SeaVee 290B Review and Buying Guide for Used Sea Vee Boats for Sale

The SeaVee 290B and the 9-foot beam problem

Most serious offshore center consoles stopped being practical trailer boats somewhere around 28 feet, when builders pushed beams to 9 feet 6 inches and beyond to buy cockpit space and stability. The SeaVee 290B goes the other way. It keeps a 9-foot beam, only six inches over the usual 8-foot 6-inch trailer width, so the oversize permits and travel limits that apply in many states are about as light as they get for an offshore boat, and it still carries 25 degrees of transom deadrise, the kind of bottom you normally find on boats a size larger. That combination is the whole reason the boat exists, and it is why the 290B keeps showing up in searches for used SeaVee boats for sale from anglers who need to chase a tournament or a bite up and down the coast.

SeaVee itself is a Miami builder founded in 1974 by Capt. Don McGee, who sold factory direct so he could tailor each boat to its owner. Every hull is still built to order, so there is no fixed standard equipment list; there is a hull, a deck, and a long options sheet.

The 29-foot SeaVee is not new as a concept. Archived SeaVee web pages from the early 2000s list a 290 in bracket ('B') and inboard ('i') versions, in open and cuddy forms. The boat this page covers is the re-engineered 290B launched in 2018, which is the version you will meet on dealer docks and in brokerage today.

What changed when SeaVee rebuilt the 290 in 2018

The headline change was construction. SeaVee moved the 290 to vacuum-assisted resin-transfer molding, which infuses the cored hull, stringers and bulkheads in one shot so they share a primary bond. Boating reported that the new boat came out about 600 pounds lighter than the previous 290 and stiffer, which let SeaVee drop from four stringers to two. The space that freed up went into larger epoxy-coated aluminum fuel tanks, and published capacity rose to 251 gallons, 19 more than the original.

The deck was redesigned too, with molded inwale trays for coiled washdown hoses, deep gutters around every hatch, and two configurations: the Open Fisherman, which keeps the bow clear, and the Luxury Edition, which adds molded forward seats with electric backrests. SeaVee backs the hull with a 10-year warranty.

One note on numbers. SeaVee's current spec sheet lists 230 gallons of fuel, 32 gallons of water and a dry weight of 6,400 pounds without engines, while the 2018 launch tests quoted 251 gallons and 5,900 pounds. Because each boat is built to order, ask for the capacity plate and the build sheet on any specific hull rather than trusting a brochure figure.

Three sea trials, three power packages

The 290B has been tested more than most 29-footers, and the numbers line up well. Boating ran it with twin Mercury Verado 350s turning Revolution 4 props of 21-inch pitch, with 140 gallons of fuel and 700 pounds of crew. It planed in 4 seconds, hit 30 mph in 6 seconds and topped out at 63 mph at 6,200 rpm. The most efficient cruise came at 4,000 rpm and 35.2 mph, burning 18.5 gph for 1.9 mpg, which Boating called remarkably efficient for a boat with 700 hp on the transom.

Salt Water Sportsman tested a 290B with twin Mercury 300 Verados out of Stuart, Florida, in an 18-knot northeaster and a 3- to 4-foot chop, then took it out through the inlet where 6-foot waves were stacking up. It reached 61.4 mph and averaged 8.25 seconds to 30 mph, and the tester reported no pounding, rattling or creaking. The magazine also estimated more than 460 miles of range at 35 mph on a full tank.

Power and Motoryacht ran a twin 350 boat in confused 4-foot slop on Biscayne Bay during the Miami show and saw better than 52 knots with five people aboard, none of whom got wet. SeaVee claims the hull planes at about 13 knots.

• Twin Verado 350: 63 mph top at 6,200 rpm; best cruise 35.2 mph at 18.5 gph (Boating)
• Twin Verado 300: 61.4 mph top; 0 to 30 mph in 8.25 seconds (Salt Water Sportsman)
• Base package: twin 250s; SeaVee says 48 to 52 mph depending on layout and engine choice
• Builder maximum on the current sheet: 700 hp, twin engines only

How a 25-degree bottom earns its keep

Deadrise numbers are easy to quote and hard to feel until wind opposes tide in an inlet. The 290B's deep-V and sharp entry let a 9-foot-wide boat run like a heavier one, and every test above was done in real chop. Bow flare throws spray down and away, and testers consistently describe the ride as dry.

The tradeoff with a narrow, deep hull is that it rolls more at rest than a beamy 28-footer with 20 degrees of deadrise. SeaVee answers with a keel pad and chines that keep drift stable, and Sport Fishing's buyers guide credits the hull with smooth drifts and strong hole shots. If you plan to bottom fish on anchor all day, sit on one at the dock in a beam swell before you buy, and compare it with a Regulator 28 or a Boston Whaler 280 Outrage, both of which are wider.

Fish boxes, wells and 21 rods

Up front, a windlass locker leads to twin forward wing compartments that double as lockable rod storage, with a big insulated fish box between them (published sizes range from about 100 to 128 gallons depending on the year). The cockpit sole adds dry storage, bilge access and an in-deck 60-gallon well that works as a livewell or a second fish box.

Bait capacity is a strength. A pressurized 50-gallon livewell sits in the center of the transom, fed by a pump box, and a smaller starboard transom well suits shrimp, crabs or a separate species. Combine all three and the 290B carries more live bait than most boats of its size.

Rods go in vertical racks on both console sides, in the gunwale lockers, in the leaning post and in the hardtop rocket launcher, up to 21 in total. The Captain's Edition leaning post adds a tackle station with eight tackle boxes, a fold-down rigging tray, five rod holders and a slide-out cooler that can be ordered with a pneumatic actuator. A heavy-duty port transom door handles big tuna and swordfish.

Inside the console and at the wheel

The dash takes two 12-inch displays side by side with room for a VHF, stereo and a switch panel, and Boating's test boat fit a pair of Garmin 7616 units. A splash cover protects the electronics. Behind the front door is a step-down compartment with 6 feet 4 inches of headroom, battery switches, a breaker panel and access to the back of the helm, and it can be fitted with a marine head.

Boating flagged one annoyance: when the forward console door is raised, it can block the view ahead from the helm. It also recommended the optional clear polycarbonate wraparound windshield for regular offshore running. Bridge clearance to a bare hardtop is about 8 feet.

Towing, storing and paying for a 290B

Plan on a tandem or triple-axle aluminum trailer and a three-quarter-ton truck. With roughly 6,000 pounds of hull, two big outboards, fuel and gear, a fully rigged 290B on its trailer will weigh around five tons, so a half-ton pickup is not the right tool for long hauls.

Fuel is the dominant running cost. At Boating's best cruise of 18.5 gph, a 60-mile offshore round trip burns roughly 35 to 45 gallons. Add twin-outboard service, insurance and storage, and most owners spend about $14,000 to $30,000 a year before depreciation.

Shopping used SeaVee boats for sale, 290B edition

Used 290Bs are not common, because owners tend to keep them or trade up within the brand. SeaVee runs a Certified Pre-Owned program for boats that go through the factory, and those listings typically carry remaining engine warranty and a factory inspection, which is worth a premium over a private sale.

Because no two hulls are equipped alike, compare boats on power, top and electronics rather than year alone. A 2019 with twin 350s and a hardtop can be worth more than a 2022 with twin 250s and a T-top. Engine hours matter more than hull age here.