My wife and I have been considering purchasing a new boat pretty soon mostly been looking at soft-tops. We have kinda narrowed our choices down to: 220 Hewes Ocean Pro, 22 Northriver Seahawk, 23 Wooldridge super sport offshore . The price range is fairly competitive but we have been wondering about the hull specs/weight and how they compare. Obviously we want the best bang for our buck and want a dependabe boat. We want to do alot more ocean fishing for halibut,lings,salmon and occasional tuna trips. We are looking for feedback from people who know anything about these type of boats and how they perform or compare, or any suggestions you may have about other similar size boats suitable for ocean fishing.
my addiction
Just wen.t through the same decisoin and ended up going with the NR seahawk 24'. I found it used for a lot less then a new 21', there are a lot of nice used boats for a good price out there. If I had not went with the seahawk the oceanpro was my next choice. Just remember to get it with enough power, dont let the dealer talk you into a small motor. Go with the biggest motor that you can get on it, with 4 guys, 300-400# of ice, (hopefully) 600# or more of fish, the bgger power comes in handy. Also make sure you get the extended transom as the extra room in the boat is great and as much storage as you can get. Check $$ to see how much more to go a foot bigger as that room is in the dance floor. Just my 2cents worth.
Not the Weldcraft Maverick but the OceanKing. I had the Hewescraft OceanPro and it was great. I am looking at the same boats you are for new ones but also looking at bigger used boats. What ever you end up with you ought to have the hardtop and bulkhead. Also consider the Raider 2284. I will be gunning for the Wooldridge look at the fuel economy of their boats. But all the boats on your list are good.
Sobie2
Sobie2
I assume you are getting an outboard, if so can you go with what ever brand you want on any of the boats? That might sway you one way or another.
and with ocean fishing I personally would sacrifice some hp to have twins for reliability, twin fuel tanks, twin battery, that way you have independent motors incase one has trouble.
Happy hunting, just curious what is a 22' running for approximate price.
and with ocean fishing I personally would sacrifice some hp to have twins for reliability, twin fuel tanks, twin battery, that way you have independent motors incase one has trouble.
Happy hunting, just curious what is a 22' running for approximate price.
Off topic a little. If looking for an ocean boat why not consider fiberglass? There is a ton I don't know. So I am not trying to start a which is better match. Just asking. Would seem like you could get a great boat with awesome power for 60-80% of the price, maybe not? I am looking for a used smaller >20' ocean capable boat.
btw, Boulton would get me vote.
alm:
alm:Just an idea, do you ever get down to Gold Beach? Wayne Adams at Sea People does wonderful building of all boats, he can come up with good advice on your needs,and he is honest. I used him for my boat needs for several years. Just a thought----Dale Gocken
This is sound advice, a boat that matches your needs is the best advice we could give you.
I had the Ocean Pro for almost 4 years. That boat rocked! Hewes makes that boat unsinkable. It has recoverable flotation BEYOND the USCG requirements. Heck of a safety factor to me. With a Honda 225 and an 8hp kicker, I got better than 4 mpg. That and an 85gal tank was a huge Tuna boat-like range. Made a ton of trips to the four corners in it. I know the engineer that produced that boat. (saw his CAD design) that boat was developed and indeed proved itself to be a helluva solid boat. I beat the holy-hell out of mine and man was it tough! If memory serves, it was more than 40% stronger than the non-Ocean Pro model. I can't recommend that boat enough.
The bad thing about other non-ocean specific hulls mentioned above is the crossover design that puts a reverse chine on them. I absolutely will guarantee you a punishing ride as a side affect. The Hewes never did that. I tested a couple of the boats you mentioned and UNTIL you get them in a 3-4' chop, you think they're super. Afterwords you will wish you never bought them.
You MUST get an ocean ride in what you expect to buy. Don't do the Columbia bull-pucky test drive. It is not the same.
The bad thing about other non-ocean specific hulls mentioned above is the crossover design that puts a reverse chine on them. I absolutely will guarantee you a punishing ride as a side affect. The Hewes never did that. I tested a couple of the boats you mentioned and UNTIL you get them in a 3-4' chop, you think they're super. Afterwords you will wish you never bought them.
You MUST get an ocean ride in what you expect to buy. Don't do the Columbia bull-pucky test drive. It is not the same.
To foam or not to foam, that is a good question. Definitly a safety factor that I wish I would have researched a little more. In a small boat 18' or less it's required isnt it? I tend to think of not having foam is a known limit of mine that makes me watch the forecasts that much more. She's gonna turn over and go straight to the bottom if it fills with water!
I dont have a reverse chine, I dont believe any of the others mentioned do either. Isnt it Thunder Jet that has reverse chines? Either way, I'll vouch for the Boulton in rough chop, she's as smooth as a baby's behind. Sometimes it almost feels like its going to slam down hard but instead it glides right in.:meme:
I dont have a reverse chine, I dont believe any of the others mentioned do either. Isnt it Thunder Jet that has reverse chines? Either way, I'll vouch for the Boulton in rough chop, she's as smooth as a baby's behind. Sometimes it almost feels like its going to slam down hard but instead it glides right in.:meme:
Much discussion here about knife entry bow being a plus. Remember every design on a boat has a plus and a minus. 3-4'chop with no cross swells a knife entry works well. In cross swells and heavy following seas a knife entry bow is a curse at cruise speeds. Not to say a knife entry bow can't get the job done in heavy seas.
True Air ride Suspension Seats with a on board Air Compressor will smoth some of the Bumps out and you will spend less time at the Chiro
What about Rogue Jet Coastal, the 22' has 1/4" bottom, with full welds on the bottom stringers, they also are the only one to use 5086 thruout, most have 5086 bottom only, with 5052 sides, gunnel, transome, & top, the Ocean is a very tough enviroment, with lot's of pounding, & twisting going on for hours on end, often well over 12 hours on a Tuna trip, look for a full welded construction on the Hull stringers, for a Ocean Aluminum Boat, not skip welded as most do, North River, Rogue Jet, & Fish-Rite are a few that do, 1/4" bottom is not a bad idea either, as well as a deep vee to help smooth out the bumps. Good Luck! in you choice.
I have heard from the Y marine that Edge Marine is building a nice deep vee boat, just another to think about!
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
