SeaVee Boats, Miami's Factory-Direct Tournament Builder

Captain Don's shop and the partners who rebuilt it

Capt. Don McGee, born and raised in Miami, started SeaVee in 1974 with the goal of a boat tough enough for hard fishing. Selling straight from the factory let him build each hull around the buyer and still price below dealer-sold rivals. One of those customers, Ariel Pared, ordered his first SeaVee in 1993. Pared later bought the company with partners Moises Rodriguez and Ralph Torres, and the new owners kept the build-to-order approach while adding luxury options and stepped hulls.

Every SeaVee is still built to order in Miami. The company calls it semi-custom: each owner specifies the layout, engines, colors and fishing gear, and SeaVee keeps that original specification on file under the hull number.

B Series, Z Series and three boats we cover

The B Series covers conventional deep-V boats, currently the 290B, 320B, 340B and 390B. The Z Series, launched in 2013 with 32, 34 and 39-foot boats, uses twin-step hulls with chine vents and speed rails, and now runs 270Z, 322Z, 350Z, 375Z, 400Z, 420Z and 450Z. Robert Kaidy, SeaVee's vice president of engineering, is credited with Z Series designs including the 270Z and 390Z.

Three SeaVees have their own pages here. The 270Z, introduced in 2015, is the smallest boat in the catalog, a 27-foot bay boat on a single outboard that Sport Fishing billed as the biggest of its kind anywhere. The 290B is the trailerable member of the B Series, rebuilt in 2018 with resin infusion while keeping a beam narrow enough to tow. The 390Z was the stepped tournament boat of its decade, running three or four outboards until the 400Z took its place in 2024. Prices, test speeds and hull data are on the three model pages.

Certified pre-owned and the private market

SeaVees hold value well, helped by tournament demand in South Florida and owners who trade up within the brand. SeaVee also operates its own Certified Pre-Owned program, and a boat sold through it comes with a factory inspection and frequently with engine warranty still running, which justifies paying more than for an uncertified boat from a private seller. Because SeaVee sells direct rather than through a national dealer network, owners outside Florida rely on outboard dealers for routine service.

• Request the factory specification sheet for the hull number from SeaVee
• Confirm a 290B is a 2018 or later infused hull, not an earlier 290
• Inspect steps, chine vents and keels on Z Series boats for impact damage
• Check livewell pumps, sea chests and epoxy-coated aluminum fuel tanks
• Review hours and repower paperwork on every outboard