Pursuit Boats, the Fort Pierce Builder of Refined Outboard Fishing Boats

A Michigan boatbuilding family in Florida

Pursuit's story starts with Leon Slikkers, who founded Slickcraft, sold it to AMF in 1969, and then launched S2 Yachts in Holland, Michigan, in 1974. Barred by a non-compete clause from building powerboats, S2 began with sailboats before introducing Tiara powerboats in the late 1970s. Pursuit followed in 1977 as the family's fishing and saltwater line, and production eventually concentrated in Fort Pierce, Florida, close to the customers and the conditions the boats are built for.

In 2018 Malibu Boats acquired Pursuit, ending four decades under the Slikkers family umbrella, while production stayed in Fort Pierce. That continuity matters to buyers. Pursuit does not chase every trend, and models tend to stay in the lineup long enough for owners to know exactly what they are buying.

Denali, Offshore and Sport, three ways to build a console

The current Pursuit range splits into three families. The Sport line covers center consoles from about 24 to 43 feet. The Denali line is the company's dual console family, built for families who want a walk-through windshield and a head. The Offshore line, the OS models, sits between the two, with an express-style helm deck under a hardtop, a real cabin below and an open fishing cockpit aft, which turns a fishing boat into an overnight cruiser.

The Offshore family is where we focus, and the two boats we cover show how it developed. The Pursuit OS 385 Offshore came first, arriving for the 2012 model year as a 39-foot express sportfisher with triple Yamaha outboards, a generator and a cabin that sleeps four. Pursuit built it through the 2023 model year and then replaced it with the OS 405 Offshore, so every OS 385 is now a used purchase, often a well-optioned one.

The Pursuit OS 325 Offshore followed in 2015 and is the classic example of the formula at a more manageable size. It fishes like a center console, carries twin Yamaha outboards and still sleeps four in a cabin that rivals some express cruisers. It was redesigned from the hull up for 2024 and remains in production. Today the line runs from the OS 325 through the OS 355 and OS 405 to the OS 445, so owners can step up without leaving the family.

For buyers torn between the two, the OS 325 is easier to run and cheaper to power with two engines, while the OS 385 brings a third outboard, a 13-foot beam, more fuel and a steadier platform for canyon runs. A late OS 385 and a new-generation OS 325 can cost similar money on the used market.

Fit and finish are a step above many production center console builders, with heavy gelcoat, well-fitted hatches and tidy rigging that reflects the brand's shared roots with Tiara.

Used Pursuit buying notes

Pursuits hold value well, particularly in Florida, the Carolinas and the Northeast, where dealer coverage is deepest. Older inboard and sterndrive Pursuits from the 1990s and early 2000s are much cheaper but come with gasoline engine and fuel tank questions that the outboard generations do not. On triple-engine boats like the OS 385, budget for three sets of outboard service and check generator hours.

Service is handled by Pursuit dealers, and the outboards are supported by Yamaha or Mercury networks nationwide.

• On older models, check aluminum fuel tanks for corrosion where they sit on foam.
• Inspect transom and bracket areas for stress cracks on repowered boats.
• Look at hardtop and T-top mounts for loosening after heavy offshore use.
• Confirm outboard hours, service records and lower unit condition.