2010 Princecraft Platinum SE 206

By: Matt Spencer

You know I’ve always been an advocate for the fishing boat that’s a little rough around the edges; the type where you’re not worried if you track mud into it or spill the worms. I think it goes back to my childhood of trolling up and down the cottage lake in the utility aluminium boat with the 9.8 Merc on it. That’s what fishing always was for me… until I tested the Princecraft Platinum SE 206.

My opinion has made a complete 180. I now realize fishing can be comfortable and refined. Nice finish and features are certainly not limited to bowriders and cruisers. I imagine this experience would be similar to one sitting in their first Cadillac after driving a Cavalier.

Platinum in its elemental form is a very rare, precious metal with the atomic number of 78. The fact that it is so rare makes it quite valuable on the market and it has always been used to describe items with similar qualities. But it is also quite a versatile element. It doesn’t tarnish or corrode and it has a high resistance to chemical attack, as well as possessing excellent high temperature characteristics.

Essentially, Platinum looks great but it is also a very strong and tough performer; making it a very suitable namesake for this particular Princecraft fishing boat.

When most boaters are heading in because the conditions aren’t ideal, fishermen are on their way out so fishing boats need to be extremely tough performers.

While the conditions were quite calm on test day, features like the high gunwales and toe kicks below are great assurances that you will be safe and secure in the 206 should you venture into troubled waters.

The boat also has built-in elements, invisible to the naked eye, that reassures the strength of the SE 206.The hull bottom is built with 110-gauge aluminium and Princecraft uses twin plating from the bow to midship and at the chine from midship to stern.

And while you may not see this while driving it, you can certainly hear it – or, rather, it’s what you’re not hearing. At a cruise of 31 mph at 4000 rpm we had a sound reading of 86.2 dbA at the helm. That makes for easy conversation.

Even in the aft, two people sitting on either side of the Verado could still chat with a reading of only 92.7 dbA. But the Verado, which has gained a strong reputation for quiet running, deserves some of the credit for that.

I was very impressed to see this 206 equipped with the optional Verado. I was expecting to see the SE 206’s standard 150-hp OptiMax on the back, but the four-cylinder 200-hpVerado seemed a little more suited for this package – a notion the numbers supported.

In a zero to 20 hole shot, I got 7.21 seconds, reaching 30 in an impressive 9.93 seconds. Once on plane, the package cruised very nicely between 25.9 mph at 3500 rpm and 36.8 mph at 4500 rpm. You can do plenty of fishing on one tank of gas at those speeds, and track your fuel flow on the SmartCraft gauges along the way.

I’ve always been impressed with the Verado’s midrange, but there was still plenty of punch left when putting the throttles down to get up to top speed.

At WOT, the Platinum SE 206 hit 50 mph on GPS at 6200 rpm. Now, I realize most people won’t use this speed every day, but it’s always great to know it’s there. While running at top speed, adjusting the trim a little did cause it to chine walk a bit, so be conscience of that during your test drive. So the Platinum SE 206 is certainly a strong performer, but does it look as good as the element? Indeed it does.

The sun danced on the two-tone black and metallic beige hull, giving it a proud looking stance at the dock.

Inside, you’ll find everything you need and more for a weekend fishing trip, including two large livewells, seating for eight, a premium stereo for entertainment and a Lowrance HDS- 5 high-resolution fish finder/chartplotter.

And remember earlier when I compared it to a Cadillac? The SE 206 also features Princecraft’s new soft touch dash, similar to what you’d find in any luxury car. With downrigger mounts and the 9.9 kicker, along with lockable rod storage for up to 12 rods, your fishing possibilities are endless.

There’s a good chance the time I spent with the Princecraft Platinum SE 206 has spoiled me for my traditional fishing roots, but I’m OK with it. I bet if you did the same, you’d be spoiled too… but you deserve it. You love fishing, so fish in a boat of the highest prestige – a Platinum, if you will. That’s right, spoil yourself next season with the 2010 Princecraft Platinum SE 206.

POWER/PERFORMANCE

Test boat engine: 200hp Mercury Verado Four-Stroke Outboard 

ACCELERATION (mph/sec)

0-20 / 7.21 sec ; 0-30 / 9.93 sec ; 0-40 / 13.19 sec

TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)

6200 / 50

CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)

3000 / 20.8 ; 3500 / 25.9 ; 4000 / 31.3 ; 4500 / 36.8

SPEED TESTING BY Lowrance GPS