Boat buying...need advice/comments on my idea

[Lockhart 10]

I am looking to buy my first boat. I am married and have 4 kids, 2 at home 17 & 18, 2 out of the house 20 & 22. My wife likes the idea of getting a boat but it needs to be able to ski as well as fish for a large and someday growing family (grandchildren).

I am looking at the 21' Hurricane deck boat that has 2 fishing chiars up front. Which is better, I/O or B/O?
http://www.godfreymarine.com/index_templ...brand=fundeckgs (http://www.godfreymarine.com/index_template.cfm?series=hurricane&mainpage=godfr ey_showroom06&brand=fundeckgs)

Looks like a good fishing boat and can still haul all the ski/tubing stuff needed for the family.....what ya think and does anyone here have experience with these deck boats?

Thanks...Rich

[april fools]

I prefer O/B. They are much lighter, the only issue is, if you need it to fit in your garage, they increase overall length. If you want to ski with several people in the boat you will need a sizeable motor, but the dealer can advise on that issue. Hope this helps.

[fish_on]

How much is the boat going to be used for skiing and how much for fishing? Are you planning on fishing in the winter? What happens the first time you get all that pretty white vinyl bloody? How much carpet is there to have hooks caught in? It looks like a great boat if you lived in the south or were a bass guy, I would have my reservations around here, we don't have that long of a "good weather" season.

A fishing boat can ski around here much better than a ski boat can fish.

[rv10pilot]

:yeahthat:

[Gundog]

:yeahthat: what fish-on said.
GD

[FishyBuckSlayer]

IMHO...
I have owned or been party to driving 10 boats on our local lakes and rivers. These boats have been as small as 10 feet and as large as 21 feet in length. Construction has been wood, fiberglass, and aluminum.
For the Portland/Vancouver area I have several recommendations (especially for a 1st time boat owner).
Given your requirements...
1) At least 4-6 persons
2) Skiing and fishing
3) Room for stuff (tubes, skis, ropes, poles, anchors, etc.)

I would advise the following
* Get something with a windscreen and a relatively high bow. If the bow slants down (like a ski boat) you will not enjoy rougher water when it is windy (including most of the Columbia and the larger lakes). Additionally, I would make certain the boat had a canvas top. The tops are great for shade in summer and keeping the rain off your head in winter.
* Fiberglass is pretty but takes extra care if you want it to look perfect all the time. Aluminum is robust and can be driven right onto the beach with effectively zero damage. If you get aluminum, put a coat of SHARKHIDE on it before you put it in the water. If fiberglass, wax everything before you go in the water. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
* 21' is a great target length. Have everyone go to the dealer and sit in the boat before you buy it so you know if there is plenty of room. Pretend you are fishing and have the person nearest the bow move quickly to the stern. Can they get there without playing twister with your other passengers?
* If skiing is a high priority, buy a prop with a deeper V to break up the rough water and keep the boat planted. Really great ski boats are not good fishing boats. Really good fishing boats are not good ski boats. I prefer a boat targeted toward fishing rather than skiing as it works for camping, skiing, picnicking, fishing, and will still pull folks out of the water on play days. If you plan to go toward competitive skiing this is not good advice. Otherwise, in our relatively cold climate I think you will get more use out of your boat.

[FishyBuckSlayer]

One more thing. I personally like traditional inboards. They take up extra space but are far cheaper for me to work on and I understand them well. Not to mention most parts can be purchased at any parts store rather than only a dealer. Just my opinion. I know others will feel outboards are the only way to go. If you need a service department to change plugs, oil, fluids, or other simple services, it may not make a difference. If, on the other hand, you are capable of winterizing, de-winterizing, tune ups, and basic maintenance, I think you will like the convenience of an inboard.

[Starfish]

My personal preference is more toward "walleye style" layouts, outboard aluminum boats with an open bow, windshield, livewell, and lots of storage. 19-21 feet is a great size. With built-in rod lockers and tackle storage you can get most of your gear stowed even when the family is along for some recreating. You need a pretty robust bow cover if you plan on really big water, but other than that these boats can handle anything the "sleds" can handle and often better. The livewell is handy for bleeding your salmon and steelhead (as well as keeping salmon or steelhead alive). You can get a removable ski pylon that mounts on the top of the rear deck if you're serious about the skiing. There's room in the bow for a fish cooler and you can sit up there for drift fishing or bobber fishing.

Crestliner or Lund are good ones to look at. I am currently running a Tracker Tundra and although I love the boat for fishing and family, it's just not a great ski boat... it just runs a lot better at 35-55 mph than it does at 25-30 mph. It'd be great for barefooting though!

Good luck with your decisions and have fun!

[Lockhart 10]

Thanks for all the information so far.
I do need to be able to carry about 4-6 people at a time...large family and friends. The fishing will be all over the place like, Col River , Silver lake, all bass lakes I can find really. Will be doing majority of salmon/steelhead fishing in CR.
21 foot has been my target lenght.
thanks and I look forward to more suggestions.

[AndreD]

Starfish

with a boat that you are describing do you know if they will run with a jet attached?

[timinthegorge]

As has been discussed Many times on Ifish, no ONE boat does it all. I have a friend with 4 boats, going from 24' deep V fiberglass for the big water, 19' aluminum jet for rivers, drift boat (for smaller rivers), and a flat bottom 14' he uses for huntin' ducks. He wouldn't part with any of them. Each has it's purpose, and each does it Much Better than the others.....

If you want to fish or ski with a 21', you'd be well served to have a top, and a windshield, and be prepared to not having all the boat you need in every situation.

As said above, make your decision on what you'll be doing the most. JMHO.... Best of luck with the new boat, no matter what you choose. And do power it with as much as your boat is rated at.... or as close as possible... Tim :twocents: :cheers:

[NWAngler]

I have a 21' Duckworth inboard jet. Love it. We tube with the kids but its primarily used for fishing. There have been numerous times that the weather and waves have picked up and the boat is still very comfortable and handles the conditions well. A live well would be nice. The family likes the heater and radio. I would second the comment about blood, hooks and scales in the boat. The boat your looking at looks pretty nice and cushy for playing on the lake but salmon fishing would probably run this thing pretty hard. I run mine in the lake during the summer and we have a good time but my wife loves the fact that in the winter when we fish she can be warm and dry.

Good luck.

[Starfish]

Starfish

with a boat that you are describing do you know if they will run with a jet attached?



Would it run? Sure. Would it perform well? I have no idea. I kind of doubt it because the walleye style boats are largely "vee" bottom all the way to the back. Mine is a bit different because it has a performance pad at the back, so it's possible that it would give a good spot for a pump shoe to pick up water. The key is getting a clean flow of water to the pump intake. A boat dealer might be able to help.

[SeaSparrow]

We have a boat for sale in the ads that sounds similar to what you are looking for. It's 20' and has a V6 190 hp i/o with a cuddy and is very stable in choppy conditions. :cheers:

http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat.php?...ID=#Post1325524 (http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1325524&page=0&vc=1&PHPSE SSID=#Post1325524)