Tag-Team Technology

What happens when the engineering teams at a top-ranked boatbuilder like Solace and a top-ranked engine manufacturer like Volvo Penta get together? Creations like the new 415CS, a boat that, despite its center-console design, boasts inboard diesel engines coupled with Aquamatic DPI sterndrives. It may be out of the typical budget, but the new Solace is something to behold.

Control all boat systems from the expansive helm; twin 440-hp Volvo-Penta D6 diesel engines can push the boat past 50 mph.

Florida-based Solace, headed by Stephen Dougherty, son of legendary Boston Whaler designer Bob Dougherty, is actually marketing the 415CS as “a fishable tender for megayachts,” especially since going with diesel power eliminates the need for a mothership to carry multiple fuels. The approximately $1 million price tag confirms it’s not your typical fish hunter. Solace touts the power plant coupled with the hull design allow for a range of 490 miles with a standard 444-gallon fuel tank.

Just as when the father-son Doughertys launched Everglades Boats in 2002, the attention to detail, in this case the building materials and processes, is top line. For example, rather than using foam core throughout the build, which is the industry standard, the entire structure is further reinforced by carbon fiber-epoxy composite – something with limited use in the boating industry.

Volvo Penta points out that the Aquamatic DPIs deliver awesome torque and maneuverability, and can extend range by as much as 50% compared to gasoline outboard configurations.

While the 415CS isn’t the first center-console to incorporate diesels and sterndrives, it’s certainly unusual in the current marketplace, and having been introduced at the 2021 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, it is expected to be in full production in the first quarter of 2022.