Shallow draft boat for Long Island Sound

[DanJacobson]

Hi. I've been reading posts on this site for years but this if my first post. I'm in the process of buying a boat for Long Island Sound, and intend to use this boat to fish the coves and shoreline close to my house. My slip, which is behind my house, is dry for about four hours at low tide, so shallow draft is my number one priority. My short list is as follows:

#1 Carolina Skiff 1765 DLX
#2 Mckee Craft Classic 16
#3 Boston Whaler 15 (I'd like a 17 but think it will draft too much)


What I'm really looking for is a boat that drafts 6 inches and will stand up to getting beaten a little bit. So I have a couple questions - what other boats would you look at, and if you agree that a carolina skiff is the best option, which of their models drafts the least in real world conditions.

[BobT]

Look at a 16' Maritime Skiff ( Maritime Skiff 1690 )
It's 16'6" with a 7'6" beam
draft is only 8"
power with 40 to 70 hp
Lots of room for a small boat.
dry, stable and fast.

[Oneida]

Scout 160 SF-8 inches draft.

[C man]

The Triumph 170cc and the 170dc have a draft of 6".

They seem to be a nifty little boat for shallow waters.

[marsea]

Try to find an older Whaler with tired motor and repower. They are solid little boats if they have been cared for. I had a 1966 16ft (bought in 1988) and that got me into the skinniest of waters. Hell, you can even trim the motor all the way up and pole into shore.

[Nuke]

I have a pacific ,that was designed for just what you describe shallow draft able to take the bump and scrapes of anything you can dish out! and it floats in very shallow ,I beach it all the time to fish or pick up my sports. I also know of one a couple of islands away that's in the mud an hour or so each side of low tide and they have no problems getting out early on the tide and no bottom paint needed .look at blacklabmarine mine is the Maine Jane. I know there is at least 1 on long island...shelter island to be more precise

[itwonder]

The Carolina skiff is a good choice if you don't want to spend a fortune. They are frequently equipped with a jackplate for extreme shallow water use in my area. If you want a nicer skiff at a higher price, check out Intruder boats, www.intruderboats.com and Southern Skimmer, www.southernskimmer.com . Another interesting alternative would be a gulf coast flats boat like the Shallow Sport 18. www.shallowsportboats.com

[KBEN]

Check out Bluewave.com, They have great skinny water boats, I have a 19ft super tunnel with a150 Johnson my self I can get on top of 8-10 inches of water