′ tubes.
The deck is fully covered with grippy Rhino Liner, so if said brother-in-law leans a metal rod butt into the deck, there won’t be any scarring. You’ll want to keep this boat scar-free, because despite being a big cat, the 29 CC is attractive.
What’s more, it’s ready to fish right out of the box, with a standard T-top and 15′ outriggers. Other fishy touches include a 94-quart cooler in front of the console, a 50-gallon rounded livewell in the leaning post, and a grated wet-stowage compartment that’s perfect for your scale-dripping cast net. Not every detail is meant for anglers, however. Family-friendly features include cushioned seating around the bow, a slide-in stainless-steel swim ladder on the transom platform, and plenty of room in the console for a head.
Top end was 46.3 mph, but Twin Vee claims the 29 CC will break 50 mph with different props. Maybe so, but the most important thing about this boat isn’t high speed. It’s about exceeding expectations when you charge through big seas – including 6′ tugboat wakes.
High Points: T-top is standard and includes a PFD pouch. The boat planes at 36 mph on one engine. Plenty of room to mount electronics at the dash, and “huge” is an understatement for the anchor locker.
Low Points: Integrated fish stowage is replaced by a standard cushioned cooler in the cockpit. Three of the bow cushions were permanently fixed in place, which makes cleaning and replacement tough. Longer outrigger option should be added.
Toughest Competitor: World Cat’s 28′-by-8’6″ 270 TE goes for $118,000 with 50 more horses on the transom. The boat is smaller overall but has a higher level of fit and finish.
speed | efficiency | operation | |||||||
rpm | knots | mph | gph | naut. mpg | stat. mpg | n. mi. range | s. mi. range | run angle | sound level |
1000 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 497 | 572 | 0 | 68 |
1500 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 378 | 435 | 1 | 75 |
2000 | 8.5 | 9.8 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 291 | 335 | 3 | 81 |
2500 | 14.6 | 16.8 | 7.4 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 391 | 450 | 4 | 85 |
3000 | 19.0 | 21.9 | 11.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 325 | 374 | 3 | 89 |
3500 | 22.4 | 25.8 | 13.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 331 | 381 | 2 | 92 |
4000 | 27.9 | 32.1 | 18.8 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 294 | 338 | 1 | 94 |
4500 | 32.2 | 37.0 | 24.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 261 | 300 | 1 | 98 |
5000 | 38.1 | 43.9 | 29.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 260 | 300 | 1 | 100 |
5500 | 40.2 | 46.3 | 31.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 257 | 296 | 1 | 101 |
LOA: 29’0″
Beam: 9’10”
Draft (max.): 2’1″
Displacement (lbs., approx., w/o power): 4,950
Bridge clearance: 8’9″
Max. headroom: 5’0″
Fuel capacity (gal.): 220
Water capacity (gal.): 24
Price (w/standard power): $105,000
Price (w/test boat power): $105,000
STANDARD POWER Twin 200-hp Suzuki four-stroke outboards. OPTIONAL POWER Twin outboards to 500 hp total. ** **
TEST BOAT POWER Twin Suzuki 200-hp DF200 four-stroke outboards with 220.5 cid, swinging 143?4″ x 24″ three-bladed ss props through 2.29:1 reductions. ** **
STANDARD EQUIPMENT (major items) Leaning post w/50-gal. livewell; forward rod rockers; 360-degree coaming bolsters; 200-qt. fishbox w/cushion; head compartment; T-top w/PFD stowage and spreader lights; 15′ outriggers; ss steering wheel; ss swim ladder.** **