I'm looking for suggestions for a boat to use for my commute. My
commute could be shortened by going by water to 8 nm, and I think it's
worth considering. I would be going from Portuguese Cove to Halifax,
for anyone that's familiar with the area or would like to look it
up...

For it to work out, the boat would need to be economical to run - the
8nm run by water shouldn't cost too much more than the current 17 nm
drive on land - able to run at at least 16 knots in slighly choppy
conditions, and relatively seaworthy. It will also need navigation
lights, and the ability to put some sort of windshield in place will
be appreciated when it gets cold.

I've been looking into RIBs in the 14-16' range, and they seem to meet
the criteria, although they're very expensive to purchase initially,
and I have questions about the longevity of the tubes relative to an
aluminum or fiberlass only boat, but they're a possibility.

Any other thoughts? Are fiberglass "speedboats" out of the question
because of seaworthiness? I've been a sailor all my life, so motorboat
seaworthiness is not something I have ingrained into me.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Chris