Inside the Solace 42CS: A Center Console Built Around Two Rows of Seats

Solace does not build boats the way everyone else does, and the 42CS is the clearest proof yet. The Edgewater, Florida builder founded by Stephen Dougherty has made its name questioning center console conventions one at a time, and this model takes aim at a big one: why does everyone behind the helm get a worse seat than the people driving? Our camera got an exclusive early look at the 42CS, and the walkthrough shows exactly how different this boat feels in person.

What makes the 42CS different

The headline is the seating. Solace's own pitch for the boat is simple: why have just one row of seats when you can have two. Instead of a single bench behind the console, the 42CS carries two full rows under the hardtop, so six or more people ride in shade and out of the wind where normally two or three would. Behind them, an aft cockpit bulkhead with opening glass closes the social area off from noise and spray when you want it, and disappears when you do not.

Under all of that sits a dual-step performance hull that Solace says delivers a smooth, dry ride, with a sharp entry up front flattening to a more efficient running surface aft. Solace lists the boat at 40 feet 7 inches overall with a 12-foot 3-inch beam and 700 gallons of fuel, which is real range for a boat this size. The fishing side is not an afterthought either: the builder lists twin 40-gallon livewells and a pair of 82-gallon fish boxes.

Who this boat is for

The 42CS makes the most sense for the owner who runs offshore with a crowd. Families who fish, owners who entertain at the sandbar on Saturday and chase fish on Sunday, and anyone tired of watching guests bake in an open bow while the helm seats stay dry. The cabin inside the console, with standing headroom that Solace lists at 6 feet 4 inches, means overnighting and a real head are on the table too.

In the video we walk the whole boat, from the bow seating through both helm rows, into the console cabin, and back through the glass bulkhead to the cockpit, so you can judge the layout the way you would at a boat show, without the crowd.

The bottom line

Big center consoles are everywhere now, but most of them are variations on the same layout. The 42CS is an actual rethink, and it comes from a builder with a track record of making unconventional ideas work on the water. Watch the full walkthrough on the Nautical Network YouTube channel, browse more originals from our walkthrough series, and if a boat like this belongs in your future, start your search on the marketplace.