Boat Fix announced the expansion of their partnership with Sea Pro to an industry first five-year program.
Southport, CT –Boat Fix, a recreational boating telematics company that provides a combination of remote monitoring, GPS tracking, sophisticated geofencing and 24/7 live customer support, announced today the expansion of their partnership with Sea Pro to an industry first five-year program under the Sea Pro Connect name with free towing support.
Sea Pro Connect now offers the Boat Fix remote monitoring and tracking device, together with five years of 24/7 alarm monitoring and support and an around-the-clock mechanical helpline. Previously gifted as a one year model to all Sea Pro owners with model year 2020 and beyond vessels, the app and service has been a game changer for Sea Pro customers who have support on the water when their dealerships are closed. In addition to the new five-year program, Sea Pro Connect will now include five years of towing support which complements the 24/7 mechanical help line.
“This raises the boating industry bar in customer experience to a dazzling new height,” said Alastair Crawford, Founder of Boat Fix. “A five-year 24/7 service program backed by towing is a quantum leap forward. Sea Pro did not hesitate at the opportunity, and once again has shown themselves to be the clear leaders in providing the ultimate customer experience.”
“We have always seen Boat Fix as a gamechanger and one of the most important sale differentiators in a highly competitive market,” said Jimmy Hancock, President of Sea Pro Boats. “We are excited to up the level of that game.”
Sea Pro Connect provides the new Sea Pro owner with an app that remotely tracks and monitors their boats. The app has GPS playback, anti-theft features, as well as alarms for the essential functions of the boat. Powered by the Boat Fix 24/7 Command and Control Center in Southport CT, Sea Pro owners can call in 24/7/365 for assistance, including mechanical issues, and the Boat Fix Team provides around the clock monitoring and outbound support for alarms.
I tested Sea Pro’s 259 deep-V by running 147 miles from the Chesapeake Bay into Washington, D.C. The boat’s 22.5-degree bottom smoothly cleaved the chop I encountered, allowing me to keep the throttles pinned. The twin Suzuki DF 140s never missed a beat.
Engines
Note that the 259 normally gets rigged with 150s or 200s, which have more displacement and turn larger propellers. You can read Boating’s review of the Sea Pro 259 with twin 200s, here.
The twin Suzuki DF 140s never missed a beat. Courtesy Sea Pro Boats
Credit the performance of these Suzuki 140 overachievers to not only their toughness, but also the EcoGen 90 fuel from VP Racing that they were burning.
Suzuki Marine organized this 941.5-mile run from Jacksonville, Florida, to our nation’s capital to promote sustainable marine fuel. The DF140s’ cooling systems also carried Suzuki’s standard microplastic-collecting devices. The debris they collected during the run has gone to Suzuki’s Japan headquarters for study under Suzuki’s Clean Ocean Project.
The helm is nicely appointed. Courtesy Sea Pro Boats
EcoGen 90 is a non-ethanol fuel with 10 percent ethyl tertial butyl ether (ETBE), an oxygenate blended with gas for a 90-octane rating. Unlike ethanol, ETBE has low affinity for water, does not corrode fuel-system parts, offers a higher energy content than standard gas, and reduces carbon emissions.
The Sea Pro 259 is one of those boats that serves double duty, providing an able and well-equipped platform from which to pursue gamefish while simultaneously serving as a well-appointed boat for going day cruising.
Bow seating reclines, and removable backrests are available. Courtesy Sea Pro Boats
Interior And Accessories
The 259 comes standard with excellent “infrastructure,” meaning those things needed to ensure confidence and convenience on the water. These include the DLX fiberglass hardtop, a high-powered through-hull transducer, an anchor windlass, Dometic Optimus power-assist hydraulic steering, and a portside boarding door. Bow seating reclines, and removable backrests are available. Toe rails are a nice touch, as is the dry box built into the helm to store phones, wallets, sunglasses and other captain’s essentials. It also boasts an Audison audio system, a tempered-glass windshield, and a spacious head compartment in the console. A bevy of options ensures boat buyers can buy and equip a Sea Pro 259 to suit their personal use requirements.
Multiple livewells are located throughout the 259. Courtesy Sea Pro Boats
How We Tested
Engines: Twin 140 hp Suzuki outboards
Drive/Props: Outboard/14″ x 22″ 3-blade stainless steel
Comfortable seating is found at the helm and in the cockpit. Courtesy Sea Pro Boats
High Points
Excellent mix of fishy business and comfortable amenities.
Standard T-top with a fiberglass top is a big plus.
Standard Lewmar Fish Pro windlass offers a free-fall function for more precise anchoring.
Low Point
This boat’s spacious wide beam will require an extra-wide permit to tow in many jurisdictions.
Toughest Competitor
Check out the Sea Fox 268 Commander, another beamy center-console with twin engines that comes with a standard fiberglass T-top. It retails for $128,855 with twin Yamaha 150s.
Examining the features that distinguish one modern North Carolina build from another
Sport-fishing boats are a lot like horses. That’s not just because they share a measure of power, are a good ride, or often place lofty demands on our wallets. Unless you’ve got a trained eye to identify the differences between various boats—or a herd of horses—the only thing that helps each one stand apart from the other, for the casual onlooker anyway, also often boils down to color and size.