Just moved to Charleston and would like to buy a boat for some inshore and creek fishing. Would also like to take friends/family out cruising and maybe skiing/wakeboarding/tubing. This would be my first boat and all of my boating experience is from renting boats here and there on lakes. What type of boat, size, and any make/models would you recommend? Thanks
I have a 2012 198 DLV Carolina Skiff with 115 yamaha, 8ft power pole and 80lb rip tide trolling motor. I absolutely love it. I spend half my time fishing and the other half doing the family thing with wife and two kids. I think for the money it’s the best boat on the market. I can get in creeks with 6 inches of water and fish the near shore reefs most days.
Key West 1720 dual console sounds like a good choice. Plenty of room for 5 and make sure to power it with the 115 HP not the 90 HP. I have the center console version of this boat and love it. http://keywestboats.com/boats/show/id/16
Key West 1720 115 HP Johnson Saltwater.
how much are you looking to spend?
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quote:What kind of hole shot and speed do you get with your boat. It is a good looking boat. Handle semi rough water well?
Originally posted by "Miller Time"I have a 2012 198 DLV Carolina Skiff with 115 yamaha, 8ft power pole and 80lb rip tide trolling motor. I absolutely love it. I spend half my time fishing and the other half doing the family thing with wife and two kids. I think for the money it’s the best boat on the market. I can get in creeks with 6 inches of water and fish the near shore reefs most days.
Key West 1720 115 HP Johnson Saltwater.
quote:
Originally posted by CooperRiverManquote:What kind of hole shot and speed do you get with your boat. It is a good looking boat. Handle semi rough water well?
Originally posted by "Miller Time"I have a 2012 198 DLV Carolina Skiff with 115 yamaha, 8ft power pole and 80lb rip tide trolling motor. I absolutely love it. I spend half my time fishing and the other half doing the family thing with wife and two kids. I think for the money it’s the best boat on the market. I can get in creeks with 6 inches of water and fish the near shore reefs most days.
Key West 1720 115 HP Johnson Saltwater.
They sell the 198 with a 90 but it’s rated for up to a 115 and I recommend the upgrade. It jumps out of the water and will do 38-42mph. With the front V design, the boat cuts thru water nice. You will get a shower in rough water but the boat can handle it.
Our family just upgraded to a 21’ bay boat last year. We use it for everything you described. Ours is a sea pro with a 150 yamaha, but there are a lot of brands out there. We can take 7-8 people comfortably, lots of storage, hit the flats for tailing reds, inshore fish with the family, handles chop very well, and small enough to take out by yourself. Good luck with your search.
www.ChrisWestSellsCharleston.com.
Give me a call if you are looking to buy or sell a home. Always like helping out a fellow fisherman!
Plenty of boat dealers around the area that would let you kick the tires of about every brand made. Endless possibilities and capabilities and compromises. I would not buy a boat with the minimum size motor, minimum capacity and the minimum capability trailer, you will not like the abilities. The worst conditions inshore that I experience is on the harbor area with a stiff breeze with weekend traffic, so I would look for a comfortable ride with at least a 20’ with decent freeboard and seating. Minimize the vinyl and carpet inside because it will mold, stain, fade, etc, unless you can store it in a climate controlled garage.
And I would get a 8 foot length double bow bimini top for the shade. T-tops look cool, but don’t give much shade, they add more weight and you lose parking options due to the height.
This question comes up a lot on this site, and the Key West 1720 is by consensus a great starting boat for Charleston. If you are looking to bring family/friends you might want a little bigger boat, say, a 21 ft bay boat. If you shop around you should be able to find one with the level of cushiness you are comfortable with. Boats are like cars, you got everything from a KIA to a Mercedes in terms of quality in terms of toughness, fit and finish, etc. Lower end would be something like a Sea Fox or Carolina Skiff (probably get hated on for that) and your high end would be Pioneer, Scout for example. There is nothing wrong with the lower end boats, I have a Sea Pro that would be considered on the lower end and my fishing partner has a Sea Fox and both are perfectly adequate for Charleston. We don’t look as cool as some of the others around here but that’s ok with me!
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
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President, Summerville Saltwater Anglers
I’ve been looking at the Nauticstar 210 FA Angler. That seems like the perfect family and fishing boat. Does anybody have any experience with them?
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Originally posted by JiNative888I’ve been looking at the Nauticstar 210 FA Angler. That seems like the perfect family and fishing boat. Does anybody have any experience with them?
I have good experience with NauticStar. My fit and finish is great and it was the best configuration of all the models I looked at. Not as popular around here as a KW or Sea Hunt, so if you need to use a dealer you should research their locations. Closest one I found was in Socastee
2110 NauticStar ShallowBay
150 Yamaha
I bought my sea hunt last year (my first boat) and the one thing that it has that I didn’t really even consider at the time, but realize I couldn’t do without, is the T-Top. Having some reliable shade when you’re out on the water all day is super clutch
Not that that having a T-Top is the most important thing about a boat, but it’s one of those things that, as a first time boat buyer, I didn’t consider and am really glad that I have
207 CC SeaHunt
Yamaha 150
I bought my first boat over the winter, an '06 Sea Hunt 207 CC w/ Yamaha 150. I found it on Craigslist here locally. Do your research on what is out there and what different brands/models/years are selling for. When you find one you’re serious about, have someone knowledgeable give it a thorough look because they will check and find things you never thought about. I had a local mechanic go with me and check out the boat and trailer. Pay them a few hundred bucks for their time and knowledge, it can save you money and headache. Don’t overlook the condition of the trailer, and factor it into the purchase price. Mine has a T-Top and I’m always glad I have it. Extra shade and storage, keeps you dry in light rain, and lots of sturdy places to hold onto. I thought I would spend more time with the entire family, but my wife and daughter have lost interest, so the boys go fishing the majority of the time. Be patient and wait for the one that just feels right, always new ones on the market around here.
Check for any liens or back taxes on the boat or motor here: https://www2.dnr.sc.gov/BoatFacts/BoatFacts/SearchBoatFacts
Thanks for the replies, I will definitely use this info in my hunt on craigslist. I’m looking to spend 8-14k. What are your opinions on 2 vs 4 strokes? I’ve always heard that 4 strokes are more reliable. Should I focus only on boats that have a 4 stroke? Thanks again.
I haven’t noted any better reliability with my 4S than 2S. In fact, I’ve had more carb issues with the 4 strokes. The big advantage for the 4S is less fuel consumption and much quieter. Those features can be really nice in a family boat. The biggest down side to the 4S in some boats is balancing the extra weight and more weight generally means more power is needed to push the boat. I wouldn’t rule out a 2S if it fits the boat better. For instance, I have a lightweight Flats boat with a 90 2-Stroke. While I would prefer a 4S for the reason’s mentioned above, my acceleration would suffer with the heavier motor and it would be stern heavy and draft more water.
The other thing that new boat owners should consider is that in order to keep the price down, dealers often under power new boats which often means slower hole shots, less efficient planing and a tendency to operated all the time at wide open throttle (WOT). For most V bottom boats you’re gonna want something near the max HP rating.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
Whatever you do, don’t get a Johnson/ evinrude. They are complete junk.
Yamaha/Suzuki should be your only considerations.
Trust me, I have a lot of experience with Evinrude, they truly are terrible engines with many flaws.
quote:
Originally posted by clfriedWhatever you do, don’t get a Johnson/ evinrude. They are complete junk.
Yamaha/Suzuki should be your only considerations.
Trust me, I have a lot of experience with Evinrude, they truly are terrible engines with many flaws.
Thanks for the tip.
What do you guys think about DC vs CC?
I’ve seen a couple Sea Pro 170 and 180 DCs, Sea Hunt 175DC, and Sea Hunt 172CC that had Yamaha engines that seem pretty nice on CL. Any opinions on those specific boats?
Really appreciate all the info from you guys. Looking forward to getting a boat and doing some fishing.
If you think you need a 17,go 19 or 20…thats a pro tip.
DC= More protection from weather for passenger and is often set up for operation from a seated position.
CC or SC= More open deck space for fishing.
Fishing is my main priority over comfort. I also stand frequently for better visibility and use my knees as shock absorbers when running, so I have always chosen CC or SC.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
CC with no T-top has more chances of fitting in a garage by removing the windshield and rotating the handrail down (minor modifications in most cases). Dual console is more comfortable for the front seat riders since they have a backrest, the windshield is too large and heavy to remove on a regular basis so you might have clearance issues if storing it in a garage. I prefer CC because it is a good compromise with more fishing abilities but plenty of seating.
Size, like capehorn16 said, go with the bigger option, the ride will be more comfortable, drier, and will have the capacity for family, guests and gear without overloading. (You won’t comfortably like crossing the harbor in a 17’ or 18’ with a 15-20 knot wind and a 2 foot wave chop.)