Wellcraft Launches Commuter 355

Decades after Wellcraft starred on the Miami Vice television show, the brand is being reimagined for the boater of today.

Decades after Wellcraft starred on the Miami Vice television show, the brand is being reimagined for the boater of today.

For boaters of a certain vintage, the name Wellcraft will always conjure images of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs chasing drug smugglers at wide open throttle in Miami Vice. Featuring dark sunglasses, oozie machine guns and a quintessentially 80s electronic soundtrack, the show had all the ingredients for a successful five-season run, including a Wellcraft 38 Scarab KV powered by twin 440-hp inboards. That boat fit the purpose and time like a perfectly tailored white blazer.

Times, they say, are changing. The go-fast boats of yesteryear are largely falling into the wake, being replaced instead by outboard-powered cruisers designed to get you from point A to point B in comfort, and back home in time for the kid’s soccer practice. Understanding the needs of today’s boaters, Wellcraft recently splashed a 36-foot Commuter 355. Powered by triple Mercury or Yamahas (hull one is powered by trip 300-hp Mercurys) the newcomer is said to hit a top end north of 50 knots. A hull courtesy of Michael Peters Yacht Design should deliver a comfortable and grippy ride.

We’re told that the primary mission of this boat will be an exceptional—and quick—ride for time-crunched boaters. However, the 355 does have an adequate cabin below with a head and separate shower for overnighting, and the salon table can lower to form a second berth in a pinch.

With a plumb-bow and exterior styling that resembles Axopar, the 355 should open up nicely when the weather is good and shelter your crew when it isn’t. I can see this boat being equally at home in Florida and the Pacific Northwest.

While we’re hoping to get aboard in the weeks to come, this model will be available to the public at the Ft. Lauderdale show this fall.

As this boat prepares for its public debut, in the deep recesses of the internet, rumors are swirling about a Miami Vice remake starring Vin Diesel. Could we once again see a Wellcraft grace our screens? The thought of Vin Diesel pulling off the dock with a joystick and chasing bad guys from the helm just forward of L-shaped seating and a nice little galley makes me think that some things are better left in the past.

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Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boats/wellcraft-launches-commuter-355