Sunday office day has me dreaming of my future retirement.
As a disclaimer I currently have no intentions of buying an offshore boat just looking at boats on the internet. I have fished a quite a bit offshore, not an expert by any stretch but enjoy it. I have a good amount of time offshore on 25 Wellcraft WA, 27 aluminum cat, 31 bertram & 31 contender.
My question is why isn’t something like a Parker 28, Steiger Craft 28 miami or even a 27 scout dorado a popular option for around here. I would think with the long ride out sitting down would be a nice even perhaps napping in the cabin. Getting soaked from spray would be minimized, hiding from the rain and fishing in winter wind chill.
I see the drawback of not being able to fish the bow but how often does one do that and now with the forward seating on a lot of CC is it really that functional. The helm towards the stern would give a better ride in the CC which I could see as a huge plus.
I can understand that a tournament or charter guy wants plenty of room for people and mobility. As a part time fisherman and full time family guy I could see more benefits to having someplace to shove the kids when they are “over it” and a place for wife to lay in the sun out of the way.
So the question is more geared towards the family offshore boater what made you buy a CC?
You are asking multiple questions but to answer the first question "why are cc’s popular? Also why are they more popular than the boats you mentioned?: Multiple reasons but, Two of the three you listed are heavy and slow with a forward cockpit all of which are not conducive to our long runs or natural sea state. Also, its nice to be in the breeze when its hot as blazes out there. The scout dorado is a dual console and not quite as fishable as a center console of equal size.
All boats are a compromise, so if you want to compromise speed and fishability for creature comforts, go for it. Absolutely get the boat for you. Just know that i see alot of fishermen sometimes get a more family oriented boat thinking it will convince their wife to come out more often. Alot of the time, that doesnt quite work as planned and you find yoursef limited by the fishability or speed of your vessel and you wouldnt have had those limitations if you had bought a boat more oriented to fishing. Ultimately, you know whats best though, so buy whatever floats your boat and doesnt sink your budget
and it was amazing to me. I wished I had a hardtop on it but the open cockpit was killer for trolling and chilling. It was definitely a family/friends friendly boat as well. It wasn’t as “fishable” as a cc, because you couldn’t chase a fish around the front of the boat easily, but man it was a killer ride and way more fun to be hanging out in while trolling along. You don’t have to hold onto a T top and scoot around the leaning post, live wells, etc, etc that’s sticking up out of the middle of the boat. It’s like having a living room to fish out of.
I had lots of upgrades. I hope it is being fished these days.
CC’s are the most versatile. That cockpit gets really small the further you go out. Space is a premium and when you have several guys on the boat, sometimes you like to spread out. Also, there are a lot of things you can do on the front of the boat like bottom fishing, fighting a large fish, relaxing on a bean bag, throwing a cast net, dropping an anchor, etc. When you travel out with multiple coolers, bait, bean bags, nets, gaffs, tackle bags, etc, you need as much space as you can get to move things around during the day.
Fishing out of Charleston my experience is very little couple trips on the Thunder Star when she was around and some offshore charters. Never once have I been out in anything under 3 foot seas. So I understand that having a boat with a better ride would be at the top end of the list.
That is why I threw the Scout up there same hull one layout a CC and the other a DC. So similar ride, similar storage and access to the bow.
I guess I’m just looking at it as I’ve always owned a pick up truck I buy my mulch in bulk once a year and 2 or 3 times a year I put a dead deer in the back of it… Every day of the year it has car seats in it and I always put stuff in the bed I don’t want to.
Is there a family friendly boat that fishes out of Charleston well?
Getting the wife to go fishing isn’t a problem. Her first offshore trip ever she hooked up with a 400lb marlin that she fought in the rain for an hour fifteen till it popped off.
I don’t want a fishing boat with seats up front. ( We run a 31 Contender)
Can you bail dolphin, bottom fish, and chase fish from a cabin boat? Absolutely!
Can you do it with less headache from a CC? More than likely.
We have one kid who has been fishing with us since he was 4yrs old. If he got tired, we put him up front on a bean bag under a draped towel for sun protection. This kid is also a boss, he has been involved in catching more fish than most people and he is only 9. He is finally able to hold the rod and fight groupers without using the rod holder.
Most of the time, unless you have a big boat with AC, those cabins will not be comfortable in the summer.
No boat is perfect for everything. I personally would rather have a fishing boat that you can use to cruise, than have a cruising boat that you want to fish with.
They make different options for different people with different priorities.
One day, when I retire in 70 years, I will get an old lobster boat, cruise out at 10kts, fish for a few days, and cruise in at 10kts.
Until that day, I’ll be dreaming about a 34/37/42 Freeman.
I was a center console man. They are a lot easier to drive.
We go offshore year round and I think my center cabin is a much better fit.
It is much easier to run around a center console, but you can’t beat my shade and windshield.
During the winter months I still have feeling in my fingers when I get to the fishing hole, and during the summer I don’t get burnt much.
Then again, all the cool kids are driving center consoles…
Tabs down, 21.3 knts, glass up, 5x6 seas, open Styrofoam cups celebrating a great day fishing with friends for about 32 miles… Didn’t spill a drop of drink nor get wet! All boats have advantages and disadvantages, pick what is important. I chose comfort and efficiency over speed and “deck usefulness”.
-Albemarle 248xf “Chella”
-Dolphin 18BC Pro
-Miscellaneous boats
“Everybody dances when shotgun sings” Stewart and Winfield
My cabin boat was miserable in the summer until I installed A/C. Like the old story goes the bigger the boat the more junk you carry. After my open heart surgarys and pace maker I need more rest time an it is nice to lay down in A/C. I still have my cc that is easeir to trail long distances when we go to the gulf. The Bertram has a 11’ beam.and weighs over 10’000#
I’m not trying to hijack the thread or anything but my wife and I have had this same discussion for over a year now. We will be in the market in a few months and I have been eyeing the NauticStar 211 Angler. Below is a link to their website. You probably don’t want to take this offshore but it would make a great inshore/jetties fishing machine but also comfortable enough to take the family on. Does anyone have any experience with these boats? They seem pretty rare around here.
JINative, I just took a look at your link, the first thing to catch my eye was the 12 degree deadrise at the transom. That is not much better than a jon boat and would be be very rough riding in the chop. Around here, most center console owners want 20 and up.
I’m not trying to hijack the thread or anything but my wife and I have had this same discussion for over a year now. We will be in the market in a few months and I have been eyeing the NauticStar 211 Angler. Below is a link to their website. You probably don’t want to take this offshore but it would make a great inshore/jetties fishing machine but also comfortable enough to take the family on. Does anyone have any experience with these boats? They seem pretty rare around here.
I have the Nautic Star 2102 Legacy. My wife and I went back and forth on what we wanted in a boat. I was all about fishing and she wanted something to both fish and cruise around in comfort. This boat fits both of those needs. We have been very happy with the boat so far. It has a deeper hull than the angler and rides very well in the chop.
Buy what you can afford. I have a 44’ Davis express boat. I will take 20 more minutes of ride for the AC and comfort. We have a Captain, but run it ourselves often. It’s nice to be able to take turns on the ride in or out. I have done the CC thing as well. Probably caught more fish off my 28 foot Scout than any other boat.
Advantages and disadvantages to both…go with what fits you. If you are trailering the boat 100% of the time, a CC is not a bad option. Limited locakable storage though makes things difficult if you keep the boat in the water for any period of time. The 32’ Intrepid I run most of the time is being sold in a few months, as we have this being delivered in late July. Big cockpit, tons of lockable storage, heated/cooled cabin and cockpit, small tower, and lots of other functionality in a relatively small package drove the change. We’ve even added a Seakeeper 3 gyro in the bilge. We’re giving up easy trailerability, a bit of top-end speed, a bit of fuel economy, and ease of maintenance in exchange for the ride and comfort.
