Formula 457 CCF Boat Review

When you don’t have a lot of time on your side, it’s nice to have three 600-hp Mercury Verado outboards and a 50-gallon bait well stocked full of frisky pilchards. Such was the case when I stepped aboard the Formula 457 Fish center console on a September Florida morning. It was well past 9 a.m., and if we wanted any chance at finding some life along the edge of the reef, we had to hustle.

Whenever I board a new Formula, I feel like I’m on a scavenger hunt for interesting features, smart use of space and other clever touches from the design team. I found my first surprise as I stepped aboard the 457 CCF, which was tied up alongside a bulkhead. The gunwale above the port dive door was folded over to make it easier to board the boat. Halfway down the dive door, a flip-out step made stepping down to the cockpit much easier. It reminded me of the footrest on an old-school barber chair. A simple element and smart use of space.

Based on all the fishing features in the 457 CCF, you’d hardly expect the boat was built in Decatur, Indiana, far from mahi-mahi, striped bass or tuna. The builder has done its homework, and that clearly showed when Formula debuted the 387 center console in 2022. This was the first center console Formula had built in decades. Available in fish and sport models, the 387 was a hit with owners and a proven fish raiser.

Formula product specialist Abe Haines has been running the 387 in Florida-based fishing tournaments all summer. Haines and crew have put up solid showings, even taking home some prize money. All of that fishing has paid off in the form of useful tweaks to the boat to help it fish and cruise more efficiently. The Formula team has taken what it learned on the 38 and incorporated it into the new flagship, with more space on deck, more seating, more fuel capacity, more power, more cold storage, more range … more everything.

We fired up the outboards and headed for Miami’s Haulover Inlet. The plan was basic: run offshore to about 800 feet of water, roughly four miles, and work our way south. Hopefully we’d find some weed lines or diving birds — any signs of fish. I had to be back at the dock by 2:30 p.m. to catch a train.

The 457 weighs in at 36,000 pounds fully loaded, so you don’t jump right out of the hole. It took roughly 15 seconds to get up to cruising speed. The comfortable, soft ride was quickly evident as we were greeted by a 2- to 4-foot chop. The boat came off a few decent waves but never shuddered, slammed or took on spray. We ran at 37 knots getting 0.43 mpg, but don’t be fooled: This boat can hold its own on the speed front; it tops out close to 50 knots. Haines told me he recently made the 50-plus mile run from Bimini to Miami in an hour and 20 minutes.

The twin-step FAS3Tech hull runs straight and stable. There was no bow steering or wandering. You could hold a heading with only two fingers on the steering wheel. The 457 holds tight in a turn, as well. It is a pleasure to drive. Once we picked a waypoint, I engaged the autopilot, controlled with the Mercury joystick, sat back and enjoyed the air conditioning pouring out of the dash and the backrest of my seat.

The next design feature that caught my eye (and ears) was the Wind-Armor weather doors that open electronically, extending from the side of the console to the gunwale. The wind dampening was incredible, and opening and closing the doors with the push of a button was slick — you don’t have to leave the helm. With the weather doors open, it certainly didn’t feel like we were cruising at nearly 40 knots. It was quiet enough to have a normal conversation, and there was no worrying about your hat flying off.

The centerline helm offers unimpeded visibility through a massive one-piece windshield that opens on electric rams. We kept it open while idling in the Intracoastal Waterway, but closed it when we exited the no-wake zone. We put the three 22-inch Garmin screens to use, with navigation and fishfinder on one screen, engine data on another, and live video of the engines via a FLIR camera on the third. I like the safety aspect of having this video at the helm so you can keep an eye on your guests or kids without turning your head. This is the same helm and dash as the 457 sport, but the fish model had a second row of captain’s chairs as opposed to a bench.

All you have to do is look up to notice the biggest difference between the 457 Fish and Sport models. Situated atop the 18-foot-long hardtop is an upper station that feels more like a flybridge than the half-tower setup used on most fishing center consoles. There is room for four passengers up top. The helm is to starboard and a bit lower than I’m accustomed to on an upper station, where you often spend a good deal of time standing as you run and look for fish. Formula integrated some smart storage into the flybridge seating for things like canvas and electronics covers. The views are wide open, as well. The antennas are on a motorized mount that folds down if you need to slide under a bridge. A power-out cooler in the cockpit with enough space for a tailgate party’s worth of beer creates a step to make your way through a hatch up to the bridge.

The transom layout on the 457 CCF also varies from the Sport model. It has two 50-gallon live wells, one of which held an insert to store dive tanks. An electric grill on the port side makes al fresco cooking a snap. A transom door to starboard provides access to the aft deck around the outboards, which is sizable and offers easy access from the water if you’re taking a swim or snorkeling.

The in-deck fishbox had a built-in icemaker that dropped 20-plus pounds of ice an hour. Formula definitely doesn’t want its customer’s fish going bad. The fishbox had freezer plates, as well. The cockpit felt roomy thanks to a foldaway aft bench. The leaning post doubles as a work station, with ample tackle drawers and storage. There is a rod holder within arm’s reach from just about anywhere on the boat, including a rocket launcher above the sun shade that extends aft out of the hardtop. Standing on the cooler makes it easy to reach them.

The boat has a sea of cup holders, and they’re lighted and sync up with the powerful Rockford Phosgate stereo system so you can go full disco mode. And if your phone dies, that’s on you. There are close to 40 charging ports. A large hatch provides access to the bilge, where the Seakeeper 6 gyro stabilizer and Fischer Panda genset live. The bilge is a thing of beauty, clean and accessible.

The cabin and bow seating on the 457 Sport and Fish mirror one another. The air-conditioned cabin has a U-shaped lounge that converts to a double berth, a galley with fridge and microwave, and a head with a separate stand-up shower. Formula integrated skylights into the space for natural lighting.

The 457 Fish holds 700 gallons of fuel for a range of close to 270 miles at cruise. That opens up a lot of water for your next adventure. A run to the Bahamas, a night drifting baits at the canyons or rocking out with friends and family, whatever you’re in the mood for, this boat can accommodate. We didn’t find the fish on our short excursion, but that certainly wasn’t the boat’s fault.

Formula 457 CCF Specifications:

LOA: 49’1”
Beam: 13’9”
Draft: 4’6”
Displacement: 33,250 lb.
Fuel: 700 gal.
Water: 90 gal.
Power: 3/600-hp Mercury
Price: $2.6 million

This article originally appeared in the December 2024 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.

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Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boats/formula-457-ccf-boat-review