Arima boats on Lake O

[fishaddict]

I have been looking to move from my center console boat with 7.6 beam to wider boat with higher gunnels. My search led me to Arima boats They claimed to be very stable in the troll and easy on gas and produced for over 20 years on west cost for the rough waters there. Have you seen or experienced them in action in Ontario waters? They are 17,19 and 22 ft 8 ft beam boats.

Mike

[matt05star]

I have the Sea Chaser 19, and really love it.  I bought it off a fellow LOU member.  Of course, I moved up from an 18 foot Starcraft aluminum.   The fishing room on the boat is impressive.  I think you'd be hard pressed to find many 22 foot boats with more deck space.  If you've done the research, I think you probably know the Sea Rangers in the same size have a little more room in the cuddy, and less aft.  That, and perhaps the Sea Rangers all come in hard top.   Don't know if I'm recalling that all correctly.

It is good on gas, I've got a 130 HP Etec that doesn't use much at all when trolling.  I think it's pretty topped out at around 35 mph with another couple fishermen and gear.

I feel it handles the conditions I'm willing to fish in just fine, but I do feel the boat bobs quite a bit.  Maybe going a little bigger would help. The only other thing I would mention is it seems to ride high to me in the bow.  I'm 6'3" and I almost have trouble getting a good view out the windshield.  Nothing a different chair or additional cushion wouldn't remedy, but I find that kind of odd at my height (maybe I just need to sit up straighter).

 

I believe Iron Duke on this site either owns an Arima, or it may be a buddy's that he fishes out of regularly.  You may want to PM him.

There's a great Arima owner's forum, too.  If you haven't checked that out, and are seriously considering the boat, you should.  Lots of good info on there. Feel free to PM me with any other questions, and good luck.

Oh, where are you in North Jersey?  I'm in Hunterdon. 

[Fishstix]

Ive got a 21ft Sea Ranger with the skip tower. Its my 4th upgrade in boats . Ive owned it probably 10 years or so.It does everything I want in a fishing boat.I had it up on Ontario probably 9 years and it was great in rough water. The way the hull is desighned it clips the top of the waves off and the back of the boat goes thru.It has a low center of gravity . Very stable in rough water it  doesnt rock much. You can reach the water off the sides to wash your hands. Ive got a 115 Yamaha and a 8hp Yamaha kicker. Overall I average 3.5 hours of trolling per gallon.It fishes 4 comfortly. Ive got a tandem axle trailer .. Over the years Ive pulled it with a Honda ridgeline, Ford f150 ,,Im now pulling it with a 4runner . 6cyl. It has a lot of fishing room.You can lock your gear down in the cuddy.

   Im not sure if they make Arimas anymore.I know they were getting pricey.If something happened to my boat I would buy another just like it. I dont have 2ft ides.Any more questions let me know . I fish the finger lakes now. If you want to go some weekend let me know...

Fishstix

[58Johnson]

Arimas are great boats. I have a smaller one. There are tons of plusses. I'll let you in on the secret minuses. You will rarely hear about the minuses because they are so outweighed by the plusses.

 

1) Not self bailing...unless you go with a 22 Sea Legend.

2) Not real fast...Most top out in the 30's. You can put a huge motor on it and it won't go much faster. Its a semi displacement hull.

3) Beats the h*ll out of your back in rough water. It's impractical to go fast in rough water. You must slow down to get an acceptable ride in the slop. It's not a deep V.

4) Older models are a wet ride. A 90's redesign helped a lot.

5) Water magically gets into weird places (motor well cable boots, under the rub rail, and many other crazy places) leading you to search frantically for non existent hull breaches

6) Anchoring is challenging.

7) Can be stern heavy (way more so the smaller you go)

Hard Top is low...5'8" max

9) Cheaper on East Coast, but HARD to find on the East Coast

10) So wide,trailering issues arise. 

11) Challenging to dock in the wind...think controlled crash

12) Maximum size is 22'.

13) Automotive grade wiring from factory.

 

With all that said, if what you are looking for is a fast boat in the chop, move on...if you can stand to slow down and use trim tabs there are very few similar sized boats that are better.

Edited August 21, 2015 by 58Johnson

[DWHJR]

Just a thought. Take a look at the new robalos. Very dry ride. Very high gunnels. Front entry through center console for portapotti. Awesome boat. I have the 180. Rides and looks like a 20 footer.

[fishaddict]

I set my eyes on 16 ft sea explorer in fantastic condition. Do you think it is too small? It is true, they are hard to find on our coast. The beam of 16 is 7.6'' I am from Bergen Co inNJ.

[58Johnson]

The Sea Explorer 16 is a pocket cruiser. Its purpose is to allow you to sleep in the cuddy on a boat that size. The rear deck area (dance floor) area can be greatly affected by the seating arrangement. See the following video for a visual on how seating can effect the amount of room for fishing. The best motor size for that boat is a four stroke 60 or 70hp. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RuXUIjMmk

[fishaddict]

How about sea worthyness of this boat? I know there ate 17 ft arimas on the lake. I need cuddy so my wifie who just started to fish with me can have her private moments. At the same time I do not want to compromise ability to fish/ troll.

[58Johnson]

All Arimas are seaworthy...but on Lake O you might want the 17 or 19 for snotty days. The West Coast guys do use 17s for near shore use all the time but generally move up to 19s 21s and 22s for any significant off shore use.

(Carefully check out the porta potty space in a Sea Explorer vs a 17 Sea Ranger...that alone might influence your decision)

As for your Sea Explorer 16, it will work on Lake Ontario for days with good weather, but it will probably make you decide to stay in port on rougher days.

[trophyquest]

I had a 2000 Sea Ranger 19ft with Skip Tower with Honda 130 and 9.9 kicker for 14 years and it was great fishing platform. Took it out on Ontario each both in spring and late August and it handle most rough stuff fine. Other posters have mentioned pluses and minus and most are right on in my experience. I am 6'2 and the skip tower gave me plenty of headroom but the hardtop does not. It will not be fastest boat but does for fishing/trolling goes plenty fast enough and handles rough stuff. Easy access to rig it out - I had four riggers across back and ran planner board reels off Skip tower to pulleys up front. For all around fishing boat that you are going to trailer, I think its a  solid choice .