The Perfect Predator

MAKO 414 CC hunts the Great Lakes

Published in the February 2018 Issue February 2018 Feature Vanessa Oler

The Perfect Predator is emblazoned on the stern of each MAKO and holds especially true for the 2018 414 CC. Straight off the line, this boat is ready to hunt the open waters and won’t stop until it's reminded you who is king. With a combination of raw power, precision tech, and creature comforts, the 414 CC is the ultimate platform for the most aggressive expeditions.

GLB editors sat down with MAKO Senior Project Engineer Chuck Mooney for the inside scoop on what makes a traditionally saltwater design the perfect predator for the Great Lakes.

“When we sat down to design this boat,” Mooney says, “our main priority was to create a design that would not only fill the needs of all big water consumers, but would build the highest quality into each boat. Anyone who buys this boat, or just steps onboard for the day, will find superior fit and finish throughout the 414.”

The 414 CC builds on MAKO’s previous flagship—the 334 CC—by creating three main packages, a growing trend across the industry. Some boaters want to pick out every grommet and trim piece, but an increasing sector of boat buyers want the experts to put together packages with all the bells and whistles already thought through.

“Packages,” Mooney says, “are a good foundation for everything you need, whether it’s for hardcore fishing or for recreational big-water use.”

With a fully-loaded standard edition, a Bluewater Family edition, and a Sportfish edition, MAKO hasn’t left anything to chance in the 414. With MAKO’s trademarked “No Hassle No Haggle pricing,” you won’t be leaving your bottom line to chance either.

Power & Hull Design

“It’s got a steep deadrise for cutting big water, reverse chines to knock down spray,” Mooney continues, “and a notched transom for higher speeds. Base fuel capacity is 566 gallons for long runs. And like all MAKO boats, it’s built stronger than it has to be for comfort and safety.”

The 414’s strength lies in the one-piece molded stringer grid that deftly distributes any load throughout the boat while maintaining the integrity of the hull and deck. Solid support for powerful center consoles is what keeps MAKO coming back to the stringer grid design. Integrated transom knee supports make possible the heavy-duty, 5-inch fiberglass-encapsulated transom with high-density composite core. MAKO’s near obsession with overbuilding boats shows in the hull and deck, whose joint is chemically sealed and bonded and every 6 inches finds one of 316 marine-grade stainless steel fasteners.

Coming to plane in an impressive average of four seconds, the 414 CC’s deep-V is a signature look and feel for offshore anglers and increasing in popularity with fisherman who understand the Great Lakes’ often punishing conditions. Those 566 gallons power four Quad 350 XXL white Verado outboards from Mercury. Coming in at 41 feet long, 11 feet, 11 inches wide, and with a maximum 1,675 horsepower, there’s not a single fish the MAKO can’t outrun.

High-Tech

No longer are tech-heads relegated to basement computer labs. Get ready to geek out with Mercury’s Joystick Piloting, complete with the new Skyhook digital anchor. [GLB] editors took the MAKO out for a spin in Chicago, with Mercury’s Application Development Engineer Andres Perdomo.

“Let me introduce you,” Perdomo started, “to the one of the most powerful and useful tools the industry has seen in recent years: the joystick.”

Standard on the MAKO 414 CC is Mercury’s Joystick Piloting system for Verados, released in 2016 to the delight of the entire industry. At 41 feet, the 414 CC isn’t small. That’s exactly what boaters want out in the deep water of the Great Lakes, but it makes coming into port challenging. Docking large vessels like the 414 CC can be difficult in any conditions, but especially into tight slips with choppy water. Mercury took hard look at this universal problem and partnered with manufacturers like MAKO to solve it. The solution – a sleek, black joystick – sits to the right of a traditional steering wheel and throttle and shift controllers, but integrates the two functions into one ergonomic and intuitive interface. The 360 degree fingertip control over the boat’s steering and propulsion makes every aspect of piloting the 414 CC feel natural and worry-free.

With no more than a handful of buttons and a color LED ring around the base of the joystick to indicate which mode the boat is in, Mercury’s Joystick Piloting system is extremely easy to operate. Finally, captains who take friends and family out for a day on the water aren’t stuck at the helm with the tedious task of keeping the boat from drifting out to sea. All four engines are independently controlled by the Joystick Piloting system and can position the boat for any slip without the use of bow thrusters.

The 2016 updates to Mercury’s Joystick Piloting system fine-tuned the GPS anchoring system Skyhook. Skyhook – with DriftHook, BowHook, and Heading Adjust settings – allows captains to lock the boat’s position using a GPS satellite antenna. With subtle readings and feedback on wind and current, an electronic compass automatically controls shifting, throttling and steering to maintain heading and position regardless of conditions. In the Heading Adjust mode, drivers have the capability to adjust the heading lock in one and ten degree increments. BowHook unlocks the heading and simply maintains position, allowing the boat to point in whatever direction the winds and currents dictate. DriftHook, quite possibly the coolest feature, allows drivers to maintain heading while letting winds and currents move the vessel along. Again, adjustments of one and ten degree increments can be made while drifting.

Rounding out the standard-issue tech on MAKO’s 414 CC is an oversized touchscreen monitor with CZone digital switching with comprehensive electrical-monitoring system and available with Mercury’s SharkTooth remote monitoring app for iOS and Android.

Creature Comforts

In regard to the Great Lakes, MAKO’s Chuck Mooney says: “the trend is growing for center consoles. They’re comfortable, safe and a joy to use, no matter what body of water you enjoy.”

The entire stern of the 414 CC is designed for optimal comfort. Generous bolsters surround the boat, with six stainless steel rod holders above the transom and two on both port and aft corners. Pull out seats, a tuna door, incredibly oversized fish boxes, and 50-gallon live-wells are just scratching the surface of amenities MAKO packed in. Aftward sits a chaise lounge area with bow seating inserts capable of converting into a table or a deck-wide sunbathing area the entire family can enjoy. The lounge perches atop massive storage containers, which remain accessible while in the lounge position.

A surprisingly spacious head sits below deck, with a built-in berth. The factory-installed Seakeeper will make sleeping aboard the highlight of the family’s weekend. Seakeeper prides itself on eliminating at least 90 percent of a boat’s roll, every time its products are installed. The 414 also comes standard with a generator, hot water and air conditioning. Keep an eye on the boat from home with motion-activated and night-vision cameras streaming through the SharkTooth app.

For the more aggressive angler, the Sportfish edition sports an upper helm station-ready hardtop, 80-gallon leaning post baitwell, GEM carbon fiber outriggers, Rupp gunnel rod holder package with 20-inch gunnel rod holders, Iris NightRunner infrared camera on forward hardtop with helm control pad, and Shadow-Caster underwater light package with 8 SCM-10 Blue LED lights.