This article reflects my personal experience and opinion as a customer. All statements are true to the best of my knowledge and supported by documentation where available.
A Lifelong Dream, Finally Within Reach
Since my early teens, I dreamed about someday living near the beach, owning my own fishing boat, and heading out into the deep blue water—the kind of place you go to clear your head, reset your soul, and recharge. Offshore fishing represented freedom to me. It was the picture I carried for years of what “making it” would feel like.
In 2020, life finally made that dream possible. I relocated from the Colorado Rocky Mountains to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I saved diligently for a healthy down payment and, as a first-time boat owner, entered the process excited, optimistic, and admittedly inexperienced. I didn’t know everything there was to know about boats—but I did know I would be relying heavily on professionals to guide me honestly, competently, and in good faith.
Like most first-time buyers, I trusted that purchasing new from a reputable dealer would come with support, accountability, and advocacy if issues arose. Unfortunately, my experience with Sea Pro Boats and Coastal Marine Myrtle Beach turned a lifelong dream into a prolonged, costly, and deeply stressful ordeal.
What follows is my firsthand experience.
Who I Worked With at Coastal Marine Myrtle Beach
For transparency and clarity, the following individuals were my primary points of contact throughout the purchase and service of my boat.
Scott Terrell — Sales Representative, Coastal Marine Myrtle Beach
Scott Terrell was my sales representative at the time of purchase. As a first-time boat buyer, I relied heavily on the guidance, representations, and assurances provided during the sales process and in the months that followed.
Dennis Cast — Service Manager, Coastal Marine Myrtle Beach
Dennis Cast served as the Service Manager during much of the ongoing service and repair process. Many of the mechanical, electrical, and safety-related issues described below were handled—or attempted to be handled—through the service department under his oversight.
The First Offshore Trip: A Serious Safety Failure
The very first offshore trip revealed a critical safety issue. While running approximately 40 mph offshore, the windshield detached from the boat and flew off, narrowly missing my head. This was not a cosmetic issue or a minor defect—it was a serious failure that could have resulted in severe injury or worse.
That incident immediately shook my confidence in the boat and set the tone for what would become a recurring pattern of quality problems and unresolved concerns.
Repeated Mechanical and Electrical Problems
Following that incident, the boat experienced repeated and significant issues, including:
- Engine failures caused by faulty sensors
- Bilge pump issues
- An incident in which muddy water somehow entered the bilge area, ultimately destroying critical wiring
I paid Coastal Marine to rewire the boat, expecting the problem to be properly diagnosed and resolved. Unfortunately, after that work was completed, the boat has essentially never operated reliably. Instead of resolution, I encountered continued problems and repeated deflection of responsibility.
At nearly every step, accountability was shifted elsewhere rather than being owned. I expected a dealer to stand behind both the product and their customer. That expectation was not met.
Nearly a Year of Cavitation Issues — Initially Dismissed
For nearly a year, the boat suffered from persistent cavitation issues. I repeatedly raised concerns and was initially told that I simply did not know how to properly trim the boat. As a new owner, this explanation was frustrating but something I was willing to consider.
To remove any doubt, multiple experienced captains went offshore with me on the boat. Each independently confirmed that the issue was not operator error, but rather a problem with the boat itself.
Despite this, my concerns continued to be dismissed until I documented the cavitation issues on video and shared them publicly. At that point, other Sea Pro owners came forward reporting the same problems. Only then was the issue acknowledged, and the props were replaced—effectively validating what I had been saying all along.
Continued Investment Despite Ongoing Problems
Despite these unresolved issues, I continued to invest in the boat, spending thousands of additional dollars on accessories and upgrades, including:
- An iPilot Minn Kota trolling motor
- Taco outriggers
- An alternator to support the trolling motor
- Additional equipment and accessories
At one point, I even offered to sell the boat back at a significant personal loss. Coastal Marine would still have realized a profit on the transaction. That offer did not result in any meaningful discussion or resolution.
Billing Without Resolution or Accountability
The boat currently has approximately 200 hours on it. Despite this relatively low usage, Coastal Marine continues to issue invoices while the boat remains unreliable and, at times, effectively unusable.
In my experience, Coastal Marine—specifically Scott Terrell—has continued to send invoices for work that, in my opinion, has not resolved the underlying issues, as the boat still does not function properly. At the same time, responsibility has repeatedly been deflected away from the service provided and redirected back to me.
As a first-time boat owner, I was transparent about my lack of experience and relied on Coastal Marine to act as a trustworthy guide and advocate. Instead, I have felt that my inexperience has been used against me, with blame consistently placed on the customer rather than on the quality or effectiveness of the work performed. In my opinion, this is not how a reputable dealer should treat a first-time buyer seeking guidance, accountability, and good-faith service.
Coastal Marine has also repeatedly claimed that the boat was part of a boat club. This is simply untrue. Had it been in a club, it would have accumulated thousands of hours, not approximately 200. In reality, the boat was occasionally used under the supervision of a few friends because it never functioned properly, and I lost money attempting that arrangement.
The Human Cost
This ongoing situation caused an extraordinary amount of stress over an extended period of time. Ultimately, that stress contributed to a major health crisis that resulted in septic shock. While no single factor causes such an event, the prolonged stress and frustration from this unresolved situation were significant contributing factors.
No boat purchase should ever lead to this kind of personal toll.
Final Thoughts for Boat Buyers
I am not a boating expert. That is precisely why I relied on professionals like Coastal Marine to be honest, transparent, and supportive throughout the process. Instead, my experience has been marked by dismissiveness, finger-pointing, and a lack of accountability.
I am still seeking a fair and reasonable resolution. Unfortunately, to this point, what I have received are additional invoices and a boat that still does not work as it should.
I would be interested to know how many other customers have had similar experiences but never took the time to document them. My purpose in sharing this story is simple: to help other boat buyers make informed decisions and to encourage accountability where it is warranted.
This article reflects my personal opinion, based entirely on my firsthand experience.