It's 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday. You're backing the S 288 down the ramp while your crew loads the cooler. By 7:15, you're 12 miles offshore, lines in the water, twin Yamaha F300s idling in flat calm. At 10:00, the bite slows. You pull the rods, fire up the engines, and run 20 miles south to a sandbar your buddy mentioned. You anchor stern-to in three feet of water. The kids jump off the transom. Your wife unfolds the Mediterranean shade. By 2:00 p.m., you're back at the dock. The boat is hosed down and covered by 3:00. That's the S 288 in a single morning. It doesn't ask you to choose between fishing and family time. It delivers both without compromise.
Who It's For
The S 288 is built for the owner who runs a 30-footer like most people run a 24. You want the fishability of a center console and the comfort of a dual console. You need a boat that can handle inlet chop on the way out and still feel composed when the afternoon wind kicks up. You're not interested in a floating lounge. You want a tool that works.
This is not a boat for someone who needs a cabin with a V-berth and a galley. It's not for the owner who wants to spend weekends on the hook. The S 288 is a day boat. It's designed to leave early, run hard, and come home clean. If that's your profile, keep reading.
Design & Layout: Every Inch Has a Job
Pursuit didn't waste space on the S 288. The console is large enough to house a full head compartment with an electric flush marine head, a Corian countertop, and a 9-gallon holding tank. The door is a two-piece fiberglass unit with a gasket and locking latch. It's not an afterthought. It's a real head.
The helm seating is split-bolster with teak accents and fore-aft adjustment. The companion seat folds down to face aft when you're working the cockpit. The forward bow seating has insulated storage below and folding backrests. The transom seat adjusts to face forward or aft. Every seat has a purpose beyond sitting.
The cockpit is self-draining with a molded non-skid pattern. There are two 30-gallon insulated fish boxes with diaphragm pumps — 60 gallons between them. A 24-gallon recirculating livewell with an acrylic lid. Four gunwale rod holders and four vertical transom holders. Under-gunwale rod storage with embroidered reel protector pads. This is a fishing boat that happens to be comfortable, not the other way around.
The hardtop is full-beam fiberglass with an acrylic access hatch, integrated stereo speakers, and fore-aft spreader lights. The windshield is tempered glass with a single wiper. There's a molded hull-side boarding door on the starboard side. The transom has a walk-through with a hinged door and magnetic catch. You can board from the dock or the water without climbing over anything.
Performance: Speed Is Freedom
The S 288 is offered with twin Yamaha F300 V6 Offshores or twin Mercury 300 V8 Verados. Either way that is 600 horsepower against a 10,049-pound dry weight, on a hull rated to a 600-horsepower ceiling.
One thing to be straight about: Pursuit publishes a performance test sheet for almost every boat it builds, and for this model year it publishes none for the S 288. So there is no manufacturer top speed, no cruise figure and no range table to quote, and you will not find one here. Ask your dealer to run the boat with the props you intend to order.
The hull carries 24 degrees of deadrise at the transom. It's hand-laminated with vinyl ester resin and engineered fabrics. The transom is a five-ply resin-infused composite system with a patented reinforcement grid. The structural grid is foam-filled and infused with an integrated bilge water management system. This is not a boat that flexes or creaks.
The fuel capacity is 217 gallons, and Pursuit is careful to note that EPA-required fuel system components, temperature and loading will cost you roughly 10 percent of that in usable terms. It is still a lot of fuel for a 30-footer, and it is what lets you run well offshore, fish a full day, and come home without doing arithmetic on the way in.
The Lenco electric trim tabs have auto-retract. The Teleflex hydraulic power steering is responsive without being twitchy. The Yamaha Command Link Plus display gives you real-time fuel flow, engine diagnostics, and trip data. The Garmin dual 8612 displays with custom Pursuit UI are mounted at eye level. The electronics package includes a B175M 1kW CHIRP transducer and VHF radio. You're not guessing. You're informed.
Ownership Conversation: What It Costs to Run
The S 288 starts around $334,000 with standard equipment. Add options like joystick control, bow thruster, outriggers, and a radar dome, and you're closer to $380,000. That's not entry-level money. But it's also not flagship pricing. You're paying for a boat that holds its value because it's built to last.
Maintenance is straightforward. Twin outboards mean no inboard service. No raw water cooling systems. No shaft seals. You're looking at annual oil changes, lower unit service, and fuel system maintenance. Budget $2,500 to $3,500 per year for routine service. Add another $1,500 for bottom paint and detailing if you keep it in the water year-round.
Insurance will run $3,000 to $5,000 annually depending on your location and coverage limits. Fuel is the variable. If you run 100 hours per season at an average of 20 gallons per hour, that's 2,000 gallons. At $4.50 per gallon, you're spending $9,000 on fuel. If you run 200 hours, double it.
Dockage depends on your market. In South Florida, expect $20 to $30 per foot per month for a wet slip. That's $600 to $900 monthly. Dry storage is cheaper but less convenient. Trailer storage is the most economical if you have the space and the tow vehicle.
The S 288 is owner-operated. You don't need crew. You don't need a captain. You drive it, you clean it, you maintain it. That's part of the appeal. It's a boat you can run yourself without feeling like you're managing a small yacht.
Where to Start
The S 288 is a serious boat for serious owners. It's not trying to be everything to everyone. It's a 30-foot center console that fishes hard, runs fast, and brings the family along without apology. If that's what you're looking for, this is where the search ends.
Explore full specifications at YachtSpecsDirect.com
Browse available Pursuit inventory at mintedyachts.com/pursuit