There will come a day when 15 miles out in a 17 ft boat will be 14
miles too far.

Agreed, sort of.....I routinely take my ProLine 17 25 - 30 miles out from
Saint Simons Island, GA. I have gone as far as 40 out to reach a particular
reef. For us, the "stream" is about a 70 mile haul and much of the bottom is
featureless sand. Sometimes you gotta go a long way to get to structure or a
reef. Much depends on the wind, the weather, the sea conditions, the number
of other craft in the area, and the skills of the "captain". Many times, the
sea conditions outside are far preferable, and safer, to the sound or
nearshore.

James Sloan
Saint Simons Island, GA