Downeasts

[Mr. Sandman]

If you like spending the occasional night or weekend on board a pilothouse with a decent head, shower w/(hot)water and a nice place to lay down and sleep will not only expand your boating experience but your fishing range as well. You don't have to spend a lot. Establish what your needs are, get the largest boat you can afford and seek out used boats in the off-season. Your wife will love it.

I had a Mirage 32 and it met my needs for a few seasons but check out the Osprey. they make them in several lengths and levels of finish. Good livability and good fish-ability. The mirage was a walk-around pilothouse so the fish-ability was just like a CC. But it was an offshore kind of boat IMO. You can get used OB models that need a little love starting at 25K or so but they go up to 6 figures quick. Look around and keep your eyes peeled.

I have been looking hard at boats this past few months.... I see my self getting out of the hard core fishing machines in a few years and looking towards a big slow trawler to take to the Caribbean in the winter (fish my way down and back) when we retire. But I think I may have one more sportfish in me for a couple more years before I make that move. But I still need sleeping comforts for weekends to Block and Nantucket.

When I met my wife, boats were not her cup of tea... Now...she asks can we take the boat over to Hadleys Harbor midweek (a 20 min ride for me) for dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow then drop me off for work the next morning. She loves sleeping on the boat and exploring harbors/islands from the water. It is great to have a boat that has multiple uses. The same boat was chasing tuna offshore or albies with a flyrod the next day. CC's are great but take a lot out of you esp if you leave the bay. Sitting in a pilothouse on autopilot is like sitting in your car on cruise control. It take the stress out of boating esp at night and in poor weather or for long runs.

Good luck

[smac]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

If you like spending the occasional night or weekend on board a pilothouse with a decent head, shower w/(hot)water and a nice place to lay down and sleep will not only expand your boating experience but your fishing range as well. You don't have to spend a lot. Establish what your needs are, get the largest boat you can afford and seek out used boats in the off-season. Your wife will love it.

I had a Mirage 32 and it met my needs for a few seasons but check out the Osprey. they make them in several lengths and levels of finish. Good livability and good fish-ability. The mirage was a walk-around pilothouse so the fish-ability was just like a CC. But it was an offshore kind of boat IMO. You can get used OB models that need a little love starting at 25K or so but they go up to 6 figures quick. Look around and keep your eyes peeled.

I have been looking hard at boats this past few months.... I see my self getting out of the hard core fishing machines in a few years and looking towards a big slow trawler to take to the Caribbean in the winter (fish my way down and back) when we retire. But I think I may have one more sportfish in me for a couple more years before I make that move. But I still need sleeping comforts for weekends to Block and Nantucket.

When I met my wife, boats were not here cup of tea... Now...she asks can we take the boat over to Hadleys Harbor midweek (a 20 min ride for me) for dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow then drop me off for work the next morning. She loves sleeping on the boat and exploring harbors/islands from the water. It is great to have a boat that has multiple uses. The same boat was chasing tuna offshore or albies with a flyrod the next day. CC's are great but take a lot out of you esp if you leave the bay. Sitting in a pilothouse on autopilot is like sitting in your car on cruise control. It take the stress out of boating esp at night and in poor weather or for long runs.

Good luck

Wish I could had taken that mirage off your hands.