Monterey Elite 30 OB

In honor of Monterey Boat’s 40th Anniversary, the company’s designers spent three years creating an entirely new look — an elite center console influenced by European flair, built to exacting American standards that may well redefine this category of dayboating.

Monterey’s Elite 30-foot outboard does not look like your typical boat. Externally, of course, the sheer flowing lines, rich hull color and rakish hardtop are familiar until you start looking at the details. Even the left-hand placement of the captain’s helm with an automotive feel is fresh.

Not your typical layout

So, let’s get the tour started. At the bow, the highly polished stainless steel anchor becomes one with the boat. Recessed into the bow and tucked into the anchor plate, deployment and retrieval are accomplished with a handheld electronic control that hides away underneath a forward seat. Beneath both forward lounges are removable 50-quart Igloo coolers — one for your water bottles, one for canned beverages, and yes, a third is aft for snacks and sandwiches, or whatever combo works for your crew.

Monterey takes a new approach to an onboard head by incorporating it as part of the overall T-top and helm module. A forward-facing seat opens to port; take two steps down and there is an electric head, vanity with a solid surface top, sink and pullout sprayer. The week I tested this boat coincided with the company’s photoshoot. Picture a boat full of high-maintenance models going through countless costume changes and nary a complaint because the changing bathroom was so big! Now that’s an endorsement, my friends. On to an ingenious helm. Taking a cue from the past decade or two of luxury automotive interiors, Monterey made the decision to buck historical tradition, moving the steering wheel to the left and designing a cockpit with the copilot seated to the right. Like a Tesla, the instrument and navigation screen is a touchscreen. Simrad’s new showstopping dashboard, the NSX 15-inch Ultra-Wide, allows for full- or split-screen, along with your selection of gauges and readouts all created as presets. Your boating buddies will want to play with this piece of electronics the most. Other thoughtful touches are the armrest between the helm seats with built-in USB connections for charging or music playlists, room for storing cables, and a keyfob for turning on and off courtesy lights, which is a huge help when boarding the boat in darkness.

International Maritime Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea notes that maritime traffic is predominantly right-hand traffic, hence the reason why steering wheels are normally placed on the starboard-side. But that is changing, and it felt very comfortable after a couple of minutes of driving from the left-hand side.

Behind the helm are aft-facing seats and an aft sunpad with two articulating backrests. Below the seats are storage compartments that easily accommodate wakeboards, paddleboards and towables. Recessed in the gunnel is an optional inflator/deflator for the tubes. Overhead, attached to the hardtop, is a ski eye that keeps the tow rope elevated over the twin outboards and away from even your tallest passenger.

There are several notable touches throughout the Elite 30 OB, from hidden wireless charging pads to a 5-gallon bucket trash can that’s not your typical rectangular hard-to-remove receptacle, recessed below a wetbar with a solid surface insert, sinks, a faucet and storage. A couple of cockpit tables forward and aft are installed easily with pedestal and vertical side mount bases. Even the hardtop doesn’t look like your traditional hardtop. I found the structure’s engineered openings doubled as hand-hold rails for moving on, off and around the boat when up on plane. Nowhere do you see the usual grabrails — they simply become part of the boat’s structure.

Rhythm of the sea

In terms of construction, this marks a first in Monterey’s 40-year history. The stringers in the hull are all composite — a nod to ever-improving boat-building technology and the industry’s overall recognition that fiberglass boats are easily lasting 40-plus years. This adds to the vessels’ resale value and will make lending in the secondary finance market an easier task in the future.

Our test day was relatively calm — maybe a 1-foot chop that was consistent. This new hull seemed to adapt to the rhythm of the sea, and once we hit cruising speed of about 36 mph, trim tabs balanced the load and talk shifted to our favorite waterfront restaurants for lunch.

We counted heads — the boat easily handles 12 adults and has ample room to walk port or starboard without everyone having to shift feet. Upholstery from Monterey’s new in-house seamstress and vinyl team is very modern with excellent patterns, strong stitching and exciting color combos. Even the lumbar placement is spot on! Instead of a conservative, methodical approach to the market, Monterey is appealing to a brand-new customer, is ahead of the curve with this model and decidedly earns the badge of Elite.