2023 Princecraft Platinum SE 190

Boat Reviews

Boat Review by: Rick Layzell

Most manufacturers offer an array of products with the goal of offering something for everyone – products that meet the needs of any consumers wishlist and pocketbook. Canadian made Princecraft boats does just that, and within their fishing lineup they offer a total of nine unique series of boats. At the very top is the Platinum series, and our BoatDealers.ca test crew were thrilled to be granted the opportunity to test a new model for 2023 -- the Platinum SE 190.

The Platinum SE 190 stands apart at the docks as there is little doubt the engineers and design professionals were given carte blanche when building it. I first saw her from the port side on a very cool (7 degree C and wet and drizzly) September morning. The combination of the chosen Platinum Black (there are four colour options for 2023) exterior urethane paint with metallic finish and 3D Princecraft logo glistened while my eyes were drawn from the subtle red exterior accents into the red interior accents – nice touch and a warm welcome.

At 19’ on the center line and with a 98” beam, the Platinum SE 190 is still a towing friendly model that gives any angler or multi-purpose boating family the ability to experience multiple waterways. She weighs in at 788 KG (1,737 lbs) plus engine and gear and she drafts a modest 33” giving her decent shallow water capabilities. While previewing the spec sheets I was impressed at the 84” chine width that I correctly anticipated would give the Platinum SE 190 a smooth and dry ride. Admittedly, I was thrilled to see the choice of a Mercury 200 V8 Pro XS with Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS) as our power of choice for this test. No question -- this was going to be a wonderful boat to drive.

Her list of standard fishing features is long, but here’s my favourites:

• Two Proflo Plus Electric filled aerated livewells – 30”, 64L/17 U.S. gal on the bow and 34”, 64L/17 U.S. gal on the stern. Both livewells feature intermittent recirculation, overflow protection, remote control thru hull drain, light, anti spill cover and insulated lid
• The rear casting deck offers a pair of fold down jump seats with easy snaps that create a sizeable rear platform, one of the six standard seat bases, storage compartment, a pop-up privacy enclosure and a multi function center that offers a pair of beverage holders, an LED light, 12V outlet, tool support
• Up on the bow you’ll find another seat base, prewired 12/24 or 36V trolling motor plug and receptacle with wiring harness as well as 60-amp protection for your trolling motor selection
• Rod storage abounds with an in floor lockable compartment with air intake for your six favourites, more lockable storage on port and starboard sides at mid ship, there’s a trim switch up front for your primary engine, and a factory installed mounting plate for your trolling motor
• The PrinceTrak system runs interior from bow to stern allowing you to set your fishing tools wherever is best for you and your crew

Moving to the helm station – two words – ultra luxury. It starts with the deluxe HEATED convertible driver’s seat (I can attest that this worked perfectly on our chilly test day!). A Simrad Go7 multi-function touch screen comes standard. Our test boat was optioned up with a second Simrad screen, the NSS EVO 3 which gave us total scan, down, and side imaging. Seriously, it’s almost unfair to the fish! The dash nestles in behind Princecraft’s tall windshield (think early spring & late fall fishing) with black anodized trim. With a three spoke tilt steering wheel and a playful mix of greys and blacks on the dash panels and lighted toggle switches, this is simply a helm you may never want to leave.

I made a point of seating my 6’1” frame in every seat and legroom was always plentiful while comfort was exceptional. With the optional ski pylon and head on our test boat, the Platinum 190 can readily accommodate the many needs of a growing family – fish in the morning, tube or ski in the afternoon, fish before dinner and take an early evening cruise with friends.

It was finally time to get off the docks and move toward the testing grounds. With our camera guru on board along with his gear and our 140 L (37 U.S. gal) fuel tank showing at 3/8 full we began to play. For a boat like the Platinum my preference is to start with modest take offs at reduced throttle to get a feel for her capabilities and her style. Digital Throttle & Shift are a game changer with a significantly reduced ‘clunk’ as the engine is shifted into gear. This means paying close attention to throttle position – admittedly there was a reverse shift that caught both our camera guy and myself off guard. I apologized, learned from the moment, and went back to getting to know her. With under half throttle she had us up and on plane with ease.

We ran the lake a couple of times to get a sense of her ride – dry and efficient without yearning for a ton of trim. This hull design combined with the Mercury 200 Pro XS makes it very understandable when she has had enough trim and the adjustments are simple. We moved into hole shot testing which I expected would be good. Was I ever wrong. Hole shots on this package our out of this world. Typically, we do a minimum of four hole shots to get our test results, I think I did a dozen or more on this simply because it was so much fun. Putting a 19’ boat on plane in under 3 seconds over and over and over… that’s just awesome.

I was told it was time for camera guru, aka Jeff, to move over to the tower boat and I would run some fly-bys so he could capture video and still images (we also shoot drone footage on every boat). This was my opportunity to push the 190 SE, to see how she would react to hard turns, if she would cavitate or porpoise, and how she would respond to trim adjustments. Her hull design scored very well in my opinion, and I am absolutely confident she would exceed your desires. Please note that doing these tests requires some forethought. We do so only in open waters, away from cottages and other boaters, and we absolutely wear life jackets and ensure safety is a priority for us all.

We also look for cruising speeds and found she was very content at 30 MPH at 3,480 RPM as well as 34.8 MPH at 3,820 RPM. Cruising results will be dictated by crew and gear as well as water and ambient air temperatures. Take time to find your own safely. Our final testing moment is top speed and OH MY! Alone on the boat I was able to blast the Platinum 190 SE repeatedly to her upper edges and achieved a top speed of 55.8 MPH at 6,020 RPM.

The Princecraft Platinum 190 SE is an exceptional fishing machine that readily crosses over to create family pleasing moments. Paired with Mercury’s 200 Pro XS she is a very strong performer that will deliver endless smiles to your crew and put you on top of your favourite fishing grounds in a hurry.

2023 Princecraft Platinum SE 190 Photo Gallery

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