chance i will sell you my inshore boat for close to that. pm me if you are interested.

2008 Sea Pro SV1900 Bay Boat
115 Merc 4 Stoke
Garmin GPS441
Bimini
Raw Water Wash Down
Under 100 Hours
Alum Trailer
MP3/CD

5/24/2011 8:57:43 PM

^sounds like a winner comparatively.....is that a mercaha?(yamaha 4 stroke made for mercury?)

5/24/2011 9:06:12 PM

chance is confusing me

i posted a 22' sea hunt bay boat w/ a 150 johnson oceanpro and he says he doesn't want it b/c of the 2 stroke

then he posts that flatbottom with a 115 opti and says he's about to buy it



[Edited on May 24, 2011 at 9:11 PM. Reason : for $4k more]

[Edited on May 24, 2011 at 9:12 PM. Reason : i certainly hope he talked those fuckers at collins down off of $15k]

5/24/2011 9:10:16 PM

Quote :

"of all the boats you've posted, that's probably the shittiest imo"

I'm starting to question how much you know boats. Riddick is not quite Jones Brothers or Intruder level of fit/finish/design but it's certainly a step ahead of Carolina Skiff, Sundance, and in the same breath as Kencraft.

This is what I posted originally

Quote :

"I'm looking for an all around type of boat. I don't fish now but with a boat I'll take it up. I need one to get to Shackleford. One that might can pull me on skis every now and then. One that I can cruise up to the McCurdys and get dinner. And one that I could get a little bit near shore on days other than perfectly calm if buddies happened to be in town and wanted to do that."

and then this

Quote :

"I guess I'm looking more towards a people carrier to do the island hopping thing."

After spending some time on friends boats so far this year, which includes a 25 Parker, a 197 Pioneer, and a 22 ft JB Bateau, I can probably say 70% of it's use is going to be taking us to Shack and other sandbars and likely on days where it isn't so windy and choppy. I'm not going to be going out fish hunting and put up with the chop (on those types of days) to the point where a V will come in much handier than a skiff. I was absolutely sold on being able to slide up onto the sandbar and not have to take anything off the boat because its so easy to hop on and off a skiff. I'm looking for a bit of a people hauler of which a bay boat like Stones Sea Pro doesn't do as well as this skiff will do. Furthermore, from everything I have read and everyone I talk to, you have the camp that says "yeah, it beats you to death don't get it" and you have the " yeah it beats you but why are you trying to run this boat 15 miles offshore coming back into 3 footers?".

I purposefully rode out on the bow deck of my friends 22 JB this weekend to see how bad it is out there and sure he had to back off the throttle a bit taking wakes but to me the hit was the same as on a v hulled boat at a faster speed. At the leaning post those hits are next to nothing.

Regarding the 2 stroke. The more I read and the more I talked to people, everyone still kind of agrees that a 4 stroke is all things considered the best option but that the Optimax line isn't too far behind in terms of choices. And somehow, this engine has a warranty left on it until May '15.

And I readily admit I'm not the best haggler. He came off to 13,9 and that is still contingent on the number of hours. If it comes back and it's anywhere in the 300 range I'm going to be asking for stuff thrown in. I was comparing it against one here in MHC with the same hull, 3 years older, 90hp vs 115, no warranty, but it does have some electronics and a bimini) but listed at the same price. In retrospect, I possible should have just picked this one up when I looked at it last summer but I seem to remember it looked well used and not as well taken care of:

http://tinyurl.com/3d7sk96

This 2290 Bay Runner

http://www.precisionmarineinc.com/#!vstc0=used-boats

They are asking 22k for it (I think it has a T-Top, but not sure).

5/24/2011 10:41:11 PM

woody riddick makes one of the finest flatbottoms you can buy

but no one will ever convince me that flatbottoms don't suck for pretty much anything besides flounder gigging. my dad owned one. i've ridden on several. it doesn't take anything more than a slight chop and a crosswind to get you wet.

i've done my due diligence as an experienced boater in warning you. enjoy your boat.

5/25/2011 6:49:37 AM

Quote :

"it doesn't take anything more than a slight chop and a crosswind to get you wet."

I hope so. While I'm cruising to and from the sand bars on 95 degree summer days I'll gladly welcome any spray that will cool me down. Were I trying to get to the best spec or drum hole in the fall then I might be a bit more concerned about the spray.

5/25/2011 4:38:33 PM

I wouldn't get a flat bottom boat, either. A bay boat will do everything a flat bottom boat will but won't kill you on anything bigger than 6" chop. Optis also can eat compressors so Merc has gone through a few different revisions to try and make the bearings last longer.

I really don't care how high end a builder may be, I wouldn't own a flat bottom unless it were a 14 ft one that stays in canals.

[Edited on May 25, 2011 at 6:52 PM. Reason : ]

5/25/2011 6:51:11 PM

^^ Saltwater spray isn't as refreshing as it seems in your head. A bimini top and on-plane cruising with a dry t-shirt is far more comfy than getting covered in salt, not being able to see out of your sunglasses, and staying wet the whole ride.

I think you're going to have fun no matter what you get though. You can always sell it and buy something different down the road. Once you get a year or two of experience you might find that your priorities are different. These guys (^ & ^^^) probably have a lot more experience with what you're doing than you or I, but I can say without doubt that a good running boat will be more fun than patrolling Craigslist every day and talking about getting a boat ever will be.

[Edited on May 25, 2011 at 7:44 PM. Reason : l]

5/25/2011 7:15:41 PM

i bought a boat and i still check craigslist boats most days

5/25/2011 8:28:34 PM

^ lol, me too. I'm always looking to upgrade or flip a boat if the price is right.

5/25/2011 8:37:17 PM

if you go out on a skiff and then a shallow v like mine and come back and still want the flat bottom then you must have been riding in a pond.

if you think getting wet is ok then wait till you fishing in the winter or early spring. i run through charleston harbor year round and stay dry unless the wind is honking and then the spy is being blown back at me. i have never been in anything bigger than 6's and my boat did fine. i would not want to push it though any more. i was 11 miles out on an artificial reef when a storm blew up. i sure would not consider running a skiff out there. the best part is my sv1900 goes in all the flats my buddies skiff runs in. granted shrimping on his boat is the win. other than that it pretty much sucks.

5/25/2011 9:46:28 PM

Quote :

"^sounds like a winner comparatively.....is that a mercaha?(yamaha 4 stroke made for mercury?)"

i thought no one knew about this. yeah mine is a mercaha. i think 06 was the first year of 115 mercahas.

5/25/2011 9:49:58 PM

even on a slick pond idk what the advantage of the flatbottom would be. they don't handle worth a shit. they slide out from under you in turns.

[Edited on May 26, 2011 at 7:27 AM. Reason : chance has already said he's a fairweather boater. he'll miss all the good winter speck fishing.]

[Edited on May 26, 2011 at 7:28 AM. Reason : and stripers etc etc]

5/26/2011 7:23:29 AM

http://wilmington.craigslist.org/boa/2403547095.html

sweet deal with that 4 stroke

5/26/2011 9:58:55 AM

winter is the best sheepshead fishing here. which is my favorite eating fish.

been on a few mckee's down here and would consider one when the sea pro is dead and gone.

5/26/2011 5:36:25 PM

what do y'all use for sheepshead bait down there?

5/26/2011 8:54:30 PM

fids

we actually caught a 9lber bottom fishing at the jettis for big bull drum on live shrimp. never duplicated that but never tried either.

5/26/2011 9:02:41 PM

on the pier we'd drop the pier net and pick up those jelly balls (old timers called them cannonballs). they'd have little crabs up inside them. they made great sheepshead bait.

used to get a bunch of fiddlers at the morehead sports marina on low tide. i miss that ramp

[Edited on May 26, 2011 at 9:15 PM. Reason : adfs]

5/26/2011 9:14:52 PM

Quote :

"on the pier we'd drop the pier net and pick up those jelly balls (old timers called them cannonballs)."

it's always funny when the tourons are all "zomg you're gonna get stung".

5/27/2011 8:35:13 AM

however, i have been mildly "stung" by some jellyfish slime that was all over my bait bucket before

5/27/2011 8:57:23 AM

http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/boa/2405482726.html

this sea fox hull is an exact copy of the key west 1720 like i've got. wish they'd list a price.

5/28/2011 6:38:06 PM

ok actually gonna pull the trigger on the HDS-7 tomorrow. gonna go down for a few days to fish with my dad week after next, so i guess i'll spend the first morning installing it.

it begins...

sonar/gps
24v minnkota riptide sp w/ autopilot (anyone wanna buy a 24v bow mount hand controlled motorguide great white 67 lbs thrust?)
vhf and antenna
minnkota talon
stereo (got some leftover speakers from a kit pops bought. gotta get a head unit.)
hydraulic jack plate?

5/29/2011 1:16:09 AM

hell yes

5/29/2011 7:22:17 PM

Quote :

"on the pier we'd drop the pier net and pick up those jelly balls (old timers called them cannonballs). they'd have little crabs up inside them. they made great sheepshead bait. "

we do the same for spade fish at the near shore reefs. pound for pound spade fish are the best fighting fish on light tackle. a 2lb fish feels like a 10lb red. ever spade fish up there?

5/29/2011 9:21:02 PM

i've done it up in the chesapeake around the CBBT. we never got into them very thick. i've caught a few off the pier when i would see them around the pilings. fun and good eating.

y'all were using the actual jellyballs for bait, right? we'd chum them up to the pier with a bunch of sliced up jellyballs.

[Edited on May 29, 2011 at 9:31 PM. Reason : we only used the crabs inside the jellyball for sheepshead. threw the jellyball back.]

5/29/2011 9:30:33 PM

Welp...

I believe the engine in the GPR seized today.

5/29/2011 10:15:19 PM

sucks

5/29/2011 10:18:24 PM

NRR, i assume since they still call them fish finders that they indeed identify where fish are?

Is it pretty straightforward to install a depth finder transducer or is this something you'd let a pro do?

5/30/2011 1:22:20 PM

i prefer the term "sonar", but yes, a quality unit can help you locate fish if the settings are correct and you know how to read it.

my dad and i have always installed our own transducers. if you read the instructions that come with the ducer and maybe a few tutorials or threads online, it shouldn't be hard for a first-timer. use 3M 5200 marine sealant around the screws and let it cure for at least 24 hours. shouldn't be a problem. maybe get a buddy who's done it before to supervise the first time.

[Edited on May 30, 2011 at 3:42 PM. Reason : use 5200 around any penetration you make on your boat. it's good stuff.]

5/30/2011 3:40:34 PM

4200 seals just as well but doesn't act as a permanent glue that will pull the gelcoat off if you need to remove it later. Definitely don't recommend 5200 for a transom mounted transducer.

5/30/2011 4:08:24 PM

i've never had a problem removing a transom mounted transducer that was mounted with 5200 ymmv

5/30/2011 4:20:06 PM

Not a boat guy but I rode on a 27' off shore boat at >63mph gps and that seemed pretty darn fast. 600hp worth of engines was netting 1mpg .

i need a new career.

5/30/2011 9:08:19 PM

Yeah, I rode behind a 38' Donzi sportfisher yesterday...he had three 275 hp outboards. I think he and my GPR would be pretty evenly matched in speed on flat water...I don't think there's any way I could have kept up had he gone to WOT in yesterday's chop.

5/30/2011 9:13:08 PM

^^^def use fast cure 4200, 5200 is such a pain in the ass to take off in u ever need to change your transducer..

went offshore 35 miles off murrells inlet 2 days ago....black sea bass everywhere, except couldnt keep any, kings and tuna over the wrecks and pretty calm, ran out at 35mph and back in at 40

5/30/2011 10:21:34 PM

found a "like new" 24v riptide ST w/ autopilot for about half the price of a new one. gonna pick it up tomorrow if it's in good shape and no one beats me to fayetteville.

so, who wants a 24v 67 lb thrust bow mount hand controlled motorguide great white?

5/30/2011 10:26:48 PM

can i get a decent lake boat for 6 grand or less? I've done some browsing on boattrader.com and anything worth looking at seems to be at least 10k. i'd love to have an ski boat, inboard with open bow but would also go for a inboard/outboard. looking for something lake ready.

5/31/2011 9:03:38 AM

depends on your definition of decent, but you can get a reasonably reliable, working ski boat for that price.

5/31/2011 1:51:04 PM

Skack,
do you ever have any issues with your pwc batteries? I have 2 and both have new batteries from last season. I've had the charges tested on both at multiple places, but one consistantly needs to be jumped or charged at least every other time I launch them while the other starts up fine. Thoughts?

5/31/2011 3:03:39 PM

do you keep a battery tender or something on them during the off season?

5/31/2011 3:04:47 PM

no, I just unplug all of the terminals and let them sit.

6/1/2011 11:48:54 AM

that's not good for a battery and could be the problem. get a battery tender or some other type of smart charger w/ maintenace mode and leave it plugged up all winter. it'll go into maintenance mode and whenever the voltage drops down below a certain level it'll charge it back up. you can get one of the motorcycle or lawn and garden ones for $40 or less i think.

6/1/2011 2:23:04 PM

what's worse leaving them hooked up in the ski all winter or leaving them unhooked? I'll look into a battery tender, thanks.

6/1/2011 4:50:12 PM

i don't believe it would make a difference either way

6/1/2011 4:56:40 PM

Quote :

"Skack, do you ever have any issues with your pwc batteries? I have 2 and both have new batteries from last season. I've had the charges tested on both at multiple places, but one consistantly needs to be jumped or charged at least every other time I launch them while the other starts up fine. Thoughts?"

I take mine out for convenience in charging throughout the winter. I basically set them on a shelf in the workshop and hook the battery charger on them at the 2 Amp setting when I'm out there working on other stuff or working in the yard. I might hit each one for a few hours every few weeks.

There shouldn't be any battery draw from the ski so it really shouldn't matter if they are hooked up or not. Any chance the battery that is failing is too small for the ski it's in? Have you topped it off with distilled water (if it isn't a sealed battery)?

[Edited on June 3, 2011 at 5:49 PM. Reason : l]

6/3/2011 5:48:41 PM

A financially irresponsible (but fun, haha) friend from work just sold his C6 Z06 and bought a 38' Fountain Executioner.

6/3/2011 11:41:23 PM

^ Be good to that guy, lol. Giving him $50 for gas or picking up his dinner every once in a while is a great way to buy into a lot of fun without having to spend your retirement savings.

6/3/2011 11:52:20 PM

When it rains it pours. Problems with our engine and ballast system this past week. And I am finding out that dealerships for boats literally can put you off for months, not just weeks to get your boat in for work. Pissed, but I have made some calls to someone that I think will help us sooner than later.

6/6/2011 12:08:03 PM

^ That sucks man...What happened?

6/6/2011 1:13:32 PM

Loss of power. It runs, but not well. Idle is rough, and the boat takes about 3x as much to plane off. Top speed seems to be reduced by 5 or 6 mph.

I think we probably just have a bad spark plug.

We also have a problem with the ballast. There are a lot of gremlins with this boat that we didnt know about before it hit the water, so it may be a good thing to get some of them addressed...

We did find the source of the water leak. Should be an easy fix.

6/6/2011 2:25:57 PM

^sounds like a fuel filter....damn ethanol

6/6/2011 8:25:12 PM