I first saw the Solara S-250 Coupe at a boat show in Miami. This trailerable cruiser was on display at an indoor booth, where I had gone to get out of the hot sun, sip a cool lemonade and take a breather after a morning spent crawling around a dizzying number of goliath center consoles. Each one of those had carried no fewer than three outboards on the transom and enough seating for a dozen passengers to experience a high-powered thrill ride. The atmosphere around the Solara was different, as you can imagine. I’ll call it more laid-back. The people looking around the cabin and under the hatches of this 31-footer with an 8-foot, 6-inch beam didn’t seem interested in traveling fast or with much company. Their focus was on the new destinations a boat like this could access.
A couple standing in the cockpit was searching for a boat to replace their 40-footer, a serious cruiser that had taken them around the Great Loop, over to the Bahamas and up the East Coast. These retirees had embraced the liveaboard lifestyle for a couple of years, but were now ready for something different. He said they wanted to change the way they boated, towing a cruiser on the highway rather than moving from port to port on the hull. She said they wanted to see more U.S. inland waterways. They both liked the idea of driving to the corners of the country to drop anchor in RV parks at night and explore lakes and rivers by day.
This couple was checking out the S-250 for a couple of reasons. First, there was the reputation of the parent company. This Solara, one model in a new line of boats, is built by Fluid Motion LLC, a company with roots in the pocket cruiser category. It makes Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats, two brands built in Washington and designed for the rugged coastline in that part of the world. Fluid Motion was displaying the S-250 to demonstrate how the Solara line, also built in Washington, fits into its family.
“With Solara, we address the demand for more features and benefits. A bare-bones boat isn’t always acceptable,” said Shane Kwaterski, director of business development at Fluid Motion. “Not everyone wants the work of outfitting a cruiser with all the necessary gear. Solaras are offered with a lot of standard equipment. We do the work of setting up the boat so owners can enjoy time on the water.”
The S-250 comes with features such as digital throttle control, an autopilot, a bow thruster and auto-leveling trim tabs to simplify maneuvering; a GPS and multifunction display make for easier navigation. That’s just the tip of the standard equipment list for this cabin cruiser that sleeps four and has a private head with shower, compact galley, convertible dinette, reverse-cycle A/C and more. “The only options on this boat are the gelcoat color, mooring cover and trailer,” Kwaterski said.
The S-250 costs $210,000 with a single 300-hp Yamaha outboard. That’s a reasonable price for a new cruiser with modern technology. “We hope the cost will make boating accessible to more people,” Kwaterski said, “including those who are new to the sport. We’ve outfitted the Solara to be intuitive for those owners.”
Styling also sets the Solara line apart from its sister brands. The lines are what the company calls more contemporary. “I think they appeal to young, active families,” Kwaterski said. “I’m in my late 30s, with a wife and two small children. This boat is perfect for us, in the way it looks and because it’s multipurpose. We fish from it. We tow toys from the ski pylon. We camp aboard. Even food prep is easy. There’s a lithium-ion battery with 560 amp hours of house power. If the kids want mac and cheese, I just nuke it rather than fire up the grill or generator.”
It may appeal to young families, but the S-250 in Miami also continued to hold the interest of that older couple who wanted to downsize. They asked a Solara rep about the boat’s performance and learned that best cruise is near 31 knots, where the boat gets about 2.6 mpg and a range near 300 nautical miles. The boat runs close to 43 knots at wide-open throttle.
The 250 rides on a new running bottom that’s based on the hull of the Cutwater C-24, which is no longer in production. Like the Cutwater’s hull, this one has double steps for a faster time to plane. Unlike that older boat, the Solara has lifting sponsons near the transom. The company says they create more level flotation when the boat is at rest. “You’ll feel that at the dock,” said Kwaterski, who added that the S-250 is less tender than other boats with the same beam.
Looking around the boat, I was drawn to what appears to be good visibility. A big glass windshield forward is complemented by windows to port and starboard, plus a full-size door and large window at the after end of the cabin. When the boat is at rest, you can open them all and enjoy a nice breeze through the well-lit interior.
From where it sat on the showroom floor, the S-250 looked turnkey, as it was equipped with everything an experienced cruiser or newbie could need.
“Well, almost everything,” Kwaterski said. “There’s no spotlight on the bow, but that’s because it has LED light bars. A lot of people never use a spotlight and won’t miss it. But I’m old school. I’d pay extra for one.”
Specifications:
LOA: 31’2”
Beam: 8’6”
Draft (motor down): 2’6”
Weight (dry): 6,200 lbs.
Bridge Clearance: 8’2”
Fuel: 116 gals.
Water: 22 gals.
Power: (1) 300-hp Yamaha
This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue.
