Buyer's Guide · Sailfish 242 CC vs. Sea Hunt Ultra 255 SE
Sailfish 242 or Sea Hunt 255for the Chesapeake?
Two closely matched 24-to-25-foot center consoles. The Sailfish 242 CC carries a deeper transom deadrise and more fuel for rough open-Bay water and range; the Sea Hunt Ultra 255 SE draws less and pairs a sharp bow entry with a lighter, nimble package. Here's how to pick — honest specs and trade-offs, both ways.
Authorized Dealer
The real decision
Closely matched,
different strengths.
The Sailfish 242 CC and Sea Hunt Ultra 255 SE are within a foot of the same length and both are capable, offshore-leaning Chesapeake boats. They distribute their hull differently — so the right answer depends on whether you run rough open water or fish thin water.
Sailfish builds the 242 on a Variable Deadrise Stepped deep-V with a 22-to-24-degree transom deadrise, and rigs it with 146 gallons of fuel — built to run rough water and reach offshore.
Sea Hunt builds the Ultra 255 with a sharp bow entry and an 18-degree transom, and it draws just 14 inches — built to knife a head sea on the run out and still slip into skinny water. Both fish the Bay well; they start from different priorities.
Where the Sailfish leads
Rough water
and range.
When your days take you across the open lower Bay or out toward the Bridge-Tunnel, the 242's deeper transom and bigger fuel load are the honest advantage.
Deeper transom for open-Bay chop
The 242 CC carries a 22–24° deadrise at the transom — the part of the hull that takes the pounding when you run into a steep chop. The Sea Hunt Ultra is a capable hull with a sharp bow entry, but its 18° transom is flatter aft, so the Sailfish runs softer when the open lower Bay builds up.
More range to the mouth of the Bay
146 gallons of fuel versus 120 on the Sea Hunt — about 22% more. That extra range buys fishing time and a wider margin when you run from the rivers out to the Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the wrecks, or the cobia grounds and back.
A touch more beam
Nine feet of beam versus 8'9" gives the 242 a little more standing room and a stable platform to fish from at rest — drifting bait, fighting a fish, or working several anglers.
Where the Sea Hunt leads
Skinny water
and a sharp entry.
For shallow flats, skinny-water launches, and nimble handling, the Ultra 255's shallower draft and sharp bow are the real advantage — and they're worth saying plainly.
Shallower draft for skinny water
The Ultra 255 draws a published 14 inches versus 18 on the Sailfish. On the Eastern Shore flats, in shallow creeks, or launching from skinny ramps, that four inches is a genuine, everyday advantage.
Sharp bow entry
Sea Hunt pairs the Ultra with an aggressive bow entry that knifes through a head sea on the run out. It's a real offshore-leaning hull, not a flat bay boat — it just distributes its vee differently than the Sailfish.
Lighter, nimble package
The Ultra 255 SE is a lighter, efficient boat that's easy to run and handle. For a buyer who values nimble handling and value, it's a strong, capable fishing platform in its own right.
By the numbers
Side by side,
by the spec.
The figures each builder publishes on its own model page. The two are within a foot on length; the Sailfish runs a deeper transom and carries more fuel, while the Sea Hunt draws less. Sea Hunt's transom deadrise is 18° — its bow entry is sharper than that number alone suggests.
| Spec | Sailfish 242 | Sea Hunt 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Length overall | 24'0" | 24'11" |
| Hull | Deep-V · 22–24° | Semi-V · 18° |
| Draft | 18" | 14" |
| Fuel capacity | 146 gal | 120 gal |
Sailfish 242 CC figures from the manufacturer, sailfishboats.com; Sea Hunt Ultra 255 SE figures from seahuntboats.com (model pages, 2026). Length is overall length per each builder. Deadrise shown is transom (aft) deadrise: the Sailfish rides a 22–24° Variable Deadrise Stepped deep-V; the Sea Hunt Ultra lists an 18° transom paired with a sharper bow entry.
How to choose
Pick for where
you run.
The deciding question is the water you fish. If you run the open lower Bay in a chop or want the extra range to reach the Bridge-Tunnel and the wrecks, the Sailfish 242's deeper transom and 146 gallons of fuel pull ahead. If you spend real time on shallow flats and in skinny creeks, the Sea Hunt Ultra 255's 14-inch draft and sharp bow are the better fit. Both are capable, offshore-leaning boats — you're choosing a softer rough-water ride and more range against shallower draft and nimble handling.
Coastal Marine is the only authorized Sailfish dealer in southeastern Virginia, on Shore Drive at the mouth of the Bay. It's the place in Hampton Roads to stand on a Sailfish, look at the hull and layout in person, and weigh it honestly against the other 24-to-25-foot center consoles you're considering.
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Sailfish 242 vs. Sea Hunt 255,
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