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Big Boat

Mikecatt14

Mikecatt14
in This Old Boat

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skipper19

skipper19

Posted
Posted

When it comes to fishing on more than 3 footers, size has really no bearing on the capability of the vessel to comfortably troll on Lake Ontario. Weight is the only counter to what lake O can dish out. Some boats are over 30 feet and only 10,000 lbs. A predictable wave set where all the waves are the same and moving one direction is one thing, but the cross chop that can happen some days will make almost any vessel a challenge to handle and uncomfortable, including the frustrations mentioned included in another post, of false releases, and crab walking tackle. Sure, if you can afford a vessel over 30000 lbs. Then you have something that truly would be a steady performer. Your not gonna trailer that, and the cost of mooring /storing, and .5mpg fuel consumption, is not worth 15 or 20 days on the water.
Then there are the bluebird days that you wonder why you have such a heavy boat. You will wish you had the Ranger. So in the end if it were me, and a 4 hour drive, and you want a second boat anyway, go with a large Lake O dedicated, outboard powered, 102 inch fiberglass hull. Have a nice aluminum trailer like ameritrail makes, with real tires, and brakes to do the transport. Your F 350 will pull any boat that is outboard powered. Single wheel is fine, the truck is not carrying the weight, it will be towing it, so that's the reason you need a quality trailer with E load range, 16 inch tires and axle brakes.
Many boats of any style are 6000 to 12000 lbs, and are road legal for towing. There are many boats in auction that need some TLC and a little repair if your handy and don't mind a challenge you can pick them up for peanuts. There's a good example of a heavy outboard boat on an auction site right now that is in need of fiberglass work on the hull and rubrail from a collision. If I had the time it would be mine, and I'd find a good trailer for it. It's a early 2001 Fountain center console forward cuddy that is 34 feet and powered by twin 300 mercs. Nice trailerable, big footprint, and fast in rough water.
Still, when you are going 2.5 mph in over 3 footers, it's gonna rock and roll cause it's only about 8000 lbs not 30,000. You will have room for friends though, and you can keep it at home for the maintenance you can do to keep it in top condition. Leaving it 4 hours away will mean more of your time on vacation working on it, or having someone do it for you at a cost.
You have the truck, and it's diesel, I would use it to the max!
Capt. Carl has the right track, and he also has a very nice center console he rescued, and put elbow grease on her and a new pair of outboards to make it reliable. Some old boats just need a little love to make them cool!


Money doesn't buy happiness,
but it does buy horsepower....
I've never seen a sad person in a boat haulin' A$$...!

Captain Carl Bish

Captain Carl Bish

Posted
Posted (edited)

20160821_144126.jpg

At 4000# and a Loa of 29' this thing trailers great, scoots on the water, but like Skip says, will bounce you around on a cross chop. Running 25 in 4' seas would not be advised with LO water temps as nothing comes home dry. There was one of these hulls in dual console for $1000 Some guy in Fredonia, N.Y. was selling...with a convertible top would make a nice Lake boat.

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Edited by Captain Carl Bish
Little Crappie

Little Crappie

Posted
Posted

I just have to say that last year i picked up a 2002 22ft proline walk with a 200hp merc at roughly 3500lbs give or take (no wood), and I could fish just about most days and I fished a lot (Retired Army). There was a couple days I was out and a limited amount of larger boats out there were doing their thing and I just wasn't able to hang, but for the most part been extremely happy with the boat. Used to be a die-hard aluminum guy... still love aluminum but fiberglass allowed me to fish conditions my 22ft Starcraft islander just couldn't handle. 

Gator

Gator

Posted
Posted (edited)

I can't imagine trailering 5 hrs each way on weekends to fish, particularly now with kids. Even as a young sport I would have had trouble. And if you leave the boat up here it's awful tough to work on it when the inevitable happens. I respect the desire to own a big boat. Logistically, though it seems to make sense  as Carl said to charter, particularly on those occasions when you have 4-5 guys to share the cost. You've got to ask yourself where you're going to be in five or ten years and whether a big boat will still be getting used. My buddy and I bought a 24' Wellcraft with a 200 hp Yamaha4S together 12 years ago. The last couple of years it's been late July before he fished on it, and it's in the water twenty minutes from his house. Have kids reprioritizes your life. Don't get me wrong, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But things change, and 5 hours is a long trip.

 

If you decide to take the plunge, I'll echo the folks above who recommend a mid-size outboard. Our boat has an 8' 6" beam, fishes four, easily trailers, launches and loads, and handles more than I can from L.O. We dock it, and it's great to just step on the boat and roll. It'd be nice to have a wide open dance platform in the back, but not justifiable. Just my 2 cents.

Edited by Gator
Silver Fox

Silver Fox

Posted
Posted
I really don't think most ppl speak of wave heights honestly.
Or they just guess which in most cases they are way off.

When I hear guys say 4 or 5 footers most likely its a true 2 footer.

4 footers are huge when it comes to fishing on lake o.

In my previous 31 tiara we would fish up to 4 footers max even in a following sea.
You can't control your speed. Your spread is crabbing all over the place.
Rods are false releasing
And then when you want to run in you take a beating regardless of boat make or models.

I wouldn't fish 4 plus footers in a 31' or a 24'

The only difference between the two boats is one is larger and can be more comfortable to fish on and sleep on with company.

After owning several boats and looking at dozens I wouldn't buy any other brand than S2 yatchs
Tiara, pursuit all the way.

Well built and affordable boats

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I have to laugh every time someone tells me of the fishing they did in 8-10 footers. They wouldn't be out there. The waves are always 2 times bigger to fishermen. Another case of the Lake Ontario I'm "macho" factor.

Lake Ontario salmon fishing charters

jimski2

jimski2

Posted
Posted

A big deal in towing a boat is trailer brakes. Ohio will cite you for not having electric brakes. Air brakes are a lot more efficient and you need a tractor for them.

Inboard gasoline engines are history now for new boats. My ocean boats now have multiple outboards such as five three hundred HP set ups.

phil2

phil2

Posted
Posted

I'm in your boat lol. I was looking for a walleye boat and sell the bass boat but when you look at demo 621 I'm up in the 50k plus then you have to set it up for salmon, another couple grand. I can get into a loaded lake boat for 10 to 15 k. I would still have have the ranger for bass tournaments, chasing stripers, and Lakers on lake George. Then on good weekends I can run to the big lake.

Salmon_Seeker

Salmon_Seeker

Posted
Posted

Not sure if soneone else has already mentioned it but have a look at a hardtop walk around style boat. There are various manufacturers Striper, wellcraft, proline, Boston whaler and Grady white to name a few. You can get a 21-23' that's easy to trailer and fine to handle on your own with a 8'6" beam that will handle almost anything you throw at it. I'm running an inboard but given the chance I'd go with and outboard next time round for serviceability. Should also fit your budget no problem and there are quite a few now that are from fresh water only. I upgraded from my old 17' starcraft and haven't looked back, good luck with your search.

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skipper19

skipper19

Posted
Posted
Chartering would never do it for me. That's somebody else fishing and you winding up the string.

That's exactly what a charter captain or hard working mate would say....

Money doesn't buy happiness,
but it does buy horsepower....
I've never seen a sad person in a boat haulin' A$$...!

skipper19

skipper19

Posted
Posted
The question I have always had is" how is a wave measured"

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Lowest level of the trough or valley between waves to the crest or top of the waves surounding the trough is what I have always heard.

Then there is frequency and steepness factored in. Frequency being how soon the waves arrive at a determined point from each successive wave. Steepness is exactly what it suggests, steep, very steep etc. These two in high numbers are more the reason for being more rough (particularly with boats under 27 feet) with 3 footers than a 5 or 6 foot swell that is low frequency and not steep.

 

Money doesn't buy happiness,

but it does buy horsepower....

I've never seen a sad person in a boat haulin' A$$...!

 

 

 

Mikecatt14

Mikecatt14

Posted
  • Author
Posted

So...I was planning on holding off on this purchase for a while and wasn't actively looking but couldn't sleep last night and was browsing what's out there.

 

I found a 1998 tiara 2900 for $35k, 1000 hours on twin 454 mercruisers. It is a salt water boat. Blue book was somewhere between 45 and 55 depending on options and other similar models same age listed were 50-60

 

Owners are moving out of the country at the end of April and must sell is the story being told.

Should I have a mechanic look into it just to see or is that far too good to be true and run like hell?

 

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Chowdaire

Chowdaire

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, Mikecatt14 said:

So...I was planning on holding off on this purchase for a while and wasn't actively looking but couldn't sleep last night and was browsing what's out there.

I found a 1998 tiara 2900 for $35k, 1000 hours on twin 454 mercruisers. It is a salt water boat. Blue book was somewhere between 45 and 55 depending on options and other similar models same age listed were 50-60

Owners are moving out of the country at the end of April and must sell is the story being told.
Should I have a mechanic look into it just to see or is that far too good to be true and run like hell?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Lake Ontario United mobile app
 

I would suggest that you let me buy it. I'll run it for a few years and make sure that everything is in working order and if it's all good I'll sell it to you. Sound good?

 

Just kidding, obviously, but that sounds like a great deal. Congrats and good luck with it!

Captain Carl Bish

Captain Carl Bish

Posted
Posted

Nothing good there.... an 18 year old boat in salt water will need a new pair of engines ($20k) and most likely a complete rehab of vessel systems ($45k)

Be very careful with salt inboards

Down here guys are buying those boats, removing engines and putting multiple outboards on a bracket



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Mikecatt14

Mikecatt14

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Nothing good there.... an 18 year old boat in salt water will need a new pair of engines ($20k) and most likely a complete rehab of vessel systems ($45k)

Be very careful with salt inboards

Down here guys are buying those boats, removing engines and putting multiple outboards on a bracket



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Is this stuff that would be found with a survey or is just typical with salt water boats?

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Captain Carl Bish

Captain Carl Bish

Posted
Posted

Generally applies to all old saltwater boats

Survey will give overall condition less mechanical, you would want to have 2 different people look at it.

18 years is a long time. I know several folks who got killer "deals" on saltwater boats only to sink $15-20k into them the first season in fresh water. --each were surveyed and checked by mechanics.

Another factor are the engine hours.... In salt water the more the boat is used the better.

At $35k you can take the risk that the engines are good and come out ahead...but keep $20k available just in case you need to repower.




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