Best one yet!
I just picked up my brand new 24 Yellowfin and I am so happy with this boat. After building several boats, I have made adjustments to the layout of this boat and I think this is the best one yet. Heath Daughtry at Yellowfin, supervised the build and made sure that this boat turned out absolutely perfect. He and the crew at Yellowfin produced a flawless boat that is simply stunning to look at and will be even better on the water.
I love the Whisper Gray color for the cap and feel that it is the best color for a saltwater boat. The gray cap does not show dirt like a white or even Pelican Gray and always looks clean even after a full day of fishing. The Whisper Gray color is very easy on the eyes in the ultra bright Florida Keys sun but does not get too hot. I have had 2 Yellowfin 24 in the Whisper Gray and 2 other skiffs made from this color. It is by far my favorite.
I knew I wanted the Whisper Gray and on my last boat I did both the cap and hull in the same color. (Congratulations to the person who just purchased this boat yesterday! You will love it. LOTS of good mojo on that one) I decided that I wanted to try a dark hull this time because the cameramen are always asking for it saying that the bright white boats are much harder to shoot.
The black/gray combo is also inspired by two events that I did in the last year. I completed SealFit Kokoro, a 50 hour crucible experience with Navy Seals and I made it to the top 10 in Goruck Selection. Both events meant a tremendous amount to me and this boat will help me remember so many of the lessons I learned in both places.
I told Heath that I was considering the black/gray boat and he got excited. He suggested a matte finish on the pipes and then took it a step further and had every piece of hardware powder coated with the same matte finish. I asked for a custom lean post box that would hold Plano 3700 boxes. I gave him no other instructions for this box and when I saw what he had made, I was thrilled. The box is sturdy and allows for lots of 3700 sized boxes while still allowing a 65 Yeti underneath. Perfect!
Heath did all the cushions in a matching gray with black piping. I have tons of rod storage with 4 on the t-top, 4 on the lean post, 4 on the fold down back rest and 8 on the console.
I had all 3 wells plumbed in the stern allowing for 150 gallons of potential livewell storage. I may not ever need or use all of these at the same time, but I have the option of keeping 3-4 different types of baits separated and can adjust the amount of water in each well from 1 inch for crabs to max flow for pilchards. Having all 3 wells plumbed gives me lots of ability to move the weight of the livewells as needed by sea conditions.
A full Lowrance electronics package rounds out the console.
This boat turned out better than I had hoped. Thank you Yellowfin, Heath and all the guys who worked on it!
The boat is equipped as follows:
24 foot Yellowfin Bay
Black Hull
Whisper Gray cap and console
Black under the Top
All hardware, including hinges, cleats, cup holders, etc... is matte black powder coat
All pipes are matte black powder coat
Cushions- Gray with black piping
Motor: 300 Verado
Twin Power Poles- 10 Ft with Seamonster remote
Jack Plate
All 3 of the rear wells plumbed for livewells- 150 gallons (3 x 50)
Fold down back rest with 4 rod holders
Custom Leaning Post box with 3 dividers. Fits Plano 3700 boxes
Yeti 65 under Lean Post
4 rod holders on Lean Post
Console:
Foot rest
2 Gen 3 Lowrance 12 inch units
Sirius Sattelite Weather Module
4G Radar
Structure Scan
Sonic Hub with 6 Lowrance Speakers
Lowrance VHF Radio
Mercury Smart Craft Gauge
Manual Switch Panel
4 USB Ports
2 Cup Holders
Power Pole controls
Jack Plate Controls
Spreader lights fore and aft
4 color map lights
Top Station:
Lowrance Gen 3 HDS 12 inch
2 USB ports
Jack Plate controls
Power Pole Controls
Hard Top with 4 rod holders
8 console rod holders
2 Group 31 house batteries
3 Group 31 Trolling motor batteries
Onboard charger
Yeti 75
MotorGuide X15 trolling motor
Loadmaster Custom Trailer with 2 spare tires, custom wheels
I look forward to filming our 11th season on this boat. Watch for it on Saltwater Experience 2016.
See you on the water!
-Tom Rowland
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