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Random Quote: A home on land; You save up for one half of your life, only to find out once you get one that it's in the wrong neighborhood!
I've been considering getting a little skiff for freshwater and the NC sounds. I thought about a Whaler Montauk 150, but they want $20K for those things new!!!! Anything comparable to that out there that won't bankrupt me?
Proline has a new lilne of skiffs, called Pro-lite. I recently saw them at a boat show and would definitely give them a look if I was interested in that style of boat.
I like a number of the 17's out there, was looking witha friend last winter. Key West, Sea Hunt, Century, SeaPro all had nice little 17's.....
I think that in the 15' range you are going to be a bit more limited as most "mid-tier" builders can't make enough money on them, so they're not there. Leaving you with the high priced spread... While I agree Whalers are expensive, they also hold their value very well. I know what you mean tho, I nearly had to change my Depends when I got the numbers on a new 13 Whaler a couple weeks ago
Thanks for the great replies guys! I have two constraints that will dictate the size and weight (besides the price); 1) it needs to be able to fit into a single bay in the garage with some room to spare, and 2) boat, motor and trailer need to weigh #1,200 or less.
That weight requirement is gonna put you down into the 13 ft range for boat size. My 130sport whaler, which is for sale btw, weighs in at around 850#'s without the trailer. I'm guessing but I'd say the trailer weighs around 200 - 250 #'s.
I was going to suggest the new Triumph 1700 Skiff, just thinking that polishing a second boat was probably not on your wish list. But your weight limits throw it out.
Good luck in your search.
__________________ Vic in Osprey FL
2005 Triumph 210 CC
You might look for a slightly used Jones Brothers skiff. They are very well constructed boats and are made in Beaufort, NC near you. There are used ones around if you look. Google Jones Brothers Marine Sales and check out their used boats. They are a big Jones Brothers dealer.
Definitely skip the Whaler. Although they are a classic, they are waaaayyy overrated (and overpriced) in my opinion.
__________________ 18' Jones Brothers with Yam F115
I replaced my Whaler 130 Sport with an 18' Panga Marine Skiff, and faced similar weight restrictions. While the little Whaler was an awesome boat, it's just too small....I was turned back so many times by a chop in the bay that the family lost interest in going out on it....I had 100% confidence in the boat however, even the couple times I was moving it from my lift to its trailer, in heavy seas, due to an impending tropical storm (one time I had 4" of water in it by the time I got out of the slop)....
The Whaler rides very well for its size, however its length is a real problem in a short chop, and due to the interior design, usable space is also an issue...It will knock your fillings out, as it's not long enough to span even a single trough, so it falls onto the face of every wave...Also, the planing speed is too high to run comfortably in even a small chop, so you're running idle in anything over 12"....I heavily considered the 15' Whaler, but I found it had a similar ride (same hull design of course), and really wasn't a meaningful upgrade from the 130 Sport in size and seakeeping ability...
The Panga Marine 18' Skiff has a hull weight only 25lbs more than my 130 Whaler, and I chose the boat initially based on its hull weight, because I was also weight restricted...The difference in ride and seakeeping however is amazing...I feel like I moved from my Whaler to a 42' Hatteras! You'd think with the same hull weight that the boat wouldn't ride much better, but the length has made a HUGE difference, in addition to the hull design...I routinely go out in seas with the Skiff that would have kept the Whaler on the lift....
1,200lbs with a trailer is going to be very difficult, but you could get a folding tongue trailer and get the Skiff in a garage I think...With a 50HP Yamaha, a basic Skiff would weigh under 900lbs dry...The trailer is around 500lbs, so you'd be looking at 1,400lbs dry/unloaded....I aggressively researched boats/brands for three months (many of which I'd never heard of) before I came across the Panga Marine boats...I even went down to visit the factory, and worked directly with the owner to have my boat custom built (pretty nifty feature, as you can have it custom made 100% to your preferences)...Also, the open spaces on this boat make it feel like its 23' long, and it's as stable as a driveway...
You'll be hard pressed to find a boat with this build quality and size that comes close to your specifications...I know, I looked...As someone mentioned earlier, you're up against your weight restriction with a 13' Whaler...I looked at the Maycraft skiff, but it was full of wood (floors, stringers, transom), and I wanted 100% composite construction...The only other boats that might work would be the Carolina Skiff style skiffs (Caroline, Sundance, Polar, etc.), but my neighbor has one, and while build very well, it too will loosen your fillings...
why the wight limit, if its your vehicle, Be a man and go get your self a truck. Not some dinky TOYota or honda, like a chevy silverado 3500 HD or ford f350
Look at the 16' Sturdee Dory I have one with a 25hp Johnson boat weights 400lbs w/o motor. She one of the most seaworthy boats under 18' used off shore by the grand banks fisherman, I posted in this thread yesterday with a link to their site but it some how got deleted just check out their web site
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Looking for a well made small skiff 
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