2011 Hurricane 187 Sundeck

From our 2011 Test issue

By Mike Milne

If you are boating with a small crowd – too big for most bowriders but not party-pontoon size – a deckboat is an obvious and elegant solution. Hurricane, part of the Nautic Global Group family, makes deckboats up to about 27 feet long that include side- and centre console versions.

The new Hurricane 187 is one of three walk-through outboard-powered Sundeck models. It maximizes outdoor living space through a basic modified-V running surface that adds side sponsons forward. The result is a more spacious bow cockpit and room for a large forward swim deck. Outboard power also means more cockpit space.

The 187 packs a lot of room for family and friends into a 19-footer. The walkthrough windshield allows people to move freely, but also divides the boat into two distinct zones. The bow area is a useful space (for kids or guests) either underway or at rest. The forward swim deck is wide, with an anchor and rode locker plus a telescoping swim ladder. The bow cockpit has deep, U-shaped seating, plenty of under-seat storage and (on the test boat) an optional livewell. The floor locker is large enough for several wakeboards and/or towing tubes.

Storage in the main cockpit includes a 36-can portable cooler in one of the consoles. There’s a comfortable L-shaped bench aft and to port, a small cocktail or snack table, swivelling helm seat and easy access aft to side decks alongside the motor well. Aft, there’s another swim deck with a drained locker in the port deck and a telescoping swim ladder in the starboard side. With snap-out carpets and fibreglass decks, the 187 is built for low maintenance. The test boat’s 115-hp Evinrude E-TEC outboard completes the package. It pushes the Sundeck onto plane in less than 10 seconds, provides 20- to 30-mph cruising speeds between 3500 and 4500 rpm, and tops out at 36.7 mph at 5500 rpm. With direct fuelinjection, the two-stroke outboard sips fuel, runs clean and needs no service for the first three years. Winterization with an E-TEC is an effortless do-it-yourself project.

With space, power and a price around $25,000, the Hurricane 187 Sundeck is sure to make family boating fun and affordable.

Full performance data and specs: Available at BoatTest.ca.