When it became clear that South Carolina builder Scout Boats was unveiling their 53-foot center console with six 400-hp Mercury outboards at the Miami International Boat Show, people started perspiring, fidgeting uncontrollably and generally losing their minds. Okay, that might’ve just been me. But with the engine sextet cantilevered on a corner dock, it was hard to miss the latest high-performance offering that has helped give rise to the concession, across the industry, that outboard engines are dominating the current zeitgeist.
Nor was it a gimmick, either. A royal family member had bought hulls number one and two, outfitting both with the same engine configuration. A reflection of the times was also a reflection of itself. In that way, it was like a mirror, allowing people to see what they wanted to see: high-performance super console or impractical gas guzzler. And yet, if you had focused solely on the engines, like many people did, in person and on social media, you would’ve missed the point entirely. Forward of the transom was a handsome, solidly constructed center console, designed for configurations of four, five or—yes—six outboards from Mercury, Yamaha or Seven Marine.
“I don’t like to get passed on the water,” quipped Scout President Steve Potts, who founded the family-run company with his wife, Dianne, over 30 years ago. What was once a company of humble origins constructing jon boats has since evolved to become a major player in the high-end center console segment. “This is what you do if you really don’t want to get passed.”
