Boat test for the 2006 Marlow Prowler Open 375 with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2006 Marlow Prowler Open 375.

It's not just the 375's look, it's the details that put her in a league of her own. Her nonskid, a deep cream with white borders, complements her tan Ultraleather coaming padding, the white 52-gallon livewell/fish-prep station at her transom, a pair of white Stidd chairs at her helm, and an Ultraleather L-shape settee just forward of the helm. A teak toerail and a large hardtop—"This boat is too special for a simple bimini top," Marlow says—that's also accented in teak complete her look. Simply put, she's gorgeous.

But where a beautiful exterior might be enough for some boatbuilders, Marlow added custom touches like the nonskid's design. Among the most sure-footed surfaces I've encountered on a vessel, Marlow says it was inspired by octopus tentacles, which he saw on the side of a fish tank. Then there's the macerator-equipped livewell that can be backlit, turning it into an illuminated aquarium. Or the coaming padding, which is hinged at the top to provide access to the port and starboard rod stowage.

The originality continues below decks, where you won't find a utilitarian head-stowage space or a spartan V-berth. Instead there are exquisite teak bulkheads and port-side galley cabinetry. Where many builders will use teak from varying sources, Marlow insists on buying entire trees, so that each interior is cut and planed from one source, ensuring an exact grain match. The saloon's ideal for overnights or for relaxing while the fish aren't biting: The V-berth that converts to a double with the addition of a cushion to the saloon's teak dining table, 16,000-Btu air conditioning, and a Sharp 13-inch LCD TV help create a comfort zone here.

Innovative construction techniques also exemplify Marlow's crooked-road inspirations. The 375 does not have a traditional stringer system: For construction purposes, the vessel utilizes a ring-frame system adapted from airplane fuselage combined with Marlow's own RIVAT core-infusion process that forms longitudinal I-beams within a tough, Kevlar and carbon fiber-reinforced sandwich.

I wanted to run her into a six-foot head sea at 35 mph to see how tough she really is, but conditions were dead-calm on Terra Ceia Bay; still, running her was a blast. "I think we got the hull right," Marlow commented, and I have to agree. I put the 375 through a series of tight turns at WOT and weaved her through crab pots with ease, and at all speeds she tracked with straight-as-a-string authority. Bow rise never exceeded three degrees. The triple 250-hp Evinrude E-Tec two-strokes are a great match—the torquey powerplants had her out of the hole fast, hitting 40 mph in 15 seconds on her way to an average top hop of 45.5 mph. They're also stingy: At a fast cruise of 36.8 mph at 4000 rpm, the 375's are good for better than 1 mpg and a range of 459 miles. For those who prefer diesel power, twin inboards from Yanmar are also available up to 500 hp each.

After visiting with the man behind the superlative Prowler Open 375, I'm glad they march to a different drummer at Marlow Marine. I am also glad that Prohibition was overturned long ago. Otherwise, it wouldn't take too much wrangling to get me aboard the 375 for a run to Cuba for some fine rum.

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