2017 Scout 350 Lxf

2017 Scout 350 lxf powered by triple Yamaha 300s 1550 hrs

BOTTOM PAINT THIS YEAR

CRUISE SPEED 42MPH

TOP SPEED 63 MPH

A/C, WINDLASS ANCHOR, REFRIGERTOR, MICROWAVE, STEREO, VHF, GPS, FISHFINDER, DEPTH FINDER,RADAR,TRIM TABS,

Aside from the enhanced stability, there’s a lot about the 355 LXF to like. The twin-stepped hull, for example, is both fast and efficient. This boat can carry up to 1,050 horses on the transom (in the form of three Yamaha 5.3 liter, 763-pound F350C outboards) but matches up well with triple Yamaha 4.2 liter, 562-pound F300 outboards.

Obviously going with the 300’s saves a lot of weight, but it also provides more than enough power. Cruising speed at 4500 RPM is 47.9 MPH, and top-end hits 62.6 MPH. As for that efficiency we mentioned earlier, despite whipping 900 horses into a 4500 RPM frenzy, at cruising speeds this boat still tops a mile to the gallon. Pull the throttles back a bit more and set RPM at 3500, and you’ll do 36 MPH while getting just over 1.3 miles to the gallon. While that may not exactly sound thrifty, it is significantly better than much of the competition in this size range.......................................................... Another thing we think you’ll like is the boat’s uber-comprehensive standard equipment list. Scout tends to load their boats for both comfort and fishability, and in this regard, the 355 LXF is a shining example of how to outfit a boat right from the start. We’re talking about big-ticket items, here: Optimus electro-hydraulic steering, the digital switching systems, a Fusion Bluetooth stereo system with eight speakers, a Garmin 7612 at the helm, heated helm seats, and a Lewmar anchor windlass with both helm and bow foot controls. There’s even a standard fish-eye camera mounted in the bow which projects its image to the MFD at the helm. In fact, there aren’t many options you’ll need to consider beyond that Seakeeper—the one optional item we’re going to say is a must-have, even if it does add $54,000 to the boat’s $357,540 (at the time of this writing) sticker price.

Construction-wise, the 355 LXF doesn’t stray from the Scout playbook. Fit and finish is excellent, whether you’re looking at the underside of a hatch or the inside of a stowage compartment. Even the bilge is finished, since Scout molds a fully-gelcoated stringer system that gets pumped full of foam, bonded to the vacuum-infused hull with methyl-methacrylate, and acts as an under-liner of sorts. All of the larger hatches are supported by gas-assist struts, the hard top and its supports are integrated with the windshield, and marine vinyls are buttery-soft and anti-microbial treated to minimize the possibility of mold and mildew growth. A glimpse at the monstrous hinges on the dive-door in the port-side gunwale will give you an idea of just how over-built many of the boat’s pieces-parts are.

What about fishability? Like most center consoles of this size, the boat is replete with seating and sunpads, potentially to the point of being detrimental to angling. The cockpit is kept open, thanks to a fold-away transom bench seat. It’s also ringed by coaming bolsters, as is the entire boat. Forward of the console there’s a giant sunpad, with bulk stowage underneath. And in the bow, flanking and forward seating surrounds a dinette table that lowers to be one step up from the deck. Overall this means there’s room for a dozen or so people to lounge about on this boat, but when it’s time to fish you’ll probably want to pull a lot of those cushions and get that dinette out of the way.

Back in the cockpit, check out the transom livewell and 60-gallon fishbox, fresh and raw water washdowns, 10 flush-mount gunwale rodholders, and molded-in spreader lights. You’ll need to add a set of outriggers ($5,571 for the nicest ones, a pair of 20-foot carbon fiber Taco 380XLs), and if you plan on doing any overnighters at the canyon, we’d also suggest opting for the Lumishore underwater LEDs ($2,571). Be sure to specify green, because many builders put in blue lights by default, even though green draws in more marine life at night.

Speaking of overnighting: like many mega center consoles we see these days, the 355 LXF has a rather significant cabin located in the console. It’s on par with a small cruiser, with a forward dinette that converts into a double berth, stowage cabinets, a refrigerator, and a head. We wish the refrigerator wasn’t located right next to the commode, but in the same breath, point out that this is a center console fishing boat and the existence of a cabin is a pretty big perk, in the first place. When the fishing is slow at 3:00 a.m. and you and the crew decide to take turns napping between bites, the ability to go belowdecks and stretch out will be very much appreciated................................................Considering all of these advancements, is the 355 LXF as groundbreaking as the 350 LXF was upon its introduction? Groundbreaking may not be the most accurate term in this case—the leap to digital switching is pretty tough to top. The 355 LXF does, however, represent a big step forward. It shows some significant evolution and improvement over older models. And in many ways, it’s one of the most advanced Scouts to hit the water to date....................................... 

Specifications Length 34'11" Beam 10'9" Draft 2'0" Deadrise 22 degrees Displacement 9,800 lbs Fuel capacity 310 gal. Water capacity 23 gal.