Scout 670 LXS Reviewed

The 670 LXS’ raked windshield, broken sheerline and hullside glass create a sporty profile. Courtesy Scout Boats

“Two-foot-itis” is a common boat-owner disease, manifested by skippers who continually buy vessels just a few feet longer than their current yacht. I never realized that boatbuilders also suffer from this ailment. In the case of Scout Boats, it’s 14-foot-itis.

The Scout 670 LXS is 14 feet longer than any previous Scout model and is powered by no fewer than five 600 hp Mercury V-12 Verado outboards. With 60 cylinders and 3,000 total horsepower, this 30-ton boat races across the sea at nearly 52 knots.

It has three staterooms, two heads and foldout side decks, combining entertainment areas on deck and in the salon with luxurious appointments that demonstrate just how far this builder has come from its smaller beginnings.

The 670 LXS’ lower salon has an atrium vibe and volume to spare. Courtesy Scout Boats

Steve Potts started Scout Boats in 1989 with a 14-foot fishing boat. The brand has since built a reputation for high-performance, outboard-powered fishing boats with ever-growing waterlines. Today, Scout Boats combines speed and fuel economy with luxe touches that rival larger sport-fishers.

In 2019, Scout premiered its LX luxury center-console series with a 53-footer. This year, Scout unveiled its aptly nicknamed “Project Everest,” the world’s largest outboard-powered sport-fishing yacht.

The teak cockpit sets the tone with a pair of settees and a food-prep area with a grill. For anglers, there are two 30-gallon livewells and 60-gallon fish boxes, fed from an ice machine that diverts to an oversize cooler beneath one of the settees.

The main deck is equal parts dining and entertaining with an open galley and easy helm access. Courtesy Scout Boats

With outboard power, the boat has a space that can serve as stowage, a workshop or even a mother-in-law suite. A Seakeeper 14 gyrostabilizer and a 24-kilowatt Kohler genset are accessed easily via a separate aft hatch.

The cockpit’s side decks fold out, creating a nearly 20-foot beam. A hidden control station is fitted with a joystick and thruster controls. Port and starboard boarding is via opening panels that transform into steps leading from the dock to cockpit level. Side decks surround the cabin, but Scout doesn’t refer to the 670 LXS as a center-console. This is considered a sportboat.

The “breezeway” cockpit beneath the fiberglass hardtop has another settee with twin tables, a trio of swivel bar stools facing a galley countertop with a lowering window, and a fold-down screen for accessing the Garmin navigation, playing games or watching TV. A fold-down ladder in the hardtop hints at two alternate 670 versions—Fish and Cruise—which feature a flybridge.

With its five 600 hp Mercury outboards, the Scout 670 LXS has a top hop of just under 52 knots. Courtesy Scout Boats

Just inside the salon door is a custom electrical panel, conveniently mounted at eye level and clearly labeled. It’s a welcome change for anyone tired of crouching to find a breaker.

The salon, with 6 feet, 7 inches of headroom, has an L-shaped galley to port with a two-burner induction cooktop, convection oven, JennAir drawer fridge and dedicated dishware stowage. Opposite is a C-shaped settee with a folding high-low dining table.

Twin bolstered helm chairs face two 22-inch Garmin displays. Companions seated opposite the helm can access navigation tools or track the boat’s progress. Zipwake trim tabs, Sleipner bow and stern thrusters, and soft-touch switching are all standard on the 670 LXS. Overhead, a 4-by-5-foot sunroof opens, and the 60-inch windows flanking the helm retract for fresh air too.

The lower salon has atrium lighting courtesy of the windshield above. A door leads to a VIP stateroom with a full-size berth, 6-foot-6-inch headroom and private access to the day head, which includes a 36-inch-wide shower. A starboard-side cabin has twin berths. On the 670 LXS that I got aboard, the port side was configured as an entertainment area with a 43-inch TV, fridge, ice maker and coffee maker.

The owner’s space includes a 67-inch-wide berth, a private head with a vessel sink and a Tecma toilet, and a 30-by-40-inch shower with a built-in seat.

Side decks with 41-inch-high coamings include full-length recessed and overhead handrails for safe movement forward, where three lounges and a retractable dinette table offer alfresco comfort. A hidden Maxwell windlass is controlled from the bow or the helm.

Underway, the 670 LXS is as thrilling as it is refined. This boat tempts skippers to spin doughnuts at high speed with its responsive Gussi Italia wheel. Acceleration is brisk, and noise levels remain low even at full throttle. With a crew of six and full fuel, the 670 LXS that I was aboard topped out just shy of 52 knots. At a 30-knot cruise, range exceeded 400 nautical miles. That’s enough to reach distant destinations with ease, and quickly.

The Seakeeper kept the boat rock-steady, and even a lumpy Gulf Stream failed to unsettle the hull, which always tracked straight and soft.

The Scout 670 LXS not only showcases the construction quality and detailing for which Scout is known, but it also raises the bar for what’s possible in an outboard-powered yacht.

Hideaway

Scout’s rocket launcher retracts into the hardtop, extending as needed with nine rod holders. It also tucks away to protect the electric shade housed in the hardtop’s garage. When it’s retracted, no one would know the shade was there.

Power Play

Having multiple engines provides redundancy. The five Mercury outboards allow cruising at 28 knots on just three engines, or at 39 knots on four. This capability can also help to balance performance and wear.

Eye-Catching

The Scout 670 LXS is designed by Harrison Eidsgaard, a London-based  company renowned for 300-foot superyachts and private aircraft. The 670 has a flowing sheerline and curved windshield with no straight lines.

Ultimate Control

The 600 hp Mercury V-12 Verado steers via its lower unit only. For some skippers, it’s initially disorienting to see the engines remain still, but this design eliminates exposed steering hardware and declutters the transom.

Stout Scout

The 670 LXS has a hull, deck and hardtop that are fully epoxy-infused carbon fiber for strength and weight savings. The inner hull and engine stringers are filled with high-density foam core and wrapped in carbon fiber.

Take the next step: scoutboats.com

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