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I'm looking at purchasing a Dual Console, approx 20 - 22 ft. The brands I've settled on are Pro-line, Seaswirl, and Sea Hunt. Would love a Grady White Tournament but that isn't in the cards right now. Any feedback / recommendations on these boats would be greatly appreciated. This boat would be primarily used trolling the great lakes for salmon. Thanks for any help.
Same search, leaning towards the Seaswirl 2101 over the Sea Hunt 220, just seems a little higher quality and looks like it could handle rougher water, but cost is a little higher too. Both good looking boats.
New Seaswirl 2301 DC is interesting, but the one I saw had refridgerator and sink in the cockpit, and the front looks tighter for some reason, so the 2101 seemed better for fishing.
Also looked at Sea Pro 206, quite a bit smaller and more in line with the Key West 2020.
Have not found a Pro-Line to look at. Looked at the Grady 205 and liked it, but smaller, and less fishy that the Seaswirl for an extra $10K or so.
No test rides yet, so interested in following your search and what you finally pick.
Big factor for me is being able to run it while standing, have no urge to try running into 2-3' chop while sitting down.
the seahunt is a very good boat for the money.have you seatrialed a sea hunt? they take the rough water really well as they have that carolina flair in the "v" that makes for a very dry ride. good luck on your srech
SCangler, have you actually taken the SeaHunt 220 DC for a sea trial? I'm interested in buying one but haven't had an opportunity to get one out in the inlet or open seas. The SH 220 Triton does great but I'm wondering how it feels in the DC with the consoles farther forward.
__________________ "There's nothin' like fishin' to cure a case of the blues"
looked at the aquasport? it's the 215 osprey. it seems, to me, to have a lot less wasted space than some of the others. polar has a cabinet w/sink behind the helm chair that takes up A LOT of space in my opinion. i did like their aft seats the best, though.
the other thing i liked about the aquasport was that all of the cushions are removable. the polar's are not, unless i'm mistaken.
down here in fl, the polar comes with a 150 yamaha 4s, and the aquasport comes with a 200 saltwater yamaha for about the same price.
yes i have & it performed very well as it was a nasty day while i was out & it had a very dry ride.it will ride slightly different than a cc i would definaly have trim tabs.most dc have a slightly heavier feel up front than a cc but nowhere the degree of a walkaround.
Looked at just about all the DC's and talked to a ton of folks with experience, but I actually only tested the Aquasport 215 DC with a 200 Yamaha EFI. I was looking for the better fishing configuration first with the secondary but important (family) option of water sports. Here's some qualitative and practical observations and hopefully others will chime in on how they handle.
So for what it's worth, the AS seemed a solid ride and great acceleration with that motor. Had I bought one, I'd have put a Yamaha 200 4 stroke or 200 E-Tec on it. More than I'd ever need unless beating cheeks out of danger. The AS 215 seemed to have at least average/decent workmanship, had the best bow fishing space, and I believe more aft cockpit space than all the others except the Grady 222 Tournament and Seaswirl 2301.
If you get an AS 215 DC with a second helm seat on the starbord side instead of the big recliner seat, you get even more open cockpit area and are best configured for fishing. Only thing I wasn't totally happy with was the tilt wheel is still a bit low - not a great height for standing while on the run and I'm only 5' 11'. On the other hand, with family in mind, the AS 215 DC had about the second best amount of roominess and ease of access to the starbord head compartment. Fish boxes very easy to get to though of moderate size.
The AS 215 is a heavy boat, between 400 to 1,000 pounds heavier than the other 21 footers. Scout's 21 footer is a nice looking boat and claim is that the hull rides great at speed. But it's 1,000 pounds (dry weight) less than the AS 215 so I figured it would rock and get knocked around more while trolling or out at anchor in sometimes nasty Long Island Sound. (Others with more experience than me can perhaps tell us the error in such logic??). I also didn't like the open transom on the Scout.
Agree with the others' comments about the 2301 - it's big and intriguing, but uneeded gadgets (sink and refrigerator) in the cockpit take up space, it gains cockpit space at the expense of the bow fishing area and of course by putting the helm pretty far forward. Liked the 2101 but preferred the quality and layout of the AS - both are owned by Genmar but different factories. The fish box on the 2101 is huge but oddly placed in a location where you have to contort to pull the very heavy door up from in between the starbord and port helms.
Hydrasport 20 foot DC seemed to be built for a good ride at speed but was too small for what I then had in mind.
Grady's are beautiful - almost too pretty in my book and don't seem more set for family and water sports than fishing. Oldest used 222 Grady Tournament with the new design came out only in 2003. Couldn't find anything used past the 2001 model and liked the post-2003 layout far better. I know they're well made but didn't think a DC would be my long term boat and didn't want to buy new (bucks and depreciation). I also couldn't get past the use of wood (though encased of course) in the stringers. Seemed like a longer term risk compared to all fiberglass, considering what could work against the sealant. Also can't get a factory installed ski pylon.
(BTW, came to my senses since then, realizing there are not many water skiing days on LI Sound! Now focused on larger boat.)
Didn't warm to the Whaler. I only saw Pro-line and Sea Hunt at the boat show but didn't think the layout matched the AS 215 DC. Sea Pro DC 20/21 footer had no head.
Polar almost look to good to be true for the price and wasted space with gadgets in the cockpit area. Giant combined fish box area in the bow but passes under too much of the liner and seemed hard to see into the whole area. Also wanted fish boxes in the cockpit which, as I recall the Polar did not have.
Was fun looking at them all but decided for Long Island Sound I'd go for something else in the 25 foot range - we'll see.
I have the Aquasport 215 Osprey DC and it is a great fishing layout. Plenty of storage and two nice fish boxes, a head (for the family), fresh and raw water washdown and many other extras that came with the package.... all others were add-ons. It too has a sink (the family loves it while fishing) and it is located under one of the bow seats so it is out of the way.
I looked at what seamed to be, almost all the DC on the market and actually put a deposit on a Sea Hunt. But the next day I saw the Aquasport again and test drove it. When I got back, I put a deposit on it and called the Sea Hunt dealer and cancelled the sale. There was no comparison, IMHO, that the AS was by far a better boat with a better layout and heavier so it did ride very nicely.
The Grady's are nice. I have a friend with one but the price...... OUCH! And, I just like the whole layout on the AS better.
Good luck in your search!
I have asked three different Sea Hunt dealers about installing trim tabs on the 220 Escape without the portside tab interfering with the swim ladder. All three said the boat does not "need" trim tabs so I guess that means it can't be done.
That is exactly what it means. I ran into the same thing with my aquasport. You have to install a dive type ladder to get the clearance. Boat salesman lie? come on.
I've got a 1999 GW 225G Tournament (currently listed on boatraderonline.com). An incredible riding boat, it has the weight and hull to handle seas with comfort. One thing that you get when you step up to the class that GW competes with is solid construction. I've been on friends boat that were lessor quality and it seemed like everything was rattling apart and the jarring ride was trying. Good luck with your search.
One other thing, if you can get a closed transom and gill bracket. No over the transom wave wash, utilization of the full transom for baitwell and storage, quieter operation and a better ride because the engine sits back.
Just demoed a Sea Pro 206 DC with a Mercury 200 OptiMax, I was very impressed, dry ride, fast and very comfortable. The only other one I have ran had a Yamaha F150 on it , not as fast, but quieter. I was impressed with the overall package.
I own a 99 Welcraft 210 sportsman. Its a DC with a LOA of 20'4". It has a 200 Optimax and runs real well. I like the rid eand handling. The euro transom is nice as well. At first the transom scared me becuse of taking to much room out of the boat but there is plenty even with it. The motor well and transom well take up the room as well.
SCAngler, thanks for the report on the SeaHunt DC sea trial. Sounds like it has a ride similar to its brother the CC.
Re: trim tabs. They CAN be installed on the DC220 but some dealers do not want to acknowledge that. If I ever get my DC220 I'm gonna put them on it for sure. My friend's SH 220Triton CC does not have them and it runs very well, but from everything I've heard, you won't regret putting them on any boat that size.
__________________ "There's nothin' like fishin' to cure a case of the blues"
Dual Console 
