Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

[johnson-liner]

I have a baby bayliner right now, a '87 14' Capri, which I hung a nice '92 Johnson 48SPL on early in the season. Since I beat the blown up old Force to pieces with a sledge hammer and threw it in the trash, I've loved this boat. I have no problem when the wind kicks up and conditions change from glass to 4-5' waves, just keep the bow up and watch gas go down and the little bugger will drift/jig in practically no waves at all. It's just always been too small and tough to overnight on . <br /><br />So....I've been looking at different sizes and styles of cuddys online, in the water...anywhere I see a boat. I've decided that the best style for me would be a walkaround with a cuddy. The size still has to be pretty small for me to tow, but I think I'll need to trade the tow vehicle up too anyway. <br /><br />The smallest walkaround,cuddy that I can find, which seems pretty nice is the Bayliner Trophy 18. Really, the only reason I'm looking for small is because of weight. I'd be happiest with a 19 footer that had the weight of an average 17 footer, assuming the quality was still there of course.<br /><br />My question is...what would you recommend? Basically looking for one that's pretty economical as far as fuel, nothing larger than 18-19 (I'd rather it was 16-17'if I could find one), and that would fit into say a $5-6K budget. Any recomendations welcome!

 

[gsbodine]

Re: Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

maybe a longer aluminum one would be good. i've got a 19' crestliner that is pretty light for its size. it goes a little less than 2500 with a full tank (and without the beer), and a bit more with a couple extra batteries and the beer. it's a little cabin cruiser. they're not the easiest to find, but starcraft makes some similar and a few others. they restore well, anyway. I don't think you'd really call mine a walkaround, but I treat it like one. there's not much I like better than fishn off the bow of it, and the cabin is plenty big enough for overnighters. <br /><br />my wife loved it as soon as we got out on it. there're some pictures on the home page button above. oh, and my avatar, i suppose.

 

[johnson-liner]

Re: Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

Well...time to go home for the day! Thanks for the reply Ol Norse, very nice restoration on your Crestliner. Yeah, the walkarounds aren't as popular as some...especially in the smaller sizes. I'll check on this again tomorrow so thanks in advance for any more replies today.

 

[swist]

Re: Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

The key issue with a walkaround is to figure out where you are going to be spending most of your time. I used to fish a lot more and it was great - now we sit in the cockpit and cruise a lot, but those walkways take a lot of beam away - the seats are very close together and the passage into the cabin door is very tight. And this is on a 24' boat.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

if you enjoy your 14' and think it handles fine, you'll love an 18' trophy. trophies are nice boats, and i think you could find a used one in your price range. the fit and finish doesn't seem to be there, but they're practical and have good value.

 

[johnson-liner]

Re: Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

And that's pretty much what I'm looking for Mattt, I can add bells and whistles to my liking, just want something that is a good value. I'm not at the stage yet financially to snatch up a Grady White in the same size for a ton more cashola....(but I can't wait to get there!) That and like Swiss said, I haven't owned anough different hull setups to know what I'm going to want to keep around for a long time.<br /><br />Thanks for the replies guys.....anyone out there have 1st hand experience with the Trophy? In about the 18-20' range? How would you rate it?

 

[mole2]

Re: Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

As an owner of a Trophy 1802 I'd have to say I'd highly recommend the boat. It's been great in rough water, quick, the 125hp Merc Saltwater has been bullet proof and I'm overall very happy with mine. The cabin is a little tight due to the deep walks but you'll appreciate them in rougher water if you have to go up to the bow. Around here you don't see too many of them for sale though you see a lot of them on the water. You could also look at the Sea Swirl 1851. I did but opted for the Trophy and haven't been sorry.

 

[johnson-liner]

Re: Upgrading to a walkaround w/ cuddy

Thanks for the first hand experience mole. I don't see many up for sale around here either, but quite a few out on the water...I'd take that as meaning the people who have them are happy with it though. <br /><br />See from your post in the "bayliner" thread that the weight is just under 2000lbs. What year is that? A 1995 1802 CC, according to NADA ( )is about 2500lbs. Either way, even though I only trailer about 3 miles to the marina I launch from, I've pulled a 93 Dynasty open bow (1700lbs w/o trailer according to NADA) with my 4 cyl Jeep and that was a little much (starting and stopping). VERY sad to say, the Jeep may have to go.. The tired old girl towed the little 14 footer all the way from Indiana to NY no problem! It's all about the boat now though...