Mako 334 CC (2016-)

Brief Summary

The MAKO 334 CC, powered with triple 350-hp Mercury Verados for our test runs, ran an impressive 64.4 mph, which should make her one of the fastest boats in any offshore tournament, by far. And surprisingly, at a more sedate cruising speed -- 3000 rpms and 29.8 mph -- she delivered a range of about 403 miles. Despite all that power on the transom, we found noise levels moderate at the helm, just 83 dBA at cruise.

Key Features

• Available as configurable Standard Edition, Bluewater Family Edition, or Sportfish Edition
• Fiberglass leaning post with freshwater sink and multiple storage options
• Mercury JPO (Joystick Piloting for Outboards)
• Two 290-qt. insulated port and starboard aft in-deck fishboxes with Gulper macerator pumps
  
  tuna/dive door with stowable dive ladder
• Outrigger-ready fiberglass hardtop with upper helm station on Sportfish Edition and 5' auto-extendable sun shade on Family Edition
• Two 34-gal. rounded, aft baitwells with angled fills and friction-hinged acrylic lids
• Electroplated Sea Chest keeps 4 pumps submerged for cooler running and longer life
• Molded diamond-patterned, non-skid surfaces on crowned, self-bailing cockpit
• Backed by MAKO Assurance warranty

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	33' 4'' / 10.16 m
Beam	9' 10'' 2.99 m
Dry Weight	12,000 lbs. 5,443 lbs.
Tested Weight	13,337 lbs. 6,049 kg
Draft	21'' 0.53 m
Deadrise/Transom	24-deg.
Max Headroom	open
Bridge Clearance	N/A
Fuel Capacity	306 gal. 1,158 L
Water Capacity	N/A
Total Weight	13,337 lbs. 6,049 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	4.0 sec.
0 to 30	7.2 sec.
Ratio	1.75:1
Props	Eco 20 21. 20
Load	3 persons, 2/5 fuel, no water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	64 deg., 58 humid.; 10-15 mph; seas: light chop

Engine Options

Tested Engine	3 x 350-hp Mercury Verado 350
Std. Power	Not Available
Opt. Power	2 x 300-hp Mercury Verado 300XXL JPO 2 x 350-hp Mercury Verado 350XXL JPO White 2 x 400-hp Mercury Verado 400XXL JPO White 3 x 300-hp Mercury Verado 300XXL JPO 3 x 350 Mercury Verado 350XXL JPO White

Captain's Report Learn More
Watch Our Video

Mission Statement

MAKO developed the new 334 CC to be a versatile hull design that’s available in three versions to serve many boat owners. The Standard Edition is intended to fish and entertain the family. The Bluewater Family Edition comes with bow filler cushions and a two-position table up front plus a retractable awning over the aft cockpit. The boat we tested—the Sportfish Edition—is targeted at the serious offshore angler and was developed with the input of well-known fishing guides, including George Poveromo. It comes with an upper helm station, a 292-quart (276.3-L) coffin box and outriggers. Regardless of the package, the 344 CC comes with popular items included as standard equipment.

Distinguishing Features

Features Inspection

The Stern.

Boarding the 334 CC from the docks is easily done by walking onto the small walkway between the outboards and the transom and stepping over into the cockpit. There is also a tuna/dive door aft to port and a three-step dive ladder secures in a bracket in the gunwale. In each corner of the stern, we found the aforementioned livewells. Each has rounded corners, blue finish, and clear acrylic lid with friction hinges. MAKO provides a cutting board and two cup holders between the wells with four rod holders aft. A bench seat folds out to provide additional cockpit seating.

Cockpit Storage.

Aft in the deck on each side are insulated 290-quart (369-L) fishboxes with Gulper macerators and overboard discharge. On each side of the gunwales, there are racks for rods and landing tackle. Including the four across the stern, there are 16 rod holders dispersed in the 334 CC’s caprail plus six rocket-launchers on the hardtop. In the port gunwale, a tilting, locking hatch opens a compartment with a leader and plier holder. To starboard, a similar style locker has racks for needle nose pliers, a 12” (30.5 cm) filet knife, and tackle tray holder.

The Leaning Post.

One thing we noticed right away about the 334 CC is that it comes with many standard features that are optional on competitive boats. For example, the leaning post comes with a fully equipped tackle prep station on the aft side. Up top are a draining chum bucket, a freshwater sink with a fold-out faucet, and two cup holders, plus tool racks. Below, a series of drawers provide valuable storage for tackle, tools line, and other fishing accessories. There are also lockers in the sides of the leaning post as well. The front side of the leaning post has side-by-side fold-up bolsters, folding armrest, and storage beneath the hinged bottom cushion.

The Helm.

Regardless of the edition, the 334 CC’s helm has a tilt stainless steel steering wheel with a spinner knob to port with the keys just below and the controls in the center of the dash. This positions the captain to port, so there’s space for a companion to starboard. In addition to the Mercury JPO joystick system, the Fusion stereo and a pair of 12-volt power plugs are in the starboard dash. Cup holders are in the outboard corners on each side.

The Upper Station.

Part of the Sportfish Edition, the upper station has everything a captain needs to run the 334 CC, including the JPO system and a Mercury VesselView engine monitoring screen. The anti-fatigue pad was comfortable to lean back against, and the glove box provided storage space.

The Console.

Moving forward, there are two more in-deck lockers outboard of the console. On the port side of the console, a full-height hatch opens the freshwater head compartment. With its step-down design, it has 6’8” (2.03 m) of standing headroom and 5’5” (1.65 m) when seated on the pump-out toilet. The compartment also has a stainless steel freshwater sink. The electrical distribution panel is in the head and so are inspection panels, which provide access to the helm rigging up high and the batteries and heavy-duty switches down low. There’s also a plug-in port for a Mercury diagnostic tool.

The Bow.

Moving forward, all three versions of the 334 CC have a two-person bench seat on the front of the console. Our test model had the 292-quart (276-L) coffin box with the padded cover in the bow. The entire box raises on a power ram to reveal the huge 740-quart (700 L) bow locker. The Bluewater Family Edition has port and starboard bow lounges with a table that can be lowered to accommodate a filler cushion. This turns the area into a large recessed sun pad. The table, pedestal, and pad are stowable in the in-floor compartment.

Bow Storage.

In addition to the large in-deck locker, storage in the 334 CC’s bow includes an 81-quart (77 L) in the base of the console seat and two lockers for the anchor, windlass, and rode. A hatch in the foredeck provides access to the top of the windlass and roller, while the lower one lets crew members get to the rode.

Power and Performance

The Numbers.

Our 334 CC was powered by triple 350-hp Mercury Verado 4-stroke supercharged outboards turning Enertia Eco 20” (50.8 cm) (outboard) and 21” (53.3 cm) (center) three-bladed stainless steel propellers through 1.75:1 reductions. With three people on board and about a third-of-a-tank of fuel, the boat weighed 13,337 lbs. (6,049 kg). Top speed was 64.4 mph (56 knots) at 5600 rpm.

Best cruise

came at 3000 rpm. The boat ran 29.8 mph (25.9 knots) and burned 20.4 gph (72.2 lph), giving the 334 CC a range of 403 statute miles (350 nm) with 10% fuel in reserve.

In acceleration tests

, the 334 CC with 350-hp motors had a time-to-plane of 4.0 seconds, reached 20 mph (17.4 knots) in 4.9 seconds, and went all the way to 30 mph (26.1 knots) in 6.4 seconds.

Handling.

The MAKO 334 CC is responsive to the helm and turns with good authority coming around at cruise in roughly three boat lengths. In normal turns, she’ll roll roughly 15-degrees into the turn, and with the heavy handed turns of a test captain, she can heel up to 30-degrees. A lot of that has to do with the weight of the tower well above the center of gravity. She remains comfortable throughout.
Of course, when testing an offshore boat, such as this, we were stuck with flat calm water, but crossing the wakes of larger yachts passing by showed no tendency to pound and indeed, the 334 CC’s deep-V design with 24-degrees of transom deadrise and a broad bow flare produced a clean slice through the waves with spray kept low and wide. She also had a solid feel when running through the wakes. We would not hesitate to take this boat on a long offshore run.

Construction Highlights.

MAKO builds the 334 CC with a 5” (12.7 cm) thick fiberglass encapsulated transom that has a 3” (7.62 cm) thick high-density composite core. The hull-to-deck joint is chemically sealed and mechanically fastened every 6” (15.24 cm) with stainless steel fasteners. Hatch covers are laminated 1” thick with finished undersides and integrated gaskets.

Proper Hardware.

Forward, four 8” (20.32 cm) pull-up cleats are used on deck, so fishing lines won’t snag. Aft, in the cap rail on each side, are two stainless steel hawse pipes with 8” (20.32 cm) cleats mounted below on the gunwales.

On Board Systems.

An electroplated sea chest keeps four pumps submerged, so they run cooler, which extends their life. Baitwell pumps are 2,000 gph (7,570 lph) models, and there’s a backup. The raw-water washdown system also has a 2,000-gph (7,570 lph) pump. Each fishbox has a Gulper macerator pump, while the freshwater system has a 38-gallon (144 L) tank, and the waste reservoir has a capacity of 13 gallons (49 L). The 306-gallon (1,158 L) fuel tank is aluminum with four baffles. For the electrical system, MAKO uses thru-hull bonding harnesses for below-water corrosion resistance and labeled, tinned-copper wiring. Marelon seacocks are used for improved resistance to corrosion.

Warranty.

MAKO Assurance Limited Lifetime Structural Hull Warranty. 5-Year “Stem-to-Stern” Coverage. Three-year gelcoat coverage warranty. Transferable to second owner.

Price

Optional Packages

Bluewater Family Edition

Sportfish Edition

Individual Options and Pricing

Observations

MAKO should have a winner on its hands with the 334 CC. Owners can choose among three equipment packages that simplify the purchasing process.
With the choice of twin or triple outboards, the 334 CC can be set up for long-range efficiency for fishermen who want to head to the canyons or for sporty performance with enough speed to keep up with the crowd in the local poker run.