Going to venture into saltwater for the first time

[Curapa]

Originally Posted by jasoncooperpcola

X2 that happened to me a couple years ago. It was a $250 mistake!
As for your boat, I as well as almost everybody on here, have seen smaller boats offshore. Is it smart? No. But if you are prepared right, it aint that bad. I have been fishing with a friend in his 60 year old 17' wooden boat and we have been going 25 miles offshore!

Hell we were 75 miles offshore in a friends Hatteras and there was a pontoon boat trolling around like it was nothing.

My buddy used to take his flat bottom leaky aluminum boat 10 miles offshore by himself when he lived in Key West. No bilge, used to scoop the water out with a cup. Not something I would.