For many families that enjoy fishing the dual console design is ideal. Yes, you lose a tad bit of fishability as compared to a center console, but there’s a huge gain in weather protection for the kids, entertaining features, and comfort levels. The latest model to join Scout’s fleet of dual consoles, dubbed the Dorado, is the 288. And not only is this the biggest Dorado in the lineup, many fishing families would also call it the best.
Scout 288 Dorado Design and Construction
The layout of the Scout 288 Dorado is similar to others in this model line and dual consoles in general, with a bow cockpit ringed with seating, a helm deck with helm and passenger’s seating amidships, and an open aft cockpit for casting the fishing lines. The hard top is a bit unusual, molded with fiberglass supports on either side rather than being tacked on with pipework. This allowed Scout’s designers to give it sweeping curves and integration with the back of the windshield frame. The look and the lines match the rest of the boat, rather than the more common add-on appearance of a pipework-supported hardtop. Note that the top itself also integrates rather than adding on, with fore and aft LED spreader lights, stereo speakers, and overhead grab rails all built in.
Scout has been around for decades and they’re known for building quality boats with an excellent fit and finish, and the 288 Dorado is certainly no exception. That said, when putting this model together they leaned more towards their line of larger luxury boats than towards their line of smaller, simpler options. They include items like the bow anchor camera and a polished stainless-steel anchor along with the windlass, an electrically actuated port lounger/helm seat, EVA foam padding on the swim platform, and even Zipwakes interceptor dynamic trim control. A Garmin 943xs also comes stock, and since this is a digital switching boat, it serves not only as the MFD but also the touchscreen control hub for the boat’s systems.
Scout 288 Dorado Family Features
If you plan on doing a lot of entertaining or like taking out a second family along with your own, seating will be a huge highlight on the 288 Dorado. The bow seats two comfortably facing forward and there’s room for a third to face aft. The passenger’s seat on the helm deck is double-wide and behind it there’s a swing-back seat that can face either forward or aft; between them there’s a cocktail table. Fold the table down against the inwale, press a button to slide the passenger’s seat forward, and the entire area transforms into a huge lounger.
There’s also an aft-facing seat behind the wet bar (which can house an optional grill and refrigerator). Then in the cockpit, the transom bench seat is complimented by fold-out seating on both sides. All in all there’s room for well over a dozen people to sit down in comfort.
More perks the family will love include the head compartment in the port side console with vanity and sink, the 23-gallon freshwater system, the six-speaker Fusion Bluetooth stereo system, the pair of wireless charging cell phone docks, and the three USB charging ports. An extending cockpit sun shade, teak cocktail table, and night-vision cameras are a few of the options you can add on. The biggest family perk of all, however, is that you can swing the center windshield and wind dam closed, and cruise along with your crew sheltered from the wind and rain.
Scout 288 Dorado Fishing Features
As we mentioned earlier, it’s true you have to sacrifice a bit of fishability when choosing a dual console over a center console. That said, in this case you won’t have to sacrifice much. The 288 Dorado has a cockpit laid out for angling and it’s fully equipped to do so. There’s a 13.5-gallon livewell under the transom seat, a raw water washdown, four flush-mount rodholders along the transom plus two in the bow, and a pair of 24-gallon fishboxes in the deck which are evacuated by diaphragm pumps rather than the more common but failure-prone macerators. Coolers live underneath both aft-facing seats.
Rocket launchers can be added to the hard top as an option, but only if you don’t opt for the sun shade. Serious anglers will want to consider upgrading the Garmin to a 1243xsv or perhaps a pair of 8610s, as well. You can also have some of the cupholders swapped out for combo cup/rod holders.
Scout 288 Dorado Performance
The Scout 288 Dorado is available with twin outboards up to 600 hp total, in the form of either a pair of 300 hp Mercury Marine Verado V8 or Yamaha F300 engines. Adding joystick control is an option and if you go for the Mercury engines electric steering is included stock, or with Yamaha outboards you get Siren Marine remote monitoring.
With a pair of Mercury 300s on the transom performance is sporty to say the least; cruising speed at 4500 rpm pushes close to 40 mph, and top-end is in the upper 50s. Most efficient cruise comes at 3500 rpm and 30 mph even, where the boat gets 1.8 mpg. The boat also posts a fast climb out of the hole, with a zero-to-30 time of right around seven seconds.
Scout 288 Dorado Specifications
- Length (LOA): 28’9”
- Beam: 9’9”
- Weight: 7,159 lbs.
- Draft : 2’0”
- Max HP: 600
- Transom Deadrise: 21 degrees
- Fuel Capacity: 188 gallons
The Scout 288 Dorado may not be the first choice of a hard-core angler, but it will indeed be a top choice for any dedicated angler who’s also dedicated to the family. If you enjoy casting and catching with the whole clan aboard, check this one out.
See Scout 288 Dorado boats for sale on Nigger Trader.
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