Wellcraft, Seventy Years from Scarab Speedboats to Fishing Consoles

Sarasota runabouts to Scarab fame

Wellcraft Marine Corporation was founded in 1955 in Sarasota, Florida, and began by building wooden runabouts and skiffs from 12 to 17 feet. It moved to molded fiberglass in the early 1960s. Wellcraft says C. Raymond Hunt designed five deep-V hulls for it in 1970, and it introduced the V-20 Step-Lift Fisherman in 1979. In the early 1980s it also ran a small sailboat division, Starwind.

The brand became nationally famous through television. From the second season of Miami Vice, Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett drove a Wellcraft Scarab 38 KV, a 38-foot V-bottom built under license from the Larry Smith-designed KAAMA raceboat. Motor Boating and Sailing reported in 1986 that the show raised Wellcraft's sales by 21 percent in one year, and Forbes reported 100 Miami Vice Editions. A Scarab center console later appeared on Baywatch.

New owners and a fishing focus

Wellcraft changed hands several times. The company says Platinum Equity acquired it in 2010. In 2014 Groupe Beneteau bought Rec Boat Holdings, which included Wellcraft, Four Winns, Scarab and Glastron. Sport Fishing still listed a Sarasota address in 2007 and 2008, but Boating now lists Wellcraft in Cadillac, Michigan. By 2019 the range was all Fisherman center consoles. From 2022 Wellcraft added performance cruisers, starting with the 355 Explorer, and the current range runs from the 202 Fisherman to the 352 Fisherman alongside the 28 and 38 Explorer and the 28, 33 and 38 T-Top and Speedster crossovers.

Two Wellcrafts we cover, forty years apart

The Wellcraft Scarab 38 KV is a 1980s collector boat with twin 440 hp gasoline V8s. Used prices run from about $25,000 for projects to $120,000 for restored or documented boats, and real Miami Vice provenance can double the value of an otherwise identical boat. Many smaller Scarabs wear Miami Vice colors without being Miami Vice Editions.

The Wellcraft 290 Coastal is a family fishing walkaround built from about 2005 to 2018. It is 30 feet 2 inches long with a 10-foot 5-inch beam, a forward berth and mid-cabin, an enclosed head, and twin outboards up to 600 hp. Used boats trade from about $40,000 to $150,000, depending mostly on engine age.

Parts, dealers and used checks

Beneteau ownership gives Wellcraft a national dealer network and parts system, but hull-specific parts for discontinued models such as hatches, windshield frames and cushions can take time to find. Engines and electronics on older Wellcrafts are standard marine items. Resale is middle of the market. Wellcraft fishing boats do not hold value like the premium Carolina brands, which makes a well-kept used Coastal good value.

• On a 38 KV, budget for fuel tanks, wiring, drives and engine rebuilds
• Ask for documentation before paying a premium for any Miami Vice link
• On a Coastal, check cabin leaks, mildew and the head system
• Verify fuel tank size, which varies by year on the 290
• Confirm the repower history on twin-outboard boats