I just got an email from EW saying they were having a boat show at the North Charleston Convention Center. Theres a boat show going on there the 22-24 of january. Im just curious, What is yalls opinions on these boats?? I really like them alot, they seem very well built and heavy. However, I only see one maybe two every year out on the water. Is there something im missing here. So what do yall think??
Reel-Boy
180 Sea Pro
Hey bo… Watch this
I really dont no much bout the boats but dnr uses them well when i c them there in one . but they look like well layed out boats but kinda pricey. but for a good boat its not gonna b cheap.
1995 keywest 172 2001 115 mercury
fish nude so u can show off ur pole…
i believe there was a boston whaler relationship some time ago.
guy broke off and started edgewater, i think?
anyway, great boats, solid build!!!
The Chief Engineer of Boston Whaler before being bought by BBG in the early 90’s was Bob Dougherty. He founded Dogherty Marine “Edgewater” and later moved on to Everglades. There are quite a few Edgewaters here in the CHS area. They just get lost in all the Sea Hunts, Key Wests, and Sea Pros.
As you see I have a '99 185CC. It is a great boat. It is indeed heavy at around 3000# and draw around 16" trimmed up. All their models are heavier than most and draw quite a bit If your looking at getting into the flats a lot look elsewhere. If you want a rock solid and very stable boat that will eat chop for breakfast they are a good choice. Fit, finish, layout, and amenities are all top notch.
I would have a real hard time swallowing the cost of a new one. There are lots of used ones around that have very reasonable prices compared to what you get. Like Whalers, after about 5 years they almost stop depreciating. Also used Edgewaters are typically very well taken care of due to the type of custumer who can afford to buy them new.
Iain Pelto
Edgewater 185CC “Jumpin’ Bean II”
I covet my neighbors EW 24 CC with twin 150’s. Very solid boat, well laid out.
Now, I know this may be a dumb question, but whats the comparison to contender?? Advantages, Disadvantages??
Reel-Boy
180 Sea Pro
Hey bo… Watch this
apples to oranges
I have a 1995 180CC and it is a great boat. They are not for skinny water as stated, but you will be hard pressed to find another boat that will ride better. I have not fished on a Contender but I have fished on mine and a 2002 225 model EW. They are very different from a Contender in the respect that a Contender is a purpose built fishing machine. The Contenders are made to get you to the fishing spot fast. The Edgewaters are a little more refined and set up to be a more comfortable/family boat.
Contender is the Corvette of fishing boats.
Edgewater is the Lexus SUV of boats.
Apple and Oranges.
Ohhhhhhh, I got it now. But it sounds like they are quite a good boat. Thanks for all the input guys
Reel-Boy
180 Sea Pro
Hey bo… Watch this
If you are thinking about spending that much money on a new boat, you should check out the whalers they are priced very competitively with the edgewaters. They are both heavy boats that ride extremely well however with the new reverse chine smirk that whaler has, they provide a lot dryer ride on the center consoles. As compared with contender its like jp said. they are both very differnt boats. Contender is a fishing machine designed to do just that and they are very light and fast boats. A contender will not ride nearly as well as edgewater or a whaler. Not to mention a contender over 21ft will sink to the bottom, with an edgewater if you hit something and put a hole in your hull you will at least have something to hang on to. With whaler if you hit something you could fish the rest of the day and you may not even know you have a hole till you pull her out of the water and see it.
If Al Qaeda wants to destroy the America we know and love, they had better hurry because Obama’s beating them to it.
quote:
Neal1742 Posted - 01/20/2010 : 11:25:54 AM --------------------------------------------------------------------- They are both heavy boats that ride extremely well however with the new reverse chine smirk that whaler has, they provide a lot dryer ride on the center consoles. As compared with contender its like jp said. they are both very differnt boats. Contender is a fishing machine designed to do just that and they are very light and fast boats. A contender will not ride nearly as well as edgewater or a whaler. Not to mention a contender over 21ft will sink to the bottom, with an edgewater if you hit something and put a hole in your hull you will at least have something to hang on to. With whaler if you hit something you could fish the rest of the day and you may not even know you have a hole till you pull her out of the water and see it.
WTF??? Have you even ridden in a boat before??? The only time a Edgewater or Whaler would ride better than a Contender/Regulator/Bluewater etc would be a speeds no greater than IDLE!!! I will give you well built and solid…but good riding and Boston Whaler should never collide in the same sentence. Quit drinking the contiuous wave Kool-Aid! Go out in a BW in 2-3’s stacked up on your jaw…better have your chiropractor on speed dial!
Southern Comfort
Appearantly you havent been on a boat since the 70s. I challenge you to test drive the same size contender and whaler on 4-6 day and then tell me what you think. Ive fished ska for the last 6 years on all different size contenders in all different conditions. Dont get me wrong the contenders are fast good riding boat for what they are. But they are not even close to riding like the new whalers do. Ive probably spent more time on whalers than any other boat. The unibonded foam coupled with the wieght absorb chop better that any other boat. When you come out of the water on a contender youll feel every stringer shutter when you come back down. Youll never feel a whaler shudder the main reason is because they have no stringers its all structural foam all the way up to the top of the gunwales.
If Al Qaeda wants to destroy the America we know and love, they had better hurry because Obama’s beating them to it.
Southern Comfort, when was the last time you went out in a Whaler? If you haven’t been out in one in the last few years then you are very misinformed about the ride. For one, the comparison of and EW & Whaler compared to a Contender is not even close to apples to apples.
“The Unsinkable Legend”
Let me set the record straight…I do not own a Contender, so I am not arguing because you hurt my feelings, I have fished and operated boats from all the company’s we are talking about and own none of them(for GOOD reason). Fished a 295 Conquest on numerous occasions and I swear that I thought that my claw foot bathtub would have taken the waves better…absolutely horrible ride…I mean HORRIBLE!! 22/26 Outrage the same way…yeah sure it wont sink if capsized but if I am paralyzed because I broke my back on the ride out I am not in much better shape. As far as EW’s go, they are solid and well built as well, but still not what I would call a “great” ride…the 242 rides much better than the 262 IMHO…262 has a bad combination of beam, lack of deadrise and does not like a choppy or confused head sea at all! As a friend of mine had the best quote that sticks in my mind about his EW after finally pulling back the throttles on an average april morning off our coast…“This boat absolutely sucks 90% of the time…this has been three hours of BS” and he is the owner at (least until it sells). Great platform to bottom fish off of and to dive out of because it is so roomy and stable, but I could not have been any wetter if someone had mounted a fireplug on the bow of the boat. Granted if you want to slow down and “wallow” around in the trough at 13-15 knots i can make a carolina skiff ride good and it wouldn’t set me back 300k. EW would be my pick out of the two if for no other reason than I wouldn’t have to have democrats hanging off of the back. Again, I am not trying to insult your purchases or your seamanship, picking a boat for ride quality to FISH out of(not cruise to Red’s ot tie up at Morris) neither BW or EW would be my personal choice based on personal experience not hearsay from my cousin’s hairdresser’s niece’s boyfriend’s drunk stepfather!
Southern Comfort
Not insulted at all Southern Comfort. Just so you know Whaler hasn’t built a 295 Conquest since 2003…FYI…it’s 2010! I didn’t realize you are making comparisons based on experiences of 7 plus years.
“The Unsinkable Legend”
Well Southern i am very interested in knowing what brand of boat you own since Edgewater Whaler and Contender are far inferior to your boat. By the way comparing a Conquest to a contender is in no way shape or form anywhere close to apples to apples. You are comparing a cuddy cabin to a center console. I used to fish with a guy that had a 285 Conquest similar to the 295 you speak of. We used to run that boat to the stream on small craft advisory days with no problem, loving every minute of it. Granted my 90 year old grandfather couldnt have handled it, i guess i just handle the ocean better than others. I cant speak with as much experience about Edgewater, i havent fished one of those since the mid 90s. Whats your problem with merc? I keep hearing all this negative talk about Merc but no one can give me a good reason besides the fact that they are black.
If Al Qaeda wants to destroy the America we know and love, they had better hurry because Obama’s beating them to it.
Where to start…
Let’s start with your reading comprehension or better yet lack thereof. Nowhere did I say that those boats are far inferior to my boat…every boat made has at least one area that it is better for each indiviual angler/boater than another boat. For my purpose and many others the boats we were discussing are not the best for MY needs. I tend to enjoy being able to sit down, turn on the AP, drink a beer without spilling it all over myself, remain completely dry, listen to the radio, and be comfortable for my 2.5 hour ride in from the deep. They may very well be the best boat for your needs but not for the majority of others. There is a reason their market share “is what it is.” Mainly because of the price point…considering the 400k+ price tag of a 345, most will opt for a boat with a clean transom, the sound of diesels rumbling to life when the bells ring, a fighting chair and salon with cool blow. The only reason we are comparing Contenders to EW and BW is becasue you said
quote:I was merely disputing that fact with experiences of my own...also note that I did list the Outrage in my list as well..you merely chose to key in on the Conquest. Not my fault...
A contender will not ride nearly as well as edgewater or a whaler.
As far as Mercurys go, I will give you my personal experiences only…my 175 Black Max let go on me approx 30 miles away from the my dock at the lake, 35 merc left me stranded on the Cache River in Ark above 7 Mile(thats a LONG way from Steel Bridge btw), I can remember no less than 5 times drinking beer staring at an Optimax tilted out of the water and either trolling back to the hill or being towed in. All of these were catastrophic failures that were not maint related. The best mercury ever made was the yamaha four stroke with mercury paint on it while they were dev
Southern,
I agree with you on the 345 price tag. If you are looking at spending that kind of money on that type of boat you might as well go with diesels and a clean transom.
Yes i did say a Contender will not ride as well as a Boston Whaler of the same category and same size. Nowhere did i say a fat cuddy will ride better than a sharp cc.
As far as engines go ive been stranded my fair share as well and the majority of the time it was the japs that left me out there. I personally have a Merc for that very reason, but i suppose that reasoning goes both ways.
As for the 28 on SCA days, that was a charter i used to mate for when i was younger, and when the clients want go, you gotta go. But i probably would have been out there anyways, thats just my passion for the sport. The point i was trying to make was the fact that on those nasty days i would have taken the Whaler over a Contender in a heartbeat. That is spoken straight from experience of being on both boats in extremely nasty conditions. From your last post it would lead one to believe that you are a fair weather fisherman. Not that theres anything wrong with that. Once again Im not dogging the Contenders and as far as fishability goes you cant beat em.
I didnt mean to offend you, Southern. You dont have to get so defensive, people might start thinking your the one with his knickers all wadded up.
Oh by the way, you didnt answer my question about what brand of boat you own.
If Al Qaeda wants to destroy the America we know and love, they had better hurry because Obama’s beating them to it.
I own a 32’ Outrage, 2004 model.It will NOT ride better than a Contender.The Whaler will not sink,and is a very dry boat.I can not say a Contender is a dry boat.If I were younger,I would prefer a Contender simply cause you can push them thru the chop at a high rate of speed,comfortably.
I only plan fishing trips for calm seas nowadays,but if it does get snotty,my Outrage will perform just fine.The twin 250XS 2 strokes push her fast enough.
quote:
Originally posted by BolbieI own a 32’ Outrage, 2004 model.It will NOT ride better than a Contender.The Whaler will not sink,and is a very dry boat.I can not say a Contender is a dry boat.If I were younger,I would prefer a Contender simply cause you can push them thru the chop at a high rate of speed,comfortably.
I only plan fishing trips for calm seas nowadays,but if it does get snotty,my Outrage will perform just fine.The twin 250XS 2 strokes push her fast enough.
The Whalers are great trolling platforms without too much roll to them. Fairly indestructible and will go even on some days you would not want to go. Pretty dry ride but definitely not the softest ride out there.