Boat Test: 2024 Sōlace 37CS

Overview

Sōlace Boats are the brainchild of Stephen Dougherty, an engineer and boat designer of exceptional pedigree. His late father, Bob Dougherty, put Boston Whaler on the tip of ­every boater’s tongue. Then he did the same with EdgeWater and Everglades. For the past few years, Stephen has carried on the tradition with Sōlace. These boats are ingenious thanks to Dougherty’s experienced look at all the activities that happen in boats, especially with the new Sōlace 37CS. He has eliminated many annoying details found in competitive boats, then replaced them with conveniences that turn nuisance into pleasure, complete with world-class fishing amenities that pamper not only anglers, but the most demanding pleasure-boat owners as well.

Magnetic attachments for removable deck lounge cushions replace fragile finger-spraining snaps; automatic actuators raise the windshield; nearly hidden magnetic cup holders secure drinks to gunwales and tabletops. Even a bait board is attached magnetically to the transom and is so secure, we could practically toss it from the port station to the starboard station or a center station and stick the landing. The double jump seat also magnetically fastens to the transom and boasts a footrest beneath. These are dramatic and innovative details that add “wow” to match the performance of the 37CS.

Engines

At 16,000 pounds, it’s svelte with an 11-foot beam. Three of Yamaha’s new V-6 4.3-liter 350 hp outboards ran the 37CS up to 60 mph. Hole shot was crisp and the bow stayed low, inclining only 3 degrees before settling into a smooth gait at 35.5 mph running 4,000 rpm, and providing an optimal cruise range of 423 miles. You also can order it with triple Mercury 400s and net similar economy.

The bottom features a double-stepped design, and is engineered to preserve forward visibility out of the hole. This boat also held its ground in high-speed turns. The ride is plenty smooth, but for the less adventurous, the optional Quick X10 MC DC gyrostabilizer on our tester steadied the boat for even greater comfort. 

Interior and Accessories

Controlling the Solace 37CS proved a pleasure thanks to the row of triple bucket seats with adjustable armrests, and easy-to-adjust legroom. A footrest below the wheel is comfy. The Garmin displays spread before us carried digital switching, gyro and media ­controls, with a rocking Fusion audio system so ­well-appointed that nobody could sit more than 3 feet from a coaxial woofer and tweeter.

The hardtop offers beefy construction. The supporting stanchions are laddered braces for easy access to the top. The ­windshield is glass, and a pair of grab rails on the hardtop “ceiling” add passenger stability and confidence in rough water. Two side glass windshield panels are bonded to the curved aluminum pillars; the center one raises on rams. And Sōlace added grab rails to either side of the console, in reach of crewmembers standing beside the helm area.

Crew comfort in the boat comes from well-designed seating and high-quality components. Mezzanine seating is designed for two, and the seat bottom lifts up to reveal an ice chest beneath. You can rummage around in it with both hands because the lid hinges to a vertical position and stays there until you close it. The mezzanine seatback folds down to form a rigging table complete with a tackle-box cabinet behind it. At first, we thought the arrangement eliminated the grill that is often found in the rigging station. Instead, we found a gas grill stored in a drawer under the seat. This grill mounts in a rod holder when in use. 

The bow has two lounge seats open at the center at the anchor locker to allow easy ­access to the ground tackle. The interior freeboard’s height was ideal for manning the ­electric windlass. Even better, Sōlace replaced vinyl upholstery with silicone “fabric”: a tough, UV-resistant, stain-blocking material that maintains factory freshness for years. 

Below deck, rod holders for all the sticks you can carry are concealed in a hidden compartment beneath the double berth. Instead of rod/cup combo holders on the gunwales, the 37CS has premium polished rod holders, and next to each one is a polished cup ­holder—that’s in addition to the magnetic pucks hidden in the nonskid diamond plate to hold your magnetized cups.

Read Next: Solace 32 CS

If you are shopping around and want to compare other boats to the Sōlace 37CS, the Scout 377 LXF ($894,398 base) would be a good model to check out. It is imminently fishable and comparably luxurious. 

The 37CS’s aft cockpit is equally well-planned. A portside boarding door supplants the transom door, with a pair of 40-gallon pressurized livewells and a ­refrigerated fish box spread out over the ­transom instead. A unique electric chill tub can be removed. Optional tuna tubes can be placed near the livewells.

The little things add up on the Sōlace 37CS, which is sure to draw a chorus of “Wow, that’s cool” from experienced boaters. I am one of them.

How We Tested

• Engines: Triple Yamaha 350s
• Drive/Props: Outboard/Rev 4 14 ⁵/₈” x 21″ 4-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.79:1 Fuel Load: 500 gal. Water on Board: 40 gal. Crew Weight: 650 lb.

High Points

• The windshield is supported on struts strong enough to allow operation while it is open. 
• Silicone upholstery is easy to clean (ink wipes right off), UV resistant, and longer lasting than vinyl.
• Sōlace planned for a future upper station by building a ladder into the supports of the hardtop. 

Low Point

• We missed the transom door and that easy access to the platform and ladder.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

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Source: https://www.boatingmag.com/boats/2024-solace-37cs-boat-test/