Thanks to the ever-present YouTube paparazzi at Haulover Inlet, this narrow cut in South Florida gets a lot of attention. Stuffed bows generate millions of views, and when the Inlet stacks up with standing waves in wind-against-tide conditions, some unlucky soul will inadvertently take a wave over the bow if they don’t know what they’re doing, or they’re running a boat that’s not built for these waters.
As we headed toward Haulover in the first Formula 387 CCF equipped with an upper station, we were greeted with those exact conditions: east/northeast winds smacking into an outgoing tide creating stacked sets of 4- to 6-foot waves. “Mind if I head up top?” I asked Abe Haines, Formula’s product specialist who played a big role in the development of this center console.
“Not at all,” he said, “in fact, I’ll join you.”
To access the upper station you push a button on the leaning post which slides a large cooler out of the mezzanine. You step on the cooler, then the top of the leaning post as you make your way up the ladder on center, open a hatch, and slip through. I watched Haines go first, then followed. I admittedly banged my head on the hardtop, but I doubt that was the boat’s fault.
Away from the protection of the helm below, I felt the full brunt of the 15-knot-plus winds as I sat on the lounge to port and Haines took the helm to starboard, complete with joystick and Garmin electronics. The 1,500-pound upper station is an expensive option, costing $111,000, but it’s much larger than those I’m accustomed to on a center console of this size. Typically, these second stations have the controls on centerline, mounted a bit higher up so you spend more time standing as you run the boat, usually by your lonesome. That’s not the case with the Formula. You could easily fit three passengers up on this second station, making it both a fishing perch to help you spot birds, bait frenzies, and weedlines, and a cool spot to hang out away from the engine noise and enjoy the unabated views in all directions.
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Formula builds a strong, heavy boat, and the 387 CCF made quick work of the waves in the inlet, plowing right through without a drop of spray hitting my sunglasses. Haines told me they made some structural changes to accommodate the upper station and prevent any unforeseen flexing. I felt no shudders or vibrations whatsoever as the bow sliced through the swells.
The upper station is built entirely out of aluminum, including the buggy top, which has vinyl padding underneath similar to what you see in many boat salons. The powder-coated aluminum legs and angles match up with the hardtop legs below to give it a smart profile and continuous look.
The Porter family, which has owned and operated Formula since the 1970s, likes to build mock-ups out of plywood when conceiving new designs. Computer drawings can only tell you so much. Standing in a mockup and reaching for a handhold can shed a lot of light on the placement of a feature. They went through this process with the upper station and it shows. A few design elements that stuck out to me were the footrests at the bottom of the helm chair, the lower bar along the edge of the deck that acts like a toerail, and the storage built into the console so you can stow cushions right there instead of schlepping them up and down the ladder.
The additional windage and weight of the upper station does not affect performance or the running angle of the boat that much. You lose just under 2 knots of speed, according to Haines. The 387 CCF weighs in at approximately 22,500 pounds and we had just topped off the 500-gallon fuel tank. With 6-footers stacked closely together as they were on our test day, that weight is a good thing. The boat ran through the seas softly and didn’t pound. Lighter boats may run quicker but tend to slap as they skip across the waves.
This model comes with multiple engine options. Our test boat ran strong with triple 425-horsepower Mercury Verados. You can opt for twin 600s or triple 500s as well. Despite the lumpy conditions, we comfortably ran into the head sea at 28 knots. Running down the ICW at the end of the day, we hit 44 knots at wide open. The 425s are fuel-efficient and quiet with no superchargers to add to the maintenance list. Formula custom-painted the engine covers in a silver-and-blue combo, giving the outboards a racing-stripe look that perfectly matched the hull. The builder’s FormulaFlex program offers limitless color options.
Equipped with Seakeeper Ride, I didn’t have to worry about adjusting the trim as I made course changes, and I applaud the Wind Armor weather doors on either side of the house. These clear, fold-out doors cut down the wind and spray, making it easy to talk at the helm and stay dry. When you fold them back against the house, you don’t even notice them.
I felt confident at the helm with unfettered visibility through a massive windshield that lifts open with the push of a button. Twin 22-inch Garmin displays are flush-mounted, large, and easy to see and reach. This boat did not feature the teak helm accents I’ve seen on prior 387s, opting for a sleek black-on-black appearance using Corian. Mounted cell-phone chargers are convenient as is the adjustable helm chair. Quite simply, the boat was a pleasure to drive, even in snotty weather.
You can drop rod holders onto any vessel and call it a “fishing boat,” but that’s not how Formula operates. When fishing off South Florida, you need a range of fishing rods for different scenarios: trolling rods, spinning rods, kite rods with electric reels, etc. The 387 CCF offers enough rod holders and rocket launchers to bring the full armada. The cockpit is roomy and easy to move from corner to corner, baitwell to tackle center, and transom door to fishbox. The mezzanine cushion slides forward to reveal a big workstation with tackle drawers beneath. Two 40-gallon livewells in the transom are easy to access. Electric reel plugs under the gunwales are great for kite reels or deep-dropping. I also like the swim step configuration with wings that extend aft beside the outboards. If you need to run up to the bow to fight a fish, there are no trip hazards; it’s a clear passage. Bottom line: You can do some serious fishing damage on the 387 CCF.
Offshore, we had planned to troll some weedlines and look for mahimahi, but the wind and seas squashed that plan. Scattered weeds made it impossible to troll without getting covered up in sargassum, and we didn’t spot any working birds or other signs of life. We opted for plan B and drifted over the reef, dropping bits of squid down in 80- to 120-foot depths. I greatly appreciated the Seakeeper 4 gyro, which kept boat roll to a minimum as we drifted in the swells. We didn’t catch anything remotely big enough to fill the two 90-gallon fishboxes that are kept cold with freezer plates, but we didn’t get skunked, either.
The 387 CCF blurs the lines between a fishing center console, a day boat, and an overnighter. There is tons of seating in the bow with a massive lounge forward of the console. An adjustable table can sit flush with the floor or rise up to create a picnic spot. You can remove a filler cushion to easily access the anchor locker.
The air-conditioned cabin features a dinette that converts to a berth and a full head with shower. Formula uses yacht-like materials and incorporates windows to let natural light in so this space feels warm and comfy, not claustrophobic.
Once you clean off the fishing grime, that big cockpit is an ideal spot to enjoy happy hour with the crew. An extendable awning opens from the hardtop to provide shade, and you can opt for an electric grill in the transom to make fish sandwiches.
Formula builds strong, capable boats and the 387 CCF is living proof of that. If you want a center console with a large upper station, every fishing feature imaginable, and plenty of creature comforts, take this boat for a sea trial on a blustery day. The ride alone sells it.
Formula 387 CCF Test Numbers:
Formula 387 CCF Specifications:
LOA: 41’2”
Beam: 12’
Draft: 3’10”
Displ.: 22,500 lb.
Fuel: 500 gal.
Water: 55 gal.
Power: 3/425-hp Mercury Verados
Price: $1.9 million
This article originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
