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Random Quote: You got one a dem rig seein machines??
Jimmy60, I also just saw the 236 at a boatshow - Atlanta- and was really impressed..moreso than with any other boat there. Take a look at my post several lines below and check the string of notes referenced in the response I got. I too am going for a test ride..St Simons, GA.. in a few weeks. I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the boat. I'm a saltwater fly fish guy and all my experience is in my flats boat so I need all the help I can get on choosing an offshore boat.
I'm going down this weekend so I should know something hopefully that will help. I'm just getting into saltwater this year. My past is mainly on the Rivers that feed into the salt water. I currently own a 17' Sea Ark, center console w/OMC 35hp. I luv it because I can go up the white water and get into some really good fishing spots. I go to the Roanoke River mainly in NC in the early spring for just about anything that swims up from the Ocean. Last year I went out on a freinds boat to the Gulf stream and WOW!!! That was the straw. I have been looking a ocean going vessels ever since. I think it's either going to be the Sailfish or the Mako WA
is what you will get......i test drove the 266 this summer and couldnt get the smile of my face for hours.....these boats are the best bang for the buck out there today IMHO...let us know what you think......nodoubt......
It seems that the more I read and talk with others, it gets more and more appealing. Some of the things I will be looking at are the durability of all the componets like the hard top, drainage and speed vs. comfort. I look foward to the ride. If everything goes as I expect, I will be an owner by the end of the month
i recently bought a sailfish 174. i looked at all manufacturers in that class and found the fit and finish with sailfish couldn't be beat. the lower price was just a plus. on the 174 the self draining deck is a little slow to drain. other than that it's a wonderful boat. i orderded the boat and the delivery time was right on scedule with no suprises. i looked at the larger boat and i think they look great. i've heard the ride is incredible. if i'm ever in the market for the bigger one that's the first place i'll look.
There is one infamous question that needs to be asked. What color?
I have seen the light and dark yellow. I think that looks very cool. The Carolina blue is nice and so is the marine green. I can't decide, but since I will have to choose??? other opinions much appriciated!
Jimmy I purchased the 236 in july of 02 and love the boat. I moved down from a 28 ft albemarle so the ride was very important to me. Yhis boat will not disappoint you as far as the ride There are some issues with the boat but not show stoppers
Finman tell us more? What details
I looked at a 266 with twin 150 HDPI and a T-top in green for $58K. It seems like a nice boat for that money. I had a hard time seeing any flaws. Makes me think about twice buying a new Grady for the $
I worked the CCA booth at a local fishing expo this past weekend in the Baltimore area. I managed to get away for a couple of minutes to check out the boats and there was a dealer from the middle of PA down with a 236 and 266. The sales guy said Sailfish bought the molds from Seacraft in '86, he couldn't confirm if they were the Potter molds or not (I shouldn't expect that much from a salesperson).
I liked the boat and the lines not to mention the price was resonable. I did notice there were a few things wrong with the boat, mostly simple prep stuff, but I'm not sure if the factory of the dealer was to blame for overlooking these items. Another thing I noticed was how the t-top attached to the boat (after reading here that they might not use backing plates where they attach the top to the console). After digging around in the console I saw the used over sized washers to back the bolts. I don't know if this is a common practice or not considering I've never actually seen a real backing plate, but I expected to see something more substantial.
I liked the boat and I'll definitly keep on my short list when it comes time for me to buy..
Thanks for the input, I've heard that before somewhere and will pose the concern to the dealer. I plan on running full blast for very short times. I am concerned about vibrations that could possibly cause cracking but, I think by keeping a good maintence record I can minimize damages. If something should break, the manufacture will live up to the agreed warranty(s)
I went from a 32' Trojan to the 236 after looking for more than a year.......I'm very pleased! I went with the 200 HPDI, my dealer said I would be happier with it since topend is of limited use here in Southwest Florida because of all the manatee speed limits...the engine is much stronger out of the hole than the four stroke.
The 236 obviously derives some of it's hull shape from the Seacraft....the variable deadrise but the Sailfish is a much bigger boat. 9' beam versus 8'2"....the Sailfish is much deeper fore and aft than the Seacraft. The cockpit depth measures 29" and that becomes 38" at the bow. Both hulls share the longitudinal steps but the Seacraft 23 only starts at 20.5 degrees where the Sailfish starts at 24 degrees. There are a lot of boats being sold these days that owe a lot to the original Potter design and that's fine with me as this Sailfish has a great ride.
anchor locker needs a hasp as it will flop up and down while running in a sea. The heat shrinking on the wiring was never done,console door should have a latch not that knob. all plumbing should have been double clamped.The electronics area in the console is a waste due to to the bulkhead 2 in. behind it.The front hatches are not plumb and will chip over time. Other than these small issues the boat is awesome,like I said no show stoppers
You said,"The electronics area in the console is a waste due to to the bulkhead 2 in. behind it." How does that affect future installs of EE? For instance, the VHF and radio?
Jimmy If you are buying in NC I bought my 236 from Coral Bay,they are fantastic to work with and have the best service dept Ive seen in my 20 years of boating..I powered mine with a 225 efi and can get about 30 mph at 4000 rpms and about 45 at wot.Ive run it to the Big Rock on good and bad days and it is a sweet ride.I have over 100 hrs on it with no stress cracks.You can mount electronis in the compartment however the will extend into the console/head.I mounted a combo GPS ,df on the dash and vhf and stereo in the ebox.I also went with the yellow hull and get alot of compliments on it.If I can help answer any questions email me.
Sailfish 236 w/4 stroke 
