Saltwater guys, let's talk boats!

[dafack01 0]

First thing on the big purchase list for this fresh college grad-turned engineer is a new truck or SUV. My initial hopes were to get a 6cyl. 4Runner. However, my move to Savannah might force me to get something with more power. The reason? My boat purchase (not an immediate concern, sometime a year from now or so). Since there's no real freshwater around Savannah but a big damn ocean, I'll be getting a saltwater boat.

 

I haven't looked yet, but I'm pretty sure saltwater boats are all fiberglass, which means they'll be heavy. I'll be doing a lot of fishing in Savannah and South Florida too. I want to fish the flats for redfish and (and bonefish and permit in South Florida), but I doubt I want a flats boat. I'll just anchor the boat and take a kayak along so I don't have to futz with poling.

 

I'm thinking some sorta center console V-hull with reasonable power for use as a general purpose inshore boat.

 

What are some good inshore boats that are reasonably priced, how much are we looking at pricewise, and are they heavy enough to require a V-8? If so I might end up with an F-150 or something.

 

Thanks!

[JJD 0]

You should prioritize your parameters There are inshore boats that have open ocean capabilities, and there are "inshore" boats that don't go shallow enough for some. A used boat is significantly more cost effective, if you have reasonable mechanical skills. You really need to establish your price range, but I would think that ~$10K would get something ~17', safe, decent, with some life expectancy left.

 

The things I like are:

• Self bailing cockpit
• Hydraulic helm
• Trim Tabs
• Fuel Tank volume/access
• Dry Storage
• Cold Storage
• Trolling motor capable?
• anchor box
• clear fishing deck space?

The boat size will really dictate what you need for a tow vehicle. I have a small 16' Hewes Bonefisher - it is built like a tank and really won't get as shallow as some of the new "technical" skiffs, but it can hit 50 with a tail wind, cover more than 200 miles, and it takes a beating. It tows with almost anything. How big are you looking at? One of the classic boats for inshore fishing has always been a 17" Mako down here in FL - decent freeboard, decent ride, relatively shallow draft. Some thing like this would tow fine with a modern V6. A few brands that I've seen up close that look good:

[*]Angler $

[*]Key West $

[*]Hydra Sports $$$

[*]Stratos $$$

[*]Aquasport $$

[*]Carolina Skiff $

[*]ProCraft $$$

[*]Maverick/Hwews/Pathfinder $$$

 

I'm sure there are moere regional boats, but these are pretty common in FL - and probably accessible in GA.

[sandflyx 0]

I use this truck on the beach and has plenty of power for pulling, plus makes a great camper..

[Capt. Matt C 0]

I have an 1820 action craft and I wouldnt trade it for any boat out there. Action Craft is out of business now, but they made a fantastic flats boat. Their coastal bay line is a great bay boat v haul as well. I will actually be selling my boat becasue my wife and I are preparing to relocate out west, finally. PM me if your interested. I can pole my boat in 4-5 inches of water, depending on the weight of my customers. Also so not over look the motor. People dont realize that that is where the expense is. A new Yahmaha can run you upwards of 30 grand. Make sure when looking for example, that the water pump is new, or if it is a 2 stroke, that the oil wiring harness is in good shape. If you are serious about owning a great do all boat talk to me about mine, no pressure. If I wasnt moving, I wouldnt sell it for 30,000! If not PM me any way and Ill help you any way I can in finding what your looking for.

[dafack01 0]

Thanks for the offer Matt, but I'm pretty sure you'll be moving before I'm ready to buy. I want to see what types of fishing there is around here, what I can do on foot, what I can do in a Kayak, what I need a boat for, etc... before I'm ready to buy a boat.

 

Right now I'm just trying to get a gauge on how big a tow vehicle I'd need. I might end up with a full-size pickup instead of a midsize SUV.

 

After checking out the boats for a couple Redfish/Tarpon/Striper/Speck/Cobia etc... guides, I think a Bay Boat is just the ticket. A 20' model that I read the specs on weighed 2000 pounds. Just the hull. Add an engine, a full load of fuel, a trailer, and all my crap I think a V8 is definitely the ticket. Damn. Looks like I'm gonna be looking at full size trucks in addition to a V8 4Runner.

[Capt. Matt C 0]

I drive a Jeep Liberty, a little small for my taste but it pulls the 18.5 footer like a charm. Pick ups are soo damb expensive any more and with gas 3.05 per gallon..... Bay boats are great and versitile. I love push poling the flats and sight casting to fish, I dont care too much about fishing the deeper water and besides I have enough family and friends with boats to handle that if I want. I know what type of fishing I want and I have the perfect boat for it. If you know what your wanting to do half the search is over. Let me know if I can help you out in any way regarding searching for boats, dealers, engines etc... Im not an expert but Ive been around the block with boats many of my close friends have tremendous knowledge about motors, hulls, makes, models etc... Good Luck with the move and the search, dont hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

[saltydancindave 0]

I have an 1820 action craft and I wouldnt trade it for any boat out there. Action Craft is out of business now, but they made a fantastic flats boat. Their coastal bay line is a great bay boat v haul as well. I will actually be selling my boat becasue my wife and I are preparing to relocate out west, finally. PM me if your interested. I can pole my boat in 4-5 inches of water, depending on the weight of my customers. Also so not over look the motor. People dont realize that that is where the expense is. A new Yahmaha can run you upwards of 30 grand. Make sure when looking for example, that the water pump is new, or if it is a 2 stroke, that the oil wiring harness is in good shape. If you are serious about owning a great do all boat talk to me about mine, no pressure. If I wasnt moving, I wouldnt sell it for 30,000! If not PM me any way and Ill help you any way I can in finding what your looking for.

Action Craft is NOT out of business. They have reorganized the business & send emails out as to their new business practices. As for the 1820 poling in 4-5 inches of water....my 1622 Flyfisher SE drafts 8" with one on the bow & another poling off the platform. The spec stated draft of 7 to 9" is attainable with a 12 volt trolling motor instead of having the 24 volt system adding another 60 lb battery; that it is about as shallow as it will get. The hull weight is 795 lbs. After taking it to the weigh station to determine the trailer tongue weight an astounding 2280 lbs before filling the gas tank had me wondering where all the extra weight was ? With the trailer at 600 lbs & the 115 Merc Saltwater at 349 lbs the was weight down to about 1300. Makes for a nice ride with the heavier boat, but can't get anywhere close to drafting 4-5 inches with a boat 180 lbs lighter before adding in the 1820's outboard weight ?

[Capt. Matt C 0]

Well Dave, with no batteries and by myself I could swear I've had it that skinny. I took the trolling motor off a while back minus 2 car batteries. Of course I never measured with a yardstick, but sliding across a sandbar just barely skimming the bottom and "musselin" the push pole a little is shallower than 7-8 inches. I reread my post and I made it sound like I can do that with others on board, that is an exageration, by myself though Ill take that boat anywhere. Still, its not worth arguing over 2 or 3 inches, your still talking about some pretty shallow water, 12", 7" whatever. Im still young and reckless enough to not care about getting out to push either and when Im guiding I dont even attempt it.

I wasn’t aware that they had reopened the door, that’s good news. Rumor had it that it was only a matter of time.

 

have you tried taking your fly fisher shallower than 8", you may ask whats the point, Im just curious and Ill bet it will do it with you alone.

[beaverfsu 0]

When I was in your situtation, I did a ton of research, talking and visiting marina's--it most definatley paid off-I was living in St Augustine FL, and 'needed' a skinny water boat that would fit in my garage (something you need to think about is storage, it can be expensive) but did not want to spend the $$ needed for a true flats boat. I bought a Sea Hunt 15' CC w/50 hp. Plus, the 50 hp was a specific decision at the time-it is a simpler and cheaper motor to maintian then a 75hp or larger motor. It has been a fantastic boat, even after 10 years, I think it was the right decision, no regrets. I looked at ALL of the different brands, at the time Sea Hunt was a young and small company-but produced a quality boat for less money. I was primarily fishing some flats, the intercoastal and inshore (within 2 miles of the beach). Now that I live in South Florida, I can go further off-shore safely, plus deep water is ALOT closer here than the Jax area (2-5 miles versus 20-40 miles). Not to mention the differences in weather patterns between Jax and south fl, they are major, as they are between Savannah and S. Florida.

 

When buying a boat to fit different situations, there is always compromise. A boat for Savannah will need to be more 'seaworthy' i.e. heavier and more V, than a boat for South Florida. Plus the right boat for reds and permits is probably not an 'inshore' boat. Now that I am fly fishing more and preparing to sell the Sea Hunt, I am thinking about micro/tech skiff to really access the flats. Yes, I will pole some, but the right trolling motors setup can handle alot of the work. I have considered the Yak/mother ship appoarch, but know how much work is required just to maintian one saltwater boat, I will stick with a micro skiff. However, if I had a 17'-20' offshore boat (wasn't married with kids), the yak appoarch would be nice.

 

A 'bay boat' or standard CC in the 17' range probably fits your description of what you want. The pathfinders are excellent boats, but at a price. I would sugguest lots of research on different makes, you might find a 'local' builder in the Savannah area that you like. Hells Bay was mentioned, excellent boats-there are made near my parent's house. When they were smaller and local , they were alot cheaper! But are a national brand now.

 

You will need to look at the tow specs of the 4 runner and the boat weights, but that combo should work fine. I have had 3 tow vechiles for my boat: a Madza B4000 4X4, 4runner v6 and an explorer v6. The Madza was my favorite, but family life requires more than a pickup. Make sure you get a receiver hitch with the 4runner. O, if you are hauling a boat between Savannah and South Florida alot, spend the extra money for a aluminum trailer with torison bars, no springs.

 

Ultimaley, my purchase decision was influenced by the $$. Hewes, Hellbays, Pathfinders, Boston Whalers and others are great boats, but pricey. I didn't want a payment, so went with a smaller, but quality boat.

 

Tight lines.

 

[travbass2 0]

Been a while since visiting but thought I'd chime in here. I run a beautiful 1982 Boston Whaler Newport 17 with a 90hp Johnson. I can slide up into about 8" and if I somehow need to get shallower, I stick the trolling motor in the sand and hop out, and only have to do that to reach a hole I can't get into with the boat or to reach Drum pushing in some truely skinny water. For me, it's the ideal setup. I mostly fish inshore in the Chesapeake Bay and coastal NC but do take it offshore from time to time. Had it out to the Gulf Stream a handful of times under ideal conditions and it handles the big water with ease. I'm a boundary pusher and know my limits, but anything other than the right conditions and I don't try to get that far out there. May be a little crazy but not stupid. A 17 footer is pushing it, even if it is a Whaler. I'd rather not test the unsinkability quality way out there. I've seen plenty of nasty water inshore and have taken quite a few waves over the nose, but this thing is a tank. Took the boat down to Ft. Myers and Chokoloskee FL for a while and it proved to be a fine flats boat although I did have to contend with some hull slap, it still fared well. Managed to haul in plenty of Reds, Trout, Pompano, Snook, Jacks, Spannish, and a few Tarpon. Good enough for me.

 

When it comes down to it, there is no one "all purpose" boat and what works for one angler, might not be the ideal setup for someone else. All I know is I found my ideal boat for the majority of the salty places I fish. Just as I have so many friggin' rod and reel setups, I have a few boats for specific places.

For where you are going and the fishing you'll be doing, I put my vote in for a Whaler of this size. A 20fter will likely keep you from reaching some of the places you might want to fish inshore. Plus you don't have to get a big truck to pull it around, I say that but I drive a Dodge 1500 with the 5.9L...yeah, this gas $$ is killing me...

Before I got the Dodge, I pulled my Whaler all over the place just fine with a V6 Isuzu Rodeo.

Good luck with your search for your ideal boat!!

[saltydancindave 0]

Well Dave, with no batteries and by myself I could swear I've had it that skinny. I took the trolling motor off a while back minus 2 car batteries. Of course I never measured with a yardstick, but sliding across a sandbar just barely skimming the bottom and "musselin" the push pole a little is shallower than 7-8 inches. I reread my post and I made it sound like I can do that with others on board, that is an exageration, by myself though Ill take that boat anywhere. Still, its not worth arguing over 2 or 3 inches, your still talking about some pretty shallow water, 12", 7" whatever. Im still young and reckless enough to not care about getting out to push either and when Im guiding I dont even attempt it.

I wasn’t aware that they had reopened the door, that’s good news. Rumor had it that it was only a matter of time.

 

have you tried taking your fly fisher shallower than 8", you may ask whats the point, Im just curious and Ill bet it will do it with you alone.

Had the AC floating in a 10' X 20' hole 4 'deep up the Myakka Cutoff last year after running down to Burnt Store & Alligator Creek looking for fish. Forgot about the tides going out plus the north winds pushing the water out of the harbor. Looked at the leaves on the mangroves when there was about a foot gap between the water to cast a fly. A half hour later could see the mangrove tree roots, another half hour & there was a foot of shoreline below the roots. The boat floated as I walked in less than ankle deep water all around the hull, but when advertised it drafts 7-9" you better believe it's a long time waiting for the tide to come in high enough to float over the sand bars & that's standing on the bow to get the extra weight of the 115 balanced to keep the stern from squatting ! Those 2 or 3" become important after dark when the skeeters are starting to hone in on you ! Action Craft also has a bay boat, the original Pathfinder bay boat was the Maverick flats hull with higher gunnels & Shallow Water Angler magazine usually does an update for what's new in boats, last was Oct/Nov 06 for bay boats. Seems Trailer Boats magazine has the monthly section where they rate tow vehicles & have a yearly synopsis. Just tow with a GMC S-15 V6, but it's rated for up to 5500 lbs; plenty of towing GVWR to spare

[dafack01 0]

 

The boat size will really dictate what you need for a tow vehicle. I have a small 16' Hewes Bonefisher - it is built like a tank and really won't get as shallow as some of the new "technical" skiffs, but it can hit 50 with a tail wind, cover more than 200 miles, and it takes a beating. It tows with almost anything. How big are you looking at? One of the classic boats for inshore fishing has always been a 17" Mako down here in FL - decent freeboard, decent ride, relatively shallow draft. Some thing like this would tow fine with a modern V6. A few brands that I've seen up close that look good:

 

 

I just went to Bass Pro today to check out boats (not near ready to buy but I do need an idea of what I want so I get the right truck) and I checked out a 2008 Mako 181. 17', 60hp outboard, lightweight (2100 pounds with hull, trailer, and engine). From talking to the salesman (who was surprisingly not pushy at all!) it seems like this would be ideal for me. It'll get me around the inshore/nearshore saltwater and into some relatively shallow water (16" draft according to the specs). Able to have a trolling motor so I can use it to double as a bass boat. New and fully loaded it costs in the mid $13,000 range! That's a lot cheaper than I thought!

 

I'd like to check out those Carolina Skiffs too.

 

I figure about 2500 pounds fully gassed and loaded. I could tow that with a small V8 no problem!

 

[travbass2 0]

16" sounds pretty deep for a 17' boat. If it's shallow water you are looking to fish in, you might want go with a Carolina skiff but there are drawbacks. They ride pretty rough and wouldn't be a very good offshore boat. That's why I went with my Whaler. It's not perfect but close enough for what I do.

[dafack01 0]

I didn't have much to do today so I checked out another boat dealership. They sell Sea Chaser boats (affiliated with Carolina Skiff apparently). They had a 21' Bay Boat (12" draft) for the low-mid 20's. The Sea Chaser 220BR. After drilling him on the general/average loan specs (just getting info) that's probably within my reach financially (the last thing I want to do is live out of my means. Saving money is very important to me too). Operating costs and long term costs are also important to me. They use Suzuki 4 strokes and the come with (I think) 6 year warranties, which is DEFINITELY a good thing. They said it's their most popular boat and you can do a lot of different fishing in it.

 

He said that the longer boats ride a lot better in choppy seas than the shorter boats, which would be a good thing. Would you all recommend a longer boat over a shorter one?

 

 

The extra deck space sure would be nice too. We'll see though.

 

I'll have to check out thost Boston Whalers too, travbass.

[saltydancindave 0]

Longer boats usually ride better than shorter boats for one reason because they have more fiberglass, usually are a bit wider & are heavier. The Sea Chaser is a hull that used to be named _____? which was a popular flats boat & was bought by Carolina Skiff to manufacture with improvements. For towing on flat land a smaller engine might not have problems in overdrive, but any engine for towing shouldn't be going in & out of overdrive with downshifts when towing thru hills or mountains which will ruin a tow vehicle prematurely. There have been a few posts on boating forums discussing Ford F-150's vs Ford 250 diesels & towing the larger bay boats.....those with the F-150's wish they had gotten the 250's