Wellcraft Coastal vs. Wellcraft Martinique?

[boobania]

I am fairly new to the boating world - got my first boat, a 2002 Seadoo 20' jetboat, just 1 year ago. Had a blast with it last year, but am ready to move up to something a little more substancial and definitely less squirrely. Considering the above mentioned Wellcraft models, 23 to 26 feet. What is the difference between them? Off the bat, I realize the Coastal is set up for fishing, more utilitarian, and the Martinique is more for cruising, plusher. What I am wondering is what is the difference in ride and handling. Can the Martinique go offshore? Are there major differences in the hulls, differences in fuel usage with similar sized motors? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all. I have already learned so much reading all the great posts on this site. Hope I can add something useful myself very soon.

[prockvoan]

What year boats are you looking at,and were you planning on using it?If you look at just the hauls,they are the same from the rub rails down!

[Capt Flats]

"If you look at just the hauls,they are the same ..."

[Recovery Room]

The answer's easy if you want new. They don't make the Martinique any more. The parent company (Genmar) has made a decision that the Wellcraft line would be their fishing line of boats and have dropped all lines except those that fall into that category (coastal/fisherman).

When it was being made, as one indicated in that size boat it was mostly layout so user preference in what you want and how you want to use it should dictate which is better for you. In the larger one's (I have a 33 Coastal, my buddy has the Martinique 36'), the motors are mounted lower and more mid-ship on the coastal. While it gives me less cabin room than the Martinique, it provides a more stable boat. I would imagine in the range boat you are talking about, they are both I/O so it wouldn't there would be little difference in the engine location and propulsion performance.

[Kingsransom_1999]

If you are looking new for the 26 Martinique, that hull is now included in the Larson line-up, one of Genmars other companies. It is called the 260 Cabrio. As was mentioned earlier, Wellcraft is now exclusively a fishing line. As far as quality of construction and ability to handle the ocean and stay together, the cruisers are built the same in hull constuction as the fishing boats.

[evernic]

Coastals up to and including the 290 are outboard boats, martiniques are I/O in the 24/26/28/30 ft class, some larger martiniques offered inboard as well, I'm surprised that the 26 marti' is now a larson cabrio since the cabrio thru 2004 at least was a dual delta conic stepped hull which the marti' was not, good luck

[B-Faithful]

FWIW, I have always though that it is easier to cruise from a fishing boat than fish from a cruising boat.

[boobania]

BTW .... I am looking at 2000 - 2002 models. I am not a big fisherman, more a cruiser, but I would like to go out the inlet now and then. Perhaps shoot for the FL Keys one of these days.

[boobania]

[B-Faithful]

Ok, it is a heck of a lot easier to clean and maintain a fishing boat than it is all the plus seating and carpet in a cruiser....

[autobaun70]

if there is one thing that I have learned from boating, it is that carpet in marine applications should be kept to cabin interiors and trailer bunks, there is nothing about it that isn't absolutely agrivating. Yes, the women always like the look and feel of it, but after a couple of weeks, it is a royal pain in the ass. You won't regret it if you go with a fiberglass interior. Just hose it out and hit it with a scrub brush every once and a while, and you are done. to keep carpet looking good you will spend much of your boating time cleaning your interior rather than enjoying your rig.

[evernic]

Unless I'm mistaken, the martinique has snap in/out carpet in cockpit, which can also be made for the coastal series, I made cockpit carpets with snaps for my 28 WA for those 'social" trips where the women want soft underfoot