McKee Craft 24

With its roomy layout and safety features, McKee Craft's Freedom 24 is a great center console for diving or family watersports. But its ride, range and fishability also define it as an excellent fish boat.

North Carolina-based McKee Craft expands its line of deep-V center consoles with this new 24 (the Freedom 28 was the first). Like Boston Whaler's 240 Outrage or EdgeWater's new 245CC, the Freedom 24 is billed as unsinkable with pressure foam-filled construction. The major difference for McKee Craft, however, is a higher horsepower rating?400 versus 300 for the models from the other manufacturers. Our test boat, rigged for competitive king mackerel fishing, was powered by twin 200-hp Evinrude outboards. Acceleration was quick, and our top speed was 52.8 mph. Range was impressive, as well; at a cruising speed of 40.5 mph (4000 rpm), the 24 was capable of running 282 nautical miles.

We started our test with the prerequisite hunt for bait along Carolina Beach, N.C. From the large bow with recessed rails, Scott Harris, McKee Craft's vice president for sales and engineering, and boat owner Wayne Hewitt were able to double up with cast nets to quickly fill the 52-gallon live well. Our subsequent 20-mile run to a series of artificial reefs offshore was comfortable and dry in the four- to five-foot swells. The boat's soft ride comes from its 24.5-degree deadrise, weight (3,600 pounds dry) and solid Pressure Bonding System construction with foam core and closed-cell foam flotation.

After reaching our destination, we baited the rods and started trolling around the reef. With multiple rod holders in the covering boards and across the transom, the 24 doesn't lack for storage. More rod holders are welded to the standard T-top, which comes with outriggers and an electronics box. The leaning post/live well configuration features a tackle box and tackle center, along with a backrest and foldaway footrest.

It didn't take long before our menhaden were inhaled by resident amberjack. During the brief battles on light stand-up gear, the three-inch toe kick and wraparound cockpit bolsters were welcome features in the swells. The 24's deck is cambered for rapid self-bailing, and the molded nonskid gave excellent traction. Unfortunately, the AJs managed to escape into the wreck because of our minimalist tackle, but had we landed any keepers, they would have fit nicely into the two 170-quart macerated fish boxes. As an added benefit of the injected foam, both fish boxes are fully insulated, as is the gigantic 300-quart compartment in the foredeck.

Options for the 24 are limited. That's because McKee Craft prefers to include the popular items as part of the standard package rather than as add-ons. The compass ($200), Weblon spray curtain and gull wing kit ($995 each) are among the notable exceptions.

©Motor Boating Magazine, November 2003