Fishing boat with cabin.

[McL169]

As of right now the girlfriend and I are taking a closer look at a Pro-line 23 EXPRESS. It's a manageable size, good fishing boat(primary activity) and is within our budget of around 50k. We're in Long Island NY but plan to relocate further south. We have a starter boat 21 ft center console but want more comfort with cabin and something safe offshore. Any others to consider or any feedback?

 

[McL169]

Would be good to find a sweet spot. A good fishing boat around 23 ft with a cabin that can handle off shore fairly well.

 

[airshot]

I can tell you this, when we moved from a center console to a cuddy cabin, the wife was much happier !! Now there was a place for a porta potty !!! Also a place to keep things you didnt want to get wet from spray. Cabin was small so more of a storage space but did shelter us on a few ocassions from some quick downpours. The cuddy was the best overall, most fun boat we ever owned. Wife is now dissabled, so I fish mostly by myself so recently returned to a 16' side console to get some fishing time in a boat I can handle on my own. Fond memories ofvthevtimes we had in the cuddy cabin !!!

 

[JimS123]

When my son was single he bought a Cuddy so he and his girlfriend could stay overnight at secluded beaches. After marriage and kids he said that was a bad mistake and traded it for a 23' Open bow.

New Cuddies are almost non-existent these days, and even express cruisers now have smaller cabins with open bow seating above.

Times change when people's desires change. Boating ain't what it used to be.

 

[dingbat]

What do you consider offshore? - Hull design and fuel capacity
What kind of fishing? - Hull design and Floor space
Where is futher South? - Some pretty tough inlets between Rehoboth, DE and Morehead City, NC

Generally speaking......"small boat" cabins and offshore fishing are not all that compatible.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Owning a fishing boat with a cutty is like owing a fish/ski boat it does neither well. just my humble opinion. I fish with a charter guy who uses his cutty for storage, then again a serious fishing boat.

 

[tpenfield]

I think Pursuit has/had a model or 2 that give you the features of a Center Console but also has a small cuddy in the middle.

 

[McL169]

What do you consider offshore? - Hull design and fuel capacity
What kind of fishing? - Hull design and Floor space
Where is futher South? - Some pretty tough inlets between Rehoboth, DE and Morehead City, NC

Generally speaking......"small boat" cabins and offshore fishing are not all that compatible.

I understand I'm looking for a lot. Were looking at maybe Florida. Would love to have weekend fishing trips where we sleep on boat. A 23 to 26ft fishing boat that would sleep 2 comfortable. Host 5 people comfortable and can handle a little offshore on good days or as close to these points as possible. Cabin, fishing most important

 

[airshot]

What does " comfortable" mean?? You better be looking closer to 26-28 than a 22-23 footer to be " comfortable" for that many people

 

[Scott Danforth]

I understand I'm looking for a lot. Were looking at maybe Florida. Would love to have weekend fishing trips where we sleep on boat. A 23 to 26ft fishing boat that would sleep 2 comfortable. Host 5 people comfortable and can handle a little offshore on good days or as close to these points as possible. Cabin, fishing most important

5-people and comfortable depends if the people are normal sized or dwarfs

fishing boat means less seats than a run-about, so you are in the 26'+ range

For reference, a Freeman 42' boat has enough seating for 4-5 plus gear unless equipped with second row helm and aft facing seating.

A scout 425 has enough seating for 5 unless they have the optional stern seat. The 377 has a small cabin enough for two if you are newly weds, and can seat 5 comfortably

 

[dingbat]

Were looking at maybe Florida.

Then add air conditioning to your list....lol

A 23 to 26ft fishing boat that would sleep 2 comfortable.

and a queen size bed

Host 5 people comfortable

and an extra #1,000 of weight capacity

In reality, sleeping in the cabin of a "small" boat suxs.
Hot, damp and cramped after a long day of fishing isn't my idea of comfortable. Mrs. Dingbat has an even lower opinion...lol

The night we sleep on our boat ranks #2 on our all time list of bad "camping" experiences. Right behind camping in a brand new (leaky) tent on the beach (behind the dunes) at Assateague island. The sea breeze dropped out after sunset and you couldn't step outside the tent without being the evening's main course for the swarms of mosquitoes, no see ums and biting flies out and about. Sat in a hot tent with dew dripping on us until mornngl. Ever since, our idea of roughly it while boating is a 3 star hotel.....lol

 

[McL169]

5-people and comfortable depends if the people are normal sized or dwarfs

fishing boat means less seats than a run-about, so you are in the 26'+ range

For reference, a Freeman 42' boat has enough seating for 4-5 plus gear unless equipped with second row helm and aft facing seating.

A scout 425 has enough seating for 5 unless they have the optional stern seat. The 377 has a small cabin enough for two if you are newly weds, and can seat 5 comfortably

Well that's why I'm going to have to definitely be flexible because I know we do not want a boat larger than say 25 ft so it's more about the two of our comfort and maybe hosting guests from time to time

 

[McL169]

Then add air conditioning to your list....lol

and a queen size bed

and an extra #1,000 of weight capacity

In reality, sleeping in the cabin of a "small" boat suxs.
Hot, damp and cramped after a long day of fishing isn't my idea of comfortable. Mrs. Dingbat has an even lower opinion...lol

The night we sleep on our boat ranks #2 on our all time list of bad "camping" experiences. Right behind camping in a brand new (leaky) tent on the beach (behind the dunes) at Assateague island. The sea breeze dropped out after sunset and you couldn't step outside the tent without being the evening's main course for the swarms of mosquitoes, no see ums and biting flies out and about. Sat in a hot tent with dew dripping on us until mornngl. Ever since, our idea of roughly it while boating is a 3 star hotel.....lol

These are all good points and I'm definitely going to pass it on to the little woman because if it's that rough one consideration might be to focus more on efficient have a big bow and then we can always do something temporary if we want to crash overnight

 

[McL169]

What does " comfortable" mean?? You better be looking closer to 26-28 than a 22-23 footer to be " comfortable" for that many people

Definitely have to make important decisions because when everything else is said and done it will primarily be for me and my lady

 

[JimS123]

Definitely have to make important decisions because when everything else is said and done it will primarily be for me and my lady

Based on my experience, the boat you listed in your first post would be a good choice. That is, for the fishing you outlined. Sleeping overnight would be workable (I personally did it for years), but after 20 years MY lady said no more.....LOL. Its really cramped. You need to like coziness.

Now, when you said 5-6 people, you made things difficult. Fishinh boats for 2 people are workable, but when you added the whole clan you just put it into the 28' class.

 

[mr 88]

Parker Craft

 

[dingbat]

Parker Craft

You mean Parker Boats?
Nice boats….made it to my short list the last go round but didn’t handle rough water nearly well as the Grady

 

[mr 88]

Grady is way over rated . Just spent the day on a 23 Parker with a 300 Yammi hanging on it . A lot better than a Grady IMHO with a fishing deck that equals a 28 ' boat .

 

[BWR1953]

Parker Craft

I just looked up the Parker Craft boats. Pretty nice.