ELLIS 26 HARDTOP EXPRESS
Shane Ellis, who runs the Ellis Boat Company in Southwest Harbor, Maine, with his brother, Anthony, is excited about a model that’s fresh off the drawing board: an outboard-powered, bass-boat-style express cruiser based on the Ellis 24. The new boat, the Ellis 26 Hardtop Express, should splash in spring 2020.
“Our existing Ellis 24 has a great hull,” he says. “We had one come in for a refit, and the owner decided he wanted to make the switch to outboard power. We’ve done a few of them this way in the past, so it sort of spurred on an idea to launch an all-new, outboardpowered model with the Ellis
24’s hull.”
The design for the Ellis 26 takes inspiration from previous Ellis models as well as other builds. “We wanted to build a straight-up outboard boat with some hints of Jericho Bay and sloped window elements that hearken back to some of my grandfather’s first designs,” he says. “The outboards look pretty natural on the stern, and we’ll fit her with an Armstrong bracket for the engines. With 200 horsepower, we’re expecting a 30-plus-knot boat.”
Like other builders, Ellis likes an outboard’s ability to tilt up for shallowwater cruising. He’s a fan of the extra interior space this power creates, as wells as the way it eliminates some mechanical systems. But he is perplexed about stowing a dinghy on the transom or swim platform with the outboard engines taking up space. “I’m not sure how we’ll handle that, although there are different options we’re considering.”
On the outside, the new design looks the Downeast part, even with the outboard bracket. “You’ll see a lot of familiar Ellis design cues, like the angled hardtop supports located aft and sloped windows,” he says. “Below, there’s a galley with sink and singleburner stove, a V-berth setup for sleeping and an enclosed head. We’ll also offer this boat without a hardtop for folks who want a little more breeze through their hair when underway.”
It has hints of Jericho Bay and sloped windows that hearken back to my grandfather’s first designs.