SeaVee 400Z Boat Review

The SeaVee 400Z replaces the venerable 390, adding more room, more fuel and more functionality on a proven stepped-hull design.

When SeaVee announced it was removing one of its most popular boats, the 390Z, from its line of center consoles and replacing it with a new model, it made a lot of waves. The 390 debuted at the Miami International Boat Show in 2006 and had a sleek, sexy look, lots of fishing space, plenty of power and a great ride. It was a showstopper. The company updated it several years later with a stepped hull and it continued to sell well. That begs the question: If it ain’t broke, why the new model?

In short, the owners of SeaVee are avid anglers and they understand the evolving wants and needs of today’s hardcore fishing crews, namely more power and more systems. They decided it was time to make some changes and that’s where the 400Z comes into play.

“This was not a task we took lightly,” said Ariel Pared, SeaVee president and one of the owners, as he gave me a tour of the 400Z at the 2024 Miami Boat Show. “What we’ve done has really made the boat more efficient and we’re excited about that.”

The 400Z is an entirely new boat with new tooling — it is not just an upgrade. Pared and his design team made the 400Z four inches longer, four inches wider and eight inches taller than the 390. While that might not sound like much, when you step on the boat, it has a much larger feel. By making the boat taller, SeaVee was able to raise the deck up to increase the fuel capacity from 540 gallons to 650. The coaming height on the 400Z, however, is the same as the 390, so anglers won’t feel any change as they brace their thighs against the pad to fight a fish.

“All we did is bring the floor up which gave us more fuel, more storage and better access,” Pared says.

The 400Z runs on SeaVee’s proven twin stepped hull with multiple lifting bodies. This helps the boat accelerate out of the hole with very little bow rise and cruise at a consistent, 6-degree running angle. The boat is available in triple- or quad-outboard configurations. With triple Mercury 400s, Pared says the boat hits a top end of 56 knots. He expects quad 400s will push it to 65. The powerful V-10 outboards offer a ton of torque that get the boat up on plane almost instantly even with heavy loads.

The cockpit layout on the 400Z feels much larger than the 390. SeaVee achieved more space by moving from one livewell across the transom to twin 40-gallon livewells in each corner. They also made the transom narrower to get anglers closer to the outboards and provide more room to clear a fishing rod over the top of the engines. When cruising, you can set a removable bench in this position, but I really liked how open the deck feels without the extra seating. A portside door with integrated ladder is ideal for boating big fish or doing some snorkeling.

I’ve always admired how clean the rigging and plumbing is on a SeaVee but the 400Z is truly next level. They pulled much of the rigging out of the bilge and put it behind a transom hatch. The pressurized livewell system runs on an adjustable manifold so you can easily alter the amount of water flowing to your baits. There’s also a built-in engine flush.

The deck houses two large 100-gallon fish boxes, one on either side of the boat, as well as two bilge access hatches with bucket inserts. These buckets are a great place to toss garbage or things like downrigger balls that roll around. There’s another bilge access hatch on centerline. A large hatch is set up to accommodate an optional Seakeeper gyro stabilizer. But my favorite hatch in the cockpit is designed for dedicated stern anchor storage. A stern anchor makes setting up at the sandbar much easier and this narrow hatch perfectly holds a Danforth; they slide right in and stay out of harm’s way. This hatch would go away however, were an owner to choose to install a rocket launcher.

The amount of access SeaVee puts in the deck is impressive. You can get to anything you need without being a contortionist. “I think as the boat gets more complex, our challenge is to make all the systems accessible so you can maintain them,” Pared says.

An aft-facing seat on the leaning post has magnetic cushions that easily pull away to reveal tackle storage, drawers and a fold-down workstation. Pared says they started from scratch in designing the console. The attention to detail is impressive, there’s a place for everything. The top of the dash has built-in storage for things like cell phones, sunblock or binoculars. There is a deep glove box on either side of the dash, and cup holders within easy reach of the three captain’s chairs. Owners can option the boat with a second row of seating if so desired. As for rod storage, this boat can hold a tackle shop’s worth of rods. There are 18 rod holders on the sides of the console alone.

The helm is dominated by twin 24-inch Garmin screens. The black dash knocks down glare and the illuminated switch panel on the helm is attractive and makes controlling systems a breeze in bouncy seas. The wraparound enclosure provides the operator with a clear view as there is no middle webbing. The seat forward of the console slides electrically to access the head. Access to the back of the electronics and wiring is found inside the console. SeaVee offers a range of hardtop and tower options.

SeaVee offers different bow configurations for the boat—this particular model had two lounge seats with electric, adjustable headrests. The lounge seats don’t run all the way to the bow, which leaves space for an angler to stand on deck way forward and fight a fish as the captain runs it down. I also like that the lounge seats are set safely below the gunwale. There are too many scary videos going around these days of bow passengers getting tossed out of boats. That should never happen.

The amount of storage space in the foredeck is just staggering. There is storage under each lounge seat and a designated spot for safety gear and lifejackets under the gunwale. A massive in-deck hatch can hold gear or fish. Owners can also opt for a large coffin box on the bow as well as another livewell. You can also hose down the bow with a designated washdown and store fenders and lines in a compartment inside the anchor locker.

Walking through the 400Z with Pared, I was able to see the pride of ownership and the level of thought poured into every detail. The beauty of a boat company run by boater anglers is that they are always trying to improve their product because they are their own customers. At the end of the day, they want their owners to catch more fish, get home safely and enjoy their time on the water. And just because something ain’t broke, doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon. The 400Z is testament to that.

SeaVee 400Z Specifications:

LOA: 39’4”
Beam: 11’3”
Draft: 28”
Displ.: 15,200 lb. (dry, no engines)
Fuel: 650 gal.
Water: 20 gal.
Power: 3 or 4/400-hp Merucrys
Base Price: $740,200 (with triple 400-hp Mercurys)

This article originally appeared in the August/September 2024 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.

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