I know maybe this should be in the boating forum but I wanted maximum exposure and would welcome responses from non boat owners too. Having a lot of boat experience and background my boss has asked me to research a fishing boat for her son. It would be used for inshore fishing the mid to lower cape like Harwich, Chatham & Brewster areas. Has to be trailerable. Budget is 15-20K. The new owner is very tall and so that may be a consideration as far as workable deck space and stability. My boss is very concerned about safety and really seems to be leaning towards boston whaler but I would hate to rule out all others since there are a lot of safe boats out there these days. A couple of boats that come to mind are the 17 foot mako, the 16 foot Dauntless Whaler and the 175CC Edgewater. Looking for input on these or other models to be considered. I haven't priced any of these yet so I am not even sure if they will fit the budget yet but go ahead and fire away suggestions.

Oh and while we are at it does anyone have any experience with Lema Boats? Good? Bad? Size?

I was recently looking at boats in that size range and another one to check out is the 16'9" maritime skiff. They have alot of beam for a small boat and are supposedly very stable and dry. They also perform well with a bit lower H.P. They are typically being rigged with a 50 hp four-stroke and reach good speeds and get excellent gas mileage.

I really liked the 17' mako alot, but my favorite was the boston whaler dauntless series. They are very sweet and if I wanted to spend more money, I'd go with the dauntless... pretty pricey though.

I decided on the 17' logic (now called triumph) for a handful of reasons and I'm diggin' it so far. Its a new material (plastic) which is lighter, more durable, lower maintenance and less expensive. Its not as beamy though and has limited deck space for a big person. They have an 18.5' version that is very beamy and with a 4-stroke, is around $18-20k.

I would never advise someone to buy any boat, 'cause I don't know enough about them to do that, but I thought I'd add a couple more manufacturers to your list.

PS... the 18.5' dauntless is just a sweet boat but its priced in the mid-$30K range... Not even positive that was with a 4-stroke as I already knew it was more than I was willing to spend for now.

Schoolie Monster, thanks! Great feedback, actually, just what I was looking for. Someone who has recently been looking. I would never hold anyone responsible for their input because the final decision will be the owner to be. I am just looking for other boats that should be considered and any insights on postives and negatives. I looked at the Maritime Skiffs a few years back myself but couldn't afford them then myself. I know they had some hull problems but I also liked the width and the flexible layouts. I know of the Logic Brand and knew they were a composite material but don't know much more than that. I know of a similar constructed sailboat using the composite versus fiberglass tends to be a little more in weight. Not sure if that holds true with the Logic powerboats. As far as the Dauntless (and all the other whalers) I haven't priced them but am sure they are big bucks and may be out of the running based on that.

The Mako is bullet proof. For the type of seas we can get off of PJ or BI she is great with her high bow and deep V.

How about an older Seacraft ;) - oh, those might sink, sorry...

That 21 Triumph was interesting too, nice boat for low 20K range and it seems durable. The fit & finnish of the plastic doesn't look as nice as say a Whaler or other good glass boat but it's on par with a lot of the skiffs and I'd bet a lot tougher...

You might want to look at a seaswirl striper 1851 cc. I got one last fall and have not found any thing that I would change on her yet. It is a little more pricey than most at 20k for boat,115yamaha,trailer but these are made for the ocean and are fully rigged. Just one more to look at.

Hi John, I used to work at Outermost on the cape years ago and we had a bunch of the old Seacraft's or as we sometimes called them sinkcrafts. I really like them and personally would love to own one. But there are some out there that have a mysterious sinking problem. We had one in particular that completely sunk in its slip a number of times and we could never figure out what the heck was causing it. I like the Mako 17 too but have no idea of the price of a new one yet. I got a price for an 18 Maritime with a 90 Suziki four stroke of around 22K.

GB where did you buy yours from?

Gb's right... Nice boat for that size and well put together...

Jeff - that Seacraft rep is apparently a little deserved but not as bad as reported to be. I guess there are problems of people putting too much motor on top of some of the earlier 20 footers only using a 20" shaft transom, taking a bit of a wave, backfilling and going down. Other problems "supposedly" are fixed with updating the way the boat bails... One of the newer members here, Trayder, runs a site for older Seacrafts, http://classicseacraft.com , and there has been some discussion on that and some owners have made improvements. Just building up the transom to 25 inches is a major upgrade in seaworthyness.

Personally, I was looking at an older one and would have gotten it. One certain aspect of keeping a boat on top of the water is how it handles the sea and those Seacrafts have a great rep for that... Next year, almost certainly, I'll have a 20SF CC or 23SF CC...

jeff I bought mine at Don,s Marine in Tiverton RI great service todate . I did have to leave the rig there yesterday as the 115 yamaha on the back would not start or even try, it would turnover fine but not start? Thats why I like a new rig. because if something can go wrong it will and its there dime to fix not mine! Only thing is it would happen on the best weekend this season :(

Thanks GB. Sorry to hear about the motor problems. I was wondering if you got it at Don's. I hear their service is good. The only problem is they are not conviently located if something like that happens to the boat I am searching for then Iwould have to haul it off cape and such. So not sure that would be a good choice but will look at them for comparison before making the call. Good luck and hopefully it is something simple like the safety kill switch not engaged properly.

Jeff, I don't know how they're rated service wise but there is a Seaswirl dealer in Falmouth, Edwards Boat Yard I think.

I didn't buy anything from Don's in Tiverton but I did speak to the owner while I was pricing an engine and he even suggested something that he wouldn't be able to sell me as an option. He seemed to be sincere enough to have me consider an option that would not have made a sale for me... Nice guy.

Good news the yamaha is fixed and back in just over 24 hr I would have to say that is about the best service I have ever gotten on any outboard. The cdi board was bad so it was replaced for $898.00 charged to MR yamaha thanks. Now just hope this is not going to be a problem? They have only replaced one other cdi and that was back in 92. I told them if it can go bad it will on my motor:( now lets go fishing:happy: :happy: :happy:

My friend has the pro-line sports series 19 foot I believe. 150 merc or somthing like that. Center console - head - factory t-top.
Its a composite with no wood .Should take a likin and keep on tikin. He loves it. went from a 17 Maco to this and has no complaints at all. I think fully rigged just over 21 grand. Thats a lot of boat for the money. Watch the weather and go most anywhere in this thing. Good luck with your search. Jackie O

Nice Mom! How old is the son?

There are a lot of new boats that they can get in to for $20K, and the sky is the limit on the used front.

A few to think about:

Maritime Skiff 1890 (as mentioned above) - fully loaded with an Evinrude 90 FICHT or Honda 90 will run you around $21K, trim the options back and it's less. Simple, solid boat with essentially nothing to go wrong.

Key West 1900 - these are available factory rigged with a Yamaha 115 4 stroke and on a trailer for $20K.

On the used front there are many 17' and 18' Whalers, Scouts and Edgewaters that can be had in the $15K-$20K range. Check out www.boatttrader.com, www.bestboatbuys.com and www.capecodtimes.com classifieds for some used boats.

gf2020 Son is just going to turn 21 and his mom just doesn't want to worry about him out fishing in anything that isn't safe. It's an investment in her son's safety and her piece of mind. Yes, he is lucky for sure. We went to Ryder's Cove in Chatham today and really with no warning just showed up too get a brochure and climb on a couple to see how they would fit his tall frame. Once they saw us looking at the boats they immediately offered a test ride and since the weather was clear just then we said sure why not. They had the 18 foot Maritime splashed in ten minuetes and in fifteen we were heading for the Chatham cut. Should of brought the poles, doh! Anyway, the boat was rigged with a 90 Suziki Four Stroke and boy are they QUIET! You can carry on a normal tone level conversation running at cruising speed. Cool. We had thought a 16 maybe because he may be trailering but after taking the 18 out no way. If she will approve the budget then the 18 for sure. He won't outgrow that boat! Nice smooth ride for a skiff, planed easy, stable and no nonsene no fuss interior. Also dealing with a local marina since the boat will be stored not far away is a real key in case like GB found out you ever need to take advantage of the warrenty. I would look no further if it were me. We looked at some of the Dauntless whalers they had in slips there and the 18 Dauntless is nice but not really as much deck space as the Maritimes. And its a hell of a lot more money. Granted it has the resale but the maritimes are gaining a strong following in the area. His mom said no to used all together she doesn't want 'someone else's problems'. On a side note some guy got to the end of the no wake channel for Ryder's and immediately got the boat planing and decides to bank the corner just outside the last point protecting Ryder's and it's low tide. You guessed it he goes from full speed plane to dead stopped in no time in a nice deep vee and is now HARD aground. OOOPs. Guess you can't get to pleasent bay that way at low tide. Duh.

I think for $20K you could grab one of the 19' Pro Sports center consoles, with a Suzuki 115HP 4-stroke, and trailer. Full warranties to boot.

If he is looking for most bang for the buck the above would probably do it. It would be perfect for the bays, and a occasional trip out deep.

The Pro-Sports is a great entry level boat!

I did like the maritimes alot. As you said, I liked the flexibility to build to your specs and the wide open layout.

If that's what he gets, wish him luck from us... sounds like you should get some guest time on the water in the new craft.

Yah, those whalers are way over the top... the 18 dauntless is double the 18 triumph with similar motor. It is a beautiful boat and their reputation for construction, safety and resale are great... but come on, let's not make it an elitest boat.

That being said, if I was really wealthy and money had no meaning, I'd probably have one.

Ok, here's the follow up. First thanks to every one who chimed in as a lot of good suggestions were provided. As a result we looked a couple of models we wouldn't or might not have considered. In the end without spending too much time researching as the season is here he has decided to keep it simple and go with the 1890 Maritime Skiff with the four stroke 90hp Suzuki, 34 inch center console and the leaning post with optional seat back. Some of the benefits of this boat being the dealer is close to where the boat will be garaged, wide stable platform, fairly shallow draft which is a plus in Chatham with all the sandbars, dry ride, and overall a simple solid design. He was also able to arrange for a mooring for the season which will increase the amount the boat gets used and if anything goes wrong the boat will be right there. One other thing I liked about the Maritime as opposed to some of the boats with interior liners is no bilge and no bilge pump. Nice to not have to worry about fautly pump or a dead battery especially sitting on a mooring. I also believe he will be better off at the marina where if he has a question there is someone to ask where at a public ramp you are pretty much on your own. Some of you may have chosen differently but knowing him better I think this was a good choice as he is not the type to baby a fancy linered boat like some. Thanks again all!