I have been looking at the Sportsman Tournament 214 & Masters 207 and the Sea Fox Viper 200 bay boats.
They have similar layouts & the base pricing is within $2k of each other. Was wondering if any of you have experience with any of these. How is the ride, quality, how far out can you take them, ect…
Sportsman, looks like Tailwalker Marine in Georgetwon & Sportsman Choice in Longs SC carries them. Anyone ever used them & could tell me how they are?
Sea Fox, looks like Seafox of Mt Pleasant SC, Palmetto Boat Sales in Charleston SC, Coastline RV & Marine Murrels Inlet, Mnt Top Marine in Lexington SC carries them. Anyone ever used them & could tell me how they are?
I have a 2018 Masters 207. I demo’d that along with the comparable Sea Pro. I think I could have been happy with the SP but it had some things that didn’t match my style of fishing, namely the two live bait wells in the back vs the release wells on the Sportsman. I fish artificials 100% and like to do the occasional tournament, so the live bait wells would have been useless to me.
My ■■■■■■■■ on the Sportsman. I really, really like this boat. I’ve owned a few other boats before so I have comps. The ride is super soft and most importantly super solid. I like the deck layout and the aerated release well. One of the best things is I can fold my entire body into the bilge compartment and I’m 6 ft 180.
If you go with this boat, definitely get the 150, and definitely get the tabs. The boat, being short, needs the tabs but they tabs make it handle chop really well. The other day we were fishing the end of the rocks in 4 foot rollers and the wind went from 0 to 15-20 in 10 min. It got us back no problem, at speed. I posted a video on the FB Sportsman Owners group.
I’ve had it to the Capers Reef and would not hesitate to take it to 60 ft on a good weather window.
DM me if you have more questions I’ll be happy to answer them + or -.
Last thing, I did have some quality control issues out of the plant, and they are now taken care of. Sportsman and Hanckel stood behind me 100%, what more can you ask?
Thanks for the info. I am leaning toward the 214 since it is a little larger, shallower draft, & comes with a 150hp. I didn’t think about trim tabs, glad you mentioned that.
Were the issues you had minor things?
Stay far away from Seafox. Had a buddy whose boat had blistering on the non skid on 3 different occasions, the 3rd time they fixed it he unloaded it. Id also encourage you to get the MAX hp of whatever you end up with, a 150 on a 214 isn’t enough.
Thanks Salty, I will try to find more reviews on them. Doesn’t seem to be a lot of owner reviews that I have found online for any of the boats.
If anyone knows a good source to find customer reviews, pleas let me know.
Now when you say not enough HP just what do you mean, speed, take off, ect…
I don’t fish any tournaments & do not care for running 40 plus MPH all over the place. Most places I fish I do not have long runs to make, but with a bigger boat it would open up new possibilities to going farther. I did have a 18’-6" deeper CC at one time with a 115hp on it & I never typically ran it over 30mph when I did make a long run
I agree with salty. On the horsepower. We’re all looking forward to seeing pictures of the new addition to your family. Couldn’t think of a better way start a new year.
The guys over on TheHullTruth have been arguing over SeaFox boats for a long time. For every one that says he loved the boat, there’s another ready to tear it apart. That would be a great place to find discussion on your options.
Sportsman seems to have a more consistent reputation as a good, solid boat. Prices being comparable, I’d probably go with the Sportsman based on customer ■■■■■■■■ (haven’t owned one firsthand).
But as we all know, there are many more factors to consider. Good luck with your search, definitely looking forward to seeing what you decide on.
I would definitely stay away from the Sea Fox just look at how many are for sale and it seems like they take forever to sell. I had a Sea Hunt 22 ft that I love with a 250 Yamaha it was maxed out on power. It never worked hard and probably got better fuel mileage than a 150 going 30 miles per hour. Quite honestly when I sold the boat that’s the main reason the guy bought it. there was so many on the market with a 150 to make a price point with dealers. A 150 would have been a huge disappointment IMO. Yes they cost more but I got it back on the return. But I do understand at some point you need to stop spending money. Good luck
I am really leaning toward the Sportsman.
The wife on other hand likes the Carolina Skiff Ultra-19 or the 218 DLV and also on the flip side she likes the Bulls Bay 200CC. She likes the 200CC because it is deeper & feels it would be safer for the kids. I agree but just feel the deeper boat would limit some of our current fishing BUT would definitely open up some new water to us.
I am hoping in the next couple months to go take a look at some of them.
Areeldrag it looks like you’re really doing your homework. I have a 22 ft Sea Fox. But it’s a 2007. I got it in 2011. I have never had an issue with the boat. And I have beat the crap out of it. Repowered it about 3 years ago. Fatrat got a new foxfox last year you might want to shoot him a message.
The bulls Bay I think you will lose more than what you gain. if you’re thanking offshore. I wander out 10-15 miles on mine occasionally. You still would have to pick your days on the BB. Carolina skiff not the best ride in the world. But roomy. The big thing access for maintenance. Batteries especially. Is there room for all the batteries if you’re running a trolling motor. 36 volt 112 foot pound trolling motor. I would never go any less. 3 tm batteries.+2 cranking batteries. Powerpoll . access too the pump. Cooler placement usually under the seat but how easy will it be to access. Dry storage compartments on the helm. Easily added. Didn’t mean to ramble but I hope this was some help.
It will definitely come down to me checking out each boat & maybe even getting some test rides, not sure if dealers do that? I have been wanting one for a while & would rather wait then settle for something the family & I will not be happy with. I agree about the BB, it will definitely limit some.
It was great help, you have all been helpful.
The boat show will have some boats to water test, maybe you get lucky and they have some of the ones you want to try. Or maybe make some effort on here and boat life of Charleston and the hull truth to get out on some of those boats with the owners. I’m sure they can’t be any more bias than a salesman.
The max horsepower will pay for itself when you go to sell it. Id also add the keywest bayreef to the short list, they are great boats, locally made, great support, I can go on and on. They ride like a dream in the chop and fish great, its been my favorite boat so far.
Once you are down to two or three boats, the dealers will absolutely allow you to do an on the water test, and I would highly suggest it. I did this with the Sportsman and the Sea Pro. Other things you can do upon request is take a plant tour. Luckily, Sportsman, Scout, Sea Fox, Key West are all made locally. I’d suggest look carefully at how the stringers are made in the construction. The last thing, and not the least, is to consider dealer support. They are your advocate in case of any issues. I’ve personally been very appreciative of Hanckel Marine (Sportsman Dealer).
Last, last thing In my experience, buying a boat was very stressful. Everyone and their second cousin has a horror story about this or that manufacturer and/or dealer. I had so many people saying OMG DONT EVERY BUY A _______!!! You need to look at the facts and filter through all the bullS@#t.
No boat or dealer is perfect, it’s how they handle issues when they happen that matters. My personal experience, is that Sportsman and Hanckel stand by their product 100%. Not saying others don’t I just don’t have personal experience with the others.
I have started looking at The Hull Truth for more reviews, there are a lot on there. I did look at the Key West & still have them on my list but just not at the top. I will give Hanckel Marine a look if I decide on one of the manufacturers they carry, I know you guys speak highly of them. I had planned to try a tour of the plants once I start to visit some of the dealers.
Thanks guys for all the help.
In my experience, buying a boat was very stressful. Everyone and their second cousin has a horror story about this or that manufacturer and/or dealer. I had so many people saying OMG DONT EVERY BUY A _______!!! You need to look at the facts and filter through all the bullS@