My best friend wants an offshore boat.

[id. painter]

I have a good friend who now wants a good offshore boat that he can trailer and tow.
I own a 20ft. Hewes sea runner.
As it seems to come up on this board often Hewes vs North River.The arguement is always what boat to buy. Its not just a matter of what brand you want.
I told my friend to look at the N.R. and compare the two boats.
This is some of what he found.
Hewes builds a 20 ft sea runner with a 96" beam, N.R. builds thier 20ft. with 8" less beam. N.R.'s 20ft also has a slightly shorter side height.
But N.R. builds the 20 ft.er with the same gague of alum.as Hewes.20ft.er
North River builds a 21 ft. with thicker bottom and sides than Hewes's 22ft. North River's 21 ft. has the same beam as the Hewes 20ft as well as the same side height.
North River's 21 footer weighs 525 lbs more (thicker)than Hewes 20 ft , is 11 inches longer and has a bigger fuel tank (70gal).
I think my friend is leaning for the N.R. 21ft.er I would still make the same choice i made ,,, again. So for all of you out there who are going to go thru this very same delema,, enjoy the ride, cause thats the fun of getting there. id. painter

[Knucklebuster]

He wants an offshore boat and he wants to go aluminum? How about a 23 or 24 foot Grady White. That's an offshore boat! :grin:

[Killertraylor]

Apples and oranges to me. I know there are a lot of people out there happy with their Hughes, but just step on each boat and you'll see big differences. Kind of like comparing a Ferrari to a Ford :grin:

I think a closer comparison (and one I see more often) would to comparing North River to Willie Asaltor, Northwest Jet or Alumaweld Super V. And isn't the Hughes significantly less money than the Northriver? I've always thought that was why they sold so many - the Hughes seems like a really good value for a solid boat, but doesn't quite match up to the Northriver in luxury and strength. I think I've seen more comparisons on here between Hughes and Alumaweld Intruder, Weldcraft, Thunderjet, Motion Marine...
(this is sure to stir up a bees nest....everyone has their own opinion on this topic so I don't expect anyone to respect mine :cheers: )

I agree with Knucklebuster though - although my Northriver Seahawk does great offshore, that's not why I bought it. If I was going to fish the ocean 90% of the time or more I'd go with a Grady White, Seasport or similar glass boat.

Thanks, idpainter, for the details - I'm sure it will be helpful to some.

[id. painter]

O.K.. All good input... Thanks .
Just thought I'd keep um thinking.
id. painter

[Redbull]

Check out one of the Salty Dog sponsors www.stabicraft.com (http://www.stabicraft.com) as these are impressive open water boats.

The north american contact is Dan Lomax in Seattle. He can be reached at 206-409-1065.

Good Luck.

[SLEDDER]

Might want to check out Lifetimer boats and Silverstreak boats out of British Columbia. Both brands are welded aluminum. Alot of boat for the cash.

[id. painter]

Thanks to all for your input.
My friend is in a similar situation as my self .
He will get to use his boat in the salt during the summer . It will not be in the salt at all times . We spend enough time in the rivers and on lake shores that a welded boat is important.
Too much time in the rocks for glass.
He wants a boat that will do for both fresh and salt water and small enough to haul.
He seems to like the North River .
Im having as much fun as my friend (buying the boat) cause I dont have any decisions to make and Im getting another buddy with a nice boat to take me fish -in . id. painter

[rockn'reel]

The first question that came to my mind was...How much money does he want to spend? If he lives near you in Idaho, why not make a trip over to Thunderjet and take a look at their factory in Lewiston? They make a hard top that would be very nice for off shore fishing. I have a 23'6" Jetcraft that I love and has served me well in the salt. Mine has higher sides than most but I can still reach over to get the fish (tuna, no problem!). The main difference between the glass boats and aluminum is ride, weight, and cost of upkeep. Knuck has a great thought about 24' grady, but if you are in Idaho I would look at thunderjet. Thay should be cheaper buying straight from the factory since there will be no shipping.
In the past few years Hewscraft has come a long way in "finishing" their boats. They have stepped up the quality by quite a bit, but I do like the other brands out there. If I could chose any boat I could choose any boat it would be a willy. I do think Thunderjet does have superior quality compared to most others. REMEMBER, in any aluminum boat the ride will be very rough if there is any sheep on the water. This is where a fiberglass will beat the alum. If he only plans to go out in the ocean once in a while then go alum then get a deeper vee. Of course with a deeper vee then the draft will be deeper also.
Since this posting really didn't answer any questions ask your friend what he really wants to do with this boat and e-mail me with his answer. I spent a long time researching boats of both alum and glass and hopefully I will be able to give him a straight forward answer once I know more specifics. I would love to help out whatever I can, I LOVE SPENDING OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY!!!

[Mr. Carp]

Go with a 24' Sea Sport or an Orca. Those are offshore boats :grin:

[id. painter]

Thanks for the input Rockenreel. He has lots of $. He owns a business that caters to the fire fighting camps around the country. He made lots of $ this summer . So yes, we get to help him spend his dough. Thunder Jet is a possibility. He has N.R. in his head now . It will take a pretty nice boat to compete,, maybe a Willie.? id.painter

[Jennie@ifish]

Nothing better than good friends with boats.
Much better than owning them yourself. :smile:

Jen

[Predator Dawg]

i.d. -

Your friend's initials aren't S. S. are they? If so, I know him and his family.

PD

[rockn'reel]

Id, let me know if you need any help convincing him! I have spent many summers on grady's and whalers and multiple alums. If we are talking about strictly offshore then glass is the way to go. Your friend does need to consider if this is a full time off shore or if he going to run shallow rivers. I would love to help you guys out with any question (any excuse to talk about boats and motors and jewlery)!

[CAPT KUJO]

Want a REAL off-shore boat....Buy a ROCKET! Special Action Vessel (http://www.usia.com)

[id. painter]

I do have a question about glass vs Alum. for the salt.
This summer I was fortunate enough to spend 14 days on Vancouver Is. fishing.
I may be mistaken, but it seemed that the work boats up there were mostly welded .
Everything from the logging Co. boating the workers to and from the remote camps ,to the fishing fleet.
Glass boats were the dominant type ,but not for the work boats.
I was very much under the impression that an Alum. boat was less difficult to maintain.
Help !!! id. painter

[rockn'reel]

NO WAY KUJO! We don't need anyone else out there beating the rest of us slow-pokes to the fishing grounds! :grin: Unless...I'm on the fast boat! :grin: Then he can go buy one of your machines. It almost makes me cry when I see the Black Rocket or the little sister go barrelling by me. I know those guys are going to be done fishing 3/4 of the grand slam b4 I even get out there. IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!!

[id. painter]

Whow , I even got the attention of the infamous Capt Kujo.
I have read so many good reports about riding the rocket I think my friend may need flying lessons , before he gets a boat like yours. Hi Ho id. painter

[rockn'reel]

Sorry ID, didn't see your post b4 my previous message. Yes, it is true that alums are less upkeep and cheaper to maintain. Any damage to the hull can be fixed relatively easy (60-75$/hr for a weld job). The fiberglass does cost more to repair just because it is more labor intensive. If you want to be sold on a alum, there is a book I know fisherman's carries about alum boats and it explains the reasone to buy alum(sorry I cannot think of the name right now but I have read it). There is a lot more electrolysis on alum, but some well maintained zincs can take care of that. Alum is good for rivers and like to run shallow (althought there is a post on salty dogs i think-> Miss B Haven how many? and I think this one is alum). Most of the alums that you are talking about are not built to take bigger waves or run at any great speed when in rough water. You cannot usually find boats long enough that people feel comfortable in the ocean with. I think UglyGreen runs an alum open bow in the big blue, but sticks to days that are relatively calm. I am sure this posting will recieve a lot of criticism but I know salt is bad on alum and the glass boat makers design their boats to run a deeper vee to cut through waves to make a much smoother ride. I personally don't mind the rough ride, because I stand while under power to give me a better field of view for obsticles. Grady for example, are an amazing rough water boat, they won't run shallow water, and carry a hefty price tag. They are also easy to wash down with a wet deck and scuppers in the corners to suck deck water down. I know when I get home from the salt I do a COMPLETE wash down of my boat to prolong the life. The previous owner moored this boat in salt and you can see the effects on the bottom of the hull (if there are not big enough zincs, the electrolysis gets transferred to the hull and starts to eat away at it). Your friend will be happy with an alum if he doesn't run it in salt all the time, other wise go with glass. You said he has the money for a nice boat and all of us here understand that boats cost money to upkeep no matter the hull material. if he can afford the upkeep for glass then do it. Realistically, there are not that many alum owners that use their boats for what they were intended, running snake, clackamas, deschutes, etc. Most I see are on the columbia, willamette, till bay, where the hazards of damaging the hull are there, but not as significant as on the previously mentioned rivers where you only have a few inches of margin for the depth. I always tell my friends to decide if they are going to run a prop or jet. If it is jet then go alum, if not decide what kind of water they will be in (rough salt, rough fresh, or lakes), then work from there. True work boats all around are usually metal, but they go through a hugh beating that glass would get pulverized, but he is not going to be doing the same kind of work as them. I think, when you get into the bigger boats and need a alum custom made to bigger dimensions than the company is used to the price will grow exponentially as well. many of the glass companies already have molds for bigger sized boats set up. Especially if you look at a boat manufactured on the east coast. They have many boats designed for the rough water and luxury all at once. I know when I researched charters out of hawaii, all the ones I talked to were running Bertram.
How big is he looking for?
I (obviously) could go on forever. but I am sure most are tired of reading so. Just post questions or better yet what he wants out of this thing and we can start narrowing the search for you. I am sure most of the other owners, along with yourself researched many options before buying and they can probibly give very good insight into why they made their decison. My personal reason is because even if I have it to waste I still hate spending money if I am not going to be absolutly happy.
GOOD LUCK!

[Keta]

id,
Aluminum can vaporise in saltwater, unless it's protected by paint and lots of zinks. Steel is the best material for a work boat but it too has problems in a saltwater environment. A "Tupperware" boat (gotcha Miss B) would be a better choice here.

[Miss B Haven]

rockn'reel I do NOT have a beer can boat. graemlins/berry.gif Tupperware is the ONLY way to go :grin: (thanks Keta-I consider that a compliment).

Miss B demands an appology! :bowdown: :wink:

[Keta]

:grin:

Will fish for Food

[rockn'reel]

Sorry Miss B, no offense! I was commenting on that post or actually the link in the post, I thought I read something about the boat being made of alum. Besides, I have an alum "beer can boat" what's wrong with that! If I filled my boat with beer I could have one heck of a party! :cheers:

[Keta]

Most material has it's place. Aluminm works best in rivers.

[NETONE]

Just a thought here...but if looking for an off shore boat, I would tend to think I would shy away from the Alum Hull Boats and look very hard at the glass boats just do to reduced maintenance and less metal contact with all that salt.

I know my plan is in the next 5 years is to sell off my Super Vee pro and go to an 24'- 26' Trophy, Striker or Grady...with twin 150Hp ...

[id. painter]

Well , I hope i havent led my friend the wrong way.
This buddy spent 3 days fishing the Wind river with me in my boat last spring . He landed a 35lb.er . He liked my boat .
When he called and told me he was shoping for a boat I told him to look at the North River .
From buying my boat ,I was aware that they have a good reputation as boat builders . I had considered one myself but opted for the fish boat model(Hewes) rather than spend the extra cash for the luxury of the North River.
My friend just happens to have a brother who lives in Medford
Well my friend sent his brother over to Roseburg and now they are pretty much sold on the North River Sea Hawk, 21 ft. He wants a 220 , 4strk. Yahmaha. and 15 hp kicker. I think its out of my hands now ,,,, All i said was LOOK at the North River ,,, I guess thats all she wrote. I think he will love his boat. id. painter

[rockn'reel]

ID, tell your friend to go with the 8hp high thrust 4-stroke (yamaha). it has the thrust of a 20 hp whish is more than the 15 hp. the 8 is geared down, think of it like a diesel vs a gas motor. Wind, current weight does not slow this motor down and it makes it easy to manuver without having to throttle it up as much as you would with the 15. let's face it neither the 15 or 8 is going to get the boat to plane so that is out of the equation. all that it needs to do is move the boat and have good response. the 8 hp will go very slow and still has the power to move the boat when needed. I put an eight on my boat with power trim/tilt and love the thing. I am suprised the salesman didn't sell him on this model. I set mine up to run as a tiller or up front with controls next to the steering wheel and a bar connecting between the two motors. I do a lot of trolling with d. riggers so this setup is optimal for me. have your friend call pacific boatland in vancouver wa 503-285-1864. they can tell him how much to set up the motor as mine is or why he should go with the 8 over the 15. I have also seen this 8 on many big (24-25 ft) glass boats and they love it also. This motor is actually taking over for the 9.9 yamaha because that motor is old technology and yamaha is discontinuing it.
I do like your friends idea to go with the 225 4-stroke. that will be the next motor I buy for my boat. it might be 100lbs over the weight of another comparable hp 2-stroke, but it will last soooo much longer! also good call going with the 225 over the 200 since they weight the same , but you get 25 more hp with the bigger one.
I don't know if you care, but the navy did a study on 2- stroke vs 4-stroke. the 2-strokes averaged 1500 hr b4 going belly-up and the 4-strokes went 3500+ hrs.

[lost_sailor]

I was coveting a nice Boston Whaler down at Nehalem, about 21', twin Hondas, pretty dang nice

[rockn'reel]

lost_sailor,
Are you in the market? there is one on the boat tackle classified page for sale. it is 21' and I think the price is 19,000. It has been garaged when not in use. I called on it for a friend but he is looking for a grady.

[id. painter]

I feel a bit guilty. I told him to LOOK at the N.R. boats .
But i do feel like i got to spend his $ , pretty fun. Its a nice boat and he wil love it.
My friend is so excited he can hardly stand it.
the boat he bought was the show- case boat . It was put together for all the North River dealers to test drive at a convention of N.R. salespersons last week in Roseburg. It has the 33 inch transom with the offshore bracket. He got the remote start, steering,and throttle for the kicker. I will talk to him about the kicker . I think the boat already had a 15 on it.. ??? He is headed over to pick it up this next week ,,, he wants me to go ,,, we could fish the mouth of the Rogue. I have a job and probably wont be able to go.. Booo whoooo. id. painter

[Nalu]

I'm partial to Grady Whites. The picture below is identical to the one we just purchased.

Fast as the Rocket? Probably not, but she'll do over 40 knots. And she's dry. And has a head aboard. And a huge wet deck. And she's set up for 10 SCUBA tanks.

Mike
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/131911260.jpg

[Killertraylor]

The 15 horse is best - that's what I have on my 22 foot Seahawk. You want enough horsepower on that boat to get you back in from the ocean should something happen to the big motor. It would take awhile, but the 15 is better than the high thrust 8 or 9.9 for this. I'm excited for your friend - he'll absolutely love that boat. Is the big motor a 4 stroke outboard?

[lost_sailor]

Originally posted by rockn'reel:
lost_sailor,
Are you in the market? <font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">:laugh: :laugh: No, I'm beyond broke ... I'll have the same boat until it falls to pieces and sinks. :cheers:

[Phil Layer]

Sweet ride, Nalu,

Where will you be running that boat?

[id. painter]

Nice boat Nalu. We land lockers dont get to see boats like that till we get closer to the saly water. Thanks for all the input. id. painter
.

[id. painter]

Yes the big motor is the 4strk. Its all brand spanking new and blue . Do you want to know what it cost. Almost exactly twice what i payed for my 20ft Hewes . Hi Ho. id. painter

[Nalu]

The boat is currently docked in.....my driveway!!! :smile: Thanks for the nice feedback.

Still have to get a few things dialed in. Downriggers on the sides, mounting the kicker this weekend, having a more functional dive platform and ladder built for SCUBA.

I did take it to the CR this last weekend. First trip and we got blood on the boat! Yeah! 22# and 28#.

We will probably have her in Depoe Bay for the summer. Fishing and SCUBA diving. Of course I plan to fish sturgeon at the mouth of the CR in the spring. Hopefully, by next winter, I'll also have her at Pleasant Harbor in the Hood Canal for several months for diving.

Mike