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It's been a while since I've run our old Chris Craft Commander through Hillsboro Inlet for day trips, but Pops was paying the bills back then. Having returned to So Fla 3 yrs ago, I think I'm here to stay, and the bug has bitten me long enough to take the plunge.
I'm drawn to the boats I referenced for their reputation, your positive feedback, and they seem to strike the right balance between seaworthiness, family friendliness, cost, and space. I'd be sticking to my day-trip plans, fishing occasionally with a buddy, but mainly family intracoastal/near shoreline rides. Toss in the obligatory dinner runs when out of towners visit, and one nice long run to the Keys with my, as you say, Admiral. I think I prefer a single vs. twin for simplicity's sake, and both of these boats have plenty of family friendly freeboard.
McKee 22:
If it were just me and my buddy fishing most of the time, this boat would win no contest. Open up front, in deck fishbox (though where do you stand when you are opening it?), access to swim-platform, etc. A lovely boat, but seems cramped. Option for a true head. Will a bean bag keep the kidlins happy for seating? Gets the nod for the fishing days.
Edgewater 228:
It seems to have way more cockpit space with superior seating options. The FS would not be a hindrance to my fishing endeavors - it took me years to figure out that SKA was an association and not some kind of island music. Would I be happy with slinging the occasional bull dolphin up and into the forward fish/storage box instead of in the deck? No true head option, though I'm sure money could fix that. Not crazy about the boarding options from their ladder set up. I've done that plenty in light rolling seas, and a transom door (McKee) is a huge plus. Lots of seating tho - gets the nod for the family days.
I have no idea of price, or best power - I'll rely on y'ins for that. My definition of the perfect boat? The nicest one that doesn't kill you that you aren't using it!
Point me in the right heading - forever grateful...
I have not spent any time on a Mckee, but have done on the Edgewater and the Mckee does definitely have the better boarding arrangement, the 228, not being great. There would, however, appear to be more space in all Edgewaters, I think as they run right up to the bow and really maximise internal space. Also, they have a terrific flexible bow table/seating set up which Mckee does not. If I was just fishing I would take the Mckee, but for dual usage the Edegwater would take it, purely on the bow set up. On engines, this is so personal and THT is littered with threads on the subject, but I would start with which manufacturer was the most convenient for service, and put the maximum HP I could afford. One other point, I dont know about Mckee, but Edgewater seem prepared to go out of their way if you want to personalise your boat and seem very good on customer support.
It does not sound like the Mckee is the boat for you (I own one). You referenced that you may take couples out ona cruise or family outings and fishing seems to be somewhat secondary. With this being the case I think the forward seating on the Edgewater is hard to beat.
I would not place having a built in head as a high priority unless your spouse is somewhat delicate. Be aware that a built in head adds something else to maintain. I really like the Edgewater but there were a few things that ultimately swung me to the Mckee. The Mckee is 3 piece. The Mckee has more in deck storage. I like the open arrangement of the Mckee albeit it has a bit less room. Boarding the Mckee is way simpler than the edgewater in my opinion. At the time I wanted an Etec and Edgewater only rigs with Yamaha.
Take a look at the Robalo 220 as mentioned. Probably the most family friendly boat in this size range. The Century has a decent layout but I dont think the quality measures up to the others.
As far as power goes, in my opinion get at least a 225 whether you get the Mckee or the EW. I suppose that a 200 would suffice but would not recommend any less than this. If you like speed and performance then get a 250 (or if you buy the Mckee in a few months you could rig a single Zuki 300....yee haw!).
Be aware, Mckee will rig with Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Evinrude. Edgewater is Yamaha only.
I suspect that the list price on the Edgewater will be in the neighborhood of 5-10K more than the Mckee.
As far as Scout goes. I prefer their 222 over the 242. They designed the 222 and fixed some of the issues I dont like about the 242 (like bilge access and that double step in the bow). I think the Scout would come in 4th to the boats mentioned above as far as family friendliness and room goes. Good boats though.
Can't go wrong with either one. I chose the Mckee Freedom 22. Great factory support, top notch fit and finish, solid dry hull, and more boat for the money. I've spent a lot of time here, been to 5-6 boat shows, and on just about every comparable model while looking over the past 1.5-2 yrs.
I dont need the FS option and prefer the open bow. Putting the gf on a bean bag up front works out great!
My short list included..
1)Mckee Craft
2)Hydra Sports Vector
and
Bluewater
Edgewater
Roballo
Sailfish
I just went through this excercise and wound up with a used Edgewater 225. When you walk around the two boats the differences become apparent very quickly. The McKee is a really nice boat, but has limited cockpit room. There is really no way to get any seating installed behind the leaning post, meaning that there are really only 4 usable seats on the boat. That having been said, the McKee is a pretty piece of work that anyone could be very proud to own. The Edgewater is much broader in the bow, and has a huge front seating area. The Edgewater also has enough room behind the leaning post to add a bench seat, if desired. The price for the additional cockpit room is the climb out of the water on the small swim platform. I chose the Edgewater because it was very family friendly, while providing a great fishing and watersports platform. At 3,000 lbs. it is also easy to trailer, and runs very well with a 200 HPDI at an almost 4 MPG cruise. Both are nice boats, but very different in design and intent. You won't go wrong either way.
I just looked at a used 225, and I agree it is the way to go with family. Also the aggressive sheer line on the bow, gives it the most wetted surface of any 22 foot boat that I have seen.
The one thing that concerned me about this boat, a 2001, was the large access panel in the motor well. This panel appears to be partialy submerged when the boat is in the water, and it leaks straight down into the bilge, trickling over the fuel filter first.
I ws a little skittish about the motor well hatch as well. This is a design feature which is found on too many boats, and one I would rather do without. A set of ball scuppers will keep the motor well dry. There is no reason to accept leaking hatches, however. Worst case, replace either the gaskets or the entire hatch assembly with something like an Armstrong hatch.
I prefer the way the edgewaters are built. Use to own whalers and like the mckee, you have to constantly worry about keeping the water out of the foam.
I like the stringer system , no wood, heavy duty webbing and the different densities of foam ( 6 times denser than what whaler uses) that are strategically placed in the edgwater. Hard to beat the strength to weight ratio and efficiency of the hull. I bet that the edgewater will give you better mpg for comparable power.
I am fairly certain the Edgewater is highly foam filled as well which means that you would still have to worry about water intrusion. Wombat, where did you get your info on foam density differences?
As far as family friendliness goes, the only downside to the Edgewater that I can see is the ladder/boarding issue since you have to climb up and over the tramsom which may be precarious if the boat is rocking and rolling a bit.
You wont go wrong with any of these boats though if you are looking for family friendliness the Mckee is certainly at a disadvantage.
Two great boats to choose from. I was in the same "boat" until i wet tested the new Sailfish 2360. My wife fell in love with the front seating and I fell in love with the hull. @4 deg. deadrise, very dry, and a real head turner. Have had it out many times for the past weeks in some nasty stuff and boat performed very nice. The boat also has a 9 ft beem so plenty of room. Just a thought!
whalers and Mckee rely more on the foam to unitize their hulls. Go to the edgwater site and check out their construction
methods. The outer hull is laid up the normal way and it is thick unlike the whaler and Mckee which are more like skins for the foam. They use three different kinds of foam in different areas. the foam that is inside of the stringers is 6 times denser than the whaler foam. You can call them up and they will tell you the name of the foam and other coring materials. The foam does not go up to the gunnels nor is it injected. They use RAMCAP for bonding the liner to the hull and stringers. Not nearly as much to worry about in terms of water intrusionl There is also a sump to allow for drainage of any water that gets in between the liner and the hull and stringers.
They have a patent on their bonding technique to avoid any voids in the foam.
On the whalers and mckee, any penetration of the outer skin will allow water to accumulate. You just have to be vigilant for any dings and nicks that go past the fiberglass.
Any boat where the fiberglass has been exposed is subject to water intrusion and requires immediate attention on all types of boats (not just foam filled). Anyone who tells you any differently doesn't have a clue to how water can cause delamination of the fiberglass layers. Mckee Crafts are well built and they don't skimp out on the quality of their products. If you think a McKee craft isn't a well constructed boat, take a tour of their factory and look at how many old McKees are still around. A couple years back there were a couple board members who had probs with their EW's that required them being sent back to the factory but I believe the issues were resolved pretty well. So I'm not sure why you think EWs are that much more superior than McKee Crafts. I think in general they're both well built and their construction is going to be solid enough to get you out and back safely on those days when it gets rough. That being said, I think the EW is more family/cruising friendly since the McKee is geared more towards fishing.
wombatV - Don't understand your post about worrying about water on the hull of Whaler or McKee. Also don't think you've ever seen a cutaway section of a McKee hull. The glassed thickness exceeds most stringer built boats...??? I do agree that the older/smaller Whalers did have a very thin f/glass "skin". Don't know about the newer ones.
Thanks all for your responses - you're a great reflection of the community here. I will add a few more boats as suggested to my search, but you've confirmed that I'm looking in the right direction. McKee makes a darned nice boat, but the space on the EW will better suit the family's needs I suspect.
Looking forward to seeing you all someday, offline and on the water!
I have owned three whalers before switching to the edgewater. They are legendary boats. But they do take on water if you are not careful and vigilant about keeping the entire boat free entry points for the water to work its way in. That includes,
screw holes, fittings, etc. on both sides. It really doesn't take much to get through the green fiberglass layer and int the foam area. Water has a way of getting into things and once it gets inside its hard to get it out. As for the McKee, how much thicker are the outer skins on the McKees than the whalers? My edgewater has a lifetime transferable hull warranty. no wood at all and the transom is made from penske phenolics. I think that the new edgewaters are only ten years like the whalers now.
Are phenolics better than laminated fiberglass? I'm not an engineer by any means but I thought phenolics were resin coated fabrics or even paper/cardboard. Anyway, screw holes, dents, or whatever should always be sealed on any boat. I don't think water intrusion should be any more of a consideration on the McKee than an Edgewater.
McKee 22 vs. Edgewater 228 - or others? 
