Onslow Bay 27 Offshore Edition, the 23-Foot Waterline Kingfish Boat

Onslow Bay boats for sale start with a loophole in the kingfish rules

Most Onslow Bay boats for sale trace back to one clever idea. Founder Brad Knight, a second-generation North Carolina boatbuilder who spent his weekends fishing the Southern Kingfish Association tournament trail, noticed that the SKA's small-boat class was measured by waterline, not overall length. So in 2005 he started Onslow Bay Boatworks to build a 27-foot boat that could fish, and win, in the 23-foot class.

The first 23 Tournament Edition splashed in August 2007. It measured 26 feet 11 inches on the centerline with a 23-foot waterline and a big 9-foot 5-inch beam. By early 2012 the builder had renamed it the 27 Offshore Edition, stating plainly that it was formerly called the 23 TE. A family-oriented 27 XS variant with molded bow seating ran alongside it on the same hull.

Onslow Bay remains family owned and builds around 30 boats a year, now in Holly Ridge, North Carolina, after earlier years in Hampstead. It sells direct, with no dealers, which is why the boats are relatively rare outside the Carolinas.

A 49.5-degree entry and a Carolina flare

The hull has barely changed since 2007, which says something. It is a deep-V with a fine 49.5-degree entry, 24 degrees of deadrise at the transom, a 5-degree reverse chine and a heavily flared Carolina bow. An integrated engine bracket keeps a full-length running surface rather than hanging the engines on a separate bracket, and the minimum cockpit depth is 24 inches.

Construction is all foam core with no wood. Structural bonding uses Plexus adhesives rather than polyester putty, and every void outside the bilge and fish boxes is foam filled. Current boats are built with a 100 percent vinylester resin-infused laminate. The fuel tank is foamed and glassed in place, and the hull, cap and liner form a three-piece structure the builder calls fisherman friendly.

Dry weight has dropped as the build evolved, from 5,000 pounds on the early 23 TE to 4,500 pounds without engines on today's 27 OS, while fuel capacity rose from 208 to 212 gallons and maximum power from 600 to 700 hp.

What the factory test sheets show

Onslow Bay published its own performance reports for the 23 TE, and they are unusually detailed for a small builder. With twin 300 hp Mercury Verados, 60 gallons of fuel and 500 pounds of people and gear (7,540 pounds as tested), the boat planed at about 2,500 rpm and 17.5 mph, cruised at 40 mph and 2.07 mpg at 4,000 rpm, and topped out at 64 mph at 6,400 rpm.

With twin Yamaha F250s it reached 59 mph at 6,000 rpm and returned its best economy, 2.43 mpg, at 33.1 mph and 3,500 rpm. The current factory figures for twin Verado 300s are 63 mph light, 58 mph loaded and 2.2 mpg at 40 mph. On 212 gallons, that is a realistic 350 to 400 statute mile range at cruise with a reserve, enough for Gulf Stream runs out of Cape Lookout or Morehead City.

A level deck, 1,240 quarts of fish boxes and live bait

Everything on the 27 serves live-bait fishing. The deck is one level and self-bailing with a gutter system. A 30-gallon half-round transom livewell with a Carolina blue interior is standard, and leaning post options include a 45-gallon well. Below the deck sit an insulated 500-quart forward fish box and four side boxes, two 140-quart and two 230-quart, for 1,240 quarts in all.

Standard equipment is generous for the class: Accon pop-up cleats and bow light, Lenco trim tabs with auto retract, a flush-mount electronics cabinet, under-gunnel LED lighting, brush and gaff holders, downrigger power posts, salt and freshwater washdowns, and a fiberglass hardtop with spreader lights and a three-sided enclosure. Options include Seakeeper 1, Seakeeper Ride, electric steering and joystick, forward seating and a plumbed head.

Trailering, storage and running costs

At 9 feet 5 inches, the beam is just over the 8-foot 6-inch limit for unrestricted towing in most states, so check permit rules, but the builder pitches the 27 as easy to own, tow and run. Most owners keep them on lifts or in dry stack along the Carolina coast.

Expect roughly $12,000 to $25,000 a year for insurance, storage, twin-outboard service, bottom paint if kept wet and fuel. Using the factory numbers, a day running 80 miles offshore and back at 40 mph burns about 80 gallons.

Options worth paying for on a new 27

The 2026 price sheet shows how a 27 grows from a $280,000 base boat into something closer to $330,000. For a tournament boat, a stabilizer and better livewell setup earn their keep; for a family boat, the console and seating upgrades matter more.

Twin 300s are the sweet spot. They cost $3,100 more than twin 250s, match the factory performance data and make resale easier than the smallest package.

• Seakeeper 1 with upgraded batteries: $19,750, or Seakeeper Ride in place of trim tabs: $10,000
• Upper station with controls and electric steering: $32,250
• Glass windshield: $9,500; T-top wings: $1,900
• 45-gallon leaning post livewell upgrade: $2,300
• Plumbed head with holding tank: $1,900; split console door with cooler: $3,190
• Mercury electric steering: $14,300, plus $3,500 for joystick

23 TE, 27 OS or 27 XS on the used market

Used listings may carry any of three names. The 23 TE (2007 to about 2011) and 27 OS (about 2012 onward) are the same tournament boat, while the 27 XS adds molded bow seating with dry storage and a drink cooler, a choice of consoles and, with a step-down console, 165 gallons of fuel instead of 208.

Onslow Bay says its owners tend to keep their boats, and its own owner marketplace rarely has more than a listing or two. When one does appear, newer engines and Seakeeper installs drive the price more than hull age. Early boats on two-stroke or first-generation four-stroke power can be strong values if the hull has been maintained.