I am soooo confused...

P

Perry

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Folks,
I've been looking for my next boat for some time because my wife hates my 25' CC and we want to start overnighting with our two small dogs. We have kids but they are older and have their own things going on so it would just be the 4 of us.
Because I fish, we were looking for a crossover boat that we could do both with.
I fish inshore mostly and singlehand almost all the time. I boat/fish on the south shore so I am looking for something that can run in skinny water but also be able to run an inlet if I need to. I love going to Montauk and fish for Bass and False Albacore. I also go offshore a handful of times a season so the boat needs to be seaworthy.
I was thinking of keeping to outboard power as I know these engines well, can lift them near out of the water, and don't really have to worry about struts, shafts, immovable powertrain, etc. After an extensive search we've only agreed to one boat a 35' Contender Side Console. A true fishing boat with some amenities, a great seating area amidships, a small cabin, and even smaller head. Great for fishing but not perfect for weekending.
I had a thought to keep the CC and just get 30 something cruiser and have opened my eyes to boats that I never thought about before.
If I did keep 2 boats I would certainly have increased expenses for 2 slips, upkeep on 2 boats etc, etc.
I'm looking for opinions on my thoughts to go one way or the other...
what say you all?
 
When I was ready to move up, I had to choose between a good fishing boat with limited overnight/cruise possibilities or a good overnight/cruise boat which was less convenient for fishing. I chose the overnight/cruise boat. But you will probably find that frustrating for fishing purposes!

I like your idea of keeping the CC for fishing and get yourself a great overnight/cruise boat for the four of you to enjoy. You would have the best of both worlds!
 
A little voice in my head says get the boat the Admiral wants, and then learn how to fish from it...

That said, you have a built-in problem. Boats suitable for heavier seas, and "coastal/offshore" use will have greater draft than an inshore fishing machine. Boats suitable for fast running generally are less suitable for over-nighting than those designed for slower, comfortable cruising.

One solution is a "larger" overnighter type ( ie: deep-V or mostly displacement type ) and carry a sturdy hard-bottom tender that you can fish from.

Good luck. Only you ( that is, the two of you ) can decide which boat offers the best compromise.
 
+1 Bill. there are lots of reasonable cabin designs that are fishable, not that I fish but so I've heard...my old carver 28' Montego was often converted to a decent fisher.
 
How about something like the slick Mirage Pilothouse 32? Excellent for walk-around fishing , tremendous wx protection , apparently a very good-riding deep-v hull that can run skinny water, fast with long range , 2 berth areas( bow & separate mid-aft berth thru the house), head and galley.

I've been genrously shown around 2 of these with large diesels, but never off the dock. They smoothly go flying past me in the worst conditions.
 
"A little voice in my head says get the boat the Admiral wants, and then learn how to fish from it..."

+1

Some may disagree but there is more to life than fish.
 
well, I;d be looking for a tiara express fishing boat....good fishing, good cabin...only compromise is inboard power.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Woodsong

well, I;d be looking for a tiara express fishing boat....good fishing, good cabin...only compromise is inboard power.

Click to expand...


Thumbs up on that. Tiara Open is also a good fishing/overnighter boat.
 
Take a long, strong look at Pursuit. The newer models are all outboard powered. Pursuit's philosophy is to start with a fishing boat and them make it a great cruising boat. They answer the phone "Pursuit fishing boats."

George
 
Purposeful boats don't lend well to compromise. In other words - a good weekender will likely not be a good fishing boat, and a good fishing boat will likely not be a good weekender. Best bet is to look at as many boats as you can together, research as many as you can, actually touch and crawl around and play with as many boats as you can, and find what suits you best. You never know what you're wife will end up going for - I wanted a simple, open, center console with a low, broad dory hull that could pull right down almost to the waterline to make diving and swimming easy, to just meander around in (I don't fish much and have no interest in boating in any kind of weather when I'm not at work), and could slide right up on the beach and off again easily. She wanted something stable and smooth riding and moderately 'fluffy'. When we were looking around for a Maritime that hadn't been fiddled with much, so I could rig it out how we wanted it, we walked past a beautiful little Bristol Skiff. Gorgeous little boat to my eye, but I didn't bother wasting my breath trying to convince her. Strangely, after a quick once over, she decided it was exactly what she wanted, and now it's sitting on a trailer in our driveway.

What I'm getting at is, looking at as many boats as you can together is the best way to find what suits the both of you. Boats don't lend to compromising their style well, but people DO lend to finding their style well.
 
Grady White 30 Marlin
Hydra Sport Vector 2900VX

Both are excellent quality offshore capable rigs
with overnight features sooo important for the
admiral.
 
What size, year, and budget are you considering? There are a lot of boats which might fit with some compromises. If you go two boats, can you keep the CC on a trailer and just put in when you want to go?
 
So, my wife hates the Grady...I was hoping she'd like the 30' but I had a GW walkaround and she doesn't like it. I was/am looking at the Tiara open but its an inboard and would change the way I fish. I'd be afraid to put the boat where I can put my CC. The 30' Pursuits, GW, Hyrdosports all have great configurations for me but the seating is nowhere near the Contender or a cruising boat. I am currently looking at the Pursuit 3370 as well but that too has limited outside seating which my wife is really looking for.
I used to trailer my 21' CC and GW but found I used the boat less and the stress involved in towing it and retrieving it at a crowded ramp was just not worth the savings. I am totally spoiled now, my marina is right on the Shinnecock Canal and has Montauk Hwy as a backstop so any big weather blows right over the top of my boat. All I get is leaves. I can go north, south, east and west very easily and great fishing is very close by.

I would definitely have 2 slips.
My budget is around 80k+. 30'+ is about the size that she likes (ok 35'+) that I feel confident in singlehandling.

Mike, She picked the 35' Contender Side Console...I just bought her to my marina and said, what do you think?

Golfman, I am hoping a compromise boat is recommended here or at least some direction towards a cruising boat which I don't have much experience with.

If I'm considering a 35'+ cruising boat should I get a diesel...if not and go for gas, should I get a diesel genset?
 
Sandy,
Interesting boat the Mirage Pilothouse...I will show her but she's looking for a large seating area out of the sun but not below deck. I liked it though and could see myself fishing from it w/o a doubt.
 
If pursuit and tiara are out of the price range the sea ray amberjack linewoukd suit you nicely.
 
Look at the Grady-White boats. I'd buy one of them with Yammy outboards.
 
quote:
Originally posted by November Charlie

Purposeful boats don't lend well to compromise. In other words - a good weekender will likely not be a good fishing boat, and a good fishing boat will likely not be a good weekender.
Click to expand...


+1

This is precisely why I have two boats. My Carver is great for cruising and week ending. It is a great boat for a couple and my wife and I spend a lot of time on it.

Eventhough it has a fly bridge and a fairly large cockpit, it is not a very good fishing boat. Plus, since we cruise quite a lot, I hate getting fish blood, scales, bait, etc. on and in it.

So, I also have a 19'6" Key West CC for my fishing. I fish 2-3 days a week both inshore and off shore (when the weather is right).

Sort of the best of both worlds.

Bob
 
Bob, that is my thinking here. Instead of trying to find that compromise boat, find a suitable cruising boat and manage two boats.
Paul, she doesn't like the Grady so I'm not going to push it.
370, she does like sea rays but they are inboards...we haven't checked them since I had a change of thought but will do. I've been looking at the Tiara Opens and Pursuits as well.

thanks all...
 
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