HARRIS CROWNE 270 SL TE

The Harris Crowne 270 SL TE is a boat that can’t drive 55. In fact, it can go faster. Powered by twin Mercury 400 outboards, this boat hopped onto plane in a mere 3.6 seconds, reaching 30 mph in less than 7 seconds more before topping out at 61.2 mph. The key attribute? The Crowne’s triple 27-inch pontoons with strakes designed specifically for twin-engine performance.

The Crowne 270 SL TE has a look that goes beyond the sedate pontoon. Key to its look is the replacement of the traditional pontoon fence enclosures with sleek, curvy fiberglass. Four fiberglass modules occupy the four corners of the deck outline, the forward pair curving aggressively toward the water. Those modules incorporate the Crowne’s outer walls as well as seat bases. The result is a boat that fits in at both a sandbar party and yacht-club cocktail hour.

Step through the stainlesssteel bow gate and parallel benches flank the walkway. Harris angles the seat bottom’s profile to provide a more open, spacious feel, topping off the backrests with comfy pillow tops and accenting the lumbar region with diamond-pattern stitching. Finished stowage with drains is found below.

At the helm, the captain is greeted with billet dash accents, a stainless-steel spoke wheel, and an attractive vinyl wrap with accent stitching. A central Medallion Glass Dash touchscreen is standard-issue; a second touchscreen control to starboard replaces traditional switches. On our test boat, both were complemented by an additional Simrad display. Aft, an L-shaped bench includes an optional rear-facing lounger with powered flip-flop backrest. Its linear actuated motor was nearly silent and allowed almost unlimited stages of recline for both forward or aft-facing seating.

Fast is fun, but the optional Mercury Joystick Piloting system made handling this boat a simple pleasure. The intuitive joystick control allowed us to literally make kid’s play of docking, effortlessly maneuvering the Crowne around a tight marina in the stiffest of crosswinds.