Boat suggestions

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danielcooper9

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exMember
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Nov 30, 2006
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We have a vacation home in Florida (Ft. Pierce) and I was thinking of buying a small boat for some fishing and cruising. I want it to be trailerable so I can haul it down to the Keys when we go. Was thinking of a 20 or 21 foot center console. I have boated in the Keys before but never very far out on the Atlantic side. Is this a practical/safe size boat for ocean going? How far out would you feel comfortable going on a boat this size (probably single engine)? Any thoughts on what it would cost to store the boat on the trailer for when we are not down in Florida. Thanks for your input. Dan
 
Welcome back to boating in sunny Florida!Only one thing comes to mind when you ask about the size of a boat and then "Ocean Going"...
What are your parameters for this boat,fishing,cruising,gunk holing,offshore Island hopping ,That will tell you what you may need for your comfort aboard.
 
Boat would be used for a bit of everything. Realistically, most of the time will be cruising and gunkholing as my wife and 2 kids are more interested in that than fishing. I don't know if there are really any islands/sand bars around ft. pierce to go to. But I do want a fish friendly boat as well. That's why I thought a center console would work well. That is what we have rented in the Keys before to fish, snorkel and cruise. On the Chesapeake, we have a 26 ft cruiser.
 
We trailer our 18' Galexy boat to Key Largo every winter. 1425 miles. We have been out to the reef, 6 miles out many times. The wind has to be 5 mph or less. If it is 5 to 10 mph I can get out 2 miles to some of the patch reefs. Blowing more than that we fish in Jewfish Creek or Blackwater Sound. Usually I can get out to the reef twice a week. On the calm days there are lots of boats out there including rubber dingys. I have been 9 miles out several times, 3 miles past the reef in deep water. That's where the big ones are. If the wind picks up a bit we come in and everybody else does also. Last year was different. We got to the reef 5 times in 3 months. Too much wind and cold weather. With the 36 degree mornings we had in Key Largo last January the water got cold. The fish were all at the reef near the gulf stream and we couldn't get out there. With a larger boat you could get out farther on rougher weather but we do fine with our 18' boat.
We stop in Fort Pierce on our third night on the way down. From there it's 179 miles to Key Largo.
 
My choice would be a walk around cabin 21 to 25 feet. I had a 1988 21 foot Chris Craft wa with a 225 evinrude on a bracket drive that I trailered to the keys from Fort Lauderdale many times. The wife will prefer the cabin for a little private time and relief from the sun. I liked the cabin so I could lock up all my fishing poles in them and enjoy not having to watch the boat while at a restaurant or in the motel. Have been as far as 25 miles offshore fishing for dolphin plenty of times. A VHF radio and boatus or seatow a must have.
 
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