Blackfin 332 CC Review, the 33-Foot Flagship That Relaunched Blackfin

Blackfin boats for sale: where the 332 CC fits

Most Blackfin boats for sale today are products of the brand's second life, and the 332 CC is the model that announced it to offshore anglers. Blackfin dates to 1973 and built a following for rugged sportfishermen before fading away. Around 2016 the name was revived; Salt Water Sportsman's 2019 buyers guide notes that Seabring Marine acquired the brand and gave it a complete transformation. Boating's testers called the reborn company Blackfin 2.0 and credited its early success to the 272 CC and 212 CC.

The 332 CC made its official debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October 2018 as the new flagship, at a time when Blackfin promised center and dual consoles up to 40 feet. Blackfin's current site now markets the same boat as the 33CC, with an updated engine list and a slightly lower 850 hp maximum. Listings use both names, so search for each.

The pitch is luxury cruising with serious fishing hardware: a yachtlike finish, thick custom upholstery made in-house and a lifetime structural hull warranty, on a hull built for tournament anglers out of Williston, Florida.

A Michael Peters stepped bottom with Carolina flare

The hull was drawn by Michael Peters Yacht Design, the firm behind many of the industry's stepped bottoms, and it carries 23 degrees of deadrise at the transom on a 10-foot 6-inch beam. Blackfin pairs it with a broad Carolina-style flare forward and more interior depth than most boats in the class, plus oversize scuppers hidden in the deck. Boating noted that Blackfin's own early literature quoted 22 degrees; the current spec sheet says 23.

At 10,500 pounds dry before engines, the 332 is a heavy boat for 33 feet, and testers liked that. Boating's Randy Vance described the hull as weighty enough to inspire confidence, with bows high enough to get home in the worst conditions. In 4-foot seas off Boca Raton the boat neither lunged nor hesitated head-on, and beam-to it slid up and over the waves with minimal rocking while slow-trolling. Bow rise on the hole shot lasts only a second or two, and visibility seated or standing was good.

Draft is 23 inches with the engines up and 33 inches with them down, and bridge clearance with the hardtop is 8 feet 10 inches according to Blackfin.

Tested on Yamaha XTOs and Mercury 400s

Two magazine tests from 2019 give a clear picture. Sport Fishing ran the 332 with twin Yamaha XTO 425s, 150 gallons of fuel and two crew: it reached 30 mph in 11.7 seconds and topped out at 61.3 mph at 6,100 rpm, with best economy of 1.3 mpg at 40.4 mph and 5,000 rpm. Boating's test boat wore twin Mercury Racing 400 Verados; it planed in 4.6 seconds, reached 30 mph in 11.7 seconds, hit 55.7 mph and returned 1.3 mpg at a 35 mph cruise.

Blackfin's own factory testing with twin Verado 350s produced 52.2 mph at 6,400 rpm and 0.86 mpg at the top. The current 33CC sheet lists expected top speeds of 53 to 57 mph on twin 350 V10s and 58 to 62 mph on twin 400 V10s.

Boating made the point that matters to owners: 1.3 mpg at 35 mph beats what many 33-foot outboard boats achieve at 20 to 25 mph. On 315 gallons that implies a working range of well over 300 miles with reserve, enough for canyon runs or a Bahamas crossing with margin.

• Twin Yamaha XTO 425: 61.3 mph top at 6,100 rpm, 1.3 mpg at 40.4 mph (Sport Fishing)
• Twin Mercury 400 Verado: 55.7 mph top, 1.3 mpg at 35 mph, 4.6 seconds to plane (Boating)
• Twin Mercury Verado 350: 52.2 mph at 6,400 rpm (Blackfin factory test)

Rigging station, Yeti drawers and 200 gallons of fish boxes

The fishing layout is serious. A 35-gallon insulated transom livewell with a cutting-board lid, lighting and a see-through face is backed by a 20-gallon well in the leaning post, both fed from a sea chest belowdecks to keep water solid and bubble free. Twin 100-gallon insulated in-floor fish boxes with macerated pump-outs handle the catch.

The leaning post is the center of the cockpit: a marble-look top over two stainless sinks with pull-out sprayers, drawers, slide-out tackle trays and two pull-out 45-quart Yeti coolers, one for bait and one for drinks. Rod stowage includes six holders in the hardtop, six in the gunwales and four in the transom, lockable padded storage under the coamings and vertical storage for five rods in the console. A port-side dive door opens inward for releasing fish or reboarding swimmers, and dual 30-amp outlets aft run electric reels.

Helm, lounges and a console head that works

The helm takes two 16-inch displays flush-mounted into a black dash, with a black hardtop underside to cut glare. Boating's boat ran Raymarine and Sport Fishing's ran Garmin, so electronics vary. Three independent bucket seats with armrests and flip-up bolsters line the helm, power steering is standard and a joystick is optional. The hardtop has a power-actuated windshield vent and a gas-assisted hatch in its trailing edge for reaching antennas and outriggers.

Comfort is where Blackfin differentiates. Cushions are at least 4 inches thick on firm foam. Ahead of the console a forward-facing lounge with flip-up armrests sits over a 110-gallon storage compartment, and the bow has U-shaped seating over a 98-gallon storage tub. The console head has a sink, sprayer and an electric toilet with holding tank, entered through a sliding pantographic door that does not swing into the walkway.

What a 332 costs to run and where it holds value

Budget $22,000 to $40,000 a year to keep a 332 in commission, excluding fuel and depreciation: a wet slip or high-and-dry rack for a 36-foot overall boat, insurance on a $300,000-plus hull, annual service for two large outboards, bottom paint or hull care, canvas, electronics and the general upkeep of a boat with sinks, pumps and a head. At a 35 mph cruise, expect to burn about 27 gph combined, so a 100-hour season adds roughly 2,700 gallons.

Resale has been reasonable for a brand that was still rebuilding its reputation in 2018. Values depend heavily on engines: Yamaha XTO and Mercury V10 boats command more than early twin 300 boats, and joystick-equipped boats are easier to sell. A Miami innovation award and strong press helped establish the model, and its continued presence in the lineup as the 33CC supports used prices.

Shopping a used Blackfin 332 for sale

Searches for a Blackfin 332 for sale return boats from 2019 onward, and some later boats appear as 33CC listings. Early hulls are now seven years old, so treat engine hours and service as the first filter. Twin Yamaha XTOs and Mercury V10s are complex, heavy engines; get a full outboard inspection with computer history.

Also inspect the leaning-post plumbing, the sea chest and both livewell pumps, the macerators under the fish boxes, the windlass and the pantographic console door. Compare any 332 with a Contender, Yellowfin or Regulator of similar size, which may offer harder-core fishing, and with a Boston Whaler 330 Outrage for resale strength.