[Guest]

14 feet? 18 feet? or 22 feet?

I am shopping around for a affordable boat. But got confused with the many choices.

Is 14 too small? 22 too big?

I never owned one, so please give your opinion.

I appreciate it

thanks

 

[Fishaholic]

18 is a great size, easy to trailer, not a ridculasly priced outboard on something that size, come with inboards if you prefer. If it had an outboard id look for an older 4 stroke or new 2 stroke.

 

[Pippen]

Jiggy..........

Where are you looking at using the boat?

THere are a LOT of factors to look into when purchasing a boat for the salt chuck.

Personally........I would not go under 18 feet but that is my personal opinion. What are the waters like where you intend to do the bulk of your fishing? Do you want a small cuddy? How many people do you intend to be taking out on the boat when fishing (ie can you get away with a center console where you are bit more exposed)? What type of power are you looking at? Budget? As Fishaholic said.....are you going to trailer or something you are looking at keeping in the water? If you are trailering the boat......what are you pulling it with?

LOTS of questions and things to take into consideration..........biggest thing is don't rush. Do your research and ask plenty of questions.

Here is a link that came up recently on another site with a great deal of valuable input.

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4819

On another note........if you are are a first time owner I would highly recommend taking your Power Squadron. Generally one night a week for a few months but well worth it for a beginner boater. Boating out on the chuck can throw a lot of variables at you that you don't get on the lakes.

http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca/boating.html

 

[fishortho]

Hey Pippen..where you been?......I agree with most of the above post, so take your time with the purchase. What you buy for a fishin' machine and what some people use to cruise on are two different ships......There is always lots of product out there and if you are buying something in the water be sure to get onto dry land and do an inspection or have someone with experience look at it for you. A lot of demons can sometimes be found.
I think every boat used regularly out in our local waters needs a good "lid" and 18-20 ft. is a decent size........If you plan on sleeping aboard get as much length and as big a cabin as you can afford..............Good luck!...Ortho 8)

 

[Pippen]

Hey Pippen..where you been?......I agree with most of the above post, so take your time with the purchase. What you buy for a fishin' machine and what some people use to cruise on are two different ships......There is always lots of product out there and if you are buying something in the water be sure to get onto dry land and do an inspection or have someone with experience look at it for you. A lot of demons can sometimes be found.
I think every boat used regularly out in our local waters needs a good "lid" and 18-20 ft. is a decent size........If you plan on sleeping aboard get as much length and as big a cabin as you can afford..............Good luck!...Ortho 8)

Ortho.......it's that dam work thing!! Busy time of the year for me......no chuck fishing.........only been out 3 times since I went fishin' with Roscoe in the end of July!!

Jiggy........good points by Ortho as well. Just to add to the "cabin or cuddy". Be SURE if you have a lady/wife/girl/mistress/supermodel heading out with you on the boat quite regularly.......GET A HEAD IN THE CUDDY. Sure it is great to tell the gals they have to jump on to the swim grid and drop their drawers (ooops I was peaking :wink: ) but having a "tinkle" facility will help you keep em happy and better yet..........keep you out on the water!!

Don't be afraid to ask any question as I said earlier.

 

[bigjay]

As little as a dingy.
I love and trust my boat and would go anywhere with it, any day.
Most won't beleive me (incleuding my frends). But my little RIB will go out in anything. Being a sailer I have been out in anything (nealry died... hoping to be dried.)
That is only me. It's my little boat.
Jason
Jason has surfed the biggest waves in the summer ocean in OZ. And has said through all of the inside passage.
JT

 

[Pippen]

I have also been out in "center console" (steering station) dingy's like Jay's and they are solid. (I know Jay's is not exactly a center console :wink: ....I think) Jay....I think when I have seen yours down at Royal Van that it is about 16'?

I had been out numerous times on an 18' Hurricane and we took it through everything and got the snot beat out of us heading up to Pender Harbour one weekend.

 

[bigjay]

The biggest boat is the best. A good deep V best in the ocean... roll can suck.
I love RIB cause that is what I have and it is great in bad weather... nothing better.
Although for fishing it is the crap. No anchors or riggers, worrying about hook puncturing it, or spins from fish landed.
My boat is the best in bad weather but for fishing it is not great.
I have sailed a 14' boat to Nanimo but would not recomend it.
If I were to buy a boat it would be a 25' cat. Nice and wide with low HP thus gas consuption and offshore capablity that no monohull could boast.
The thing is that boaters are tradionalist and beleive the old is best.
My RIB is new and I will challange anyone to go out on a day worse with their boat than mine... You'll lose I've already fished it.
Have fun, Jason.

 

[Pippen]

The biggest boat is the best. A good deep V best in the ocean... ............
The thing is that boaters are tradionalist and beleive the old is best.
My RIB is new and I will challange anyone to go out on a day worse with their boat than mine... You'll lose I've already fished it.
Have fun, Jason.

 

[tyee2112]

I have an 18.5 double eagle great for two or three fisherman has a cuddy for storage and if you want to sleep over night.Its small enough so its easy to tow and launch by yourself big enough that you can go off shore if you want.and handles some rough weather if you do get caught out.A good deep v hull for a nice ride for a boat that size.

 

[Chalupa]

good fishin boat

My boat is a 20.6 DoubleEagle. I fish Sooke, Renfrew, Ucluelet,(25 miles out) and the waters around Port Hardy and in and out of Quatsino Sound. Great boat. Alaska bulkhead, cabin heat, navigation,...... I fish salmon year round. Going out Sunday for some winter Springs, powered by a " Tweaked" Volvo 350. Not fuel efficient, but reliable as hell. I can fix most typical malfunction, and if I gotta pick up and run, on good water, 45 m.p.h. is standard. Obviously towing and launching is not an issue. Chalupa

 

[Teppit1]

Go 20' - with a small cuddy good for overnighting if need be. Can be towed on a single axle trailer & parked easily too. I just added a minn kota engine mount electric trolling motor to my mercruiser I/O, it works great! nice quiet for trolling, no stink of exhaust, lots of torque.

 

[markus23]

It all depends on what you use it for. I have a 14' alum with 25hp Merc. It's big enough to troll in our local ocean waters and small enough for the lakes... Just take off the Merc and throw on the electric. Plus if you are alone its really easy to get in and out of the water. Try the buy and sell, you can usually find pretty good deals. Don't skimp on the motor though.. you don't want to get stuck in the way of a ferry!

 

[sealover]

Best place is to start with 2012 vancouver boat show, there will be lots off dealers ,u can talk to the pros and they can shoot in the right direction ,i will agree with other guys cruising and fishing boat canbe two diffrent things .good luck with the boat search.....

 

[Ofishal]

The Original Poster was in 2006 and has not been back to this topic since??????????

 

[Big Green Machine]

The Original Poster was in 2006 and has not been back to this topic since??????????

Yup Old Jighead is long gone, but the boat show is coming up!

 

[arrgh!]

Seem to be a few old threads springing to life lately; some without even any recent posts. How does that happen?....

 

[Ofishal]

Mods need to lock em or delete em

 

[Rib]

Seem to be a few old threads springing to life lately; some without even any recent posts. How does that happen?....

Polls attached to the thread that did not have an expiry date on them...someone votes, so it goes to the top again, withouth them even posting. I have closed that one now.

If it keeps happening with other threads we'll get rid of them altogether.

 

[arrgh!]

OK, I vote that the mods should not be deleted then......