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For those of you who remember my posting before, I didn't buy a new boat. Just too hard a stretch right now. So, after much consideration and looking at the used boat market, I'm looking around at used boats and found the above ones most interesting. Both come closest to meeting my needs. Years somewhere 2002 and later. The discriminators?
Sea Pro 220:
+ can sit on the front; most come with cushions for it
+ many come with Yamahas
- many don't seem to come with trim tabs
- many don't come with hardtops
Pro-Line 22 walk or 23
+ has a transom door
+ 20 or 22 degree deadrise
- hard to sit on the front in less than calm waters (while drifting)
Did I miss anything? Price ranges are all over the map for these. Good thing I'm only looking for one :-)
I own a Sea Pro and do like it alot.......but Proline is still in business. The value on my boat tanked when they closed a month after I bought, I'm looking to go bigger already and am having a hell of time.
Your subject line says Sea Pro 238 and your post mentions the Sea Pro 220. Which are you interested in? There is a pretty big difference in size between the two.
The Pro-Line 22 is a different hull and does not have the deeper deadrise of the 23, which is called the 24 starting in '05.
For those of you who remember my posting before, I didn't buy a new boat. Just too hard a stretch right now. So, after much consideration and looking at the used boat market, I'm looking around at used boats and found the above ones most interesting. Both come closest to meeting my needs. Years somewhere 2002 and later. The discriminators?
Sea Pro 220:
+ can sit on the front; most come with cushions for it
+ many come with Yamahas
- many don't seem to come with trim tabs
- many don't come with hardtops
Pro-Line 22 walk or 23
+ has a transom door
+ 20 or 22 degree deadrise
- hard to sit on the front in less than calm waters (while drifting)
Did I miss anything? Price ranges are all over the map for these. Good thing I'm only looking for one :-)
You know, an interseting thing about the two brand names, is one is not the better than the other.
The one your happier with is the one you should buy.
The SEA PRO oppisite number as me was with us a long time.
Both outstanding choices, which one satisfies you.
Thanks for the responses. Sounds like both are pretty good choices. I supposed, after narrowing it down to that, price will be the biggest driver. See if a "deal I can't refuse" shows up on one of those boats (could be PL 22 walk, PL 23, SP220, SP238) in the next couple of months.
Thanks for the responses. Sounds like both are pretty good choices. I supposed, after narrowing it down to that, price will be the biggest driver. See if a "deal I can't refuse" shows up on one of those boats (could be PL 22 walk, PL 23, SP220, SP238) in the next couple of months.
gf gave you some valuable input.
I'm not comparing the two brand names.
Quality wise your in good shape either way.
The point I would bring up though is comparing specific models.
There is a very big differance with a PRO-LINE 22, 23, and 24 hull. An extremely big dfferance in the designs and deadrise.
It can be quite confusing.
Good points. I know we've talked and you are truly a wealth of information. I would aim to be more selective at this point if I were looking at a new boat, but with a used one with the money I have to spend, I figure I would be more flexible. Not too flexible as I've already ruled out many, many boats and currently narrowed it down to two brands. I rode on the 2004 Walk that my buddy has and liked it. I imagine I would like the 23 Express/XP ride too. Is there a difference? Sure, I know there is a 2 degree deadrise difference, but enough difference to say that I would pass on a great deal on an Express just because I haven't road it? I don't think so. I actually looked at a 2002 220 Sea Pro WA this past weekend. He only wanted ~14k for it. Looked like a good deal to me until he started talking - showing he knew nothing about the boat he owned ("what are trim tabs?" "you paint the bottom of the boat when you move it from saltwater to freshwater, not before"). Scared me off. Hopefully a similar deal will present itself sometime. In the meantime, I still have that 88 Pro-line CC with that 2001 200hp HPDI that I'm really enjoying!
Good points. I know we've talked and you are truly a wealth of information. I would aim to be more selective at this point if I were looking at a new boat, but with a used one with the money I have to spend, I figure I would be more flexible. Not too flexible as I've already ruled out many, many boats and currently narrowed it down to two brands. I rode on the 2004 Walk that my buddy has and liked it. I imagine I would like the 23 Express/XP ride too. Is there a difference? Sure, I know there is a 2 degree deadrise difference, but enough difference to say that I would pass on a great deal on an Express just because I haven't road it? I don't think so. I actually looked at a 2002 220 Sea Pro WA this past weekend. He only wanted ~14k for it. Looked like a good deal to me until he started talking - showing he knew nothing about the boat he owned ("what are trim tabs?" "you paint the bottom of the boat when you move it from saltwater to freshwater, not before"). Scared me off. Hopefully a similar deal will present itself sometime. In the meantime, I still have that 88 Pro-line CC with that 2001 200hp HPDI that I'm really enjoying!
When I say it can be confusing, believe me, that's an understatement.
The old 20's and 22's with the 19 degree at the transom we built thousands of. They required smaller H.P., carbs were the thing then, great price points and very satisfied customers. We still build the hulls as PRO-LITE models, but no longer as PRO-LINE. Our customers were quite satisfied with the hull in both lengths.
The comming of four strokes and deeper Vee's at the transom changed a lot of things. The four stroke outboards cost far more money than the carbs did, and they weigh more. The new models with deeper vee's cost far more to build, cost of materials went crazy, but also very different boats.
The early 23's with the 22 degree at the transom were our DONZI 23ZF without the step in the bottom. Then we called it the 24SS, it's 24'5" long. So, the same exact hull could be a 23 or a 24 depending on the year of the boat.
Then we introduced a new 23 with a 20 degree at the transom. It was, we thought, a different buyer than the 24SS. The two models should not compete with each other, but they do. The 23 buyer is, we thought, looking for completely different features than the SS buyer. Well, the 23 dug into the 24SS volume quite a bit. We didn't plan on that.
The 24SS will ride better than the 23. A 22 at the transom will take rough water better than a 20 at the transom. As it worked out though, more people liked and bought the 23 more than the 24. The 23' hull has been an overwhelming success, but also at the cost of our 24SS hull.
So, confusing? You bet it is.
For the most part the other brand your comparing us with doe's not offer all of the different hulls, vee's and the like. It's an extremely good brand, very well built, but not as diversafied in the hulls in the size area's that we are. For example, our 23' with the 20 at the transom they never built one like it. It's a pretty new hull. The 24SS which you also might find as a 23 depending on the year, we had the luxury of borrowing from our DONZI cousins. They offered no such hull of the type. I think you'll find the best and most equal comparisons to be in the 19 at the transom models.
Dont sell the 19 degree hulls short. Both us and them sold the dickens out of them with quite satisfied customers.
Times, outboard motors, hull designs have changed.
Along with the changes also came some pretty sporty price increases also.
Thanks again for the information. Do you know what year you switched to the DONZI 23ZF/24SS hull? Looking around for the kind of boat my money can buy right now I came across this:
Thanks again for the information. Do you know what year you switched to the DONZI 23ZF/24SS hull? Looking around for the kind of boat my money can buy right now I came across this:
It's the 19 degree at the transom 22W that we also called the 23W when we add'd a pulpit to it. See what I mean about confusing?
We sold them in great numbers. That goe's back to what I said, dont sell the boat short because of the 19 at the transom. The MERC 200 carb was about the norm for the hull.
Tell you what, I have dealers in Florida that would love to have a yard full of them used in that price range. They dont sit. You'll want to look at the motor real closley, but as to the hull, when you buy it, call us the info right away, pay $50.00 and the hull structure warranty, ten years, gets transferred to you. But do it right away, well within 30 days of the purchase.
If you want, I'll scan and send to your personal E all the specs, performance specs, the whole enchalada. Got to do it to your personal though, not on THT. It's a used boat, but I dont want to appear too much of a commercial, but am happy for you to have any info you want.
Thanks, Mike, confusing is an understatement. Disheartening about boats in the price range being scarce, but I guess the good news is that I only need to find one in that price range. Don't know if I'll move on the one in NY - I'm still trying to find out more information about it. Thanks again for the wealth of information. Your attitude and helpfulness certainly help put Pro-line on my preferred list! :-)
Thanks again for the information. Do you know what year you switched to the DONZI 23ZF/24SS hull? Looking around for the kind of boat my money can buy right now I came across this:
Sea Pro 238 or Pro-line 22/23? 
