Hello everyone! We are looking to buy a family/fishing boat! As we are considering a boat that best fits our style! I’ve always had boats in the 18ft range but what can I expect(how far) a boat like a seahunt ultra 225 or tidewater lxf 22 can take us off shore. Or what are our options with a boat that size? Thanks for your help!
It doesn’t mater what you buy, it wont be long till you want something bigger!
True, but the boat size has to match the bank account size#128512;
Must have fat fingered in the 128512;
If plan on taking wife/significant other with you off-shore 22ft is gonna be rough. Even calm days might put you in hot water with her.
We should pushpin this
I have the Sea Hunt Triton 225 and it is a great little boat. I have the Yam 200 and it sips fuel. I fish inshore and offshore (on good days).
Marsha
22 Sea Hunt
Marsha, did you want to say (pick your days)! I know you really wanted to:smiley:LOL
That sea hunt is an awesome boat. Pick your days lol!!!
“mr keys”
Check out the Pioneer 222 Sportfish One awesome fishing boat for its size. Incredible built in fish and ice storage capacity.
Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250
A 22ft bayboat is good for the nearshore reefs, a 22ft Deep Vee is good for the nearshore reefs and the occasional “pick your day” off shore trip. You won’t make many offshore trips in a 22 unless you are fairly hardcore.
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Down here is where a signature goes but they can confuse and anger some people so I don’t have one.
Thanks for the input everyone. I thought I was rock solid on the tidewater Carolina bay 22ft, but my wife likes the seating for her and 3 kids better on a 22ft deep v.
I hope the plan isn’t to go offshore with wife and 3 kids lol. If so you are hands down most hardcore fishermen I have met, kuddos.
He won’t do that but once.
Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250
Yea, should have been more clear on that. I like the Carolina bay for bays and such plus for near shore maybe out 10 or 15 miles, the deep vee is nice for seating and maybe getting out a little further on nice days but then I’m concerned I’ll miss out on inshore stuff.
I was in your exact shoes just 2 months ago. I didn’t want to spend 60k+. I was looking @ the Sea Fox 22, Robalo 222, Tidewater 23CC, NauticStar 22xs. You see what I ended up with. I have a wife and 3 kids myself and seating was a big issue but I also wanted to be able to go offshore and have good room. My wife decided that she didn’t want me to have a boat with a single engine. Although due to faulty canisters we lost both engines last trip offshore but a quick removal of gas cap fixed that problem. The bank roll didn’t call for it but I can honestly say the extra $200/mo I’m spending is probably the best $200 I’ve spent!!! My 2 cents for what it’s worth. You need to look @ the transom deadrise seriously when considering boats. If you still need to stay in the 50’s range go with the Robalo 222. Much sturdier boat, deeper V, heavier, deeper draft and higher degree of deadrise @ Transom.
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2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s
I agree with Floridaboy you want a deep vee even for inshore. The harbor gets pretty choppy and will beat kidneys up pretty bad if you don’t have decent deadrise at the transom. My 22 still goes in fairly skinny water in the creeks too.
2005 Sea Hunt 212 Triton
“Head East”
ALL TRUE…lol. I have a offshore 26’ and even in the harbor it gets kinda crazy…not saying I am scared, just relating it to what it will feel like in a 22’…Pick your days is probably the best advice people said on here with a 22’. 
Capt. Jim
26’ Ranger CC (Offshore)
Twin 200 Yamis
Just think about how often you plan to fish in less than 2 or 3ft of water and compare it to how often you plan to fish in areas other than creeks, our harbor and rivers can get nasty too sometimes. Then add into the equation the comfort factor for the family, or that may even be first priority, and that should help with your choice of bay vs deep v. Short of flats fishing or low tide in some areas you won’t spend that much time in really shallow water. My last boat would run in about six inches of water with the engine trimmed and I can honestly say I really didn’t use that aspect of it much. The only time I really saw the benefit of it was every once in a while I would cruise right into a creek/river that had a hump at the entrance at low tide while the deep v’s waited for the tide to come in, but it also turned into the nutcracker when hitting chop fast for the guy sitting on the bow seat. When the boats slamming hard and waters spraying in or a wave comes over the bow the family fun aspect dies out a lot. Either way you go or with any boat it is important to learn how to read the forecast, understand what conditions your boat handles well and to pick your days even better. Sometimes a bad a experience can really sour someone on that experience especially if they don’t have a lot of experience with it.
I’d like to say thanks for all the help and inputs! The deep vee is the route we are going to take. We are looking at different manufactures now trying to narrow it down to the one that best suites us. The seahunt 225 ultra, seafox 226 commander, tidewater 222lxf cobia 22 are the ones we are looking at the hardest right now—any inputs? Thanks