Everglades 243 for Sale, the Hybrid Bay Boat That Ran 20 Years

Why an Everglades 243 for sale rarely sits long

Few small boats have a production run like this one. Everglades says the 243CC debuted in 2004, became its best-selling model and, in July 2024, reached its 1,000th hull at the Edgewater, Florida, factory, with hulls 1,001 to 1,072 already scheduled. Boating, which tested hull No. 4 in 2004, went back in 2022 and was told the company still built 70 to 80 a year because demand remained strong. Everglades' vice president of product development called it sort of a cult boat.

That following is why an Everglades 243 for sale gets attention from both inshore and offshore anglers. The 243 is often credited as the first hybrid bay boat, a hull that could run shallow flats and backcountry but still handle big water outside the inlet. Everglades' current language calls it the industry leader in the bay boat market since its debut.

One caution on the numbers: Boating's 2022 article referred to 1,400 hulls in eighteen years, while Everglades' own 2024 release celebrated the 1,000th. We use the builder's figure.

RAMCAP and the unsinkable one-piece hull

Everglades was founded in 1997 by Robert J. (Bob) Dougherty, a former Boston Whaler executive, and its RAMCAP process is the reason the boats feel so solid. RAMCAP is a patented closed-molding method in which the hull and liner are joined with high-density, closed-cell structural foam to form a one-piece, unsinkable structure. The 2023 spec sheet lists no wood in the construction, a vinylester barrier coat with knitted biaxial fiberglass, a high-density composite transom and a liner finished on the inside.

The variable-deadrise deep-V has 19 degrees at the transom, sharper forward. Everglades' engineers told Boating that the ride and that hull shape are why the 243 hull stayed in the lineup so long. At about 4,750 pounds dry with engine and 5,650 pounds with full fluids and options, it is heavy for a 24-foot bay boat, and in our view that weight is a large part of why it rides so well in a chop. The warranty in later years was a lifetime hull warranty and three years on components.

The beam is 8 feet 2 inches, which keeps the boat easy to tow without permits, and the hull draws 16 inches with the engine up (31 inches with the engine down).

Single Yamaha F300 performance numbers

Everglades published a 2020 performance report for the 243CC with a 300 hp Yamaha turning a 15 1/2 by 17 propeller. Holeshot comes on quickly: the boat reads 24.1 mph at 3,500 rpm and 33.4 mph at 4,000 rpm, where the engine burns 11.4 gph for 2.93 mpg, the most efficient planing speed. At 5,000 rpm it runs 42.5 mph on 17.1 gph, and wide open at 6,000 rpm it reaches 50.1 mph on 26.1 gph.

Range, which Everglades calculates on 90 percent of the 82-gallon tank, is 216 statute miles at the 4,000 rpm sweet spot and 142 miles wide open. That is plenty for a day on the flats or a run to nearshore wrecks, but the modest tank is the 243's main limit as an offshore boat; plan fuel carefully for long runs.

Boating noted the hull was originally designed for Yamaha's first 225 hp four-stroke. Older boats on 225s or 250s will be slower than these figures, and the F300 brought more power on less fuel.

A bay boat deck with offshore manners

The 243's deck is designed to switch roles. Aft, the stern seats fold flat to become part of a nonskid casting platform that houses a 36-gallon lighted, circulating livewell with a clear lid. Forward is a 67-gallon fish box, bow seating with storage and a removable bow filler cushion. A 65-quart Yeti cooler, under-gunwale rod racks, lockable rod storage, tackle lockers and power ports round out the fishing kit on later boats.

Everglades' patented hydraulic sliding windshield, with tempered glass and an intelligent wiper and washer, gives the console a more protected feel than most bay boats, and the console houses a head compartment with a portable toilet. Later boats came standard with a fiberglass hardtop on a powder-coated aluminum frame with LED and spreader lights, rod holders and a ski pylon; Boating noted that the original canvas T-top had evolved into that composite hardtop.

Options turn it into a skinny-water hunter or a nearshore troller. The fishing package adds a T-H Marine Atlas jack plate, an 8-foot Power-Pole and a Minn Kota iPilot trolling motor. A sport station adds a three-position sliding sunroof and helm seat, and a full second station gives a tern's-eye view for sight fishing. Gemlux outriggers with 18-foot poles are available for trolling.

• Livewell 36 gal, forward fish box 67 gal, Yeti 65 qt cooler
• Fuel 82 gal, water 9 gal
• Bridge clearance 7 ft 5 in to the hardtop, 8 ft 8 in to a second station
• Max power 300 hp, single outboard

How the 243 changed over two decades

The basic hull stayed the same, but Everglades kept adding features as they became available. Bolt-on, foam-filled twin lifting platforms add buoyancy and lift and provide a base for the Power-Pole. Trim tabs fit into molded pockets under the hull. Switch panels, lighted stereo speakers, SeaDek pads, a slide-mounted Yeti under the helm seat, Garmin electronics packages and Helm Master EX with electric steering, autopilot and joystick all arrived over time.

That evolution matters when you shop. A 2005 boat and a 2023 boat share a bottom and a reputation, but not a helm, an electrical system or an engine. Price them accordingly, and do not pay late-model money for an early boat with a fresh engine and old everything else.

Costs, values and the 253CC successor

Single-engine running costs keep the 243 affordable to own. Plan on roughly $5,000 to $11,000 a year for insurance, storage, annual outboard service, trailer upkeep and a season's fuel at about 11 gph cruise. In 2026 used prices range from about $40,000 for early boats to roughly $175,000 for the newest, best-equipped examples.

By 2026 the 243CC no longer appeared in Everglades' hybrid lineup, which lists the 253CC and 273CC. The 253CC is the direct successor: 24 feet 9 inches without engine, an 8-foot-6-inch beam, 100 gallons of fuel and a 425 hp rating. Buyers who want more range and power should look there; buyers who want the original formula at a lower price will find plenty of 243s on the brokerage market.