4 Most-Common Problems With Everglades Boats

Everglades Boats have been considered an upper-tier recreation and off-shore fishing boat for quite some time.

They have a reputation for innovative and quality construction that focuses on comfort and stability. In addition, they pride themselves on providing a smooth and safe ride.

Everglades is well-known for having one of the best warranties in the boating industry.

If you are interested in Everglades Boats, you are in the right place. However, there are some common concerns with these boats that owners have stated over the years.

We have gone through all of the information available about Everglades Boats and the issues you may find.

1) Powder Coating

It is essential to note that Everglades Boats are boutique boats which means a large amount of oversight and labor goes into each one.

There has been a limited number of common problems with this brand of a boat in the past 20 plus years.

One of those concerns popped up in the 2005 and 2006 models. The powder coating on the surface of the boats flaked off.

Everglades recognized the problem and corrected the problem. In addition, they fixed it for boat owners under warranty.

If you purchase one of those models today and the powder coating was not corrected, you may have instances of it flaking off.

2) Wiring Issues

There were reports in the 2009 and 2010 models involving wiring issues on some, but not all, of Everglade’s boats.

There were pictures posted in forums of a switch panel to highlight the poor wiring. In addition, the leads were not crimped properly.

Whoever did the work did not finish the work by pulling on the connection to ensure the crimp was appropriately done.

The heat shrink connectors were not shrunk properly. It was an oversight by some workers.

The issue was corrected.

RELATED: How Reliable Are Everglades Boats?

3) Cost Prohibitive

Everglades Boats are considered boutique boats, which makes them more expensive than the average boat.

You can customize these boats with just about anything you want.

The starting price of an Everglades 235cc is around $166,000. The average cost is around $168,156, but it can go as high as $169,982.

If you are looking for the ultimate in luxury, the Everglades 455cc may be the most for you. This multi-dimensional boat is going to cost about $1.7 million.

It is considered to be a luxury fishing boat.

This 47-foot-2-inch boat comes with standard features such as an air-conditioned galley, a high-low teak table that can convert, a stand-up toilet with shower stall and skylight, a 32-inch flat-screen TV, just to name a few.

4) Self Draining Concerns:

There have been some other reports by boat owners that seem few and far between. These problems are not well documented, making it seem like it may not be a problem with the boat.

However, because there have been multiple complaints about these issues, we are mentioning them here.

In the forums, there has been mention of drainage issues. The drainage concern was mostly around the boat being docked during heavy rain.

This led to a deep dive into self-drainage, which Everglades have, and bilge pumps.

Everglades was made aware of at least one of these problems and did everything they could to help resolve these issues.

The owner made some modifications to the boat on their own, which made it susceptible to drainage issues. However, the owner did not want to change the modifications.

It is important that any modifications you make are recommended by Everglades.

5) Issues With Older Everglades Boats

There have been some posted concerns about items like water ingress, rudder weld failure, and tabbing failure.

These concerns should not be prevalent problems with newer models of Everglades Boats. However, if you have an older model, you should be aware these might become more significant problems.

Everglades Boats are heavy, and that makes it seem as though they are not as fast as their competitors. They do not have the same top speed or acceleration.

They are not considered to be efficient when looking at their miles-per-gallon rating.

As a result, many owners do not see these as listing factors because their benefits far outweigh these limitations.

Parts For Older Models:

There are a number of parts you may no longer be able to find for older model Everglades boats. However, Everglades has made what they have available to their customers.

Over the years, they have collected numerous parts that are no longer available or produced. These parts may fit Everglades Boats, but they could also potentially fit other boats.

They are selling the inventory at a heavily discounted price, allowing their customers to have first access to the parts. Everglades can be contacted directly about these parts.

These parts may include blocks, mountings, circuits, breakers, surface mount, battery box jump seat, and many more parts.

General Pros and Cons for the Everglades Boat

Pros

• Everglades is focused on the safety and comfort of their boats, bringing customers back to their brand.
• Everglades Boats have a thicker construction than most of their competitors, which also makes these boats heavier. However, they are considered the most solidly built boats.

This is part of Everglades safety features.

• Everglades Boats are constructed with reliable material and well-designed instruments. This is expected from anyone that purchases an Everglades.
• They are ergonomically designed with the comfort of the boater in mind. This setup is particularly convenient for families.
• Everglades is innovative in its construction. Since 1999, they have been built by creating a foam core separate from the boat’s hull. Now the foam is built into the hull instead of foam injected into the hull cavities.

This process, called the Rapid Molded Core Assembly Process (RAMCAP), guarantees there are no gaps in the foam core.

These boats have a construction of heavy fiberglass, which is explicitly designed to withstand the pounding of the off-shore waves.

Cons

• Older models may have powder coating that chips off.
• They may lack fuel efficiency.
• Some older models may have wiring problems.
• The high cost may prohibit some from purchasing.

What Do the Reviews Say?

Everglades Boats are highly designed and provide details that focus on comfort.

“The helm is ready for the grunt work of fishing, too, with an integral hardtop, glass side windows, and Everglades’ patented glass windshield that slides downward at the push of a button to usher in a cooling breeze. That’s pretty advanced for an entry-level model.” 
[Source: sportfishingmag.com]

Everglades boats may be expensive, but you get a large number of features standard.

So you are getting a high-quality boat with nice features for extra comfort.

“High quality, but you pay a premium for a blend of name, quality, and over-engineering. I like my 243, but I would not pay retail for it. (I’m a used boat guy and got a solid deal.) it’s got some design flaws or design decisions I don’t understand, but it’s generally a remarkably capable boat.” 
[Source: thehulltruth.com]

What is the Resale Value on the Everglades Boats?

A common theme is the high cost of Everglades Boats.

While they may be on the higher end of cost, they are well worth the price and hold their value.

Year	Price
2015 243cc	$67,963 (new)
2015 243cc	$59,250 (used)
2015 435cc	$712,307 (new)
2015 435cc	$625,450 (used)

 

A 243cc that was brand new in 2015 cost $67,963. This is for a 24-foot center console boat. This price does not include the cost of an outboard motor.

That same boat has an average resale value today of $59,250.

This is a depreciation of about 13%, which is excellent for a boat over this period of time.

A 435cc brand new center console boat cost $712,307 in 2015. This is a 43-foot boat.

That same boat has an average retail price of about $625,450. This is a depreciation of 13%, which is impressive for this size boat.

Sources

thehulltruth.com, boatingsports.org