Looking for SEA SPORT Boat Info

BrassMonkey · 01-19-2006, 08:56 PM

Does anyone own a SEA SPORT boat?? Looking at getting an older one, How are they ? Have a Aluminum jet and want an enclosed hard top for my two little ones .

Mr. Fisherman · 01-20-2006, 03:00 AM

My Limit just bought one.
Send him a PM or maybe he'll pop in here and give you his $.02.

CATCH AND EAT · 01-20-2006, 06:30 AM

Might want to contact Reel Pleasure. Tim has a real nice 24' that he summers in ILwaco with.

Bluefinn · 01-20-2006, 10:03 AM

Relentless has one on the boat and tackle forum for sale.

smokiturtle · 01-20-2006, 10:08 AM

I have a 24' WhiteWater with a Volvo IO Diesel. The WhiteWater has a soft bulkhead. Otherwise it's just like the XL. I love the boat but was not treated well by the company or dealer. I like the economy and safety of the diesel and expect long life from the engine. My mechanic says the Sea Sports are easier to work on than the Ospreys. The hull takes our ocean chop well. It's not a bad ride in a 3-4 foot chop at 25 MPH or so. I've taken a couple of waves over the bow crossing the bar at Winchester and can say the scuppers do a good job keeping the bilge dry. With the diesel I use about half the fuel I did with my 22' Marlin Chinook with a 350 gas IO.

smokiturtle · 01-20-2006, 10:10 AM

[double post]

Hoghunter · 01-20-2006, 06:06 PM

BBH, I owned a 27 SeaSport for 12 years and was very happy with it. They're very well built boats. However, the quality in workmanship isn't what it was years ago. The original owners the Wright Bros. sold the company about 6 years ago to dealership who sold them in Bellingham. I noticed a sharp decline in workmanship after that and have talked with several owners who traded older SeaSports for newer ones since then and they've said the same thing. They're still good boats just not as good in quality. Depending on which size you get you will have different rides. The 27 I had has an older hull design and although stable when drifting, it was a real pounder when running as it had a fairly shallow vee. The 24's have a much softer ride. The 22's have the same hull design as the 27's. I owned mine from 1992 to 2004 and put tons of hours on it and it treated me well. In fact I dumped it on the coast highway south of Nehalem in the fall of 2003. It came off the trailer, hit the guard rail and skidded down the highway for about 150 ft. Tore the stern drive off and scraped some glass off the bottom but really wasn't none the worse for wear. The cops who investigated and Birdens towing couldn't believe how little damage there was to the boat. So that there proved to me how well they were built.

andiamo · 01-20-2006, 06:08 PM

BBH,
I looked into buying a 27' SeaSport 3 years ago. I toured the factory with my Naval-Architect father-in-law, and researched them fairly well (as Mark Mc would surely confirm). I was prepared to buy a SeaSport, Osprey or Orca, and ended up with an Osprey. The SeaSport is built very well, using hand-laid-up fiberglass, all-stainless components, and good hardware/design all around. It may be a little noisier than the Osprey or Orca because they do not use as much foam core. I did not like having to step down into the cabin (head banger), but the fish boxes were generous due to the design tradeoffs. The forward-slanting window reduce glare and provide more room for electonics in the cabin. I really wanted a pilot house version (raised capt. chair and extra stowage), but never found a good used one.
They started vacuum-bagging the hull (lighter/stronger hull) at some point, but you will have to call them to determine the year.
Bottom line:
I think SeaSports are among the top 3 fiberglass boats for offshore use.

iptmike · 01-21-2006, 08:07 AM

I spoke to the Sea Sport Sales Manager @ the Portland Boat Show. I've been aware that the dealership had purchased Sea Sport boat company a few years ago and I was curious why they were displaying the Osprey brand boats in thier booth. He informed me that the Osprey company is no longer in business and that Sea Sport has purchased the Osprey molds. The first Osprey boats produced by Sea Sport were manufactured in Nov 05. The Osprey boats are now produced in the same factory by the same people whom produce the Sea Sport. The two different boat lines have some differences but a lot of the parts and quality should be or become very similar. We also discussed how the 27' Sea Sport hull has a reputation for pounding. He told me the 27' Sea Sport hull has a 14 degree vee vs a 22 degree vee for the Osprey. I commented that they should build the 27' Sea Sport on the Osprey hull. He smiled and winked and said that they are working on it. I speculate that at some point the 2 different brands may merge into a single brand.

Anthony1013 · 01-21-2006, 08:41 AM

There is a 24' Osprey on the dock next to us in Ilwaco... I really like the way the bow is shaped.... tough looking boats.

andiamo · 01-21-2006, 03:38 PM

I talked to the SeaSport guy that helped build the first 26'Osprey in Bellingham (under SeaSport ownership) at the Jan 05 Seattle boat show. They had unit#1 at that boat show. I asked him how much it weighs, and he said they didn't have time to weigh it before they wisked it off to the show. He said it was very heavy however (mine is too), because it has 12 layers of glass in the hull.

I believe the DECKING on an Osprey has greater strength than many common fiberglass boats! (I can bring a deck plug from a fan cutout to the Newport tunaholics meeting if anyone is interested). He also said they will probably start vacuum bagging the Osprey fiberglass work, like they do the SeaSports; this should improve strength and reduce weight because the plys will be bonded tightly together, and excess resin is not needed. (All commercial aircraft composite panels are built with vacuum bagging).

BrassMonkey · 01-21-2006, 08:52 PM

Thank you all for the info...
Sounds like the Seaports are well loved by all.

I finally found a used one (does anyone ever sell one??) @ Boondocks it was older than I wanted and a little small but still made the drive to go see it anyway.

It is a 1990 19 foot skipper repowerd in 2002 with a 4.3 Volvo and outdrive. To make a long Days Story short the boat would not trim down, bow was in the blue sky under takeoff and just would not come down. Yes we trimmed it and trimmed it until I had enough and just came home.

Palmer1 · 01-23-2006, 09:37 PM

I haven't seen any Sea Sports, but at the seattle show signal yacht sales had a 24 orca for 55K. If you are interested in an orca it looked like a real nice boat. I believe it was mid to late nineties in age.

My Limit · 02-06-2006, 04:25 PM

I bought a 22 1998 SeaSport in September of last year. I've been rigging it all winter and have not used it. I will report back after I put some hours on it.

As far as construction I will say it's top notch!! I've worked on many boats and this one is built like a tank. A Marine Surveyors dream!

I needed to comment on HogHunter's post. He was incorrect in stating the 27' and 22' have the same deadrise. The 22' and the 24' are both deep v boats with a 22 degree deadrise. The 27 is shallow with a 14 degree deadrise.

You want the 22' or 24' if you want a smooth ride.

I'll get back to you on how it does this season.

Take Care,

My Limit