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I would highly recommend buying from The Bait Shop in Rowayton. I bought a used boat and motor there a few years back. I was very pleased with the level of service and attention to detail they displayed. I was in college and only 21 at the time working on a limited budget. They treated me with a great deal of respect. Wether or not you like their new boat product line is another issue. I have an older Mako and think it's great, however, I have heard the past few years at Mako and SeaCraft (both now owned by Tracker Marine and made in the same plant) have not produced high quality boats.
Also, I know the Catalano family who owns the Grady White dealership in Greenwich. They have an excellent reputation for service, but I hear their prices tend to be higher than the competition. However, I have heard that their service and knowledge of the products makes up for the higher prices.
For optimum fishing flexibility, I think a 22-24 foot boat, single 200-250 4-stroke, with 18-22 degrees deadrise, that drafts around 1.5 feet (hull only) is the best all-around boat for this area of the sound. Yes, that's not what I own now, but that will be what I own next. I got aprox 70 days a year in my Parker the last four years, so I have a decent idea of what type of conditions I'm likely to encounter, and the boat described above IMO is the perfect sound boat.
If you fly-fish, you'll want to lean towards a lower deadrise/draft to access the skinny areas around Norwalk Islands.
No boat suggestions from me....but this thread makes me VERY homesick. I grew up on Eaton's Neck and graduated from Northport HS way back in 19#!. There is a small inlet at the Coast Guard Station that has (or had) a very large sandy non-rocky beach. We just called it "The Cove". We used to beach our Whaler there and swim. I don't know if it's still used that way or if post 9-11 puts it out of bounds for the public but it was a nice place to go to relax and eat lunch. Northport is still stuck in the 50's and 60's....fantastic little town. Take the kids to The Sweet Shop for ice cream floats.
Marks., yep it is still there and Northport is still a very nice town....I live on the CT side but actually work in Jericho. I hit the Northport stacks outflow for early Stripers and Blues in the spring. I have been to the little cove you mentioned and it is still popular with overnighters.
Penf. great advice, you are right on the money! I bought the Lema Skiff 18'6', 6" draft with a 10 degree deadrise to get into tighter areas, was great for that but a little light in Mid-sound (11b, 28c).
just a note...am from stratford area, and noticed your're interest in Aquasport. Presently have a 215 Explorer witch I bought from Palmers Cove Marina in Noank CT and can't say enough good things about dealer. Boat is perfect for the sound.
Bigdog -
Appreciated your reply (and all the others too - very helpful and fun to read). On your comment about duals being wetter, if a maker is using the same hull shape for its same-length CC, WA, and/or dual console why would the dual be wetter than the CC? Does it land/slam harder because the dual's the helm tends to be farther forward (again, assuming same hull as the CC)? BTW, great image of trying to keep your 5 year old's hands off the throttle. Know what that's like!
Subrosa - In response to your question: My Mako hull is a 2002 with about 180 hours on the boat. Everything solid so far. I have a black hard top and black dodger up front with a clear cut out with zipper. Stores / folds nicely when not in use. I also have bow cushions. Mako 232 and 252 do not come with bench seat in front of consol. Bit of drag for my wife, but we've found a great folding chair that does not slide around and stores nicely under the console.
You have found a few doubters about the Bait Shop but the guys are great, very responsive to questions and nice to do business with. I would recomend that you stop by to see Art or Ray. Good luck.
I’ve got to chime in at this late date. Sorry, read earlier posts but missed the bulk of it over the weekend. Nothing specific, but to say I am a D/C fan had smaller CC’s prior to my current Seaswirl 2101 (2003). I do have the admiral on board and 6 and 9 year old 75% of the time, run on Lake Champlain. Good size body of water that can generate a nice size chop. After graduating from a 17’ CC to the 21 D/C we are really happy. We considered the WA put felt like in the 21’ the cabin was too small (felt like an over sized locker). Since we live right by the water run all day (some nights) and then dock it and go home, so no real need for the Cuddy in our particular situation.
Depending on budget there are some nice D/C’s out there. I think they are a great compromise in the type of boating you are talking about. I have yet to see the 2301 Seaswirl D/C, but have heard that it is nice. The changing room/porti potty area works out great. If it gets real snotty put the bow cover on and glass curtain to your bimini and you are protected from all but the worst weather. With young kids they may even play under the bow cover (mine do).
The other thing I would say is I spent a lot of time looking for used, prior to a new purchase. What was my number one criteria was a quiet power plant. In used boats it is hard to find 4 strokes and then coupled with a D/C I had no luck. Don’t discount the wife, get her involved (give her something for motion sickness) head out and go to some nice beaches or ports. Boating is a great way to spend time together as a family. The Seaswirl is not the nicest (compared to a Grady or Whaler @ 2x the cost), but it is pretty solid production boat. Good luck. I know I have posted this before, but it going to be 0 tonight and I need something to remind me of warm weather.
Sub. yes the hulls will be the same on most of the DC/CC's. But what I had in mind was the picture shown above. The kids are far foward and more likely to get wet..........even if the ride is very similar to a CC...
For any boat you buy you will adapt to using it in the most sensible way, we all do.
Let me try this one on you --> Haven't ruled out a CC with dodger,
subrosa, when I lived on LI I owned a 22' Mako with a dodger. Forget about having your wife and kids sit up there in rough water. They will be bounced around and probably end their interest in going. In rough water my wife would sit on the floor behind the cc. She wasn't a happy camper.
I agree with others that a w/a with a high free board( to keep the kids in the boat) and a porti-potti is the way for a family to go. I now have a GW w/a and it is perfect for fishing and family.
Bigdog my point is that with the D/C you hit the compromise point (trade off all the way around) – we really only get wet upfront on a high wind days and quartering sea. If that is the case retreat behind the windshield – sit on sleeper seat out of the weather. If it is raining put up the front and side curtains and all can be dry. What is nice with the D/C and don’t get me wrong I would love a nice 23-26 W/A is you get the larger cockpit of a W/A and to a degree a bow of a CC. Once the kids start inviting their friends the bow seating comes in pretty handy. It all depends on what type of boating you end up doing. It works for us, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want a bigger boat!
Yup, yup, and, um,........ yup. I see that it varies greatly on personal/family needs and I'm very glad for all of your great pointers.
Also, to JTM (by the way, nice family pix) and to BIGDOG, would love a bigger hull too (probably WA) but just not in the cards now. Gotta believe the windshield solves at least some of the problem. One more thing I've seen about the "compromise machine" is that some of the new larger DC versions have decent fishing/standing room in the bow in that starboard-to-port "top-of-the-T".
Boy, saw some pretty powerful anti-2 stroke views in some other threads against even the latest Yam HPDI 2 stroke. Didn't mention the Evenrude E-tec. Think it's a resale risk in 4 years too? If so to both, what's the price of both (at 200 hp) got to be today to be a good buy today.
Hope I didn't come on too strong. The DC's are the right boat for lots of folks (otherwise they would be manufactured) just not for me. A friend bought the GW DC for use in Barnegat Bay in NJ and is very happy. Your quite right about moving back on the windier days, you adapt, I was being a little more theoretical.
On Engines, even the Yammie HPDI's are had lots of issues, especially the 300's. Despite all of the knocks on Evinrudes, I do have a pal with twin 115's on a 22' Twin Vee and they are bullet proof (go figure). Speaking of Twin Vee, that is another option - his 22' has been a great LIS boat, fast enough and the cat eats up a chop. Very stable on the hook also.
Bigdog - geez no, not strong at all. You were really really helpful. I was actually poking fun at my own inability to remember all the good stuff everyone had contributed here. Reminds me I've got to contact back a really helpful responder who'd offered more deets on his process in picking and then running a boat brand I'm interested in. Now if I can only get those kids in bed...........
I have a 2001 Seaswirl 23 walk around with the hardtop and powered by a Merc Opti 200hp. I have had no trouble with the boat. I use it in the Sound from
Westbrook out to Montauk. Have been through some sloppy stuff with it and ran right along Gradys, Makos etc. The may go a knot or two faster but I paid half the price. The boat has to have trim tabs. When the going gets rough, drop the bow and you push right through with very little if any pounding. Boat runs very dry also. I took me about a full season to figure how to best run the boat. Boat has been used for four seasons. No stress cracks in hull, nothing has fallen apart. The Merc had one serious problem with the fuel injection system which was picked up by Merc even though the motor was out of warranty.
I think there is a Seaswirl dealer somewhere down around the Bridgeport/Stratford area. If you can't get a test ride there, contact me in the Spring, take a ride to Old Saybrook and I will let you run my boat.
Right on River Rd. (rt.110) in Shelton/Stratford line, on the Housy there's Beacon Point Marine that sells Steiger's. You might want to take a look at the 23 Pilothouse model that will give you plenty of fishing room and shelter from the weather and keep you and the family dry. I'm partial to the pilothouse, owning a Parker, but the 23 Stieger might be right in your price range brand new with warrantees and a good resale. They had them in stock last time I was there in the fall. Good luck.
RE: First Boat - Long Island Sound 
