# Buying a boat



## HaoleByTheSea (Oct 24, 2012)

Aloha! I recently relocated from Oahu, Hawaii. I'd like to get a boat but, wow, the diversity of different types of boats and the many uses for a boat in this area are staggering (good, of course!). My first thought was to get a center console of the 22' range, I looked at some Sea Hunts, some Cape Horns, and a few others. These can seem pricey, and I am thinking I want a more versatile boat anyway. I am old enough to remember waterskiing, etc but that is not what I want a boat for these days, lol. I looked at a 26' Bayliner Ciera, but got slammed by friends/family warning me about Bayliners. It is a 96 model, I read something about only buying a Trophy Bayliner after about 2000, but don't remember all that I read.

Anyway, what is a good, all around design for this area? I know that is a loaded question, but would like to hear, for example, why a person bought a particular boat. A fishing boat is easy, the wife/family doesn't care about being on the water and you want to fish. I'm looking at getting ideas on what is nice to have onboard, or what isn't really useful in this area. I love to fish, I want to dive off this boat, but also want a boat that isn't so much boat I don't want to mess with taking it out often. Hopefully that makes sense.

Any suggestions?


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

I personally would go with a yak. just me though, Boat= bust out another thousand.


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f50/02-mako-171-w-135-johnson-134936/


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## Bonehead-GA (Nov 16, 2010)

My father and I have this one for sale. It is a one owner boat and it is loaded.

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f50/26-sea-chaser-w-twin-four-strokes-131377/


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## pcola4 (Apr 13, 2009)

It all depends on the kind of fishing you want to do. A 19-20 ft is great for the bay and to dive out of but you lack a lot of room if you take several people diving. You can also go 30 miles in that size boat which will take you to the edge. A 24 ft boat gives you a lot of room and you can take some rough water with it but it's going to cost a fortune every time you run out to fish. Yak fishing is big here. Some even go out in the gulf with them. Bay boats are big but that's mostely specks and reds. They usually don't take rough water. Hope this helps. PM me if I can help.


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## Bikini Bottom (Jul 18, 2011)

You should consider a Hurricane deck boat, many friends have them, built well, a great all around multipurpose boat.


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

Welcome to Pensacola Fishing Forum.

What exactly do you want to do out of a boat, and when you said you wanted a more versatile boat, did you mean like a pontoon or deck boat? Do you prefer inshore or offshore or even bluewater fishing? All these things can help with a boat decision.

I think a 20-22' boat is the best size for almost anything here. I have had my Wellcraft V20 35 miles out in the Gulf many times. I had a 25' boat for a year and I found it was such a hassle that I did not want to take it out. My Wellcraft is a cuddy cabin and it does not hender me fishing and I get a dry ride to boot. I have trolled, bottom fished, drifted etc with no problems. I was considering converting it to a center console during my ongoing rebuild but decided against it. You may want to check out a Wellcraft V21. They are rare though.


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## Salty Daze (Sep 25, 2011)

Yeah, welcome to the area and you have come to the right spot for all advice is what I have found. this is an awesome forum for anything water related.

I have a 26' sea hunt. Absolutely AWESOME boat. We found it as a repo with twenty hours on motors and got a great deal. I love my boat and everything it does for my family. We deep sea fish down to scalloping in the bay. It is a great all around. Check out the 23 and 25' sea hunts. Awesome awesome boats, and NO i am not a dealer or have any relationship with this company other than owning one. 

They just came out with a 24' sea hunt called the edge! Great all around boat. The front is like a deck boat and the rear is a fishing boat. Cool boat! 

Nothing against any of the other boats, just really impressed and pleased with the product we bought. The factory support is incredible too. Just keep doing your research and the right boat will land in your driveway! Post pics when it does.


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

I will second the well craft v20 steplift. My friend has one. We dive four people off of it all the time. Tight quarters for four, but doable. It is a tough little boat and dry.


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## le4eva (Nov 20, 2008)

How much money do u wanna spend is the first question? I myself love walk around cuddy cabins. Good for everything. You can fish out of it and the ladies and kids have a cabin to get out of the weather. Diving is also great cause you have storage in the cabin. 21-24" boat is very ideal for this area. Not too big but not too small. Proline walk around are good boats to do all. I had one that I loved but motors chugged gas. I now have a Prokat cuddy and absolutely love it.


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## kahala boy (Oct 1, 2007)

Howzit brah.... Welcome to the forum. If you plan on using the boat with the family a lot, get a walk around cuddy cabin. There is a lot more room in the back to fish off of than a center console. The advantage of a center console is that you can walk around to the front of the boat easily(still possible on a cuddy). You can use the cabin to store a LOT of stuff out of the way. I have a 23 foot bottom liner (Bayliner) 91 trophy walk around cuddy. I like it. Don't know what it is that people don't like. It floats good and runs well. It takes the seas well, had it out in a storm with 6-8 ft seas and it handled really well from what I can tell (everyone is still alive). The kids love the cabin and it comes in handy if you plan weekend trips to sleep in. Mine has a 200 outboard. My suggestion is to go and look at different boats and pick the one that is set up the way you want a boat setup and get that type/series. Not just the power package but where the fish boxes are, the livewells(reccomend a round one), and extra seats....


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## HaoleByTheSea (Oct 24, 2012)

Howzit Kahala, and all the rest of my new Ohana (family) here on the board. Thank you all for your suggestions/comments. The all around boat for me is a boat that I can take 20 miles offshore, fish the bay, go diving in (possibly with a few friends), scoot up and down the coast for a possible weekend boating, or just head towards Pensacola to watch the Thunderbirds practice. I've seen some Sea Hunts and Cape Horn boats but geez, they cost a mint even for a used one. I spoke to a few friends about the 96 Bayliner Ciera, and from what I hear I should buy this boat only if I was looking to make firewood out of it when I decided I didn't want it. I hear good things about some Bayliners, like the Trophy model, but I heard you have to make sure you get one later than around 2000 or there is wood below the waterline and could be a problem. I spoke to my cousin, who dealt with boats in Minnesota, and I think he has me talked into something like a 23 or 24 foot walk around, which I think is called a cuddy cabin around here. After describing what I thought I'd use the boat for, that was his suggestion hands-down. Kahala, it was intersting to hear that your Bayliner handles well in 6-8 foot seas, I keep hearing Bayliners do NOT handle rough water well.... it just seems they have a bad rep. 
BoneHead-Ga, I'd love to have your boat, but I'm trying to cut the price down somewhere around 20K, if possible. If I cannot, I may be looking your direction. 
jasoncoopercola, I like the idea of a Wellcraft. My neighbor has one, I spoke to him yesterday and he invited me to come over this weekend to look his boat over. I have a feeling that will be my winner, now to just find one...lol.

BTW, does anyone know if boat dealerships take car/truck trade-ins on boats?

Mahalo (thanks)!


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## SteveFL (Aug 2, 2010)

If you like fishing/boating year-round, a walk around is definitely a good choice to consider. Especially diving, family time, etc.. I have a Grady 228 and fought off nearly everyone telling me to get a center console. Today even my staunchest center-console friends have admitted it was a great choice. We don't worry if the weather is cold or rainy (storm exception) and plan trips according to wave conditions only. I too have been caught out in wavers bigger than I should have been in but the boat handled perfectly. We were running in last spring from 30 miles out and ran into a driving rain storm only to emerge on the other side safe and dry as a bone. A CC would have left us all cold and miserable. As it was, we stopped to fish the bay a little while before going in for the day.


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

HaoleByTheSea based on how you plan to use a boat, I think a cuddy cabin would be the ticket. You might want to check out a Wellcraft V21. They are not a true walkaround, but they have a slide in the bow for access to the anchor or you can fish there. Here is the V20 site I am on. www.wellcraftv20.com click on gallery and you will find member pics of the V20 and its big brother the V21. There is also a history section with pages from the Wellcraft catalogs from the 70s on up.


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## HaoleByTheSea (Oct 24, 2012)

I very much appreciate all the good inputs. I think I mentioned my neighbor has a cuddy cabin, I think around 21-23' length, I'm hoping to invite myself over to take a better look at one. I'll possibly post later as my search progresses!

Mahalo to all!


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## Dagwood (Oct 1, 2007)

Bikini Bottom said:


> You should consider a Hurricane deck boat, many friends have them, built well, a great all around multipurpose boat.


I had one of these a couple of years ago. Great boat until you get in rough water and one comes over the bow. After the second time that happened it was gone. Never again for me.


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## HaoleByTheSea (Oct 24, 2012)

Yeah, I heard some stories from guys at work. While a great boat to play around in the bay when it is nice and flat, not something I want to take out like I want.


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## RockB (Oct 11, 2007)

I have always liked the Shamrocks Here is one for under $20K. Not a speed demon but a good stable platform. Dad used to have one of the older models with the top that was a little bit shorter. We would charter it and have 6 divers with gear plus myself and him. A little crowded bu we made it work. With you and 3 buddies you would have plenty of room for diving and fishing gear for the surface interval.

http://www.fishtheclassic.net/forums/showthread.php?32886-For-Sale-1996-Shamrock-Mackinaw-w-Tower


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