West Coast - Help me pick a boat (and enjoy the process vicariously!)

Obviously new here - doing waaay too many hours of research to try and get educated. I'm looking for my first "real" boat (not a skiff, inflatable, or RIB) and am having a much tougher time finding one than I thought I would. Part of the problem is that I just don't yet know all the names, makes, models of boats to search for on Craiglook. :)

So this is where YOU come in... I'm going to list my "requirements" and ask for your help in providing suggestions on which boats I should be considering.

OK, here we go.... (not in any particular order other than the random neurons firing in my head):


Trailerable with a Toyota Tundra (or a package deal with a larger truck). Boat will be stored about a mile from the launch. I figure this means a limit of about 22' (or 26' with a different truck)
Good fuel efficiency (1.5 mpg or better)
Ability to get out of the weather: Hard top with canvas, sport cabin, or 1/2 wheelhouse type bridge
Good deck space - the boat will be used 60% for spearfishing (free dive), 30% for H&L fishing, and 10% for "family outings"
Places to store gear while underway so its not rolling around on deck
Ease of entry/exit to water, but enough freeboard to be safe for the kids (I have two - 13 and 10)
Seaworthy for our local Channel Islands conditions; glassy mornings can turn into nasty return crossings in big following seas
Budget: up to $30k for the right boat, but that would consume my budget for "upgrades"
Comfortable seating for 4 (2 could be on coolers, or "down below")
Low/easy maintenance (I know, that is a RELATIVE term when talking about boats!)


Other than these things, other "family friendly" amenities would be nice such as a V-berth that sleeps 2 or 3, stereo, fresh water, etc.

Max distance I can imagine traveling would be maybe 100 miles on an overnight with a lot of cruising around

I really don't care about a porcelain toilet, 500 mile range, stove, etc. (I'd rather have deck space). "Hardcore" fishing amenities aren't something I'm worried about, either (2 scoop bait tanks, tuna towers, etc. but nice in-deck fish holds WOULD be nice for those lucky days...

Hey, thanks in advance for your opinion, particularly if it is based on your own personal experience and not just something you read on an Internet forum somewhere...

-Brent

your in the wrong neck of the woods for this thing go to bloodydecks and start boat ho'ing so you can get a feel for the majority of socal style boats and then you'll be able to use your own preferences in your ultimate decision on purchase. good luck

Having enough room to reasonably overnight says you need adequate room for bunks and a head. Add to that enough cockpit space to fill with dive gear and the boat gets bigger. Now factor in the Catalina Channel at 3 pm and I think you are looking at something like a Parker 25. Parkers are tough, serviceable boats with no excess frills. They also come in two versions, medium V and Deep V. The medium gives better fuel numbers and better speed, but the deep will ride better when it is rough. Take a look at the 2520s. They've been around a while so there are reasonably priced used ones out there. You'll probably find some with two stokes as well and they do merit consideration. They burn more fuel, but they are also lighter and less complex. Parker rigs with Yamahas and the jury is still out on corrosion problems with the 225 and 250 four strokes.

Take a hard look at Gradys. I just had a similar budget. I just bought a 1997 GW 248 with room for some upgrades. The Grady's are great dive or fishing boats and they are also good family boats for a day trip or "caming" style overnight. If you're looking for soft beds for everyone, and you have 2 adults and 2 kids, you need bigger than a 24' boat.

My Voyager has a 1997 OX66 EFI 2 stroke. For fuel economy, I get 1.2 - 1.5 NMPG, plus 2 stroke oil.

Loaded, with gear and 150 gals of fuel on board, tandem axle trailer, I'm pulling about 7200lbs. My F150 is rated for 8300...but this is about the max load I'd pull on it. Your Tundra, if its the newer one should be rated to pull 10k lbs and would be fine.

The Grady SV2 hull is amazing. I've been in a few boats (not alot, but a few) and it is one of the better riding hulls out there.

The Grady cockpit is made for fishing first, and then family second, but only a close second. The freeboard on this boat is great. I have a 4 year old who goes out with me and the gunwales are up to the top of his chest. I'm 6' tall and the coaming pads are just above my knees.

I like Parkers, but they're notorious for not alot of freeboard, so I"d check one out closely to see if it fits your needs for freeboard with kids on board.

Here are the models I'm thinking of:

GW 248 Voyager (older version); 24'9" LOA; 8'6" beam; cuddy comfortably sleep 2 adults; seats 3 with cushion out; 2 pompanette chairs; transom bench;

GW 258 Journey (same as Voyager, just newer and slightly diff't hull to accomodate 2 strokes)

GW 232 Gulfstream - 23' LOA, 9'3" beam....alot of boat for 23 feet. Cuddy has a cool bunk arrangement with sink and storage on other side.


Good luck, and let us know what you get!

Hey man, I recognize the screen name. I would get a smaller Parker. I have a 2320 (the cabin model) with a Yamaha 250 and LOVE it.

With that budget you can try to find either a 23' = 2320, or a 21' = 2120. Finding a used 2320 for 30k might be a bit of a challenge, but not impossible.

VERY seaworthy boats. And the cabin is toasty warm for those 5:00AM trips...

Hey man, I recognize the screen name. I would get a smaller Parker. I have a 2320 (the cabin model) with a Yamaha 250 and LOVE it.

With that budget you can try to find either a 23' = 2320, or a 21' = 2120. Finding a used 2320 for 30k might be a bit of a challenge, but not impossible.

VERY seaworthy boats. And the cabin is toasty warm for those 5:00AM trips...

Well, it looks like I just found a 1993 Parker 2320 with a Yammy 250 OX66 (2005) on it. Its mounted on a bracket, so it has a lot of deck space.... I'm looking at it this afternoon.

I saw a nice 25 foot Crownline closed bow. The guy was asking 12 K for it.