Formula 387 CCF (2025-)

Chapter 1: Introduction & Thunderbolt Row Heritage

0:00 You're looking at one of the most luxurious and family-friendly center console fishing machines on the water.

0:06 She's not for everybody, but everybody would love to own her. Let's find out why.

0:14 Welcome aboard the Formula 387 CCF. I'm Captain Dave for Boat Test, and in this video, we're going to look at the craftsmanship and features of one of the most luxurious center consoles in production today. But before we get started, a little bit about the company.

0:29 You know, Formula has been building boats for 70 years and has a rock-solid reputation in this industry. It's only fitting, too, that today we're filming out of Keystone Point Marina down here in Miami because just a few blocks away, the world-famous Thunderboat Row is where Formula got its start.

0:44 Now, typically in a center console fishing boat, I would start in the cockpit because that's where all the action is going to take place. But not in this boat. This boat is designed around the family and the fisherman. And if you've got a family on board, they're going to be more interested in what starts at the bow. So, this is where we're going to begin this video.

Chapter 2: Bow Seating, Sunbed & Deck Storage

1:07 There's several different seating configurations you can do up here on the bow. There's a filler piece that goes in. It's stored underneath here, and what it'll do is create a U-shaped settee.

1:19 What I have here, this section of floor raises up and becomes a table. You can put an additional cushion, and now you've got a giant daybed up here to complement the lounge. It'll also raise higher, and now you've got a table where you can have a little sandbar picnic, and this becomes a U-shaped settee.

1:33 The storage that's underneath this bow lounge also doubles as a cooler. Drains overboard. When you're not using it to store your filler piece or your cushions, you can put additional ice. You can do drinks, food, maybe a fish box.

1:47 Also, in addition, this hatch is held open by stainless steel hydraulic shocks. It's one of the few hatches on the boat that does have that. All the rest have friction hinges, but this hatch is so big and so massive, they gave you a little bit extra lift to hold it in place, so there's no chance of it slamming down and catching your fingers.

2:06 You have storage under both sides, port and starboard. They use magnets to hold the hatch closed so that way if you get in rough water, you don't have to worry about the hatch popping up and down, but you don't have a latch that you have to undo.

2:21 There are USB ports all over this boat. Any place you want to plug in a cell phone, they made provisions for it. We even have a Fusion stereo control up here so you can control your music up from the bow rather than having to go back behind the console.

2:36 Easily seat two people, maybe three in a pinch. Armrest folds down, cup holders, USB. This is actually a skylight that goes down inside the console. They use good quality marine upholstery, but it's not overdone. It's enough to where it's comfortable. It's everything you need, but it's nothing that you don't. They didn't overdo the upholstery; it's just right.

3:03 There's storage everywhere on this boat. They've also put little leave-outs here where you can keep your cell phone, drinks, or food. Additional USB, and you're going to see those all over the boat. And these are your controls right here for your table that goes up and down.

3:16 Formula offers a number of options, and one I would definitely go for is the forward awning. Your guests will love it, and Formula has a dedicated place to stow the poles.

Chapter 3: Second Station Tower

3:23 What sets this model apart from many boats in class is the mini flybridge. Getting up there is an easy climb from the aft console. Now we're up on the second station. Actually, Formula calls this their tower, and I'm calling it a small flybridge of a sportfish. Extremely comfortable, a great place to drive the boat from. Their tower capacity: three people or 460 pounds.

3:51 You can see so much more. You can see deeper down into the water column. If you're pulling baits and you're trolling, you can see when fish come up and hit, especially if you're running the Keys or a place where you've got shallow water next to a channel. Driving from up here, you can see that edge of the channel, and you're a lot less apt to run aground.

4:10 This scaled-down battlewagon comes standard with Gemlux 18-foot outriggers with telescoping poles and a rigging kit. Let's go down to the lower helm.

Chapter 4: Lower Helm, Sound System & Cockpit AC

4:23 Formula has equipped this boat with a Fusion 600-watt stereo system with Bluetooth MP3 ports, eight JL Audio LED multicolor chrome 6.5-inch speakers in the hardtop, four in the cockpit, plus a 200-watt subwoofer.

4:42 These two ports in the face of the console and this port blowing up my back is air conditioning. You might ask yourself, why would you have air conditioning on an open center console boat? But I'm telling you, it makes a difference. 18,000 BTUs of AC you can actually feel. On those hot summer days when there's not a breath of wind, it will make a giant difference in the way you're able to stay out on the boat all day long.

5:06 The fiberglass hardtop on this Formula 387 CCF is massive, but it's not so big that it interferes with your bottom fishing if you bring a rod up. Beautiful upholstered finish on the underside. Typically, you don't see this; typically, it's just a fiberglass finish. Formula went that extra step to make the boat a little bit nicer. Extremely comfortable captain's chairs.

Chapter 5: Helm Tacklestation, Serving Bar & Cooler

5:32 The tackle station that's behind the helm is multi-functional. You have a built-in sink. The lid for the sink flips over, locks into these fiddles. As you can see, this makes an excellent place for serving food while entertaining. And these are your controls for your cooler.

5:51 This is a sunshade that slides in and out. When you pull that out and you slide the cooler out, now you have additional aft-facing seating. What's really nice about this: these ports under here, more air conditioning ports like we had forward.

6:14 Look how fast that is. You don't have to sit here all day and wait for the cooler to go, and you don't have to push it manually. It's quick. When you want it, you can grab a drink out of it. When you don't need it, it's out of the way.

6:26 Formula also makes a 387 CCS—that's their sport model. In a sport model, this is seating back here. The CCF, which we're on today, is set up for fishing. We have twin pressurized 40-gallon livewells.

Chapter 6: Cockpit & Fishing Features

6:40 They're lit. They've got several inlets for water to keep your bait fresh all day long. And being pressurized, when you're in rough conditions, you're not going to beat your bait up.

6:51 What Formula did is put your controls for your livewells here in the back—not only your pumps, but your lights. That way you don't have to go all the way back to the helm to turn your livewells on and off; controls are right here. Let's say you want to cook some of the catch from that day's fishing. They've made provisions for that as well.

Chapter 7: Transom Grill & Fold-Down Seating

7:09 You have an electric grill right here at the transom of the boat.

7:12 A unique feature of Formula's transom seating: as you drop the seat, the backrest raises up, catching you more in the middle of your back rather than lower in the small of your back. Just forward to the transom, you have a plug for your electric deep drop reels. There's actually four of them on the boat.

Chapter 8: Hullside Dive Door & Boarding Steps

7:30 They've added some pretty unique features to this side door. First and foremost, you've got a double step going onto the dock—step here, step there. So much easier than making that one big tall step.

7:38 When you open the door, it swings completely out of the way. Now I can walk forward and the door is underneath the gunnel. This receiver right here, that's for your dive ladder. Stow the dive ladder here, but when you want to use it, lock it in, throw it overboard. They even put a convenient handle here to help you get in and out of the water.

8:01 These are the little things that Formula has thought about to add features to the boat—not just for them to be a feature, but it's convenience and it's something you're going to use. Just aft of this side door to port, pressurized water hookup. When you're dockside, you don't have to run your freshwater tank. Hook your hose up here, and it'll pressurize your water system for you.

8:27 This cockpit has every feature a big game angler could want, as well as family-friendly features for entertaining. There are very few 30-something center consoles which can do both as well as this Formula.

Chapter 9: Washdowns, Under-Gunwale Storage & Chilled Fish Boxes

8:37 You've got raw water washdown on the starboard side, freshwater washdown on the port side, and you don't have that annoying little coily hose. These pull out, they lock, and then they'll retract back in on their own. You have storage for rods, gaffs, mops, fish hooks, whatever, underneath the gunnel.

8:55 You have a good positive toe rail. If you're fighting a big fish or leaning over to get something out of the water, having the ability to lock your foot underneath that toe rail keeps you from going over, especially if it's rough. Rod holder/cup holder combinations all the way around the boat—there are 22 of them.

9:14 This hatch right here has dedicated storage for a fish cleaning table and a bucket. This longer hatch aft is a fish box, and there's one on both sides. In there are chiller plates. What's nice about that is you can take on enough ice to last a week in the Bahamas, transferring the ice as you need it from your fish box up to your coolers above deck. Never have to buy ice while you're out.

9:38 If you want to use it as a fish box, you catch a fish, throw it down in there, and you don't have to mess with picking up ice when you leave the marina that morning. The chiller plate is going to take care of that for you and keep your catch fresh.

9:49 Pull-out trash can—I think every boat of this stature should have one. You have an additional storage area here, EPIRB, fire extinguisher, and your control for the AC I was telling you about earlier. This robust Yeti Tundra 35 cooler slides out when needed and is out of the way when not.

Chapter 10: Cabin Accommodations, Galley & Enclosed Head

10:11 Now, let's visit another aspect of the 387 that sets her apart. When was the last time you saw a center console with accommodations that are anywhere close to this? There's a table that can go here and become a little dinette. You can drop both of these, pull this out—here are your filler cushions that turn this into a solid berth. Your support pole and the table go in here when not in use; they're out of the way.

10:43 There's additional storage on both sides. You have pull-down curtains for the windows. Earlier when we were talking about the bow lounge, remember the port light? You don't always have to have your LEDs on; you get a lot of natural light in here so you don't end up feeling claustrophobic.

11:02 You have a pull-out stainless fridge here, a sink there, and a microwave. Another feature of the cabin is an enclosed head. It's a wet head with a pull-out shower. You've got additional storage and another sink in there. It's private and enclosed.

11:17 You have over 6 feet of headroom in here. Plenty of living space for two people to spend an extended weekend or longer if they want to go island hopping. Plenty of room for storage, but its intended purpose is overnighting, and that's something this boat is going to do very well.

Chapter 11: Final Verdict & Wrap-Up

11:40 About 25 years ago, some builders of center consoles woke up to the fact that a majority of the buyers were using their boats for family cruising and entertaining—something center consoles weren't made for. The solution for some was to put two $75 backrests on the forward storage boxes and maybe a fold-down transom seat.

12:05 I hope this review of the Formula 387 CCF shows you what a true dual-purpose center console can actually be like with no compromise for fishing or family entertaining. Thank you for watching our features review of the Formula 387 CCF. If you like to fish and you have a family, you need to take a look at this boat. It may be just the boat you're looking for.

12:26 Thanks for watching, and remember: life is always better on a boat.