Champion boat racer Earl Bentz, founder of Stratos, Javelin and Triton, reunited his Triton team to develop an all-new line of fishing boats. Caymas burst on the scene with the launch of two hybrid bay boats in 2019, and recently added the 341 CC, the company’s new flagship, to its saltwater lineup. All three models draw on Michael Peters’ marine design of the SVVT step-bottom hull, which helps any outboards on its transom achieve outstanding performance. The SVVT hull also features a transom step that runs forward 7 feet, creating a sharp-edged chine on each side of the keel that adds cornering stability and enhances speed.
During our tests, the 341 CC made over 60 mph with three of Mercury’s new 300 hp V-8 four-strokes. The throaty engines announce themselves with a deep growl, and afford relentless acceleration and the fuel economy that gives the 341 CC nearly 400 miles of offshore range, based on our test and calculations.
The boat’s outstanding offshore fishability comes as no surprise because, among his enthusiasms, Benz is an avid offshore angler, and in fact, we bumped into him fishing out of Stuart Inlet, Florida, aboard his Caymas 28 HB during our test.
The first thing to catch our eye was the pressurized livewell system, which keeps the water from sloshing and ensures the bait will ride securely and stay lively in the roughest seas. The system features a 70-gallon well on the transom—with a clear Plexiglas lid—fed by dual pumps in a sea chest to keep the well full and the water flow constant. The livewell is bookended by storage compartments on each side to hold frozen baits, fenders, dock lines or other essentials.
On the 341, Caymas replaced the transom walk-through found in many offshore boats with a more convenient portside gunwale door that opens inward, offering convenient boarding and an easier way to pull large fish on board with minimum effort. Adding to its convenience, a boarding ladder is stowed in a dedicated pocket inside the door. For additional safety at sea, a pull-out ladder on the transom allows reboarding for a man overboard.
Rod holders are well-placed on the transom, gunwales and foredeck, making the fishing boat bristle with lethality. Locking storage in the port and starboard gunwales gives secure hideaway to a pair of tuna sticks. Four more rods can be racked and locked down below, inside the console. Adding the five Gemlux cup/rod-holder combos in the rigging station, the six rod holders flanking the forward console lounge seat, and the seven rocket launchers on the hardtop’s aft supports, rod storage on board was overwhelming.
The hardtop structure itself bears description because of its durable integration into the console and leaning post. Your crew won’t stub toes on pipework thanks to the D-shaped rails nested into the console corners.
Fish-box capacity is a generous 500 quarts, with an extra 240 quarts available in an in-floor well as an option. Tackle stowage is found in gunwale cabinets that tilt out. The one to port holds utility boxes, while the other to starboard boasts larger compartments for leaders, gloves and other indispensable gear.
Behind the leaning post, two doors reveal a pair of utility-box racks that slide out, affording a stowable workspace. Below, a large cooler on rails also slides out for convenient access.
There’s no doubt the 341 CC is a hardcore fishing machine, but Caymas didn’t forget about the family comforts that make the boat a blast for any water activity. The double lounge forward is contoured to provide a secure, comfortable ride, and two foldaway seats at the bow offer seating for four while allowing access to the anchor windlass and fender locker.
In the cockpit, you can sit on the slide-out cooler cushion and put a couple of crew on the foldaway transom jump seat. The large in-console compartment, below the helm, offers enough space for changing, as well as a head and additional storage.
The Caymas 341 CC screams fishability and fun. Its style is elegant, belying its rugged construction. A number of available options, color combinations and patterns let you customize the boat to best fit your fishing style and your family’s needs.
Specifications
Length: 33′6″ | Beam: 10′ | Draft: 26″ | Fuel: 345 gal. | Weight: 9,500 lb. | Max HP: 1,200 | Price: $348,799 | Caymas Boats: caymasboats.com
Test Conditions
Weather: Sunny | Location: Stuart, Florida | Wind: East 8 knots | Sea State: 2 to 3 feet | Test Load: Two adults, 75 gallons of fuel
