Sorry Guys

[willy]

Because as a wise old fellow friend of mine said "They just don't fly" not sure of the details of that thought, but it always struck me as accurate.

[Seacrets]

Take it from a guy who owned two V20's and a Carolina Skiff (238 Semi V), the ride is much, much better than a Skiff. The new skiff you're looking at is a wide beam, 258 DLV with some cosmetics. I've spent alot of time in the 258 DLV's and they're not a good offshore boat. They will beat you up. The old 258 DLV Elite had a sticker of $50K (I know where there's one available for $42k. The new Elite 25 has a 103" beam and can take up to a 300 hp motor. In my opinion, if that boat can take up to a 300 hp motor, we're going offshore, but the ride won't be nothing like a deep V boat. If you like a Carolina Skiff, take a look at their 250 Sea Chaser. You can get a good Bay boat that is a dual duty (inshore/offshore) boat that will give you a much better ride offshore than the Elite. Trust me, this ain't no Whaler. Check the fit and finish carefully. Besides a rough ride, my Semi V will wet you in a second, however the DLV series has improved the dryness but not the ride. Just my $.02.

[willy]

Good advise from a man who makes his living on one of those boats, Hey Seacreats how the heck you doing brother?

[Seacrets]

Doing great. In the middle of scallop season (snorkeling for the little beauties). Trout and redfish are in the deeper grass flats, but good numbers. Take care Willie.

[Blue_Runner]

These guys make great points and reading them it is like they are reading my mind b/c this is the exact same opinions I have regarding new vs. used boats.

My .02 is not to buy a new boat. For the $$ you'd spend on new you could get a reliable used ski boat, a skiff, deep V, and a bay boat. I'm not saying you should buy 4 boats, just saying new boats are over priced and over rated because they require just as much maintenance and crap happens to them just the same. What will suck is having the new boat break down rendering it unusable until you B-O-A-T for repairs (bust out another thousand).....the bank does not care and will still need your monthy payment.

I vote older solid boat w/ newer power, skiff or V is your choice. Doesn't have to be 20 years old either.

P.S. its not if you have to bust out another thousand....its when. Right guys?!?!?!? I just busted out another thousand on hydraulic steering....after putting a new steering cable on just 2 years ago, which was $350.

[spareparts]

I like it when people B. O. A. T., thats how I make my living, problem is, most of them want to only B.O.A.T.(twenty $)

[willy]

as far as I am concerned it is and always will be a case of pay to play.
for some like Skools and Ferm and other guys on here that are mechanically trained and experienced they pay in their time, time fixing their own stuff but even they have to pay, just less thats all.
also as time advances and the newer stuff comes out the more removed from fixing the average guy even with good mechanical common sense is removed from fixing his own stuff, especially in the engine arena.
The first boats I had had smaller older engines and if something was not running right I could stumble along and eventually even this blind squirle would find the problem nut.
When you buy the newer engines the past decade and a half you need a electronics degree to figure it out, along with the special programs and wiring harnesses to hook to your laptop to diagnose it. And usually now you don't fix that much you just find out what is wrong and replace it.
It is the trade off for more reliability for the consumer.
Remember the days with your 14-18 foot aluminum or fiberglass boat, manual everything on it, maybe a 15-50 horse Johnson or Evinrude or Mercury on it that you could always coax to life even when something was not working.
Those days are gone.
Good luck with what you choose boat wise, either way you will eventually be paying the Gods of the Sea for the privelidge of plying their waters.
I would thing very hard about buying a skiff type of boat unless you intend on low speed running in shallow edge of bay waters. I have been on several and they beat the snot out of you by the end of the day.
Even the Florida guys who have vast shallow flats to fish have gone to the nicer hull designs that are more sea worthy and dry, but still give you a decent ride for a flats boat. But even those if you get in a good chop and got to make a run in will leave you feeling like you just went ten rounds with a WWF champion.