New to the area…boat advice

473 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by X-Shark, 9 d ago

Stuart

Discussion Starter · 9 d ago

Hey all.

Just found this forum this morning and decided to join and get plugged in. Ive been here about 6 months. On the water south Milton just north of the bridge and trestle.

I‘m beginning my search for a boat…first time boat owner. Looking for a CC. Probably in the 22-26’ range. 2000 and newer...yes…on a budget. I’d like to have something to fish the bays, but also head out into open water and do some salt water fishing. I’m looking to gain some knowledge that I can apply as I search. I thought about contacting a broker, but one I was referred to has not returned 2 calls...probably not worth the time for such a small dollar boat. I do plan on getting any boat I find surveyed.

I’m thinking 4 stroke over 2…am I thinking correctly? Should I eliminate any boat with certain engines? Johnson, Evinrude, etc.

Are there any specific makes or models I should avoid? I understand Capes are nice and local. Beyond that, I haven’t formed any opinions on any other make?

All opinions welcomed and appreciated. Looking forward to exploring and enjoying the area.

Stuart

Save

1 - 13 of 13 Posts

BananaTom

· #2 · 9 d ago

Welcome Aboard!!!

Yes, a Cape Horn is great for what you are looking at.

A Twin-Vee is also very popular for what you want to do, if you can find one

Save

jspooney

· #3 · 9 d ago

I run a 22' Twin Vee and it has been a spectacular boat. Just watch out with them as they have some bad years when the company was owned by a different owner. Cape is a great boat as well. I'd look for a 4 stroke Yamaha or Suzuki. I always tell new boat owners that it's unlikely that the first boat you buy will be your last. It takes a few years owning boats to know what you really want.

Save

BananaTom

· #4 · 9 d ago

Not sure what you budget is, but here is a Twin-Vee with 2003 Twin Suzuki 140’s (360 hours)

$34,000

Facebook လောဂ်အင်ဝင်ရန်

သင်၏ သူငယ်ချင်း၊ မိသားစု၊ သင်သိသောသူမျာနှင့် စတင်၍ ချိတ်ဆက်ပြီ မျှဝေရန် Facebook သို လောဂ်အင်ဝင်ပါ။

www.facebook.com

Save

Reactions: 1

kmerr80

· #5 · 9 d ago

Resist the urge to buy now and wait till Nov/Dec. Save a few thousand.
Yamaha or Suzuki four stroke
Watch out for an older boat's fuel tank

Save

Reactions: 2

BananaTom

· #6 · 9 d ago

$20,000

Facebook လောဂ်အင်ဝင်ရန်

www.facebook.com

Save

jspooney

· #7 · 9 d ago

kmerr80 said:
Resist the urge to buy now and wait till Nov/Dec. Save a few thousand.
Yamaha or Suzuki four stroke
Watch out for an older boat's fuel tank

this is great advice

Save

TheBeeDeeGee

· #8 · 9 d ago

IMO bigger than 22' is a lot of boat for someone who has never owned (or ran?) a boat before. Also would help you in keeping it more budget friendly staying at or under 22ft. There are plenty of CC boats in the 18 to 22' range that you can fish inshore and get 10-15 miles offshore safely in. What is "budget"...for me that's like under $30k, for some people budget might be under $100k

I'd definitely look for a Suzuki or Yamaha 4 stroke ....and the gas tank thing is excellent advice. I just spent $1400 replacing mine on a 2000 hull

Save

Stuart

Discussion Starter · #9 · 9 d ago

Thanks all for your replies. I’m looking at under $40k, but really would rather be under $30k. I was thinking 4 stroke was the way to go, but just wanted get opinions. I grew up with friends who had boats and have driven some. I have lots to learn I know, but now that I’m retired…I have a little extra time on my hands. 😉. I’d like to get further out to fish some big water…eventually…and not have to wait for perfect conditions which is why I was looking for a larger boat. There is a member that has a 23’ Pro Line that looks nice and priced is right…but has a ’rude 2 stroke. 😕

Save

K-Bill

· #10 · 9 d ago (Edited)

Unless you’re the guy Elon paid for Twitter, you’re gonna need at least a new part time job to support the new habit haha! Welcome btw!

Save

Reactions: 1

Stuart

Discussion Starter · #11 · 9 d ago

🤣🤣🤣

Save

SurfRidr

· #12 · 9 d ago

Welcome, we live south side of Milton (south of Bagdad, really) on the lower river / upper bay. I think you're on the right track for boat size, having started with an 18' cc, now with a 24' hybrid hull, I think if you want to eventually venture nearshore/offshore you'll be happier in the 21-24 range than you would in the 18-19' range. Don't forget to look at the freeboard (distance to waterline at the gunwhale) and if at all possible sea trial a boat in some chop to see how the bow handles some waves. The Gulf is a different animal and can be moody, but don't underestimate the bay's potential to chop up. Milton is a great area, we love living here. Happy to try to help if I can, fire me a pm if you need something. Welcome to PFF.

Save

X-Shark

· #13 · 9 d ago

Ohhhhh So much to learn.... and can be a Painful learning curve. $$$$$$.

Just Engines...... 4stroke vs 2 Stroke. Yea.... 2 strokes are out there.... No one wants them if they just had the $$$$.

In our area..... Yamaha and Suzuki lead the pack.

Mercureys seem to show up on BIG ass boats with lots of them.. But they are not typically bought for a single or twin engine repower.

Evinrude..... Out of Business.... The last engines they distrubited looked like a Rock'em Sock'em Robot.

Honda..... Good engines , Lil heavy Max HP is 250 .... Tohatsu...... It's a Honda painted Blue.

So now your down to 2 manufactures.... Yamaha and Suzuki

Yamaha comes in Gray metalic.... Suzuki Comes in White or Black metalic.

Suzuki. Runs a wet timing chain.... Yamaha a Belt.

Suzuki is geared lower than any other manufacture... and thus swings a Larger Prop.. [Think wider tires for better traction] Suzuki is quieter than a Yamaha.

You asked about Boats and engines.... But your gonna need a trailer too. There is a Lot to just trailers.

#1 NO PAINTED Trailers!

You want a alum I beam that Fits the boat.... Yes they are out there... Trailer doesn't fit the boat... Typical dealer deal to get unsuspecting people to buy a Boat / Motor / Trailer "Package".

#2 No Box tubed galvinised trailer! Sure... Box tubing is very strong..... But it can't be flushed out and they rust from the inside out.

and that is just the start.

See less See more

Save

Reactions: 2

1 - 13 of 13 Posts

Top Contributors this Month