Hi Sam,
I will second the Hewescraft vote. I've had a Searunner for years, and really like it. The Hewes is not as nice as a North River or Wooldridge, but is well made, sturdy, and much more reasonably priced. From my experience, I see more wealthy, older guys without kids in the fancier boats (i.e. not me!). Think about what capability you really need. It's kind of like the guy who buys a 1 ton diesel to go to the grocery store and Cabelas. Do you need/can you afford a 1 Ton Dodge Cummins diesel, or will a 1/2 Ton Toyota Tundra work for you? For me, Hewescraft = Toyota.
Mine is used mostly for fishing and crabbing, and also plays double duty with 3 teenagers and friends skiing and tubing on rivers and lakes. Aluminum is the way to go IMO in the PNW. It's great to beach the boat for island camping and cooking up the days catch.
As already discussed, a deep V hull is the ticket for rough water. The same goes for good suspension seats - your back will thank you.
You'll probably want to be in the 18' to 22' range size wise, depending on the size of your family. Mine is an 18' with 90HP, which is plenty for me and uses gas sparingly.
Last edited by sigguy; 10/08/15.
