After a three-year hiatus, Everglades Boats’ legendary rendezvous made a comeback to Bimini, Bahamas. It was only fitting that Everglades included its newest model, the 285cc, as part of the experience. The group launched from Port Everglades with Matt Holloway, Everglades Director of Business Development, behind the helm of the Everglades 235cc. Not far behind was David Brown, Everglades Vice President of Product Development, Engineering, & Quality, captaining Everglades’ newest model, the 285cc, launched August 2022. 

“We figured what better way to show what this boat can handle than to take it 60 miles offshore to the sport fishing capital of the world,” Amanda Aloy, Everglades Marketing Manager, said. “We wanted to let our Everglades owners lay their eyes on our newest model before the rest of the world.”

Before making its way to Bimini, the Everglades 285cc ventured from the Everglades factory in Edgewater, FL down the intercoastal to Port St. Lucie before getting to Fort Meyers, FL via the Okeechobee waterway. From there, it made its way down to Key West and then to Ocean Reef before heading back up the East Coast to Port Everglades. The journey helped put over 1,000 miles on hull number one before it ever even launched to Bimini. Prior to that, the Everglades team put over 100 hours on the 285cc during validation, which included multiple fishing trips to see if the boat could handle itself.

“This team takes quality very seriously. We want to make sure all the fishing features are easily accessible and electronics are operating properly, among other things, the only way to truly test that is to take the boat out for some real fishing,” Aloy stated. “The first fish on board was a sailfish, which I’m told is good luck.”

The Everglades 285cc hits a sweet spot for families and avid fishermen alike. Whether you’re looking for a family day at the sandbar or a boat that can travel the gulf stream for a fishing excursion, the 285cc will have you covered.

“All of our boats are designed with extreme attention to detail and safety in mind. We design our boats to have the best-in-class fishing features combined with unparalleled social amenities. Everglades 285cc hull number one went through a comprehensive review of naval architecture, structural, electrical, and system validation prior to production startup,” Brown said.

The newest model will be at the Atlantic City, Newport, and Annapolis boat shows before making its official debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.