Boat design has traditionally demanded compromise. Build for shallow-water access, and you can sacrifice offshore ride and capability. Build around offshore performance and deep-V characteristics, and draft can limit where the day takes you.
SŌLACE approached the problem differently.
The SŌLACE 28HCS was engineered around a simple idea: why should one boat force you to choose?
The award-winning SŌLACE 28HCS (Hybrid Center Console) redefines what a hybrid center console can be. At 29′ 6″, it combines serious fishing capability, premium comfort, innovative engineering, and offshore performance in one remarkably versatile platform.
More importantly, the 28HCS adapts to how you actually use a boat. Run offshore in the morning. Chase fish in shallow water that afternoon. Then add the cushions, invite friends aboard, and head to the sandbar.
Here is how SŌLACE engineered one boat to take on so many different missions.
1. A Hull Designed for Offshore Performance and Shallow-Water Versatility
The foundation of the SŌLACE 28HCS lies beneath the waterline.
Its proprietary twin-ventilated stepped hull delivers the performance and efficiency expected from a SŌLACE. However, speed was only part of the equation. The hull also had to deliver control, comfort, and versatility across changing conditions.
At the bow, a 45-degree entry deadrise helps the 28HCS cut through offshore chop and head seas. Moving aft, the hull transitions to an 18-degree deadrise at the transom.
As a result, the 28HCS delivers a smooth, dry offshore ride while maintaining the stability and shallow-water capability that define a true hybrid center console.
With a 17-inch draft, the 28HCS also expands where the day can take you. From offshore runs to shallow bays and coastal waterways, the hull was designed to perform across dramatically different environments.
2. Advanced Construction Where It Matters
A hull this capable requires a structure engineered to match.
The 28HCS combines advanced marine construction with a carbon fiber support structure for the hardtop. The result is a strong, rigid platform designed to remain solid and composed when conditions get rough.
That structural integrity changes the experience at the helm. Instead of distracting rattles and movement, the 28HCS delivers the quiet, substantial feel expected from a premium SŌLACE.
In other words, performance isn’t only about speed. It is also about how the boat feels beneath you.
3. Offshore. Inshore. Entertaining. One Platform.
A luxury boat should adapt to your day—not force your day to adapt to the boat.
That’s where the 28HCS separates itself from a traditional center console. Its deck can transition from a serious fishing platform to a comfortable family entertainer in seconds.
Built to Fish
Remove the magnetic forward cushions and the bow transforms into a large, flat fiberglass casting platform with the bow filler option.
Add a trolling motor and dual 10-foot Power-Poles, and the 28HCS becomes a formidable shallow-water fishing platform. Meanwhile, the folding stern seat creates another usable casting area.
For an even greater vantage point, an available second station puts controls and electronics overhead. That elevated position provides excellent visibility when searching for fish.
Built to Entertain
When the fishing is finished, the character of the boat can change just as quickly.
Return the forward cushions and the bow becomes a sprawling U-shaped lounge or expansive daybed. At the stern, convertible transom seating creates another social space. An available cockpit cocktail table completes the setup.
Even the space beneath the cockpit seating works harder. There is room for dual 50-quart coolers, keeping drinks, food, or the day’s catch close at hand.
The result is one platform that can transition naturally from fishing to cruising, entertaining, and family time on the water.
4. SŌLACE Hallmarks: Innovation You Experience on the Water
Some of the most distinctive features aboard the 28HCS aren’t immediately obvious at the dock.
Instead, they’re the details you begin to appreciate after spending a full day on the water. These innovations have become signatures of the SŌLACE approach to boat design.
Fully Opening Power Windshield
With the push of a button, the tempered-glass windshield electronically articulates upward and outward into the integrated carbon hardtop frame.
On a hot summer day, open it for an immediate sea breeze at the helm. When weather moves in, close it again for greater protection from the elements.
It’s a simple idea that dramatically changes the helm experience.
Concealed Magnetic Gunwales
SŌLACE integrates rare-earth magnets beneath the fiberglass gunwales and lids. As a result, upholstery and compatible accessories can secure into place without relying on exposed conventional fasteners.
The system keeps the boat cleaner, more functional, and distinctly SŌLACE.
A Walk-In Console With 6’1″ of Headroom
Open the forward console door and you’ll find something unexpected on a boat under 30 feet: a genuinely usable enclosed head.
The compartment provides an impressive 6 feet 1 inch of headroom, along with a porcelain toilet and freshwater sink.
It’s another example of the 28HCS philosophy. Compact dimensions shouldn’t require compact thinking.
SŌLACE 28HCS Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hybrid center console boat?
A hybrid center console combines shallow-water versatility with offshore capability. The SŌLACE 28HCS takes that concept further with serious fishing features, premium comfort, innovative engineering, and a hull designed for a wide range of conditions.
What makes the SŌLACE 28HCS a hybrid center console?
The 28HCS combines a 17-inch draft, offshore-capable hull design, expansive casting areas, convertible seating, and premium amenities. As a result, one boat can move between inshore fishing, offshore runs, cruising, and entertaining.
What is the draft of the SŌLACE 28HCS?
The SŌLACE 28HCS has a 17-inch draft. Its shallow-water capability expands access to bays and coastal waters while retaining the offshore performance expected from SŌLACE.
Can the SŌLACE 28HCS be used for offshore fishing?
Yes. SŌLACE designed the 28HCS for offshore performance as well as inshore versatility. Its twin-ventilated stepped hull, aggressive bow entry, fishing features, and solid construction make it capable of serious offshore fishing.
Is the SŌLACE 28HCS designed for shallow-water fishing?
Yes. Remove the forward cushions to create an expansive casting platform. Available equipment includes a trolling motor, Power-Poles, and a second station, making the 28HCS well suited for shallow-water fishing.
What is the deadrise of the SŌLACE 28HCS?
The SŌLACE 28HCS features a 45-degree entry deadrise at the bow and an 18-degree deadrise at the transom. This variable geometry helps balance offshore ride quality, stability, and shallow-water versatility.
How much headroom does the SŌLACE 28HCS console have?
The walk-in console provides 6 feet 1 inch of headroom. It also includes an enclosed porcelain head and freshwater sink, delivering unexpected comfort in a boat under 30 feet.
What makes the SŌLACE 28HCS different from a traditional center console?
Versatility without compromise. The 28HCS can transform from a serious fishing platform into a premium family cruiser and entertainer while retaining the performance, innovation, and attention to detail that define SŌLACE.
Can the SŌLACE 28HCS be used as a family boat?
Yes. Convertible bow and cockpit seating, generous storage, an enclosed head, premium finishes, and flexible social spaces make the 28HCS equally suited to family cruising, entertaining, and fishing.
Where can I see a SŌLACE 28HCS?
Experience the SŌLACE 28HCS at an authorized SŌLACE dealer. Use the SŌLACE Dealer Locator to find your nearest dealer and schedule a showing.
Experience the Dougherty Difference
The SŌLACE 28HCS wasn’t designed to fit neatly into an existing category. It was engineered to expand what one boat can do.
Run offshore. Fish the shallows. Cruise the coast. Spend the afternoon at the sandbar. Entertain family and friends.
Instead of choosing a boat around one mission, the 28HCS gives owners the freedom to choose the mission each time they leave the dock.
That philosophy reflects generations of Dougherty boatbuilding experience and the SŌLACE commitment to challenging conventional marine design.
Experience the SŌLACE 28HCS for yourself. Find your nearest authorized SŌLACE dealer today.
