Home Forums Fishing Saltwater Fishingboat/Wife help

Longbob, one thing to consider with boats is how much, how far and what you are going to pull it with. I have a 23' center console and I pull it with a 2003 1500 chevy suburban. this boat is max for this vehicle and is not much fun on long trips. I have found boats in the 19-21' range to be easier to pull and store. I take my edgewater 23' single-outboard boat out 30 miles plus. with a radio (and backup) and seatow, I figure I am in pretty good shape. grady white makes some very nice, although expensive, boats that seem to hold their value well. as far as motor go, most of the major companies make pretty good ones. good luck

Sitka,

I will check out that area, also. Hunting is a top priority.

257Bob,

I don't intend on towing this much at all. It would only be taken out for service, storage, storms <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" /> , etc.... The marina could handle all of that if needed.

The size of the boat is a big consideration. I like a larger boat, but I am well aware of the adage "the bigger the boat, the less it is taken out." If the water is rough, no boat will really seem big enough. I just like a bigger boat for a smoother ride mainly.

The info has been fantastic. We went to visit North Padre Island and fell in love with it. We will probably buy a couple pieces of property down there as a hedge. Then we will start looking in the Puget Sound areas down to where Sitka was suggesting.

I think he is trying to push me further South, away from him. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Longbob, good luck. if you go over 23', you will probably need two engines. that means more weight and twice the service expense. if you are going way offshore, then the doubles make sense. my 23 footer has a yamaha 225 four stroke and it is just about right. my longest trip is about 35 miles offshore so the single does fine.

Although aluminum boats are lower maintenance and can be beached rather easily, I think your wife would be more cozy on a glass cabin cruiser.

An Olympic, Seasport or Osprey in the 22-26' range should do quite nicely.

I do have a 22' Oly N.W. Walkaround myself. 225 HP Merc EFI saltwater O/B. I repowered when was was in the $1.50-1.75/gal range. I would have gone 4-stroke if I'd known.

MM

This is my 22� North River it has a full top and back stern cover when it is on you can walk around in it and can sleep three adults This boat has been 25 miles out tuna fishing and has spent many days in the ocean salmon fishing. And has been on some nasty white water and skinny water and works well for a fun boat for the kids too.

Check out Puget Island - not Puget Sound - near the town of Cathlamet. Prices are'n't bad yet and the island sits in the lower Columbia with great views and fishing. There are several sloughs on the island where you can own waterfront and have sheltered moorage. Ward

Ward,

Thanks for the lead. Good gosh that is a picturesque place! I have never seen a church with water front property. That may be my kind of place.

Do you know what the properties are going for? Approximate costs of homes in the 3000 sq. ft. range? How much property does one normally buy there? For instance, are the homes on 1 acre, 10 acre, or small farms?

Longbob, I've just visited a few times. The lots on the sloughs are just small building lots but the island is mostly still small acreages. How far from a boat launch can you be on a little island? I think one of the realtors in Cathlamet has a webiste to check prices. Last time I looked, the prices didn't reflect Portland or Seattle price levels at all. The only downside is that there's not a lot of hunting nearby except ducks, deer on timber co. lands and some bear. Ward

I bought a boat this year after researching brands for a year and visiting a lot of dealers. My brother's the DEM guy that registers the boats in RI and he also had a lot of input. I fish in Narragansett bay and venture out to prowl the coastline out to about 7 or 8 miles. I set these guidelines.

The boat has to contend with Narragansett Bay conditions, RI Atlantic Coastal area fair conditions, and wakes generated by commercial shipping and recreational boaters.

I wanted space to fish, a soft ride and reasonable fuel economy.

Boat, motor and trailer, I set a price cap of $35,000

Here's what I found (actually went out and looked at) in center consoles

Used 20' Grady Whites and Boston Whalers at least 5 years old. Various trailers

20' Sea Swirl 150 Yamaha 4 stroke Load Rite trailer

20' Parker 150 Yamaha 4 stroke Load Rite trailer

22' Maycraft 150 Honda 4 stroke Caravan trailer

22' Seahunt 150 Yamaha 4 stroke Caravan trailer

21' Sailfish 150 Yamaha 4 stroke Load Rite trailer

20' Caravelle 150 Yamaha 4 stroke Long trailer

20' Polar 150 Yamaha 4 stroke Long trailer

20' Scout Yamaha 150 no trailer

Here is what I learned:

Grady's are a lot of boat, they're expensive and hold their value. Even the 18' was priced out of my reach.

Boston Whalers are small, and a 19' (out of reach) isn't very big. Hull construction with foam inside costs a lot and you get a smaller boat for the money. One though that you can cut in half and stay afloat in.

Sea Swirls are not regarded highly (hear a lot of comparisons to Trophys as light thin hull boats), but cost quite a bit of money. The 20 looked small to me.

Parkers are supposed to be well built boats. The ones I saw had low sides and not a lot of "V" to the bottoms. They looked like they would give an unpleasant ride. I noticed a bigger one like a 26 with a pilot house tied up in the harbor and as the marina traffic went by, it was the only boat bobbing up and down. Sort of confirmed my opinion. They do have a 21 deep "V" I'd have liked to have seen.

Maycraft was no frills, rough fiberglass everywhere. A fiberglass boat with wood stringers and deck and transom laminates. Most inexpensive boat I looked at. A lot of boat for the money. My brother's friend has one a 20' and liked it a lot. Brother said he thought it pounded and I'd not care for it though. They sell a ton of boats to police and fire departments and have a good track record for durability.

Seahunt was also no frills. They look like Grady Whites and have a loyal following here. Boat for boat they are lighter and come with lighter outboards (less power). I rode in a 20 and it did roll and sway a bit crossing wakes but it did not pound. Faster and more fuel efficient hulls, but weight reduction affects ride. I definitely would have gone with the 22', although the dealer said I wouldn't enjoy trailering it.

Sailfish - Bought one. Deepest "V" on market. High sides basically a Seacraft copy. It went 45 with a 150, and I was impressed with the ride. The hull is soft and gentle but it does rock left to right the deep "V" is the culprit. Takes some getting used to. I've fished out of it a year and would recommend the boat. Base boat with a Yamaha 4 stroke 150 was 32K. Very reasonable I thought.

Caravelle are heavy and have a big hull. Saw one for sale at sailfish dealer because owner said it was a dog. They are wood free and are known for going in and out of business. (like robalo)

Polar are mass produced - Aquasport and Wellcraft people. People want a lot of money for a pretty rough boat. The 20 I went on had rough glass in the bilges, fish boxes and battery boxes. It rode well though.

Scout I thought the 20 was small for the money. The one I looked at listed over 40K. I thought the dealer was out of his mind. I saw one man who went on a sea trial buy a 20' sailfish instead which is a bay boat not a deep V. I also heard from a full time on the water tuna fisherman to stay away from the boat that I wouldn't be happy with the ride. I don't know though.

Rob,

Thanks! That is a lot of good info to digest.

Rob just so you are aware. A boat with a deep v is going to rock more than a boat with a modified v. there is more boat in the water no matter what brand you buy. The trade off will be a smoother ride in less that ideal conditions. The perfect boat has not been invented yet.I run boats from 26 to 65 ft on a regular basis and this hold true for all catagories.

No one here has mentioned catamaran hulls yet! They are generally roomier, more fuel efficient, and have a better ride than a comperable v-hull. I have a 32' Maxcat. Aluminum, 20 degree V on the hulls, twin diesels and a gas kicker. It is set up to live AND fish, with a full standup flush head, shower, water heater, fridge/freezer, Wallace stove/heater, dinette, tons of storage, and queen berth in the cabin. Outside it has a self-bailing cockpit 10' long, 2 huge fish/storage boxes, downriggers, rocket launchers, 9 rod holders, swim step, windlass, and a fantastic walkaround with waist-high rail. It will do 25 knots in 4' windchop, comfortably, without pounding. The best part is that it only rolls about 1/3 as much as a V-hull when fishing. It can be ordered with either a bumper-pull or gooseneck trailer. I've had it for 4 years, and I wouldn't own anything else. Price is comperable with other boats in it's class, and the builder offers sizes down to 26' and over 40', with outboards, i/o, jets, and surface drives. Check out his website, www.maxweldboats.com. It's a quality operation.

I like the looks of those cat drop bows on their webpage!

ditto to BW

"Sea Swirls are not regarded highly (hear a lot of comparisons to Trophys as light thin hull boats), but cost quite a bit of money."

Beware of internet idiot-savantes passing themselves off as experts. This statement is simply not true.

Mav,

Got any pictures of your boat?

You mentioned the diesels, but not the drive (or I missed it.) Are ya running props or jets?

There's a Maxcat up here, and it looks pretty nice. About the same size as yours. It's running twin Merc 300hp Veragos.

I e-mailed the Maxcat folks, and a guy actually called me back and left a message on my cell phone. I'm going to call him back, but am trying to find out more info on these boats.

I was suprised by the quick response, as Munson never replies to my e-mails. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm sorry, the only pictures I have are prints, and I don't have the computer savvy to get them up here. Many of them have smiling people and numerous large salmon, halibut and/or tuna involved. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

We are running 330 hp Cummins B series motors in front of Hamilton 274 jets. It costs us 8 or 10 knots of speed and milage compared to i/o's, 33 vs 40+ top speed, but much more reliable and damage resistant. They are also a dream for fishing and manouvering around docks. Maxweld is building a couple boats with Saro surface drives right now, it will be interesting to see how they perform.

I can't say enough good things about Maxweld. They will build a boat for your specs, and stand behind their work 1000%, at a reasonable cost. You can tell them I said so!

Mark Rubbert

I better start a new thread, as this one is running off topic.

Wonder what the original poster decided?

Please don't start a new thread. I appreciate everyone's input. We haven't made a decision, but I am leaning towards a smaller boat than I originally thought. I definately want to be able to run some of the rivers in the NW.

Too late. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My new thread shouldn't detract from this one, it's a different subject.