There’s no ocean in Indiana, or brackish estuaries for that matter. That’s why it’s so intriguing to find a highly competent offshore sportfisherman built in a river town like Jeffersonville.

I was introduced to the Marlago 35 Open by Ray Mancuso, Jr., at South Florida Yachts in Riviera Beach. The Mancuso family has been selling boats for many years, but Ray simply couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for this new center console. One of the terrific features he showed me was the anchor pocket in the bow. Bottom fishermen will like this arrangement. The anchor nestles neatly into the bow; if you didn’t know it was there, you wouldn’t notice it. The windlass, rode and line are all stored in a finished, gel-coated compartment, one that drains efficiently so you don’t have to worry about weighing down the bow with excess water in a heavy sea. I also like the gel-coated locker in the transom for the fuel/water separator filter. A fuel spill will be easy to clean up.

The head in the center console is big and the access door is wide. The builder was able to carve out more space here by locating the plumbing (macerator, holding tank, etc.) forward, beneath the cockpit sole and just below a large hatch.. . . . . .More>>>