Here’s the great thing about much of the Key West lineup: take one of their boats for a sea trial, and you’ll likely be surprised at just how well it handles a Bay chop and how well it stays on an even keel while drifting. The trick is an unusual hull design, one that has two different planes of deadrise running parallel to the keel. In the case of the 291 FS, at the very bottom plane it’s a 24-degree transom deadrise. Slightly higher up the hull, however, it transitions to a 19-degree transom deadrise. That means you get maximum V for chopping the waves and the better stability delivered by less of a V, all in the same hull. Of course, design concepts don’t always play out in the real world and talk is cheap, so don’t take our word for it. Get on a 291 FS for one of those sea trials and draw your own conclusions—just be sure to pay close attention as you bop through the chop, then shift into neutral and feel how the boat handles waves while drifting in a beam sea.
Oh, and while you’re out there be sure to hold on to your hat. With a pair of fire-breathing Yamaha F350 outboards on the transom this boat will go shooting past the 60-mph mark. Pull the throttles back to a more reasonable 4500-rpm cruising speed, and you’ll be running at a rather awesome mid-40s pace.
At some point as you’re blazing across the water you’ll question how the boat can remain so flat and stable even as it hits the waves, so know that more than just hull design is coming into play. The Seakeeper Ride system (think of it as super-fast computer-controlled trim tabs that go up and down so quickly they help keep the boat on an even keel as it cruises) is a standard feature on this model. There are several other big-ticket items included on the stock boat, too, like an eight-speaker stereo system, a through-hull windlass, and a three-bank battery charger. Adding in the onboard charging system is a good move considering how widespread bow-mount trolling motors are becoming on boats of this size and nature, so also note that Key West pre-wires in a trolling motor plug.
Other angling armaments you’ll be pleased to discover include a pair of lighted livewells in the transom, twin-level racks with nine rocket launchers on the hard top, flush-mount rodholders ringing the gunwales and across the transom (22 in total), raw and freshwater washdowns, under-gunwale racks, and a forward in-deck fishbox big enough to house misbehaving crewmembers. The livewells have a nifty perk in that Key West designed in a retaining rig around the perimeter for holding a 30-gallon trash bag. That’s pretty darn smart considering that the livewell often becomes a de facto garbage can when not in use, and digging out all those cans and wrappers at the end of the day is not exactly something anyone looks forward to. Another real highlight in the fishing department is the utterly massive tackle stowage compartment behind the aft-facing leaning post seat’s backrest. Swing it down, and you’ll be greeted by eight standard Planos, four double-deep Planos, and two bulk stowage drawers. That means you have room for all the gear you need to try anything from drop-shotting to deep-dropping.
Another unique Key West feature is the bow seating design. Rather than go with removable or swing-out backrests, they mold in wraparound backrests that swoop right out from the gunwales. Though these can’t be removed and stowed to gain fishing space, they’re comfortable for sitting both forward and center facing. And with a boat of this size there isn’t exactly a shortage of casting territory, which you can turn the entire bow into by removing the cushions and sliding in the filler.
Okay: now, are you ready to go for that sea trial?
Key West 291 FS Specifications
- LOA – 29’1”
- Beam – 9’8”
- Displacement – 6100 lbs.
- Draft – 1’4”
- Transom Deadrise – 19/24 degrees
- Fuel Capacity – 200 gal.
- Max. Power – 800 hp
- Area Dealers: Anchor Boats, North East MD, (800) 773-2628; Annapolis Boat Sales, Chester, MD, (410) 604-6962.