Intrepid 41 Valor

The 41 Valor provides overnighting comfort and a full range of serious fishing features.

- Alan Jones

Dawn and dusk are often best times to fish, but the logistics of being in position when the sun is on the horizon involves a slog through the dark. A better scenario is to emerge from the cabin after spending a restful night on the water and immediately get to work, which is possible on a boat like Intrepid's new 41 Valor. It can also accommodate Mercury's Verado 600 hp V-12 outboards.

The Valor also includes a swim platform with plenty of room to walk behind the transom. This will be useful for a fisherman who needs to guide the line around the tall V-12s.

A thrilling run through a nasty Port Everglades Inlet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, gave us a chance to put the stepped hull with 22.5 degrees of deadrise at the transom to a stress test, which it passed with ease. By keeping the speed in the low 30s on the ride out to the color change, the Intrepid 41 Valor's hull handled the 3to 4-foot seas without drama. Despite a confused sea state, the hull tracked straight with minimal helm input.

But the question remained: Can this multitasker fish? We were a little early for the annual winter sailfish bite off the South Florida coast, so we targeted late-season mahi instead. Deploying the optional outriggers, we trolled along the ragged sargassum weeds beat up by the rough seas and chased the plentiful birds that ultimately led us nowhere.