Best for fishing up to 21 ft

DE18

Member
hi there,

Looking at upgrading to a bigger boat. Right now I have 17.5 Double Eagle. I like it no but I think I would like to go a couple of feet longer still with an outboard. I'm thinking 19 to 21 ft. This would be Ocean fishing around Vancouver and surrounding areas. Do I just with a bigger Double eagle? C dory angler, hourston, Arima, Grady white. Or aluminium hulls. I don't want to break the bank but understand buying solid doesn't come cheap also. Thanks
 
Someone's got a case of the 2 foot itis......all those brands you've listed are great. I think it all comes down to what you want out of a boat...do you want a cuddy...do you want a cabin....sleeping area etc....oncertainly you make your must haves list...that will steer you to a particular brand.
 
I know nothing about Double Eagles - look like great boats; like the wide beam. It is highly likely that these boats have been designed with local water conditions in mind. Grady makes a 24-25 with a very wide beam. Went on a day charter out of Campbell River in one - very nice boat. I had an older 24 SeaRay (1978) with a pod/outboard. It was intense, but you could run on a 3 ft chop at 50mph.
Trim tabs make a huge difference.
Hardtop with a solid bulkhead is nice - you can secure your stuff & it's warm & quiet when running.
If buying a used boat, most critical issue is the condition of the stringers/transom/cored hull.
Don't walk away from Bayliners - RUN very fast. I have a 78 Chris Craft (glass) & the stringers are hollow core fiberglass; no wood & a solid glass hull.
Do your research
Only thing I like about Aluminum is there is no wood to rot. The light weight is a double edged sword; uses less fuel/needs smaller motor but the ride can beat you up. It you want a FANTASTIC ride, get a 1975 - 1985 24ft SeaRay, trash the I/O & pod it.

Realize I am 65 y/o & fish WCVI mostly.
 
Honestly de18.....the boat you are currently running is perfect for where you are fishing....I wish I would have never sold my podded 175 de. 5' from back curtain to inside of transom, cheap to run, fast and handles pretty big seas for its size. Don't get me wrong I like my 22' w/a but I still think I may have made a mistake upgrading.

My 2cents
GnB
 
I love my 23ft Hourston, but I still miss my 17.5ft. I still believe that they are the best boat ever made. Great for a days fishing or at the lake water skiing. Watch what you wish for. Just saying.
 
My 2101 Striper with an Alaskan Hardtop is a great fishing platform. I can stand in the cuddy and have slept in it as well (I'm 6'4"). 21º Deadrise at the stern and a 400 litre gas tank provides a great deal of stability.
 
Little big for what yourlookin for, i run a 24' 1985 searay. Dropped a 383 strikor and a bravo3 dualprop in it. Wife and i got caught in nothweasterlys at 30 knots heading south from MerryIslands last august, 6-7 ft seas with a chop on top. Never took even a splash on the winshield.
 
I really like the looks of the 21 foot pilot house style double eagle. I may be bias as I have a trophy 24 pilot house.
 
Thanks for reply. Don't get me wrong I like the boat,buttttt I would like more room and a bit bigger of a boat for bigger seas or windy days. Also maybe would venture a little further with a bigger haul.
 
So DE18, you are supplying a bit more info about your desires but you are still not supplying the whole picture. Are you going to run from Van to the Gulf Islands? If the weather turns foul while you are out, do you want to get home the same day? Winter fishing? Pulling pots? Will you trailer & what can your tow vehicle handle?
I am 65 & the older I get the more comfort I want, so age matters. How long do you want to keep the boat & how will your needs change over the next few years. Iv'e had 3 boats & I went up about 10 feet each time.
 
Yes Ericl

A possible trip Over to gulf islands for sure. All I have heard about is thrasher rocker this and that. Would like to go over next year. Also yes, if weather gets a little ugly it would be nice to get home in the same day. I have about 4500 towing capacity. Looking for more fishing space then cabin space. I like the Double and Hourston style. Most are older used hauls and I worry about transom stringers and what not. Cheers
 
Nice job DE18.
An experienced surveyor uses a hammer to test for bad wood. While my Chris was being surveyed, I noticed he skipped this test. When i asked he said "no need, no wood below the water line on this boat". So, you could research for a boat like this or buy Aluminum w/o wood stringers. Or get it surveyed. Or get one that has been on a trailer & covered.

One time I ran my 24 SeaRay from Neah Bay to Ucluelet based on a faulty weather forecast. The seas on Swiftsure were at least 20 feet. I was ready to sell the boat & take the bus home when i got there. Boating is not like driving a car; it;s wise to plan 7 equip for worst case scenario's. On the above trip one of several waves that broke on the boat (true green water) washed-out the VHF radio. Turning around would have flipped us.
Length helps as it allows you to have the hull riding on more than one wave where the waves are primarily generated by local winds (AKA choppy) versus ocean swells generated hundreds/thousands on miles away. The longer length results in less pitching. Longer boats tend to have higher sides (more freeboard). I like lots of beam. It increased stability, gives you more room for a given length, & doesn't cost more for moorage or the Ferry.

From your tow vehicle capacity & the waters you intend to be on I'd say get an Aluminum that has a fairly deep vee hull. It will probably cost more than FG but you can use a smaller OB because AL is about 30% lighter or so. The smaller lighter OB will make the boat ride much better & costs less. When I replaced the I/O with an OB on my 24 SeaRay the stern sat about 3" higher when still & it would take a 4' chop at 45mph although all the banging & crap flying around was pretty stressful.

You can look at the "proptests" on the Yamaha/Suzuki web pages & get a fair idea how your boat will perform with a given OB. Max MPG sees to be around 4000 RPM for most boat/motor combo's. Aiming for a 25 mph cruise is not a bad idea as faster speeds w/o a flybridge make seeing debris a problem.
 
I have a 19.5 ft Lund FG runabout hull with 140 hp outboard that I use on the Sunshine Coast. IMHO it's the ideal sized boat for fishing the inside waters - small enough for easy trailering and reasonable fuel costs, can navigate narrow channels and beach (with care). On the other hand it's long enough to handle the short steep chop we get so often on the Strait and the extra fishing space is much appreciated. This boat has been out to mid-strait to fish Lasqueti/Sangster numerous times plus occasional trips to Vancouver Island, Princess Louisa etc. Last year we were up in Jervis Inlet accompanied by friends in a 17 ft Hourston. We hit some strong winds up in the inlet and the difference in comfortable speed between the two boats was immediately apparent, the smaller boat had to slow to at least 5 mph less. A larger boat than mine would have done even better of course, but at a penalty in fuel and upfront price.

If you want to sleep aboard or a have a toilet, you'll need to go into the 21-22 ft range. You'll get a tad more freeboard and a lot more storage space from a cuddy or walkaround hull format. I would have preferred those too but the carport I use for storage doesn't have the height for anything taller. It's personal preferences like that that @ericl is encouraging you to think about. If you have to trailer your boat fairly often, lighter weight helps reduce overall cost of ownership by reducing the size of tow vehicle needed, trailer is cheaper to buy and maintain, less gas for towing, lower ferry fares. My trailer and boat combined weigh 1375 kg/3030 lb fuelled up. Going to a 4 stroke outboard and a taller hull will add about 15% more weight and take you close to your current vehicle's towing limits. Cost of ownership skyrockets if you have to purchase and maintain a bigger vehicle than you otherwise need.
 
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