Sea Pro 259 DLX $130,000+ down the drain and an expensive paperweight!

Complaint Details

I moved to South Carolina years ago with the lifelong dream of living by the ocean and fishing as often as possible. To make that dream real I purchased a new Sea Pro 259 DLX from Coastal Marine — a 2021 model with twin Suzuki 200s — during the COVID-era boat-buying surge. At the time many boats were on long wait lists, so I was grateful to find one available and paid roughly $125,000.

My experience as a new boat owner quickly turned into a series of significant and recurring failures. Shortly after purchase the boat suddenly lost steering while I was underway and I had to be towed back to the dock. Coastal Marine diagnosed a cracked steering sensor and replaced it, attributing the failure to factory trim settings. After that, problems continued: repeated steering failures, severe motor cavitation that left the boat unable to make way, poor wiring and bilge-pump issues that risked flooding, gel coat cracking, and other defects. I have had the wiring redone multiple times and have spent a substantial sum — tens of thousands of dollars in repairs and upgrades — trying to get the boat to a safe, reliable condition.

I attempted to monetize the boat by placing it with Freedom Boat Club; they sold a membership and the member took the boat out once, after which we refunded the membership because the problems persisted. On another outing the windshield detached and nearly struck me; on other trips the motors cavitated so badly we could not move. Coastal Marine and Sea Pro repeatedly downplayed or dismissed my concerns, and I discovered via owner groups that many Sea Pro 259 owners have experienced similar problems. I also invested in upgrades through Coastal — including a Minn Kota i-Pilot and outrigger hardware — but those systems have only intermittently functioned and have not solved the core issues.

Sea Pro eventually took the boat for warranty work. After sitting in their yard for months it was returned and supposedly sea-trialed, yet when my broker took it out the steering behaved in the opposite direction, and on one occasion the props were installed backwards. On multiple other instances the motors would not go into gear or would not start for different operators. Each trip seemed to introduce new failures or reveal issues that had not been properly resolved.

Given the ongoing safety risks, repeated repairs, inconsistent diagnostics, and mounting financial losses, I am organizing other affected 259 owners and pursuing legal counsel. We are collecting documentation and receipts and are in discussions with law firms about potential collective action. My goal is to hold the manufacturer and dealer accountable for chronic defects and poor remedies, and to make sure other owners do not suffer the same dangers and expenses.

If you own a Sea Pro 259 and have experienced similar problems, please get in touch — we are compiling evidence and interested parties for possible legal action. I want to ensure these defects are addressed, owners are made whole, and future buyers are warned.