What size boat?

[Circlehook]

I am about a year away from a boat, hopefully next summer. What would you say is the best size boat for a first boat? What si the minimum size for cape cod bay?

I am mainly a striper fisher, but want to be able to venture out deeper once I gain some skill and confidence. Is a 23' too small to head out to sea?

What are the best brands of fishing boats for the money and what is the best engine config.

[Fish On]

I am biased, but if I were buying a boat again in my size range I would again buy a Hydra-sports W/A cuddy in teh 22 foot range with an outboard. Great quality for the money. The vector series are awesome but only made that small several years back. I take mine out to Jeffries and Stellwagon regularly. As long as you are smart about it, watch the weather, take care of it, and use your head (don't drink) you should be fine in a boat like this. Good luck!

[fishsmith]

21 - 23 feet is more than enough to hit all of Mass bay, and this size should hold off the boating disease 3 footitis for a while. Not sure what your budget is, but I'm a big fan of new to newer power and an older boat to get the most bang for the buck. I also like a cuddy cabin w/hard top vs center console for the protection it gives.
When you cross the bay in the morning it's usually calm, on the way back the SW wind picks up the seas a bit and can be a wet ride on the way home.
If the Ave Maria 1 is still available, that would be my pick of the litter, but I'm a huge Privateer fan.

[Raven]

privateer boats look great....

the price tag of 100 k is cost prohibitive for me

check out #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&s boat circlehook

it works good for him...

but he claims its best for one person....

start there and work up....

[Rick Ackley]

CC's give you room up front to cast, and WA's give you a galley, and berths. I am partial to a 23'WA cuddy, twin OB's on a bracket. Hard top, enclosed, electronic in an overhead, with lots of rod holders, a good baitwell, and below deck fish boxes. Of course if I could Grady White would be my choice, but there others that make fun fine boats. Hit the show scene during the Winter. Some will make you drool. Good luck.

[zacs]

There is no answer to your question.

It is all about personal preference.

Here is what you do:

Figgure you are probably going to spend $2-5K per year on gas and maintenance and upgrades, especially if you are going to have a slip.

So I assume you have that discretionary $ in your budget.

Take that money, and spend $5K this summer and $5K next summer, and get on as many charters as you can, specifically in the area where you plan to do most of your boating/fishing.

What you will learn:
A lot of fishing hot spots
Several boat fishing techniques
Pros and cons of different boat layouts
Boat handling skills
General seamanship

Please do not look past this advice. It will put you eons ahead of most people just starting out.

Best of luck

Zac

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by zacs

There is no answer to your question.

It is all about personal preference.

Here is what you do:

Figgure you are probably going to spend $2-5K per year on gas and maintenance and upgrades, especially if you are going to have a slip.

So I assume you have that discretionary $ in your budget.

Take that money, and spend $5K this summer and $5K next summer, and get on as many charters as you can, specifically in the area where you plan to do most of your boating/fishing.

What you will learn:
A lot of fishing hot spots
Several boat fishing techniques
Pros and cons of different boat layouts
Boat handling skills
General seamanship

Please do not look past this advice. It will put you eons ahead of most people just starting out.

Best of luck

Zac

This is good advice.... The other thing to do is to see what other people like to do in their boats and where they take them and what you would want to do - similar or different. But definitely look into what Zac said...

[keeperreaper]

Seatrial, seatrial, seatrial. Find a few boats you are interested in and try them. Plan the trials when the weather is snotty to really see how the boat handles. Run in up sea, down sea, quartering, beam to etc to get a real feel for the boat characteristics. You won't be sorry. Try to find people on this and other boards who have the boat you like and ask questions or even better yet try to get on them for a spin. At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference.

[fishsmith]

zacs advice is great, you kill two birds with one stone, learning boats and spots.

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by zacs

There is no answer to your question.

It is all about personal preference.

Here is what you do:

Figgure you are probably going to spend $2-5K per year on gas and maintenance and upgrades, especially if you are going to have a slip.

So I assume you have that discretionary $ in your budget.

Take that money, and spend $5K this summer and $5K next summer, and get on as many charters as you can, specifically in the area where you plan to do most of your boating/fishing.

What you will learn:
A lot of fishing hot spots
Several boat fishing techniques
Pros and cons of different boat layouts
Boat handling skills
General seamanship

Please do not look past this advice. It will put you eons ahead of most people just starting out.

Best of luck

Zac

Best advice you could get!

[capecodder]

A lot of good advice here so far.

Think very carefully about how you will use the boat. Will you trailer it or moor/slip? Do you need a tow vehicle? Do you have kids/family needs for the boat? New vs. used.

Each person will be different, I can tell you what I did. I live on the South Shore and spend a lot of time in Truro on the Cape. I have little kids and limited time.

I chose an 18' Center Console. 4 years used, Grady White on a trailer. Easily towable, launchable, solo handling, and storage (garage). Relatively low fuel costs. My experience has been good, going into my 4th season.

I find that CC Bay/Stellwagen is rarely calm enough on the few days that I have available to me, for offshore use. While the boat can handle 2-4' seas, it is not pleasant and I just don't bother. Going out in 1', fishing and then coming home in 2-4 is a different story... I'm not sure this would be any different in a 21' CC for ME.

I have learned a lot about boating, fishing (very different from surf casting), and how I might use a larger boat, without breaking the bank. The GW 18' is a big boat for its size, very capable. No problem running from Scituate to PTown on a good day.

I personally feel that in order to get alot more usage in the conditions we have, I would need to jump up over 25'.

One more thing as it relates to kids, if applicable. My kids love the open bow of the CC and have never missed a small cabin. With a smaller boat, 18-23', you need to hold the little ones when underway at any speed in any kind of seas or they bounce around. So for me, a cabin is not of much use in the smaller boats.

I would say a 20ish foot boat is a good starting size. Go used with a late model year and you'll save $$.

Enjoy the process, its a lot of fun.

[smittyballz]

I just got a 17.5 foot 1988 larson with a 125 hp force engine on it. I bought it for 600 bucks down the cape and have so far since I am new at this put 600 dollars into fixing it up.. and also forgot to put oil in the gas and now have had to put a whole new head on it. Which is costing me 700 bucks. It was a total cost with a couple other odds and ends of about 2000 bucks and its perfect for fishing and heading out anywhere....

[Circlehook]

Thanks guys, awesome response. I don't have kids, I have a Chevy Trailblazer 4X4, so I was trying to find a large enough boat to be able to chase fish, yet still be able to tow it home. I beleive a 9' beam is the max for towing? Anyway, I really like the 23' 's I have seen, and I am hoping to get it under $20-25K. If I can get a good enough deal, i might look into getting a slip. I am not married, so the only hooks I have are on my plugs............What better way for a 27yr old to spend his money???

[tide hunter]

Look into a used 23' Sea Craft (if you can find one). Best 23' hull ever. Like one of the earlier posts, I agree, Used boat, new power. If you can get hold of a nice hull and repower with a Suzuki 250 4 stroke, you will have a SWEEEET boat. 25K should be doable. I also like the idea of taking a few charters for the reasons mentioned. Here's a link to a finishd one Saw this at the boat show last year. AWSOME http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1671905/0 Also Check Out http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...=Stern&photo=2

[capesams]

20'er's are the best all round bay/ocean,and this depends on how your mind set goes as far going offshore[miles].

semi-v bottom...great stable fishing platform, but will beat you to death in any chop.Easy on gas as it doesn't take allot of power to get it to move and stay on top.

deep-v....cuts chop/slop/white caps like it's even not there, but takes more power to move it.some say they roll more, but I dought you even notice after a few trips.

once you cross the line from a 20' and go to a 23', be warned , you'll need twice the truck to pull it,,much larger trailer, twice the gas use.

I'd stick with a 20'er....deep-v.....after owning 20-23's,semi and deep-v's.

[JohnR]

Hi Steve - based on your comment - you didn't sell the Sinkcraft, did ya?

Junior graduate college yet?

[JoeyM]

just remember these words, "buying the boat, is the cheap part"

i wanted to move up, and moved up less than i originally planned too. i'm glad i did. even though we have boated for a long time, you still can't believe the bills and repairs that come up (and i do most of the work myself).

please budget a lot of money for repairs and upkeep (even if you get a brand new boat). and dont forget the crazy gas prices.

i got my bigger boat right when prices when up, and my fuel bill last year was into the 5 digit territory.

did it hurt, yeah it did. but because i bought less boat than i thought i could originally afford (and bought a good used boat), it was manageable.

[capesams]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Hi Steve - based on your comment - you didn't sell the Sinkcraft, did ya?

Junior graduate college yet?

Hell no on both accounts....jr. wants 2-3 more years on top of the 4 he's already got[god help me] and I'm to stubborn to give up my petrel...although buying fish at the market would far cheaper for shore then hanging on to it.

[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by capesams

20'er's are the best all round bay/ocean,and this depends on how your mind set goes as far going offshore[miles].

semi-v bottom...great stable fishing platform, but will beat you to death in any chop.Easy on gas as it doesn't take allot of power to get it to move and stay on top.

deep-v....cuts chop/slop/white caps like it's even not there, but takes more power to move it.some say they roll more, but I dought you even notice after a few trips.

once you cross the line from a 20' and go to a 23', be warned , you'll need twice the truck to pull it,,much larger trailer, twice the gas use.

I'd stick with a 20'er....deep-v.....after owning 20-23's,semi and deep-v's.

T'is what I did. Over four to five years, I looked at probably forty some hulls. (all used) I did not want a project boat, and patience was well worth it. I found a beautiful 1993 Grady White 209 Escape center console, with a '93 Yamaha 200. Survey backed up what I thought of it, that it was hardly used, and well maintained. Trailer and electronics were a bonus, Garmin 188c was new last year, with full NE chip. Some guys on the board saw it last weekend.
My seatrial was a run from Marblehead to Cuttyhunk and back last weekend, and that hull was solid. (Not that it was a comfortable ride home in a 20k NE blow with 2-4ft chop....) Engine has low hours/yr and boat had 7+ years of maintenance records from Ryan Marine and Baerts.
Previous owner moved up to a 24' Regulator. So knowing boat owners is as important as knowing the boats and the brokers. He was anal and it shows in the details of work he had done. Timing is everything. After educating yourself by looking at a lot of boats, you'll know when to pull the trigger.
As for costs, it is what it is. And it's always more than what you expected it to be.

[Got Stripers]

For me, I like to trailer, mobility is key for me. If it's blowing hard NE like it has all this week, I like to be able to go to Westport or upper Buzz. Bay. Come fall I like to follow the bite north to south, again I don't like being tied to a slip. I love the 19'6" McKee Craft I just purchased, I'm kicking myself for not getting into a boat just like that years ago. With a 140 Suzuki the gas isn't killing me but it will get up and go at 32+ knots, cruses easily at 3500 through 3-4 footers, this to me (but again it's all about personal preference) is finally my ideal boat; took me 35 years to finally get there though.

[parker23]

I agree older hull/newer power. There are so many nice used boats on the market. I had an old 20ft aquasport in decent condition and re-powered w/lightly used Yamaha. Had the boat for 7 years and sold it for not much less than I paid. 1 concern for older hull is weight, my aquasport had 3/4" of glass in some spots. Make sure you hire an excellent marine surveyor, soft/ wet spots in hull can be difficult to detect and costly to repair. Check and re-check the strength of the stern, don't want to lose the new power plant due to a rotted stern.

I trailered until last season. 14ft, 18ft, 20ft and current boat 23 ft Parker. 75% of the time I was alone. If you fish alone I strongly suggest an electric winch w/remote control for the trailer as well as a pair of hip boots. The remote allows you to re-position boat as it is cranked in and the hip boots keep you in the game. Other helpful items are a long stern line, spare tire and a good jack, WD-40 can be a lifesaver as well.

Trailer lights that are above the waterline is a huge time/money saver. They have some that double as a guide. Re-pack wheel bearings every season, it is $30 well spent.

[taJon]

what ever you think should be "good enough", get the next size bigger or you will suffer from 2'itice.

I hear world cats are nice ;D

[buckman]

All great advise. I have a wellcraft coastal 238 and love it. I will go for tuna offshore if the forcast calls for 2' to 4' , but have seen worse. Trailering is the way to go. If it's blowing 20 out of the north we hit the southside and if its south we hit the bay. 20K should get you a nice boat set up. I would get 200hp min. on a heavy 23'

[Hooper]

Guess I'll chime in here though I doubt I can offer anything new.

I think the key is to spend some time really thinking out what your needs and priorities are. Is it a family boat most of the time with some fishing thrown in, or is it a fishing boat with some family thrown in? Trailering is a real plus, if you like trailering and become confident with it and don't mind the ramps, it is a very economical way to own a boat. Families tend to want or need more creature comforts, like bunks, shelter, a head, etc. For me, I got the perfect boat when I bought my SeaCraft. My wife calls it "Extreme Boating" so there you go....but then again, she wasn't my wife when I bought it!

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by tide hunter

Look into a used 23' Sea Craft (if you can find one). Best 23' hull ever. Like one of the earlier posts, I agree, Used boat, new power. If you can get hold of a nice hull and repower with a Suzuki 250 4 stroke, you will have a SWEEEET boat. 25K should be doable. I also like the idea of taking a few charters for the reasons mentioned. Here's a link to a finishd one Saw this at the boat show last year. AWSOME http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1671905/0 Also Check Out http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...=Stern&photo=2

60K for a SC rebuild - ouch! Cheaper to have one done over by Wildfire Marine in Florida, shipping both ways, than Metan .... But 25-30K is doable for a used 23 SC with new power. Better to stay younger than 86 if you do. Hard towing this boat fully loaded with a Trailblazer.

[Fish On]

Actually 8' 6" is the legal beam for towing without a special permit which I have looked into and it is a nightmare. Each state regulates separately and they only permit towing on certain days, different days, (usually weekends are not allowed) state to state which makes weekending a boat with this permit almost impossible unless you break the law sometimes. The permit is designed to allow you to bring a big to and from the water once or twice per year and to prohibit weekenders from towing bigger boats on a regular basis.

[Rick Ackley]

Agreed, but 8'-6" is a very wide boat, sort of a 24' Hydro or a 23' GW, and all would make a very stable safe platform at that size for just about any Bay or Coastal waters in NE.