Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for
handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer, and in
a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability.

The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the design
characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable boats
for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size wise
you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport fishing
conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other brands
would be worthy of investigation and consideration.

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for
handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer,
and in
a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability.

The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the
design
characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable
boats
for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size
wise
you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport
fishing
conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other
brands
would be worthy of investigation and consideration.



Check with the people on the All Coast Board. They fish and boat the area.
One of the guys has a 24' Sportcraft for sale. Never ridden on one, but do
like the lines.
http://www.allcoastsportfishing.com/...&conf=mainconf
Bill

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for
handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer,
and in
a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability.

The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the
design
characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable
boats
for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size
wise
you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport
fishing
conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other
brands
would be worthy of investigation and consideration.



C-Dory is a nice boat but not offshore. The bottom is too flat causing a
rough ride and instability with a following sea. Been there, done that!
Gordon

C-Dory is a nice boat but not offshore. The bottom is too flat causing a
rough ride and instability with a following sea. Been there, done that!
Gordon



I'm doing a boat review on a 25' C-Dory next Monday. (Wanted to get something
done about a vessel suitable for blackmouth fishing, since in the magazine biz
it's already December). This will be my first experience actually underway on
one of these, although I did an article on the factory about two years ago.. It
seems we agree that they are "nice boats", hopefully there will be enough snot
to plow through next week that I'll be able to either agree or disagree with
your handling assessment. :-)

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
C-Dory is a nice boat but not offshore. The bottom is too flat causing
a
rough ride and instability with a following sea. Been there, done that!
Gordon



I'm doing a boat review on a 25' C-Dory next Monday. (Wanted to get
something
done about a vessel suitable for blackmouth fishing, since in the magazine
biz
it's already December). This will be my first experience actually underway
on
one of these, although I did an article on the factory about two years
ago.. It
seems we agree that they are "nice boats", hopefully there will be enough
snot
to plow through next week that I'll be able to either agree or disagree
with
your handling assessment. :-)



Mine was a 22 footer. Is the 25 the cat? Or do they something new? The
deadrise on the old 22 foot was shallow and the bottom was completely flat
on the pre 1986 ers. After all they are dories!
Also you mentioned offshore. I don't think you'll get into 7 foot swells
with 3 foot chop in Puget Sound as you commonly will going to and from
Swiftsure Bank out of Neah Bay in May.
Gordon

Also you mentioned offshore. I don't think you'll get into 7 foot swells
with 3 foot chop in Puget Sound as you commonly will going to and from
Swiftsure Bank out of Neah Bay in May.
Gordon

With any luck, we'll see the 2-3 foot chop. Swells aren't so bad- just up the
hill and down again. :-)

Personally, I think that a 28 foot stern drive, single motor boat is the
toughest "to control" boat out there. Anything larger, you'd almost have to
go with twin screws. Anything smaller, you could "man handle" your way
through some mistakes with the help of 2 deck mates. Just thinking about
backing into a tight slip on a windy fall day on a 28' single screw makes me
wince . . .

J


10/21/03 5:55 PM

Don't be afraid of a 28-footer as a"first boat." The learning curve for
handling a 28 footer isn't really any longer than for a 21 or 22 footer, and
in
a lot of ways the greater mass of a larger boat helps promote stability.

The brand name of the boat you select will be less important than the design
characteristics. Bayliner probably builds both suitable and unsuitable boats
for your purpose....but if you're going to be somewhere under 30-feet size
wise
you might want to consider boats that are designed for offshore sport fishing
conditions. In the NW, boats like C-Dory, Skagit Orca and a few other brands
would be worthy of investigation and consideration.

Personally, I think that a 28 foot stern drive, single motor boat is the
toughest "to control" boat out there. Anything larger, you'd almost have to
go with twin screws. Anything smaller, you could "man handle" your way
through some mistakes with the help of 2 deck mates. Just thinking about
backing into a tight slip on a windy fall day on a 28' single screw makes me
wince . .

It's easy to see why you would be wincing.

I wouldn't "back" my 36-foot, single screw boat into a tight slip on a windy
day. Not without using a spring line. Unless there's some reason to be stern-to
at the central float, more single screw boaters approach the dock like most
sailors, bow first. A head-in docking is easily accomplished with a single
screw boat in any type of conditions one would ever consider venturing out in.
(Personal worst conditions
I have ever docked my single screw, non-bowthruster, vessel? Over 40-knots
sustained with gusts over 50. It wasn't pretty, but we made it work.)

When conditions are fairly benign, it's easy to back into a slip with a single.
If your two deck mates can't fend off a 28-footer, there is no reason to expect
a magical difference with a 23 or 24-footer.
Unless there's a *major* screwup underway, one person is usually enough to make
minor manual adjustments on vessels of 35-40 feet.

With a single screw boat, you *must* take
the natural environment into account. Wind and current conditions will have a
huge effect on docking, as does what I call the "inside/outside" factor.

If the wind or current is up, my experience
says that the best approach is upwind, or upstream. You can bring out a few
more horses to make headway, but once you're "sailing" downwind or downstream
you are fairly well out of control.

The inside/outside factor: There seems to be a correlation between tight berths
and small fairways. Where you find one, you often encounter the other. When
making a turn from the fairway into a slip, try to approach from the angle that
will allow the side of the boat that needs to be next to the finger float to be
on the "outside" edge of the turn. IOW, turn to starboard to put the port side
against the pier, and turn to port to dock the starboard side. You want to have
fits? Just try to dock the "inside" edge. It can be done, but it's about three
times as difficult and why mess with it?

Then again there are times when the inside/outside factor and the wind or
current are contradictory. But not all that often...and if the wind or current
is extreme
that is the dominant variable IMO.

(I've pulled into guest moorage at marinas
and had twin screw boaters ask, "Why did you go past the slip and then do a 180
in the fairway and come at it from the other
side?" .....If you can solve the problem with
horsepower you don't learn to solve it with
strategy.)

The major difference between handling a single screw and twin screws is that
with a single you must plan a little more carefully and "think" your way to the
dock before you make your approach. Twin screws, you just sort of drive like a
bulldozer. :-)