VIP Sea Stealth

[57chris]

Well, i'm finally starting a thread about a boat that I don't have to work on, lol. This is actually my brother's boat, but we live together and never fish without each other, so i'm as excited as he is. The boat is a 1997 Sea Stealth made by VIP, 22' deep V with a 150 Yamaha. The boat looks very nice in person with only a couple of minor gel coat inperfections. No scratches were on the hull, floor was very solid, motor sounded good and had good water pressure. Lower unit oil looked good on inspection also. After looking at the boat for the first time, we called the shop where the owner said he had the boat serviced to investigate a little more on our own. They gave us a detailed list of service over the past few years, and told us that this boat was very solid and in perfect operating condition. They had just serviced the boat the week prior with normal maintainance and it passed all inspections. Our last boat was our first boat...a big mistake of a purchase, and a lemon big time. We had a '91 Dargel Skout with a cracked hull, no bilge pumps...lost the middle cylinder on the motor it came with, basicly it was a disaster. Hopefully this boat will be a good one, you just never know with used stuff, but this one has been in dry storage and regularly serviced. It is also our first offshore boat. We have spent the past year fishing the bay here in south Texas, occasionally going out to the jetties, and once even out in the gulf about a quarter mile on a smooth day. Here's a couple of pics of the new boat, hopefully it'll be home Thursday and we can try it in the water this weekend.

 

[Nico2112]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Wow, a 12 footer, then a Cat, and now this

Nice catch mate

Indeed it looks great.

Congrats.

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

All I can say is I will never look back. We picked this boat up Thursday and put it in the water Friday to test. First of all, nor me or my brother have ever even been in a boat like this...My father had bass boats all of our young lives, maybe an occasional bay boat, and our first and only boat besides this one was a flat bottom bay boat. We crossed the bay headed for South Padre Island this morning and it was like riding in a Cadillac over the normal chop that used to beat us to death. We headed through the Port Mansfield East Cut which is a channel carved through the Island as access for ships to the Gulf, rode about 3 miles out in calm conditions. The wind was at about 13 mph, which is very light for this area, and seas were at about 2 feet. We were searching for an underwater wreck that we've heard about that holds fish, but never found it...instead we just chased seagulls chasing baitfish being busted by some sort of large fish. Eventually my brother hung one on his light tackle inshore rod and reel, we were sure it was going to rip all the line off the reel at first because it made a run for it big time, but after about a 30 min. fight the fish got close enough to the boat for me to try out our new long handled fish gaff! 2nd try with the gaff stuck it and we got a 37 plus inch Cobia in the boat!!

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

I've been having a great time in the Sea Stealth, my brother and I have been out in it a couple times a week. Last trip we made it 15 miles offshore in the Gulf out of Port Mansfield, TX. Today we took the kids out for a ride in the river, and decided to hit the intercoastal channel and cast for a few redfish...boat traffic was heavy so I was forced to stay to one side of the channel and Wham! We bottomed out. We were right next to a marker pole, but well to the inside of it...between the red and green poles right? lol...well tide was low and I guess there's a couple of shallow spots here and there. I have a mental note of where that hump is now, and will stay clear of it from now on. I also added it to my GPS as an obstruction with a warning icon. This is our first deep vee boat, and learning to navigate the waters of south Texas bays is proving adventurous. With an average depth of 2 feet inshore, and ship channels barely wide enough for the barges to pass, it makes your butt pucker so tight you couldn't drive a toothpick in with a hammer as you try and find the next channel marker. Fun stuff, and this is still a little boat. Put the bimini top on today to beat the heat, kids caught a couple of whiting and catfish, good day to be out on the water.

 

[TojosMojo]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Very nice looking boat, your gonna have alot of fun with it...

 

[Seon]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Last January I bought a 2001 VIP Baystealth from the PO who lived in San Antonio then moved here to CA. Although the freeboard is a little shorter than I would have liked it, I decided to buy it anyway. Best boat I've owned so far. It handles the waves/wake great and hauls butt. I haven't taken it out offshore but am sure it'll handle well.
If you decide to buy a T-top for yours, I would highly recommend Fishmaster.com who has great prices and high quality craftmanship.

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Ahh, the Bay Stealth, yes...we see alot of those around here in south Texas. Actually I had never seen our version, the "Sea Stealth" until we bought this one...if I remember right, the Bay Stealth has a small tunnel. The bay system here ( Lower Laguna Madre ) is very shallow, 2 ft. deep on average, and those boats seem to do well getting in and out of the fishing spots. I don't know how well it's going to handle the seas, but they are great boats built very well. We run up to 30 mph across 2 to 3 ft. seas in the Gulf of Mexico in this boat, rides like a cadillac.

 

[TX21VIPSS]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

This is what your boat would look like with the Fishmaster T-Top. This boat is for sale. It has been a great boat.

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Wow, that does look great. I want a T-top so bad I can't stand it. That and a leaning post instead of the icechest box it has now.

 

[Seon]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Wow, that does look great. I want a T-top so bad I can't stand it. That and a leaning post instead of the icechest box it has now.

I hear you about the leaning post but those suckers are so expensive just to lean on :redface:. My igloo cooler is about had it so it's either me fabricating a leaning post or buying a polished aluminum....it's all about money isn't it .

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

The reason I think I want the leaning post is for offshore running, when seas are calm ( 2 ft. or less ) we run up to 30 mph across waves. The boat handles it well, but your body not so well. There is no way you can sit down on the low ice chest seat and drive over waves, and when we are standing and driving it gives you arm pump holding yourself steady on the steering wheel and working the throttle.

 

[Macwrench]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Chris,
I'm pretty sure I have the same boat even though your pictures are gone. Last year I bought a 1997 22' Seastealth to replace my 21' Cajun. Man, what a ride! I have a 200 hp Evinrude and the factory leaning post. It takes 2-3' chop with ease. Last year I got caught in the bay with the wind coming up and we were running through 6-8' swells and I never felt unsafe. I've heard that this hull was built using Grady White molds, but cannot confirm it. I know that the GW's didn't have rolled gunnels like the VIP does. What would really make this boat more amazing would be a closed transom and engine bracket, but even without it... it is a great fishing boat. It doesn't get into the shallows like my buddies Kenner tunnel, but that's why I have friends!

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Chris,
I'm pretty sure I have the same boat even though your pictures are gone. Last year I bought a 1997 22' Seastealth to replace my 21' Cajun. Man, what a ride! I have a 200 hp Evinrude and the factory leaning post. It takes 2-3' chop with ease. Last year I got caught in the bay with the wind coming up and we were running through 6-8' swells and I never felt unsafe. I've heard that this hull was built using Grady White molds, but cannot confirm it. I know that the GW's didn't have rolled gunnels like the VIP does. What would really make this boat more amazing would be a closed transom and engine bracket, but even without it... it is a great fishing boat. It doesn't get into the shallows like my buddies Kenner tunnel, but that's why I have friends!

That does look like our boat in your avatar. My brother and I have still been fishing this boat hard, and it's more than exceeded our expectations. We regularly go about 20 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico and fish the oil rigs, some real nice Cobia have been landed in this rig. We actually just picked up a T-top for it, the boat is over at The Sportsman for maintainance...when it comes back i'll post up a pic of it with the new top on.

 

[Macwrench]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

That does look like our boat in your avatar. My brother and I have still been fishing this boat hard, and it's more than exceeded our expectations. We regularly go about 20 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico and fish the oil rigs, some real nice Cobia have been landed in this rig. We actually just picked up a T-top for it, the boat is over at The Sportsman for maintainance...when it comes back i'll post up a pic of it with the new top on.

Yeah! Let me see the top on your boat. I've been shopping and shopping and have thought that the Fishmaster might be the best bang for the buck.

I haven't been offshore yet (more of an inshore fisher), but I got caught at the jetties one day. We were busting 8 foot swells in 25 knot gusts one day. Other than getting a little wet, it was a good ride... slow, but safe.

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Yeah! Let me see the top on your boat. I've been shopping and shopping and have thought that the Fishmaster might be the best bang for the buck.

I haven't been offshore yet (more of an inshore fisher), but I got caught at the jetties one day. We were busting 8 foot swells in 25 knot gusts one day. Other than getting a little wet, it was a good ride... slow, but safe.

We should be getting some calm days now that summer is here, we went out last Friday and the water was like glass, I even saw shallow sports out past the jetties. My rule of thumb is no more than 4ft. seas...the 2-3ft. days are very common, and that's the best time to head offshore. Once you get on some big dorado or lemon fish, you'll be hooked on offshore fishing.

 

[57chris]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

We just got the boat back from a guy in Port Isabel, TX...he made a Shallow Sport K-top fit our Sea Stealth by removing a couple pieces and replacing them with ones that fit our console. The K-top mounts to the console instead of going all the way down to the floor like a T-top. We found that the console wasn't mounted down very well after the initial installation of the top, so it got re-mounted with 3 pieces of 3x3 aluminum angle..each piece about a foot long, (one on each side and one in the front). These pieces got screwed to the floor and bolted to the console and glued with 5200. It feels solid and like part of the boat now. He welded on 5 rod holders to the rear of the top and 2 cup holders on each side of the drivers console. We also had a leaning post made, complete with underseat storage and 4 rod holders. The shop had the cushion custom made, so he also made a new lid for the livewell/seat on the front of the console with a matching cushion. My brother and I gathered and set-up all of our fishing gear last night, we should head out of Port Mansfield, TX tomorrow to get some snapper, cobia and more!

 

[Macwrench]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Well, how did you like the T-top and leaning post? Also, do you know how big your fuel tank is? On mine I've taken the sender out and measured the inside and calculated it out to 165 gallons which is HUGE! I've done the math several times, so I'm pretty certain. Let me know.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

WOW!!! You and your brother have done beautiful things with that boat. It looked great before; now it's REALLY there. I've been planning to go down river from lake seminole to the Gulf of Mexico off Florida in the spring. Lots of people do it on a regular basis. It's a very popular trip among the pontooners on Seminole. I wasn't planning anything offshore, but I've been dreamin'. My boat's only 20'3" with one engine. With my two sons (2yrs and 7yrs), and my wife, I think playing and fishing in the coastal waterways will do... for now anyway... Again... Beautiful boat!!! Safe and happy boating always!!!

 

[rcruz]

Re: VIP Sea Stealth

Well, how did you like the T-top and leaning post? Also, do you know how big your fuel tank is? On mine I've taken the sender out and measured the inside and calculated it out to 165 gallons which is HUGE! I've done the math several times, so I'm pretty certain. Let me know.

Just bought a 1999 Sea Stealth and could not be happier. The only bad part is that I do not have manual. Can anyone help me out by telling me what each unlabeled switch is for. Any help would be greatly appreciated.