Hi there
New to the group so let's see how I do.

I am the proud owner of a new 225hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard (long
story) and am now researching the choices for boat to go with it. I
live in Mobile, AL and will use the boat for river and bay boating
with the occasional fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico, but probably
not WWOT.

I had a 1988 Grady White 20' but the transom rotted out on it (go
figure) I was happy with that boat but it was very rough riding in
anything more than a light chop.

I am looking at a Sailfish 218. Nice looking boat with lots of
pluses. Anyone have any experience with this boat or recommendations
on other choices.

Thx!

22' Boston Whaler Outrage...if you can find a hull in nice shape from the
early to mid 90's. For new boats, you might want to check out Pathfinder or
Edgewater.


wrote in message
...
Hi there
New to the group so let's see how I do.

I am the proud owner of a new 225hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard (long
story) and am now researching the choices for boat to go with it. I
live in Mobile, AL and will use the boat for river and bay boating
with the occasional fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico, but probably
not WWOT.

I had a 1988 Grady White 20' but the transom rotted out on it (go
figure) I was happy with that boat but it was very rough riding in
anything more than a light chop.

I am looking at a Sailfish 218. Nice looking boat with lots of
pluses. Anyone have any experience with this boat or recommendations
on other choices.

Thx!

Thanks for the reply. Whalers are expensive, what in your opinion
makes them worth the $$?

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 14:42:22 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

22' Boston Whaler Outrage...if you can find a hull in nice shape from the
early to mid 90's. For new boats, you might want to check out Pathfinder or
Edgewater.


wrote in message
.. .
Hi there
New to the group so let's see how I do.

I am the proud owner of a new 225hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard (long
story) and am now researching the choices for boat to go with it. I
live in Mobile, AL and will use the boat for river and bay boating
with the occasional fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico, but probably
not WWOT.

I had a 1988 Grady White 20' but the transom rotted out on it (go
figure) I was happy with that boat but it was very rough riding in
anything more than a light chop.

I am looking at a Sailfish 218. Nice looking boat with lots of
pluses. Anyone have any experience with this boat or recommendations
on other choices.

Thx!

Have you checked out Pro-Line?

I haven't been out in one yet, but the stock at a newly appointed local dealer
appears to have some promising design features.

"Dan Millard" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the reply. Whalers are expensive, what in your opinion
makes them worth the $$?

Most of the Whaler's ever built are still afloat today. I like them for
several reasons, but the number one reason is that they're "unsinkable".
You've probably seen ads where a 16' boat is cut in half and a guy is
driving around in the back half? A whaler has "two" hulls...an outer
fiberglass layer, several inches of foam, and then an inner fiberglass
layer...which makes them pretty darn tough boats without the need for a
stringer system. There are stories of 1 foot holes smashed through the
bottom of the hull from hitting a floating piece of debris, and the Whaler
made it home with the engine above the waterline.


They're also extremely seaworthy and stable boats, capable of handling much
heavier seas than most boats their size.

The only thing to watch out for if buying a used Whaler is any signs of
water intrusion into the foam core. Whaler uses a closed-cell foam, which
means it doesn't trap water. However, water still can work its way into the
laminate and cause a fiberglass/foam delamination over time. If there are
any unsealed holes (from old screws, etc.) below the water line or in the
bilge, or any soft spots in the hull, look elsewhere.

BTW--I'm partial to the older classic Whaler Outrages(prior to
'94/95)...which are the ones designed by Bob Dougherty (the founder of
Edgewater boats). The Outrage has a deeper hull than the other whalers, so
the ride is pretty good. A 22' Outrage with that 225 Suzuki should go 50+
mph.

Here's a link for all the info you ever wanted to know about the hisotry of
Whalers:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/ref...ry/whaler.html

Thanks for the detailed reply. Very helpful indeed. I will check out
the new and used Whalers in the area.

Dan

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 16:12:14 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


"Dan Millard" wrote in message
.. .
Thanks for the reply. Whalers are expensive, what in your opinion
makes them worth the $$?

Most of the Whaler's ever built are still afloat today. I like them for
several reasons, but the number one reason is that they're "unsinkable".
You've probably seen ads where a 16' boat is cut in half and a guy is
driving around in the back half? A whaler has "two" hulls...an outer
fiberglass layer, several inches of foam, and then an inner fiberglass
layer...which makes them pretty darn tough boats without the need for a
stringer system. There are stories of 1 foot holes smashed through the
bottom of the hull from hitting a floating piece of debris, and the Whaler
made it home with the engine above the waterline.


They're also extremely seaworthy and stable boats, capable of handling much
heavier seas than most boats their size.

The only thing to watch out for if buying a used Whaler is any signs of
water intrusion into the foam core. Whaler uses a closed-cell foam, which
means it doesn't trap water. However, water still can work its way into the
laminate and cause a fiberglass/foam delamination over time. If there are
any unsealed holes (from old screws, etc.) below the water line or in the
bilge, or any soft spots in the hull, look elsewhere.

BTW--I'm partial to the older classic Whaler Outrages(prior to
'94/95)...which are the ones designed by Bob Dougherty (the founder of
Edgewater boats). The Outrage has a deeper hull than the other whalers, so
the ride is pretty good. A 22' Outrage with that 225 Suzuki should go 50+
mph.

Here's a link for all the info you ever wanted to know about the hisotry of
Whalers:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/ref...ry/whaler.html

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 14:28:57 GMT, wrote:

Hi there
New to the group so let's see how I do.

I am the proud owner of a new 225hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard (long
story) and am now researching the choices for boat to go with it. I
live in Mobile, AL and will use the boat for river and bay boating
with the occasional fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico, but probably
not WWOT.

I had a 1988 Grady White 20' but the transom rotted out on it (go
figure) I was happy with that boat but it was very rough riding in
anything more than a light chop.

I am looking at a Sailfish 218. Nice looking boat with lots of
pluses. Anyone have any experience with this boat or recommendations
on other choices.

Thx!

I love my Proline 21'er. I think they're a little cheaper than the Grady's.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

Thanks John HOw does she ride in chop? Nice and dry?

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 11:57:35 -0400, John H
wrote:

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 14:28:57 GMT, wrote:

Hi there
New to the group so let's see how I do.

I am the proud owner of a new 225hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard (long
story) and am now researching the choices for boat to go with it. I
live in Mobile, AL and will use the boat for river and bay boating
with the occasional fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico, but probably
not WWOT.

I had a 1988 Grady White 20' but the transom rotted out on it (go
figure) I was happy with that boat but it was very rough riding in
anything more than a light chop.

I am looking at a Sailfish 218. Nice looking boat with lots of
pluses. Anyone have any experience with this boat or recommendations
on other choices.

Thx!

I love my Proline 21'er. I think they're a little cheaper than the Grady's.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 16:00:07 GMT, Dan Millard wrote:

Thanks John HOw does she ride in chop? Nice and dry?

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 11:57:35 -0400, John H
wrote:

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 14:28:57 GMT, wrote:

Hi there
New to the group so let's see how I do.

I am the proud owner of a new 225hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard (long
story) and am now researching the choices for boat to go with it. I
live in Mobile, AL and will use the boat for river and bay boating
with the occasional fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico, but probably
not WWOT.

I had a 1988 Grady White 20' but the transom rotted out on it (go
figure) I was happy with that boat but it was very rough riding in
anything more than a light chop.

I am looking at a Sailfish 218. Nice looking boat with lots of
pluses. Anyone have any experience with this boat or recommendations
on other choices.

Thx!

I love my Proline 21'er. I think they're a little cheaper than the Grady's.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

It depends on the chop. I'm sure it's not as comfortable as a Grady, 'cause its
on as heavy. If the bay is 2-3 feet, I'll not be planing against the wind,
although with the wind may be OK.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

"John H" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 16:00:07 GMT, Dan Millard wrote:

Thanks John HOw does she ride in chop? Nice and dry?

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 11:57:35 -0400, John H
wrote:

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 14:28:57 GMT, wrote:

Hi there
New to the group so let's see how I do.

I am the proud owner of a new 225hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard (long
story) and am now researching the choices for boat to go with it. I
live in Mobile, AL and will use the boat for river and bay boating
with the occasional fishing trip to the Gulf of Mexico, but probably
not WWOT.

I had a 1988 Grady White 20' but the transom rotted out on it (go
figure) I was happy with that boat but it was very rough riding in
anything more than a light chop.

I am looking at a Sailfish 218. Nice looking boat with lots of
pluses. Anyone have any experience with this boat or recommendations
on other choices.

Thx!

I love my Proline 21'er. I think they're a little cheaper than the
Grady's.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

It depends on the chop. I'm sure it's not as comfortable as a Grady,
'cause its
on as heavy.

When talking about ride comfort, hull design matters a lot more than weight.
I had a 23' Grady and it rode terrible. It was much too wide for it's
length...and had touble staying on plane below 19-20mph. I can ride on
plane at 15-16mph in my 25' Whaler...and around 13 mph in my 17' Whaler.
The 25 has a greater than 3:1 length to beam ratio...which plays a large
role in how a boat rides.

Generally speaking, however:
1) a heavier boat rides better than a lighter boat
2) a narrower boat rides smoother than a wider boat
3) greater deadrise at the transom means a smoother ride

You can always find exceptions, but the aforementioned guidelines usually
suffice.

If the lighter boat has greater deadrise than the heavier boat, and both
boats are travelling at an adequate speed to launch the boat clear of the
water when coming off a wave, then the lighter boat will ride better. When
you're talking about boats in the 17-23 foot range that are travelling 18+
mph in a 2-3 foot chop, they spend a lot of time airborne...and the transom
deadrise is very important for a smooth ride. Contender boats are a very
good example.