On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 16:49:49 -0500, Joe wrote:
On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 16:25:31 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 15:00:05 GMT, wrote:
I'm looking at my first non-sail boat purchase. What seems to be most
likely is a 16 or 17' Cape Craft with a 50/90 hp Yamaha respectively.
Can anyone possibly offer any insight, feedback on this please?
Thanks in advance. Don
I assume that we're talking about this boat:
http://capecraftfishingboats.com/cc_...cfm?Model=17CC
~~ snippage ~~
Actually, the boat YOU are describing is this one:
http://capecraftfishingboats.com/cc_...fm?Model=17BAY
Capecraft makes 2 lines of center console boats.
One is the CC line which have deep vees (check the deadrise figures)
for rough conditions.
The other is the BAY line which are shallow draft boats designed for
the calmer type fishing areas as you describe.
My point was, and still is, that on a 17 foot boat, even with 18
degrees of deadrise, it's still a bay boat. If you compare the
interiors of each, notice that they are almost identical with minor
differences in the tub and gunnel width. The other specs are
virtually identical. And probably marketing specs to differentiate
the two. :)
I was replacing a 21' I/O runabout with a 20 degree deadrise that I
have had for about 9 years and spent a LOT of time crusing the bay in
that boat and was always impressed with how well it handled the rough
bay and how safe I felt in it.
Nothing is more scarey than getting caught in a storm on the
chesapake with 6-8 foot seas and the best you can do is ride it out
by keeping the bow into the wind/waves.
So when I decided I wanted a low maintenance boat , I turned to the
Center Console boats with Outboards and wanted to find one that was
up to the task of the 21' bow rider I was replacing.
I spent a lot of time researching and water testing boats this fall
in the Chesapeak Bay which gave me a chance to see how several Center
Console boats with a deep V handled the rough water.
My budget was to keep the boat under $27,000 so I had no problem with
choices to try and I watyer tested 5 boats.
Long story short, I decided on the Cape Craft 20CC with a Yamaha four
stroke 150 hp outboard
Very nice. And that's not a bay boat. :) Although I would have gone
with a little more horsepower.
Granted, it is bigger than the 17CC that the poster asked about but I
had to speak up to correct a few comments you made.
I already mentioned the 2 lines of boats but still I would not be
comfortable in the bay in a 17 footer - deep V or not. Step up just a
few feet and the boat gets a LOT bigger in all dimensions.
Which was my point to begin with.
As far as your comments about Yamaha, I disagree (at least in my area
- Annapolis). Most of the newer outboard boats that you see around
here have Yamaha or Honda 4 strokes and getting parts/service is a
non-issue. We both know that parts and service are as important as
the boat you buy and I researched that as well.
Good luck with that. I can introduce you to three Yamaha owners, one
a four stroke owner as it happens, who have been waiting for parts for
over two months - one for over ninety days.
You notice how the Cape Craft website shows Merc's on the back?
The 2 Cape Craft dealers that I visited have them all outfitted with
Yamaha or Honda's because the dealer's told me that is what folks
want.
Look, if you want to take one thing away with you from this discussion
it's this. Yamaha and Suzuki have been dumping their products for the
past two or three years. Mercury and Bombardier are in the process of
initiating a trade complaint about product dumping and I believe that
Mercury has won an important initial legal ruling on the subject. The
reason you are seeing all these Yamaha's are that they are cheaper to
purchase than Merc and the profit margin is slightly higher. It has
nothing to do with customer's wanting Yamahas. Or maybe it might, but
it's not because of anything more than price. That and the factory
gets a healthy cut to pre-rig the boats that way. Even Ranger isn't
immune to this and they are probably one domestic producer who is
Mercury centric (if that makes any sense).
With Hondas it's all in the name. And this is a motor that I would be
scared of personally. I have this on second hand information, but
apparently their service manuals are horrific and they don't have
factory service training as such their reasoning being that Hondas
don't break down. As I said, that's second hand, but it's from
somebody I trust. I could be wrong.
Not trying to start an argument but just wanted to point out the 2
different lines of Cape Craft boats and give a differing opinion in
the Outboard.
Fair enough. Just remember that we were talking about a 17 foot boat
versus a 20/21 foot boat.
BIG difference. :)
Enjoy your new boat.
Live long and prosper,
Tom