[Flatfish]

After shopping for quite a while, I realized there is no "Perfect' production boat. So boat makers, listen up cause Uncle Mark will tell ya how to do it.

20-21' will sell more than anything else.
78"-84" bottom width. More room than the standard 6 foot bottom.
102" beam. More room on top too.
30-33" sides.
8" top cowling.
Top loading rod lockers.
Diamond plate floors.
diamond plate seat boxes that are adjustable.
Work station across the stern.
Fishbox and storage in the bow.
80( yep thats right 80) gallon fuel tank. This is to help keep the boat in the water cause a 7' bottom on a 20' boat rides too high. It will wobble without some weight.Better yet, 2 40 gallon tanks. If it still has the strakes out of the water, put 5/16s bottom on it.
Hot water box.
Electronics box.
a bunch of rod holders.7 or 8.Adjustable also.
Zincs.
Washdown system
2 batteries on a switch.
Soft top that you can stand under including rear curtians.
No wood under floor.
Flotation under floor.
Tackle storage under one of the seat boxes( trays).Why nobody does this is a mystery to me.
200 Yamaha( Merc is ok too, but I think a V-max will outlive the smaller Merc) WITH A PUMP, PROP, AND JACK PLATE. Tiller or console. cap'ns choice. No little 115s on a 20. An underpowered jet is as big a sin as a crappy trailer.
Motion Marine anchor holder.
10hp 4 stroke kicker.
A good trailer. Welded. Galvenized. Tandem axle with brakes and a washout. It is astounding to me that someone will buy a 33 thousand dollar boat with plastic fenders and a bolted trailer with no brakes on a single axle. Baker does nice work. So are the Rogue's. And a dozen others.
Thumper's scuppers.
No paint( I scratch pretty paint.After enough scratches, it aint so pretty. So make it an option).

I have looked at most of the big boat makers. Nobody offers this unless it is "Custom" (read 30-90 day wait and expensive).

If I could walk onto anyones lot and buy this boat, I would be fishing right now instead of sitting at the puter.

Build it for 28 grand or less. The mass production would offset the lower margins.

There must be a market here folks. I have been trying to buy something close to this for a while. A used open sled has a short lifespan before a new owner buys it. I can't find a boat.So either nobody ever built open sleds. Or nobody sells tham once they buy them cause they have their last boat they will ever need.

If you build it, there would be hoards of buyers lined up for your product at the next boat show. They would tell all of their friends how happy they are with their new toy. Their friends would be in line at the next boat show.

What is your "Perfect" one size fits all ride look like?

Mark and the welded double axle dog.

[ 08-13-2003, 08:36 AM: Message edited by: Flatfish ]

 

[Rauly]

You forgot one option.

A black dog ears flapping on the bow. :wink:

Good Luck.

Rauly

 

[suckerfish]

Rauly, I don't think Chessies come in Black :shrug:

 

[onstep]

Mark,
Good news and bad news. Goods news your boat can be built. Bad news I'm not sure you can come close to the budget you are talking about. It's to bad sleds like this can't be built for that type of money. You definetly have done your homework. Do you think going that wide 102" will cause to much side flare? What about top loading rod lockers for drianing? How about a step deck fuel tank with 60 gallon capacity? It would keep the bow down and balance the boat with motors and dual batteries. I would think that with this width of bottom 84" you would want the boat to float as high as possible for dree drifting.( thor built really plays on this) I ran a jackplate and 200 prop on a boat like this the other day and it was AWESOME!! Not for the faint of heart or 90% of the boating public for that matter. Unbelievable performance I could only imagine how fast you can go with the motor jacked, trimmed, and stainless prop. Good luck on finding a sled. Did you see the 22' Rogue used for sale?

 

[seeseered]

Flatfish, Great idea. Since Nobody is building a boat like this as a standard model, great opportunity for you to start your own boat factory. Invest 5-10 Million in a facility, hire employees, buy equipment, find vendors for all of the cool stuff you want to install on this boat. Then contact Yamaha and ask to become an OEM distributer for them. After you get all of this stuff done, open a show room, establish a dealer network, hire a marketing dept., maintain several million dollars of liability insurance and prepare for the fun of dealing with the warranty claims that come wiht a new product that may not preform just the way you thought that it would.

 

[Reel Fun Fish'n]

Great job of setting that ride up. But it cost more then 28k's and it wasn't production. took 2 months for mine

 

[BrionLutz]

Flatfish,

I had a list of stuff I considered "essential" and had to go semi-custom to get them.

Best explanation of the biz I got was from Mike Siegler of Siegler's Marine. Boat mfg and retailers build and stock what sells with most popular options.

He suggested it's best to buy a boat like that as when it comes to resale you are selling what is most marketable. And you will always sell the boat no matter what you think when you buy it.

All the custom stuff, while "essential" to some of us, will likely not be "essential" or even a plus to other boat buyers. You will end up selling the boat against a new boat price based on what popular options you have on the boat, maybe even discounting for the custom features we added to the boat.

I thought it was a good lesson in boat buying.

Regarding the "30-90 day wait" for the custom stuff...somebody's been smoking the good stuff there...figure 4-6 months...boat builders are...ahem..a tad optimisitic on delivery dates.

What is your "Perfect" one size fits all ride look like?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I think that's an oxymoron. Keep in mind the dictum that "Pefectionists Never Have a Nice Day". I'm looking to upgrade to my 3rd "Perfect" boat in 3 years <grin>. I think this is something like the Buddhists wheel of life reincarnation thing were we keep getting reborn (new boat) as punishment for not getting it right the last time.

Brion

 

[Nanook]

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You did ask Flatfish. :wink:

[ 08-13-2003, 01:25 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

 

[WaterDog]

:wink:

ASALTOR - interesting name for a boat that never see's the SALT. :shrug:

:wink: :grin: :wink:

 

[Nanook]

I knew you would "bite" Waterdog. :tongue:

Waiting for the Get Bent "BOBBER DOWN" next. :laugh:

Have a good time Ole' Salts.

[ 08-13-2003, 02:20 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

 

[Flatfish]

Rauly- I got that option in the garage.

Suckerfish- they do if you rattlecan them( humor disclaimer-" Do not paint your dog").
:wink:

Onstep- Nothing is perfect. But since this is dreaming, might as well wish for what I want. I already know what I will end up with. The details will fill in the blanks in due time. Oh yeah, and 102" is not too much flare. I like the Illingsworth look myself.

Seeseered- Did I hit a sore spot? What does your one size fits all boat look like? I already run a business. No need to explain how much overhead there is between me and my dollars.

Reel fun- The dreaming up what I gotta have and what I can't live without is the difference between building a custom high$$ ride, and getting a platform that I can fish from effectively. But I like to dream. Boatenvyitis.

Brion- Of course it is an oxymoron. but I only have space to park 1 ride for now.What is listed above will do most of the things that I want to do reasonably well. Kinda like owning a 30-06. It does nothing best. But it probably is the most versatile thing out there.

******- that is pretty close. Nice paw print. :smile:

What will I end up with? Probably a used Super Vee, Or a Predator. An open boat that comes close to what is above. It will not be exact. The
fish will not care. Why an Alumaweld or a Willie? Cause there are more of them than anything else on the used market.

I will have the Jack plate. But that is the only( and most expensive) item on the list I cannot live without. Since I plan on keeping the boat forever, I can live with a little more now. In 10 years, I will still be fishing out of her. and I wont care what it cost today.

Oh yeah, Dawn says it will have a top too.

Mark and the dog.

 

[WaterDog]

Well I don't like to dissapoint an ol' timer when he uses his best bait. :grin:

 

[Tanner]

Mark,
Whats a Jack Plate?????

 

[TH]

I sure like my Predator..
very stable, very nice dry ride even in a chop!
Very versitle!

 

[Flatfish]

Tanner think of an outboard bracket you see on bayliners and such for a kicker motor. Not exact, but you get the idea.

Now, make it heavy duty and bolt on the 200 hp engine. It allows you to use a pump and a prop. 8" of vertical lift( not tilt). Better in big water. Much better fuel economy. No more complaints about top speed either. I rode in a 22 1/2 with a 200. Not quite a bass boat. But not too far behind.

I figure I will have a pump on from say Sept to April. After that it is prop time.

Mark and the dog.

 

[Average Fishin Gal]

Gentleman, the perfect sled is the one that is affordable, easy enough to fish in alone, economical...AND catches fish. Ive seen too many "perfect sleds" sitting in "perfect driveways" next to "perfect houses". I can only imagine their "perfect owners" are on-line in some BBS discussing "PERFECT", instead of using what they got to go fishing...and aint that the POINT? So get your hiney off line and get your line WET!

 

[Nanook]

I agree. Any boat that does not leak and catches fish, is a perfect boat. Personal choices. Kinda' like Cats. :wink:

Mark, what to do :shrug:

We have one Cat that wants to go all the time.

and one Cat that could care less.

:grin:

 

[Flatfish]

Average- Find me the boat I buy, and I will take you fishing. Would much rather be there than here.

******- I will tell you when it happens. More than likely, I will anchor up next to ya for my daily schooling (from you not the fish)

Mark and the dog and the cat too.

 

[Get Bent]

****** cant you read he wanted a sled not a tug boat :grin:

 

[Hookset]

Flatfish,

So what's really important to you? Buying a boat that fits your needs or finding something used that catches fish and floats?

Your dream can become a reallity, all it takes is time and money......unless your short on one or both.

A few years ago I dreamed up a boat not to different from yours. I wanted a 84" bottom on a 22' boat, except I couldn't find someone to build it at the time, ended with a 72" bottom, what a disapointment.

My ex-boat was 22'x 72" with 36" sides. Had a 60 gallon tank, 2 electronic boxes, wash down for and aft, 2 trays per side (the top tray stored weights-hooks-pliers-scales-fish bonker etc..., 12' long per side), large over size fish box, sliding drawer from transom (more hooks, swivels lures etc...), personel loackable transom storage (lunch-raingear-towels-gloves). And I had most of the other stuff on your list, except for jack plate. Wish that was included, really wanted to split between the pump and prop as you mentioned. If you build, I would definetly get the jack plate, nothing better then a dual purpose motor for all conditions and loads.

I also had a very good 2 axle galvanized welded trailer. I was told that the bolted trailers were actually very good and easy to replace any damaged parts. Of course, I didn't really buy that argument.

Something else you need to consider. Construction. Just because they may look the same, doesn't mean a thing. Check out the areas you can't see before making any decisions. If you really want a boat to last, you need something other then a guarantee, I know some are non-transferable. I'd rather avoid any hassles when it comes to warranty work by buying the boat that's constructed better.

good luck with your dream,

Gregg