Wellcraft Coastal 290, the Walkaround That Sleeps Six Reviewed

Wellcraft Coastal 290 in brief

The Wellcraft Coastal 290, usually listed as the Wellcraft 290 Coastal, is a twin-outboard walkaround built for families who fish. It sits on a 30-foot-2 hull with a 10-foot-5 beam, sleeps six across a forward berth and a mid-cabin, and has a proper galley and enclosed head, yet it still gives anglers a self-bailing cockpit, a livewell and twin fish boxes. Wellcraft's own 2005 pitch put it simply: if your friends and family enjoy fishing as much as you do, this is the boat.

It was a long-running model. Wellcraft's site showed 290 Coastal feature photos by late 2004, the boat appeared in the line through the Genmar, Rec Boat Holdings and Beneteau ownership eras, and it was still listed in early 2018 before disappearing from the range by 2019, when Wellcraft's lineup had become all Fisherman center consoles. That gives buyers roughly 14 model years to choose from, with the same basic hull and layout throughout.

The numbers from Wellcraft's own spec sheets

Wellcraft's specifications barely changed over the model's life, which makes the 290 easy to understand. The 2005 sheet listed 30 feet 2 inches overall with the pulpit and a 27-foot-10 hull length, a 10-foot-5 beam, approximately 8,735 lb dry, 225 gallons of fuel, 42 gallons of water, an 11-gallon holding tank, a 600 hp maximum on 25-inch shafts, 18 degrees of deadrise, 22 inches of draft with engines up and 33 inches down, 6 feet 2 inches of cabin headroom and sleeping for six.

By 2016 the sheet showed the same length, beam, weight figure, water and 600 hp rating, but 210 gallons of fuel, a maximum capacity of 4,240 lb, a persons capacity of 11 and bridge clearances of 7 feet 3 inches without a top and 9 feet with one. If you are buying an early boat, verify the tank size rather than assuming either figure.

Eighteen degrees of deadrise is moderate for an offshore boat. It gives the 290 good stability at rest and lets the twin outboards push a relatively heavy, cabin-equipped hull efficiently, but it will not slice through a steep head sea like a 22 to 24-degree deep-V. Plan to slow down in short, sharp chop.

• LOA 30 feet 2 inches with pulpit; hull length 27 feet 10 inches
• Beam 10 feet 5 inches
• Draft 22 inches engines up, 33 inches engines down
• Fuel 225 gallons (2005) or 210 gallons (2016); water 42 gallons
• Maximum 600 hp; persons capacity 11

A forward berth, a mid-cabin and a real galley

The cabin is the reason to buy this boat over a center console of the same length. Wellcraft described a luxurious forward berth and a cozy mid-cabin tucked under the helm deck, and its 2005 feature photos showed an aft cabin, galley and kitchenette. The 2016 standard list included a berth with cushions, an aft cabin, a lockable cabin door, a dinette table, a galley with microwave, refrigerator, sink with solid-surface counter and electric stove, pressure water, a water heater and a hanging locker.

The head is enclosed, with a VacuFlush toilet and holding tank, a shower, a vanity with sink and storage, a full-length mirror and powered ventilation. Dockside power, dockside water, a battery charger and a carbon monoxide detector were standard in 2016, which tells you the boat was meant to spend nights at the dock or on the hook.

Six is the brochure number for sleeping, but realistically the 290 suits a couple with two children for a weekend, or a crew of three or four on a fishing overnight.

Fishing from a walkaround deck

Fishing equipment is straightforward but complete. The 2005 boat carried a 42-gallon Kodiak Pro-Flow baitwell, twin fish boxes, flush-mounted rod holders and a helm with room for electronics. The 2016 list added a fish box with an overboard drain, a storage box with macerator, gunwale rod storage, tackle storage with boxes, a cutting board, cockpit bolsters, aft seats, a raw water washdown and a transom shower with the freshwater package.

The walkaround design gives side decks and grab rails for working forward to the anchor or a fish around the bow, and an aluminum bow rail, anchor locker and roller came standard. Wellcraft offered a hardtop with rod holders, a cockpit seating package and Raymarine electronics packages including radar and twin 12-inch multifunction displays. Compared with a center console, the cockpit is shorter and the bow is not a fishing platform, so this is a boat for trolling, bottom fishing and drifting from the stern.

Engines and what to expect underway

Every 290 Coastal is a twin-outboard boat. Wellcraft's 2016 menu listed twin Mercury Verado 250 and 300 outboards, twin Yamaha F250 and F300 four-strokes, including Helm Master versions, and twin Evinrude E-TEC 250s. Earlier boats will often carry older Yamaha, Mercury or Evinrude engines, and many have been repowered.

We could not find an independent instrumented test of the 290 Coastal, so we will not quote specific speeds or fuel figures. For context only, Wellcraft expected the larger and heavier 340 Coastal to top 50 mph on twin 350s and cruise at 33 mph. On any 290, ask the seller for a recent sea trial with GPS speed, rpm and fuel-flow data, and compare it with the engine maker's propping guidance.

Who built it, and why that matters for parts

Wellcraft was founded in 1955 and is best known for the Scarab performance boats of the 1980s. In the 290 Coastal years the brand changed hands more than once. Sport Fishing listed Wellcraft in Sarasota, Florida in 2007 and 2008, and a 2014 Northeast buyers guide still listed a Sarasota address. In 2014 Groupe Beneteau bought Rec Boat Holdings, which included Wellcraft, Four Winns, Scarab and Glastron, and by the late 2010s Boating listed Wellcraft in Cadillac, Michigan.

For an owner, those changes mostly affect parts and paperwork. Hull-specific parts such as hatches, windshield frames and cushions can take time to source for an out-of-production model, so check that the boat is complete and that canvas and cushions are in good order. Engines, pumps and electronics are standard marine items and easy to service anywhere.

Buying a used 290 Coastal

Used 290 Coastals cover a wide range. Early boats from the mid-2000s on original engines are the cheapest, roughly $40,000 to $60,000 by our estimate, while late boats from the 2010s with modern four-strokes and electronics can reach $105,000 to $150,000. A recently repowered older boat is often the smart buy, because new twin 250s or 300s cost more than many early hulls are worth.

Running costs are moderate. Expect about $9,000 to $22,000 a year for outboard service, insurance, a slip or rack storage, bottom paint, winterization in northern markets and upkeep of the cabin systems, before fuel and depreciation. Cabin boats need extra attention to leaks, mildew and the head system, so budget for those as well.