What is a console boat?
A console boat is an open motorboat with a fixed helm. You steer with a wheel, and cables run from the helm to the outboard. With the helm in the middle of the boat it is a centre console; with the helm to one side, a side console. There is no cabin, so the deck stays free for fishing, swimming and gear. If you want to sit sheltered from rain or sleep on board, you need a different type of boat.
The difference from a tiller boat: there you sit at the stern and steer with the handle on the engine. At a console you sit further forward, with wheel, instruments and windscreen in front of you. The price is space: the console stands on the deck, and the steering cable and remote controls are equipment a tiller boat does not need.
From the main steering position, the operator must have good all-round visibility under normal conditions of speed and load, as the EU Recreational Craft Directive requires [1]. How the field of vision forward and aft is assessed is set out in EN ISO 11591 for craft up to 24 m hull length [3].
Four console boats from 3.66 to 5.17 m
Every SeaStorm is delivered with a helm console, wheel, cable steering and windscreen, with the Mercury outboard fitted (SeaStorm 17 with 70 hp: Yamaha). The comparison above shows prices and engines; this table shows the figures that shape everyday use of a console boat.
| Model | Length | Persons (CE C / D) | Draught | Engine | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SeaStorm 12 | 3.66 m | 4 / 6 | 18 cm | 15–30 hp | 55 l forward, 2 × 32 l aft |
| SeaStorm 13s | 4.00 m | 5 / 5 | 20 cm | 15–60 hp | not stated by the manufacturer |
| SeaStorm 14 | 4.28 m | 5 / 6 | 18 cm | 15–40 hp | 74 l forward, 2 × 35 l aft |
| SeaStorm 17 | 5.17 m | 6 / 8 | 22 cm | 15–80 hp | 72 l forward, 2 × 45 l aft |
If you are looking for a console boat of around 5 m, that is the SeaStorm 17: 5.17 m long, up to 80 hp and 610 kg payload according to the manufacturer. The SeaStorm 12 is the smallest boat in the range and fits the unbraked 500 kg trailer offered in the configurator. All four hulls are shorter than 6 m. For this size, EN ISO 12217-3 describes the assessment of stability and buoyancy [2].
Help me choose
Which console boat suits you?
SeaStorm 14: the console boat for fishing and family
The SeaStorm 14 is the model this page is built around. It is 4.28 m long and 1.86 m wide, with a double-wall HDPE hull. Standard equipment includes the helm console with wheel, windscreen, bimini top, sunbed, swim ladder, navigation lights and an anchor kit.
SeaStorm 14 at a glance
- length overall
- 4.28 m
- draught
- 18 cm
- persons in CE category C / D
- 5 / 6
- storage forward, plus 2 × 35 l aft
- 74 l
- four Mercury engine options (metric hp, 11 to 29 kW)
- 15–40 hp
For anglers, the free deck and the shallow draught matter most. A Garmin depth sounder with GPS speedometer is available as an extra for the SeaStorm 14 at €699. If fishing is the main reason for the boat, equipment and use are covered on the page fishing boat. For families, the person count matters: 5 persons in category C, 6 in category D.
CE category C and D: where the boat is designed to go
The design category states the weather a boat is built for. A boat of category C is considered to be designed for wind force up to and including 6 and significant wave height up to and including 2 m [1]. Category D applies up to wind force 4 and 0.3 m significant wave height, with occasional waves of 0.5 m maximum [1].
That is why the SeaStorm 14 has two person counts: for sheltered water (D) it is designed for one more person than for more wind and waves (C). The builder’s plate on your boat is authoritative. Among other things it states the design category, the maximum load and the number of persons the boat was designed to carry [1]. Whether the weather suits the trip is the skipper’s decision before casting off, not a property of the boat.
Do you need a licence?
That depends on the country and the waters and, depending on the country, on engine power, top speed or hull length, not on the boat layout. The check applies the rule of each country with a checked source to every SeaStorm 14 engine option and names the source. Background is on the page motorboat and licence; how much power you need is covered in the horsepower guide.
Licence check
Do I need a licence for this boat?
Pick a country, model and engine. The result comes from our rules database, every rule with its primary source and the date we checked it.
Licence required
- Engine power 11.03 kW, limit 4.4 kW
Führerinnen und Führer von Motorfahrzeugen für Sport- oder Erholungszwecke mit einer Antriebsleistung von weniger als 4,4 kW
The figures come from the primary sources linked above and are not legal advice. What counts is the law of the waters you navigate, on the day you navigate them.
Buying, trailer and delivery
The SeaStorm 14 costs €15,499 with 15 hp and €18,699 with 40 hp. The price includes the fitted Mercury outboard with pre-delivery inspection (PDI), battery, tank and steering. When you compare offers, check whether engine, fitting and trailer are included in the price.
A 750 kg trailer is available in the configurator. Whether your car may tow it and which driving licence category you need is covered in the article boat trailer licence and towing capacity. You can collect the boat in Leverkusen, Germany, or have it delivered.
Configure your boat below and send us your questions; we reply in writing.
