Tidewater 3100 Carolina Bay

Tidewater touts its 3100 Carolina Bay as the world’s largest bay boat. We have not found another vessel measuring more than 31 feet, 1 inch in length overall to beat this claim. That means you have the ability to get in (reasonably) skinny to chase redfish, then point the bow toward the inlet and run offshore after pelagics. It’s a boat designed to do it all

The 3100 has fishing features galore. The place to start, and the feature that allows a 31-foot center console to be called a bay boat, is the large bow-casting platform. As this boat is more of a hybrid than a full-on bay boat, the bow casting deck is not as spacious as some of the more flat-bottomed bay boats on the market, but it is large enough to mount a trolling motor and for two anglers to set up and cast. 

Tidewater carries the full 10-foot beam far forward, which creates a spacious bow seating area as well. There’s a 20-gallon livewell under a hatch in the bow platform for quick access to bait while fishing in the forward area. Another thing that qualifies the 3100 Carolina Bay as a bay boat is its deadrise compared to true deep-V center consoles. This boat’s V tapers to 17 degrees deadrise at the transom, compared to 20 to 24 degrees for true deep-V center consoles. The flatter running surface allows this boat to float in less than 2 feet of water with the outboards trimmed all the way up, so you can work in skinny water with your trolling motor.

In the aft cockpit, Tidewater built a 30-gallon aquarium-style livewell into the back of the leaning post to serve live-bait needs during bluewater and inshore endeavors. If you’re fishing for dinner, you’ll appreciate the 100-gallon insulated and macerated fish box hidden under the lounge just forward of the center console. The leaning post also has tackle drawers and cup holders that double as rod holders. More rod holders are built rocket-launcher-style into the hardtop. They’re mounted slightly lower than the top of the hardtop, so you never have to stand on your tiptoes or use a footstool to grab a rod when the action is going. More rod holders are flush mounted in the gunwale topsides all the way to the bow area, so a rod should always be in reach. The cockpit is spacious and clear of obstructions that could impede fighting fish, and the walkways on either side of the console allow for wide passage when moving about the boat.

I was really impressed by the helm station, particularly the Llebroc helm seats that sport twin independent flip-up bolsters for the captain and co-captain, and two molded-in footrests that provide comfort for those long-haul offshore runs. The leaning post sports an additional flip-down footrest. Beefy grab-handles flank both sides of the console, so the crew has safe handholds within reach. As our test model had Yamaha power, the helm was equipped with Yamaha DTS throttles that proved silky-smooth while running at speed and also during close-quarters handling.  The joystick control comes standard and is within easy reach of the captain, so it takes all the pressure out of docking this 31-footer. Are you a Garmin guy or a Simrad guy? It doesn’t matter. Tidewater offers both as standard electronics packages, so you’re covered either way. Our test model featured twin standard Garmin 16-inch MFDs flush mounted at the helm, both within reach of the captain to work with his fingertips whether for sonar, navigation or to check the ship’s systems. Tidewater also includes a radar as a standard feature. 

With a pair of  F350s on jackplates on the transom of the 3100 Carolina Bay, we recorded a top speed of over 66 mph and experienced great midrange acceleration. (Tidewater reported that when paired with the max horsepower package of twin 400 hp Mercury outboards, the boat exceeded 70 mph.) The lower deadrise that helps the Tidewater run in shallow water also kept it from squatting coming out of the hole, so we never lost sight of the horizon in front of us while climbing on to plane, which is notable for a boat of this size. 

In terms of performance, the Tidewater’s double-stepped hull helps the boat ride with a very level attitude and assists in achieving impressive fuel economy numbers, making a day of fishing inside and out entirely possible. To enhance handling, Tidewater also includes the Zipwake Interceptor 450-S chine system as a standard feature. When deployed, the Zipwake system automatically adjusts the trim for the conditions, giving the captain one less thing to think about when in use. Should the captain prefer to control the trim by feel, simply turn off the auto system and trim old-school style.

Fishing is the first mission, but in constructing the 3100 Carolina Bay, Tidewater did not skimp on the creature comforts. The bow seating behind the casting platform is recessed below the deckline for passenger safety and features backrests that fold out of the way for fishing. Please note that the cushions hold in place with magnets rather than snaps, so they can be quickly removed when the bite is on. Transom jump seats fold out of the way when the ride is over and it’s time to fish. 

Read Next: Best Bay Boats for Fishing

There’s also a finished head in the console, should the need arise. And don’t forget about the lounge seats over the fishbox forward of the console. One of my favorite features aboard the Tidewater are the electrically actuated fold-out steps built into both cockpit gunwales. They are activated by a foot-press button on the topsides, and are great for stepping on and off the boat at the dock. The steps take away inwale rod racks in the cockpit, but there are plenty of other places to store the quiver of sticks onboard. Another notable feature is the shower nozzle built into the starboard side of the T-top that connects to a 19-gallon freshwater tank. It’s super convenient for washing down the decks and, because it’s overhead, you can use it as a shower if needed.

While a hybrid bay boat is never going to do the same job inshore as a flats skiff (or smaller bay boat), nor be as rugged as a true deep-V, the Tidewater 3100 Carolina Bay provides an excellent platform to do both, and to enjoy the ride in the biggest, most standard-laden way possible. 

Specifications

Tidewater Boats – Lexington, South Carolina; tidewaterboats.com