This one is on the left coast, but the hull looks really clean. Cheap, too. Don't know what U-ship might charge for a little boat.
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/boa/d/donzi-21-foot/6612874492.html
Edit: Not sure that this one is a bow rider, if that matters.
it is a bowrider/open bow. right price too
I never understood the whole "bow rider" thing. You either want an open skiff like boat or a closed boat. The half and half is like t tops.. the worst of both worlds
In reply to mad_machine :
When pulling a skier "out of the hole" it is nice to have an open bow at that time so like movable ballast, you can put one or two people in the bow which help tje boat plane quicker
mad_machine said:I never understood the whole "bow rider" thing. You either want an open skiff like boat or a closed boat. The half and half is like t tops.. the worst of both worlds
Seating. Great for a family. Besides, I don't intend to sleep on my boat, so why do I need a bed down there? My cousin has a closed bow Sea Ray. We have a bow-rider Rinker and Grady White. I much prefer both bow riders, just for the seating.
open skiff works just as well.. especially with a nice central steering position.
The open skiff boats are more for fishing boats etc if I’m not mistaken and really set up for stuff like water skiing etc.
Yeah, center console skiff styles are great for fishing but dual consoles or bow riders are much better for comfort and cruising. We've been trying out both. Cuddy cabin boats don't start to make sense until you get up over 25 feet where you have real usable space in the interior.
mad_machine said:open skiff works just as well.. especially with a nice central steering position.
Unless its raining, cold, or you're not fishing.
I have lots of experience with runabouts. Shore landings are ridiculously hard, especially for people of advanced age (or particularly young age). It is also 100% completely wasted space. Space that could be used for passengers, cargo, sunbathers, whatever. In a boat the size I'm looking for, I need every last inch of space I can get. I will never (ever) have a closed front runabout again. Terrible choice for my uses.
A skiff meets the space goals, but horrific ride quality, zero protection from elements if a rain comes up, and seating for two or three instead of six. I could see having one if all I did was fish on nice days, but dad has a pontoon for that.
I'm not sure why you're so against bowriders? Easily 80% of what I do is shore landings and cruising. We go out and cruise the lake, find a nice island, have a shore lunch, maybe ski some. Crawling over the nose of a runabout (especially with the granite sand up here) means it wouldn't make it one season before being destroyed, my dad couldn't go with me because of his bad knees, and my sister's 2-year old would be such a hassle getting in and out of the boat on to shore. A skiff would have the space, but hard, square seats for just a few people, and no protection from the elements. Zero comfort, flat hull that rides like a go-kart going offroad, not my cup of tea.
A runabout is the equivalent of a Cadillac Escalade that you weld the tailgate shut and weld a cover on the bed. You purposely take away the entire function of the vehicle you bought. Its just wasted space. A skiff is like a Jeep with no top. Rough ride, single purpose, only for nice weather.
Or for water skiing you can go the fast hot rod boat route lol
mad_machine said:open skiff works just as well.. especially with a nice central steering position.
How? There are like 4 seats in the whole thing, best case scenario...
mtn said:mad_machine said:open skiff works just as well.. especially with a nice central steering position.
How? There are like 4 seats in the whole thing, best case scenario...
You are thinking inside the box. Seating is easily and comfortably added
mtn said:mad_machine said:open skiff works just as well.. especially with a nice central steering position.
How? There are like 4 seats in the whole thing, best case scenario...
Very true. Of course all this depends on what we're calling skiffs, versus center console boats, verses bow riders, etc.
One of the most popular trends in center console fishing boats between 22' and 35' is making them more family friendly and adding more seats. Take a look at the Pioneer boats Islander series or some of the NauticStar boats. The ones we've looked at still aren't as comfortable as a Dual Console (bowrider) built on the same hull, which a lot of the companies do. I suspect this is the way that a guy gets to spend the silly money required for a new fishing boat these days without getting vetoed by the family. One of the biggest things for me is seating where my wife and I can sit next to each other and share the boating experience. We aren't small people, so you don't get that kind of seating in a center console until it's WAY bigger than I can afford. Plus even then, the seats just aren't as comfortable. In the smaller boats the "wife seat" is on a cooler in front of the console. I suppose this is great if you'd prefer not to see the fact that your wife is actually on board with you?
Interestingly, modern deck boats (again, look at NauticStar) sort of slide the other way. They're sort of a pontoon seating layout on a real, usable hull. There's a spectrum forming - Pontoon boat, deck boat, Dual Console (or bowrider), "family" fishing boat, true center console, pure skiff - from comfy and lazy to fishy and hardcore.
Dangit... made a whole post about skiff hull designs and found pictures of comparisons, then lost internet as it was posting.
Grr. Maybe tomorrow I'll have internet. Using my phone as a hotspot in a foreign country right now. That will be cheap (said no one ever.)
I don't think of a skiff as a console layout, its more of a hull design. They are the exact opposite of what I'm looking for. They are spartan, hard, utility boats with a flat hull. They ride hard, they don't provide comfy ride, any protection from the elements, and they look like a the equivalent of a cargo van. Purpose built for one goal: to work hard and not suck.
Runabouts are also not at all what I'm looking for. A closed-front bow is awful for shore landings. I had one. In one season, the hood was trashed from walking on it with granite sand, the windshield broke from crawling over it, and no one would ride with me because it was an awful design for this lake and my uses. It is also a monumental waste of space. It is the equivalent of buying an Escalade pickup and then welding the tailgate shut and welding a cover on the bed. You take away half of the purpose for owning a truck and turn it into wasted space.
As I said before, I am looking for a Jag XJR for the water; comfy, luxury, good looks, speed, and it has plenty of nice seating. Neither a skiff nor a runabout would have any effectiveness for my purposes.
I'll give you another photo analogy. I want something that is half way between these two pictured below: I want the low freeboard, lack of wasted space to fiberglass wraparounds, performance hull, and speed of the triton fish-n-ski, with the comfort, style, and looks of the Chris Craft Launch. So I either take a Fish-n-ski and customize the interior for what I want, or I take an I/O or Jet and cut the cap off to make it lower freeboard and do my own gunwales.... unless I can find a kit that will do it, or an existing boat that has what I need.
There's a very similar F&S for sale not far from me. They look badass, but the you're right that the seating sucks - especially in the front. The rear seat setup isn't that different from the Chris Craft. I've looked at them several times and wondered if they could be made more comfortable. The lower freeboard is nice on inland lakes but I worry about how well the low bow deals with big wakes or rougher water. Of course, that's more about my boating areas than yours.
And who doesn't LOVE acres of BIG ASS METAL FLAKE!!??
You're right about skiffs - wash tubs with motors but they'll always bring you home, albeit with back injuries. I was thinking about most of the Carolina Skiff types being center console layout I guess.
Crestliner did a really nice thing with their bowriders that I maybe could duplicate with a F&S...
They had dual-purpose front decks. They are a bowrider with a walkthrough and cushions on either side, or you can fold the cushions to the insde and it is a flat, carpeted fishing deck with a seat post hole. I thought maybe I could modify a F&S to be that way, but I'd have to look at how they're constructed under the deck. The cushions you see fold in and make a flat platform.
You'll need to log in to post.
