Caymas 401 CC

Founded in 2018, Caymas Boats might seem like a newcomer to the boat business. Not even close. With marine-industry veteran Earl Bentz at the helm, Caymas is infused with a legacy of boatbuilding success.

In his 50-year career, Bentz has played major roles in well-known brands such as Hydra-Sports, Triton Boats and now Caymas. To say he knows boatbuilding is a dramatic understatement. 

We had the chance to test the new Caymas 401 Center Console in Stuart, Florida, on a wind-blown, mostly overcast day, and this fishing machine did not disappoint. With a hull designed by Michael Peters and his team of high-tech engineers, the 401 rides on a patented Stepped Vee Ventilated Tunnel hull with a reported 15 percent increase in speed compared to a conventional deep-V hull. Running the 401 head-on, quartering or down-sea into the 20-knot southeast breeze, the 401 CC remained stable and suffered no ill effects from the short, steep chop. There was no banging, spray or hard landings. Pushing up on plane, this Caymas has little bow lift, helping you keep your eyes on the water ahead.

With an overall length of 39 feet, 11 inches, a beam of 11 feet, 6 inches, and rigged with quad 300 hp Mercury Verado outboards while carrying the 400 gallons of fuel and a Seakeeper 3 on board, the 401 CC easily jumped onto plane. Pushing up through the power ranges, this Caymas settled in nicely, clipping along with little effort or stress at 4,400 rpm and making 41.4 mph burning 50.2 gph. 

The 401 has an abundance of features, including a built-in stainless-steel, in-stem anchor chute and roller with a windlass mounted in the anchor locker. Our test boat had molded U-shaped upholstered seating forward with storage underneath and electrically actuated flip-up backrests creating two lounge seats. There’s also a recessed stainless bow rail around the perimeter. A large in-deck locker is in the center of the foredeck.

The front of the console features a built-in lounge with 300 quarts of dry storage underneath. The forward compartment has a 15-gallon insulated cooler. Along each side of the console are long, in-deck rod lockers with gasket-sealed hatches and locking latches. Under the gunwales are large molded stowage boxes.

The command area of the console is on a raised platform for good visibility. Our dash featured three 17-inch Garmin multifunction displays, or you can opt for two 22-inch flush-mounted MFDs. Along the centerline sits the tilt steering wheel on a finely finished teak helm pod with a Mercury throttle-and-shift control, trim-tab switches, JL Audio and Seakeeper controller. To port of the helm is a well-labeled push-button switch panel and AC vent. Here, you will also find controls for the FLIR, bow thruster and Hooker livewell pump. A three-sided glass enclosure with an electrically controlled front vent is integrated into the hardtop frame. There are eight rod holders across the back, aft and forward, Lumitec LED spreader lights, a molded-in radar pod, six flush-mounted -overhead lights, and a recess aft for an optional tower ladder. 

Inside the console you’ll find a stand-up shower, electric head, and fiberglass sink and vanity. A small Corian countertop with an overhead storage bin, two drawers underneath and a refrigerator drawer fit nicely inside.

The leaning post has three Release Marine ladder-back seats with flip-up bolsters and fold-down armrests. There are tackle-storage units on each side, along with five rod holders and six cup holders behind the helm chairs. The aft side of the leaning post features a fully molded and upholstered seat with drink holders, and a 120-quart cooler underneath. A drop-down backrest reveals six tackle drawers. The cockpit has boarding doors on both sides with heavy-duty stainless hardware, a large hatch for the Seakeeper 3, and a lazarette hatch to access the bilge. In-deck insulated boxes are on the other side. To port in the aft corner is a well-labeled and easy-to-understand fuel manifold system that can deliver fuel from any of the three fuel tanks to any of the engines. The transom carries the integral pressurized twin 45-gallon livewells along the centerline, with storage bins in each corner. A row of seven flush-mounted rod holders are aft of the clear livewell lids. There are two stern, two spring and two bow pull-up cleats.

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With a Michael Peters running surface and the quality of an Earl Bentz build, the Caymas brand and its new 401 CC will bring many happy days to those who decide this is their boat. The 401 has all the features, quality and performance of a premium center-console.

Test Conditions

• Weather: Cloudy
• Location: Stuart, Florida
• Wind: 20 to 25 mph
• Sea State: 3 to 4 feet
• Test Load: Two crew, 400 gallons of fuel

Specifications

Caymas Boats – caymasboats.com