Believe it or not, Fort Sumter is still being bombarded. But instead of grapeshot and cannon fire, Charleston's best-known landmark is being pounded by three-foot waves in the nasty shipping channel. What would anyone be doing out in this slop? Why, taking a leisurely sightseeing cruise, just like any other tourist. Instead of a visitor cattle car boat, like the 75-foot General Beauregard, this tour is being conducted aboard Sea Fox's newest flagship, the 287 Center Console. This ultimate bang-for-the-buck offshore fishing boat gives anglers a highly competent blue-water platform with state-of-the-art engines for less than $70,000. While some manufacturers offer low-cost boats, often they are stripped down and require extensive optioning before the boat can be used. Sea Fox actually gives you a well-equipped standard boat that allows you to customize it without breaking the bank.' Cranking the keys causes the needles on the big black-and-white tachometers to spring into action. And for the slightly hard of hearing, this is the only perceivable reaction as these 225-hp Mercury 4-strokes are stealthily silent, measuring only 59 decibels at idle. Casting off the lines, the Quicksilver 3000 control levers are clunked into forward and the 287 moves away from the dock at the Charleston Harbor Marina. The black plastic Mercury controls are massive, but ergonomically feel very good in the hand of the driver. Despite not being broken in yet, they feel reasonably smooth and substantial ' a definite improvement over some earlier models. The trio of twin tachs and a speedometer are clustered tightly together like three pancakes in a pan and are high enough to be easy to read. The entire instrument panel sits behind a lockable, lift-up, slide-in cover of Plexiglas. To the right is a recessed flat area that could be used for placing a flush-mounted fishfinder and navigational aids, or for 'low-techies,' can be used solely for storage. With a tilt, three-spoke stainless-steel steering wheel, complete with spinner knob, the driver is in control, and for seating comfort there is a nicely padded leaning post with an angled backrest and a flip-down footrest. Underneath the leaning post is a standard 94-quart Igloo cooler wedged into place with large stops.

After clearing the no-wake zone, the 287 is put on plane and the props on the twin 4-strokes bite cleanly into the water, pushing the 4,800-pound hull to 30 mph in less than six seconds, which is outstanding acceleration. At wide-open throttle, the 287 reaches a respectable top speed of nearly 57 mph and remains very stable. One minor problem is that at full throttle, the Quicksilver 3000 control levers lay flush against the console, meaning you can't curl your fingers over the top of the binnacles without mashing them. Dropping back to a more economical pace, the engines seem happiest at about 4000 rpm, which nets a cruise speed just under 40 mph over the two-foot seas. The 287 turns well and is nimble for a boat of its size. Dodging debris at high-speed trim isn't a problem, and with the trim down the Sea Fox can carve tight turns without ventilating. Equipped with standard recessed electric trim tabs, leveling the hull in cross-sea conditions is easy because the switches are conveniently located just to the right of the wheel. The curved windscreen isn't tall enough to provide total coverage, but offshore anglers who would rather have better visibility over comfort prefer this configuration.

Close to the fort, the seas rise to three feet in the brisk wind and the hull pounds a little, but the ride remains highly controllable and feels solid. Dropping down to idle to view the place where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, the wide 9-foot-8-inch beam and moderate 20-degree deadrise makes the 287 a very stable platform at trolling/spectating speeds. Another nice touch is the high gunwales, which are nearly waist high amidships. Combined with the standard toerails, these safety features will make fishing offshore in big seas less hazardous, and with standard bolsters in the cockpit and bow area, you won't feel battered and bruised after a day in harsh conditions.

The fishing cockpit is uncluttered and well-laid-out. Across the transom, there is a 40-gallon livewell that has two lids (for some reason). Next to it is a bait prep area that comes complete with a cutting board, tackle box and sink. With a standard freshwater washdown fed by a 15-gallon tank, keeping hands fish slime-free is easy. There is a raw-water washdown on the far side of the transom that will make short work of big clean-up jobs like those that occur after a mahi-mahi blitz. Twin 35-gallon, in-deck fish boxes give anglers plenty of capacity and have macerator pumps for easy draining. You can bring all the fishing rods you own aboard this Sea Fox and have a place to stow them. There are six rod holders on top of the gunwale with caps to prevent water from entering the bilge, and six more under the gunwales that have bungee stays. The leaning post has room for five rods in the rocket launchers that don't angle too severely, so you can ride shotgun in rough water without getting 'rod-whacked' in the face. With the optional T-top installed, there is room for six more fishing sticks for a grand total of 23 holders, not even including the twin lockable storage compartment. The sturdy T-top is also notable for its passenger-friendly tubing, which gives riders plenty of places to hang on to. They also don't have the usual cross-supports that intrude into the driver's field of vision.

The large console has a standard portable head and is tall enough for large fishermen to enter without an attack of claustrophobia. In front of the console is a bench seat with a nicely padded, angled backrest, and the bow's V-seats have standard cushions that sit atop the large, lockable dry storage compartments. A nice feature of the hatches is the fat-finger-friendly latches. There is a removable insert to make the bow section into a large casting platform or a sunpad, depending on how well the fish are biting. A recessed, stainless-steel bow rail comes standard and looks good while giving bowriders a place to grab. Up front there is an integrated bow pulpit with a roller and an accessible rode locker. Unfortunately there is no electric winch option for those fishermen who shun manual labor.

Opening the transom door puts you out on the Euro-style transom, which has a recessed boarding ladder and a grab rail. The clean look of the transom, however, is marred by the engines' haphazard collection of hoses and cables, which look as confused as a Florida voter. Even worse, the protective cover over the cables ' where they enter the hull ' isn't tight enough to keep water out should over-zealous backing down fill the splashwell.

Minor nit-picks aside, Sea Fox is offering one heck of a boat for the money, although you do give up some of the niceties found on pricier boats, such as pop-up cleats, and standard features that are options on the 287, like a stereo, twin battery switch, and chrome-over-bronze through-hull fittings. But Sea Fox still gives you plenty of standards such as trim tabs, compass, freshwater washdown and lockable compartments. Fit and finish are better than you would expect for a 'price boat,' and the no-wood construction is solid, albeit pretty standard. With a pair of Mercury 4-strokes, the $69,000 package gives owners a big, blue-water center console fishing machine that is inexpensive to own and cheap to run. And with a 10-year transferable warranty for the hull and three years for the engines, owners have some peace of mind that this rig won't nibble away at the savings account any time soon. You could pay more for a boat, or you could be smart like a fox.