Pursuit OS 325

Sometimes it’s the little things that will sway your decision when choosing one boat over another. Sure, you look for the cool features if you’re trying to trick out a fishing platform.

Or you’re more into the comfort accoutrements if sizing up a cruiser. Maybe you’re even looking for nice cabin space for a family weekender.

Well, you hit the jackpot with the Pursuit OS 325 (OS is for Offshore), which has the attributes of all three aforementioned styles — no small feat in itself. A bit of a utilitarian vessel, the OS 325 has something for everyone. Add in the little things found around the vessel and you will realize that this boat was conceptualized, designed and engineered by anglers, cruisers and weekenders.

Safety first

As part of Pursuit’s Offshore series (along with the 385 and 355 models), the OS 325 is built for fishing offshore as well as in the back bays. Safety is key and Pursuit builds it in. High rails make transiting along the sides and to the bow a safe venture. Decks are clean thanks to the cap-mounted cleats and recessed ground tackle (through-hull anchor, no bow pulpit). There are grabrails along the top of the house and seemingly inconspicuous handrails all around the main deck. Even the interior hardtop has fore/aft rails — a great idea!

Built to handle the seas, the hull is hand-laminated with vinylester resin fiberglass. Supporting the bolt-on outboards is a five-ply composite transom system with Pursuit’s patented transom reinforcement grid. You don’t want a builder cutting corners here. An infused fiberglass structural grid system adds rigidity to the hull. Designed with a sharp bow to slice waves, the hull sports several lifting strakes, hard chines and a 20-degree transom deadrise to handle sporty seas while maintaining expected performance.

Under the big top

We all know how the weather doesn’t always cooperate with your plans, and the OS 325 can handle what Mother Nature dishes out. Thanks to the three-sided windshield system integrated into the fiberglass hardtop, you can be shielded from the elements and still make way. Tempered side glass and a single-pane laminated forward windshield offer excellent visibility and no spotting with polarized glasses. Twin pantograph wipers keep the glass clear. Standard side and optional aft curtains are a nice addition for all-weather operation, even into the winter months. Keep cool with the overhead hatches, electrically actuated windshield vent window, or the optional 12,000 BTU cockpit AC system (a nice feature when the curtains are closed up). You’ll need the Fischer Panda 5.0 kW diesel generator for this and the cabin 10,000 BTU reverse cycle AC when away from the dock.

Under the hardtop is a great social area. To port is an L-settee; it’s long enough for four to five adults to sit comfortably and includes a reverse lounge, so you can relax facing aft. Drop in the optional removable table when cocktails are served. The helm seat to starboard swivels and has two foldable armrests and a flip-up bolster.

As on most Pursuit boats, the helm is compact yet filled with the electronics you will need. Our test boat had the Garmin electronics package installed, with twin Garmin 12-inch GPSMAP multifunction displays, a Yamaha engine display for the twin Yamaha F300 outboards, a Lewmar bow thruster, low-profile Yamaha throttles, Lenco tabs and more. Rocker switches are mounted next to the Edson stainless wheel with control knob and non-slip grip on the backside — a nice feature on cold mornings.

Able bodied

Pursuit’s director of brand management and my wheel man for the day, Mark Taiclet, put the OS 325 through the paces so I could record some RPM/speed/GPH figures. As a boater himself, Taiclet takes great pride in the brand and what the factory delivers. And he should, as the OS 325 performed very well, felt stable, took the turns with assuredness and responded to the throttle commands quickly. We were cruising at 22.5 mph at 4000 RPM on the twin Yamaha F300 outboards, skimming across the 2-foot chop, burning 26.3 gph. Take a leisurely cruise at 9.3 mph sipping only 7.3 gallons total. When you need the ponies to get you home, the OS 325 topped out at 46.7 mph (averaged over reciprocal runs) at 5700 RPM and 56.5 gph. Pushing a 12,430-pound (dry) hull with full fuel and four persons, I say these are impressive numbers. Taiclet gently docked the OS 325 into her slip with just a nudge on the bow thruster. As old school guys, we both like the feel and response from the electronic throttles.

Getting some wheel time on open water, I quickly realized I like the visibility, especially aft when fishing or pulling the tube. The forward view is unobstructed through the 7-foot-wide windshield.

Fish On

If you’re going out to drown some bait (yeah, you don’t always catch, we know), you’ll find a handy cockpit layout for fishing. Thanks to the cushioned aft-facing cockpit seat, it’s comfortable watching the trolling lines. The cockpit tackle center cabinet includes tackle trays, lure tubes and drawers. Keep the bait fresh in the 24-gallon recirculating livewell and keep the catch in the insulated deck fishboxes. Gunwale and hardtop rod holders store eight rods. Outriggers (18 feet) can be added. According to Taiclet, this is “a fishing boat you can sign off on.” The jury agrees.

Out for comfort

For the cruising crowd, there’s no worry as to where the guests will sit. Pursuit built in two fold-down seats, port and transom, with dri-fast foam on sturdy metal brackets. Forward to port is the entertainment center with a cutting board, a hot/cold sink and bucket storage below. Conveniently, the center of the entertainment center can accommodate a Kenyon electric grill. Take your catch and cook it right up. It doesn’t get much better than that!

No fever cabin

The forward cabin is roomy enough to hang out in. With 6 feet, 2 inches of headroom, tongue-and-groove flooring, solid wood walls and sound dampening insulation, this is hardly a cave. Meal prep is courtesy of an Isotherm fridge/freezer, a built-in GE microwave oven, a Kenyon single-burner flat cooktop, and a hot/cold sink with a cutting board all surrounded by a Corian countertop. Pantry and drawer storage is included.

Meals are served in the forward V-berth dinette with a wood table. At bedtime, the table electrically lowers and the seat/backrest cushions slide across making a large berth. The trick is that the cushions used for the dinette fill in the center so there’s no need to carry/store extra cushions. Aft of the steps is a mid-berth sleeping area with lockers and storage.

Well thought out is the fiberglass head, with 5 feet, 10 inches of head room, a designer basin sink, a Corian counter, a medicine cabinet and a vacuum-flush marine head. Doing double duty is the sink faucet that pulls out to be used as the shower. Another nice touch was including a folding seat over the toilet.

Other little things found around the OS 325 are the cabin portholes, a built-in transom ladder in case you go overboard, a dedicated battery box, a cockpit electric sunshade, a hook in the livewell to hold the plug or net, an integrated helm footrest that flips to a platform for improved visibility, a head GFI electrical outlet inside the cabinet, flip-down rod storage in the aft berth and more. I especially like the rubber grommets on the cockpit lids that securely engage with the base plug, keeping the lids closed and reducing vibrations.

For a mixed-use vessel, the Pursuit OS 325 fills all the needs of an active operator. As Mark Taiclet put it, “it’s an on the water RV.”