Re: SALT WATER VS. FRESH WATER BOATS?
Rob, I've been both ways, and it's purely a matter of preference. Had a 21' cuddy for 5 yrs. Got it for the same reasons that you mention. Spent the night on it twice, and that pretty much goes for others I've known who made the same choice. You get a lot of storage with that cuddy, but it takes up a lot of deck space, and the boat is more difficult to get around in, particularly if you have to get up to the bow in a hurry, as in "oops". Also, it's impossible to disembark over the bow if you pull up onto a beach somewhere. Actually getting off isn't nearly as diffucult as getting back on. You can get in outta the rain in a cuddy, too, but it sure gets stuffy down there. The best use I found for it was locking the kids below for a nap (other than the storage).<br /><br />Had a 17' Montauk for 5 yrs, too. Wore that thing out on the fresh water lakes and the ocean. Probably was the most versatile boat I've owned, but it sure gets small 30 miles out in the ocean. Wet, too, when the wind kicks up! It's a very small 17 footer. If you like Whalers, check out the 18' or 19'. You can put the Montauk inside an 18 footer, which is also self-bailing. There's a trick to self-bailing the Montauk, but don't believe it. It requires practically sinking it, and everything on deck gets soaked. One good rainstorm, and you'll appreciate self-bailing.<br /><br />Several other boats over the years aren't worth mentioning. I've recently settled into a Hydra Sports Seahorse 212 with a 150 Johnson. This is the best of them all. It's 20'6" long and a whopping 8'9" wide, with a huge center console that stores nearly as much as my old cuddy (I removed the porta-potty that came with it---if ya can't use the bucket, ya gotta hold it). This boat is very seawothy and dry, with tons of room. It jumps up out of the hole, due to the width, and planes within it's own length. There's no wood anywhere in the construction. All composites. Haven't skiid with it, but with a top speed of 44 mph, it shouldn't be a problem (for the kids).<br /><br />Having been both ways, I wouldn't go back. Center consoles are the ultimate in useability. They're so much easier to clean up, too. My wife cruises and fishes with me, and she doesn't want a cuddy again, due to the cleanup chores. The interior of a cuddy mildews badly.<br /><br />One thing you really gotta appreciate, though. The bigger the boat, the less you'll use it, unless you keep it on the water or in a storage facility that will launch it for you. The less you use it, the more work it is. You have to clean it before you go out, then again when you return. Fuel goes bad and gets contaminated by water from condensation. Sometimes you can work on them for hours getting ready to go out, only to have to cancel your trip due to some problem that developed while it was sitting around. I'd rather have a late model rig with lotsa hours on it, than an older one that was never used. I don't mean to scare you off, I'm just saying that the more you use a boat, it seems like the more ready to go it is the next time. It's just the nature of the beast. And trailers..... just let one of them sit around for awhile, especially if it's used in saltwater. You've seen 'em sitting along the side of the interstate with a wheel off. I've been lucky enough to find my way into a house on the water, where the boat hangs in my boathouse. Consequently, the trailer gets infrequent use,and I never know whether I can trust it for a highway trip. Been lucky so far, but I'm pretty meticulous with preventive maintenance.<br /><br />Hope I haven't bored you to tears, but there's a lot to consider, and if you don't use the boat, you'll sour on it in a hurry. If you use it a lot, there's no better feeling. When talking to people, however, remember one thing. People don't like to admit mistakes. Better to use your eyes. Look around, and see which boats are getting used, and which ones are sitting in the yardevery weekend. The story will be different, too, depending upon the section of the country you're in. I took my center console outboard to a lake in Northern Alabama, and people looked at us like we were aliens! Don't think they'd ever seen one before.<br /><br />Be realistic about how you imagine that you'll use the boat. If you make a mistake, admit it, and get something different, before you get frustrated and give up. Took me over 30 yrs to find my "perfect" rig. Who knows, maybe I'll find something better a few years down the road.<br /><br />Welcome aboard! Hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us.