Meet a Few Members of the Prowler Family

It has become almost clichéd in recent years for boat builders — even big production companies that churn out hundreds and hundreds of boats a year and send them off to their dealers by the truckload — to talk about buying one of their boats as joining a family.

At Renaissance Prowler, we take real pride in maintaining relationships with Prowler owners — and in the relationships owners maintain with one another. Even if you're a second or third owner, we know your boat and remember how the original buyers spec'd her and why they made the choices they did.

The fact is that without a dealer network, our owners are our sales force. And at the end of the day, they do a far more effective job than any dealer could. We can't begin to express our gratitude for that.

Prowler owners are active on the boating forum TheHullTruth.com, and several informative threads detail the process of having a Prowler built. We encourage you to take a look at the following threads or simply run a search for 'Prowler.'

• Prowler 31 with Suzuki 300s build

• Prowler 31 with ETEC G2 300s build

• Prowler 31 with Suzuki 300s build

• Prowler 25 with Suzuki 175s build

• Prowler 25 with Suzuki 175s build

• Prowler 25 with Mercury 150 four strokes

• Prowler 42 model development and hull #1 build

• Prowler 42 with twin Yamaha 350s build and general information

• Prowler 36 model design and development

Additionally, we maintain a company Facebook page, an Instagram feed, and owner Keith Elder administers a Facebook group for Prowler owners.

I was looking for a quality-built boat that could handle skinny water in Back Bay Biloxi and our barrier islands but that was also capable of running 100+ miles offshore while getting great fuel economy. Storage, ride, and overall roominess to be able to take a few more family members or friends fishing or cruising were also big considerations. After much research I landed on the Prowler 31, and it has exceeded all of my expectations. 

The draft of the Prowler 31 comes in at 12 inches so I was easily covered for shallow water excursions around Biloxi and the islands. But don't let the shallow draft fool you, she is a very capable hull that is incredibly dry.

I had heard people talk about dry boats, but I truly didn't know how wet the other boats I’d owned were until I did a sea trial on the Prowler during a thunderstorm. After buying the boat, the maiden trip was in 3- to 5-foot seas with an occasional 7. We all had foul weather gear on that early February day, but no one got wet.

On offshore runs, we typically average 1.4 mpg from key on to key off loaded with six to seven guys, 500 lbs. of ice, 260 gallons of fuel, deep drop weights, tackle, gear, etc. On one trip to our barrier islands, I loaded the boat with multiple tailgate tents, grills, tables, chairs, food, and coolers along with 14 people and still got 1.3 mpg. Even with that many people and all that gear we still had room for more. 

At the end of the day it’s about comfort, and the 10'10" beam gives you that extra room to pass each other at the console or put four bean bags across the back of the boat for long trips to let the crew rest. Everyone comments on and enjoys the platform between the motors and the walk-through transom. It just makes for such easy access on and off the boat no matter the situation.

The best advice I can give if you’re considering a Prowler is to get on one in some nasty seas with an experienced captain who knows how to dial it in. You'll be amazed at the stability, the room, the comfort, and the ride.

I've owned my 246 for almost 4 years. Still with the original Yamaha 115 motors. With the used market scarce, we traveled to the Outer Banks to pick her up and bring her home to Florida. We use her primarily for diving, spear fishing, lobstering, and scalloping. She is also our way to the sandbar, safely taking our family wherever we ask. She proudly transports our Boy Scout Troop to the spoil islands for campouts, and we use her for some light fishing duty, especially when the mahi are running!! Our children have grown up on her since we've owned her. She is definitely one of the family! The ride is unbelievable and she has been an absolute joy to own. Bill has been a wealth of knowledge, especially considering my boat is 17 years old. My brother in law loved my boat so much he sold his boat and we found him a used Prowler as well.

We bought our first Prowler, a 31, in 2013. We chose it due to its unmatched combination of build quality, space, ride, and economy. We used it for everything from hardcore overnight tuna trips (150 miles offshore) to inshore dolphin cruising with the family. It was equally comfortable doing either.

After several years and hundreds of hours we upgraded to the new 42. The 42 continues in the tradition of class-leading ride and economy, but takes space, stability, and fishability to a whole new level. We are now able to comfortably fish days when even the big sportfishers stay at the dock.

Both of our hulls have been trouble free, and still look new despite the thousands of hours offshore. With so many choices out there, we can't find any other boat that does what our Prowler does with the same level of comfort and economy. We are looking forward to many more years with the Prowler family!

After two years and close to 600 hours on our 2008 Prowler 31, I’m continually impressed by the boat. The ride, stability, fishability, and general seakeeping traits of the hull are superb. The build quality, design, and layout are great too. The more you use the boat, the more you appreciate all the small details.

The Prowler has far more room than most 31-foot boats. It also has more storage — huge fish boxes, two nice live wells, great swim platform/dive ladder, and a huge t-top that provides plenty of shade. This is the first boat I've had where there is nothing I would change about the layout.

Even though I bought the boat used, factory support has been beyond great. Bill has really gone out of his way to help out getting parts, answering any questions, etc. 

We’re almost at one year on our 31 Prowler with just under 300 hours on the boat. We’ve taken it to the Bahamas for family vacation with five adults and five kids and food, ice, and gear for everyone with no problem. Another family vacation was boating to the Keys for lobster.  While we also do some grouper and snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, the majority of the time we spend scuba diving and spearfishing.

We bought the boat for the setup for scuba diving, and it hasn’t disappointed. Huge space behind the cockpit, walk through transom, and space for people to fish forward while four divers if needed prepare for their dives and roll or walk in. The storage space on the boat is really outstanding making for a very versatile and comfortable boat.

I have the first 42, and it was built for commercial use. My choice was based on the materials used and method of construction, the huge amount of insulated storage space for ice and fish, the very large size of the interior, and the boat's awesome appearance as well as being able to be trailered. 

The ride is incredible in all seas, and the stability is insane while being quite economical for its size. I fish for multiple days a trip and the speed, ride, stability, as well as the ability to carry enough ice give me the advantage over other boats when selling fish to the market.

Communication and thoughtfulness to my requirements throughout the whole build process made it a pleasure to work with Bill and is a big part of the reason my next boat will be a Prowler.

It's hard to describe the sheer size of the Prowler 31. Coming from a traditional v-hull, I was surprised how well the boat handled, and the fuel economy is awesome. I have had all the premier monohulls — Contender, Regulator, Venture, and Yellowfin. The fit and finish of the Prowler is equal to or better than any of them. The fish boxes are truly insulated better than any of the others and hold ice for days. The livewells are oval in shape and have twin heads that feed from the bottom that give a nice gentle circular motion that keeps bait alive better than any other boat I have had. There is no lack of storage on the 31. Besides the two huge fish boxes, it has two more large storage boxes in the floor, and the console is large enough to house a twin bed. Bottom line, this is a well laid out, fuel efficient fishing machine. My second 31 is currently being built to hold me over until the 36 is available.

I love my 31 Prowler! Amazing ride, perfectly constructed, and 100% custom. During the build process I made frequent stops to the Prowler factory. Bill always took extra time to explain each step, the techniques employed, and regularly sent me pictures and updates. He then personally delivered the boat to me at Bud N' Mary's Marina in the Keys while I was on vacation.

On my first trip out, my port lower unit blew. I called Bill despondent as I figured my vacation was ruined with no boat. The next day he drove back down to the Keys, trailered her back up to Miami, replaced the lower unit that day, and then personally delivered the boat AGAIN to me in the lower Keys the following morning. That is a perfect example of how Bill Ratlieff has created another loyal and proud Prowler owner! I now have my dream boat, and it's backed by an unmatched level of customer service.  

The Prowler 31 is an awesome platform for fishing and diving. The amount of room with the 10’10” beam is amazing. The ride and comfort are incredible too. Even on the big monohulls, everyone heads to the stern on long runs offshore where the ride doesn’t beat you up.

On the Prowler, people head to the bow, where they relax and sleep in beanbags. My fiancé loves going on the boat now, even for longer trips. We recently took a two-week trip with friends from Madeira Beach to Big Pine Key and back, over 1,000 miles round-trip. She can’t wait to go again.

With twin Suzuki 250s, I cruise *fully loaded* at 1.5 to 1.8 mpg.