Another Fountain First: A Dual Console
By Gregg Mansfield
Photos courtesy of Fountain Powerboats
Fountain Powerboats just launched its first dual console boat in the company’s 44-year history.
It’s not a typical dual console, as the new 39DX offers performance, luxury and the ability to extend the boating season in cold-weather climates. While a dual console is a departure from the center consoles and sport boats the Washington, N.C. company typically builds, Fountain Powerboats’ Chief Operating Officer Jeff Harris says the V-bottom has every bit of Fountain’s DNA.
“It has a lot of utility for a family, but it runs like a Fountain,” Harris said. “We’re in the performance business and performance matters. Performance isn’t just top speed. It’s ride performance, handling performance and its cruise performance.”
The 39DX offers remarkable customization, from the graphics to the seating layouts. The cockpit layout for the first model that appeared in the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show included a two-person seat at the helm and to port a long bench on the gunwale.
The cockpit is protected by a full wraparound windshield and a moveable hardtop. Fountain includes as standard a 16,000 BTU air conditioner for keeping the cockpit cool on a hot summer day. In the winter, turn on the heat and add Isinglass curtains to extend the boating season by a couple months or more, Harris said.
“Unless it’s a nice sunny day and 65 degrees out, the family probably won’t want to go out on the water,” Harris said. “That won’t be the case because the cold air won’t affect you because you’re protected.”
One of the first buyers of the new 39DX lives on the water in North Carolina with small kids and was looking for a year-round boat.
“They like to visit restaurants on the water for lunch and dinner,” Harris said. “Now they can do that because they have heat and close it off to get out of the wind. Is he going to poker run on it? He’s probably going to poker run on his SCX, but he’s got a year-round boat.”
Fountain takes the customization to the next level on the 39DX. Buyers can pick from 17 gel and paint colors and in the cockpit the aft area can be customized, something competitors in the dual console market can’t match.
“The interior options are just voluminous,” Harris said. “You can build the boat just like you want it.”
In the bow, add a filler cushion and the area transforms into a large sun lounge.
Fountain included a cabin on the 39DX, making smart use of the space. The cabin includes a small berth and a standup head. A 6,000 BTU air conditioner keeps the space below cool and is a great spot for the kids to chill on a hot summer day.
“Basically, a dual console is another word for bowrider, but you have two cabins underneath,” Harris said. “Dual consoles are popular because it allows you to close off the windshield and close off the bow of the boat.”
Access to the cockpit was a breeze thanks to a starboard dive door that is standard. The helm comes equipped with twin 16-inch Garmin 8616 GPSMAP screens and Mercury VesselView. Joystick steering with autopilot and a radar are available as options. When it comes to comfort, buyers can add a Seakeeper 3 gyro stabilizer or canvas options for the bow (Sailshade) or transom (SureShade).
Fountain has built its reputation over the years on performance, and the 39DX is no exception. The first hull in the Fort Lauderdale show was equipped with triple Mercury Marine 400 Verado outboards. With that power, the stepped-hull boat cruises at 44 mph and a top speed of 70 mph, Harris said.
What impressed Harris with the initial performance numbers was the 39DX’s fuel efficiency. It averaged better than 1 mpg with 1,200 hp on the transom.
“At cruise speeds the 39DX is unlike anything in its class. Nothing even comes close to efficiency and cruise,” Harris said. “It almost has a 375-mile range at a 40-plus-mph cruise. That’s pretty incredible.”
Fountain will offer the 39DX only with triples and either Mercury Marine or Mercury Racing power. The horsepower ranges from 300 to 500 or a maximum of 1,500 horsepower on the transom.
For a company that builds offshore boats and center consoles, a dual console is part of Fountain’s evolution under Harris and company owner Fred Ross.
“It’s a throwback to the day when Fountain used to make a sportfish cruiser,” Harris said. “The 39DX is much more refined. It’s a world of difference.”
www.fountainpowerboats.com
252-975-2000