Solace traces its roots to Bob Dougherty’s design work at Boston Whaler, where son Stephen worked on the assembly line.
The Dougherty father-and-son team would found EdgeWater Power Boats, then Everglades Boats. In 2012, Stephen and Sarah Dougherty formed Dougherty Manufacturing, fabricating fiberglass components for boatbuilders and industrial and entertainment venues before launching Solace Boats in 2019—the next year winning Boating Magazine’s Boat of the Year and the NMMA Innovation Award.
Solace 30 HCS
A center-console/bay-boat blend, the 30 HCS (hybrid center step) offers high-performance luxury and comfort.
The boat has a twin-stepped, ventilated, variable-deadrise hull with tracking chine rails. Power comes from twin Mercury V-8 300Rs, 400 Verados, or V-8 450Rs; the V-6 with Joystick; and JPO joystick with autopilot as an option for any.
Fishing is front-of-mind, as attested by a pair of 30-gallon livewells, two 35-gallon in-floor fish boxes, tackle storage in the workstation and beneath gunwales, and a sink and 108-quart Frigid Rigid cooler in the workstation. There’s vertical rod and gaff storage in the head compartment.
Options include a stand-through upper station and Gemlux Deluxe outriggers with 18-foot carbon-fiber poles.
For family fun and comfort, bow and cockpit shades are available, and the cabin boasts 6-foot-2-inch headroom, teak accents and steps, Chilewich flooring, and a head with sink and Corian countertops.
Seating is generous, with bow cushions secured by stainless-steel magnets. Lounge seating ahead of the console features density-specific foams. Sit-on-transom seating can face fore or aft.
Manufacturer’s Remark
The 30 HCS is designed to be a great inshore fishing boat and a well-equipped offshore boat.
Performance Data
- Test Power: Twin Merc 400 hp Verado
- Test Props: Rev4 14 5⁄8” x 19”
- Test Load: 73 gal. fuel, 80 lb. water, two people (500 lb.), 100 lb. gear
- Test Speed: 62 mph at 6,800 rpm
- Max Range: 260 miles (90 percent of 187 gal. fuel capacity at 1.5 mpg, 34.2 mph, 4,000 rpm)
Specs
| LOA: | 29’10” |
| Beam: | 9’10” |
| Fuel Capacity: | 187 gal. |
| Dry Weight: | 10,000 lb. with power |
| Max HP: | 900 |
| Certifications: | NMMA |
Editor Says
Solace’s 30 HCS is an extreme example of today’s bay-boat evolution. In a few model years, the category has morphed to include models known as hybrids. Deeper cockpits and more-elaborate T-tops and windshields make them adept at crossing over from in- to offshore fishing. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor Boating and Fishing Group
