1st time boat owner ( still looking)

[JoJo909]

Never owned a boat before..but i want to buy one suitable for sea fishing..3 or 4 people..i saw one boat i liked but im not sure if it will do the job. i need advice. Its a 1989 Four Winns 180 Horizon

 

[southkogs]

Welcome aboard: I wouldn't venture out in big water too far on that boat. It'll be fine in calm weather in most bays and such, but my experience on the Pacific and the Gulf would suggest away from that boat. Look at a dual console or center console type.

 

[JoJo909]

this is my 2nd option..i was told this would do the job..whats your expert opinion? Skipjack Cabin Cruiser

 

[Starcraft5834]

Ocean floats......... this boat has a deeper V bow than the firs tone, u def want a deep V and at least 22 feet... Ocean's no joke... bigger the better there.. my 2 c

 

[southkogs]

That looks like an OMC Stringer on the stern. Obsolete and some parts are getting harder to find. Not a drive I would recommend to a newbie or going too far off shore.

 

[GlennFerrell]

Me and a buddy from my platoon recently bought a 1968 hydroswift to serve as a project the only problem uhs were know nothing about boats. Add it sits its pretty much just a striped out hull. What's the best thing to start with?

 

[matt167]

depending on the condition, the best thing could be to start with a dumpster and get out of the project before spending a dime. But, I had to look it up, Hydroswift looks pretty cool. rebuild it if you can, but there is zero value in that type of outboard runabout

 

[Scott Danforth]

Me and a buddy from my platoon recently bought a 1968 hydroswift to serve as a project the only problem uhs were know nothing about boats. Add it sits its pretty much just a striped out hull. What's the best thing to start with?

the first thing to do is read the rules and dont hyjack threads. start one of your own on your own topic

if you know nothing about boats, start reading all the stickies in all the forums. plenty of info in there.

 

[dingbat]

You can “sea fish” from the beach. You can also “sea fish” 40 to 100 miles offshore I we do.

You need to define where, method and how far for relevant feedback.

Major concerns.... reliably of power, sea worthiness, (no open bows or transoms) hull design (deep V isn’t a hull design) and fuel capacity to match your intended destination

 

[Scott Danforth]

In addition to the right boat, Fiberglass boats older than 15-20 years may have rotten hulls and may not be good on any body of water.

Sea fishing is a very vague term. you may be fishing the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Gulf, etc. each body of water requires a different size of boat.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

2 words for the 1st boat jojo. Too small. 2 words for the cruiser. Too big. I say too big as for someone looking for a 1st boat bigger isn't better. It takes a lot of experience to run and dock a boat. I always advise 1st time boat owners to go with something no bigger than 20'. It's just a fact of life.That 4 Winns is simple too small to get out very far in the ocean. Can it be done? Of course it can, it all depends on the weather. That 4 Winns can be too small here where we boat on The Great Lakes, depending on weather. When you were learning to drive a car you didn't start out with a 53 foot tractor trailer. Think of this. Get a 25' plus long vehicle and take off all the rear view mirrors cover all the side and rear windows with cardboard then cover the windshield other than a square foot that you can see out of. Now picture water splashing onto the front window or fog that you can just see 5 feet ahead of the cruiser. That basically is boating in big water and trying to dock a big boat. Also it would be prudent to give an idea where you intend on "sea fishing" to get better answers.

When you are looking at old boats you need to have at least $5,000.00 in a bank account to get it safely floating on the water. It's another fact of life. Baby steps jojo, baby steps. Like dingbat said "sea fishing" can be done from shore or 100 miles off shore. I think when you say sea fishing you mean to say 'Offshore or Saltwater Fishing." If you don't listen to me listen to dingbat, he knows his stuff when it comes to sea fishing.

Also welcome to iboats.com. You have come to the right place for information and opinions. Sometimes more opinions than information.

Johnny D/ Selkirk Ontario Canada

 

[Scott Danforth]

i was told this would do the job..whats your expert opinion? Skipjack Cabin Cruiser

opinion on the skip jack is that being over 30 years old, there will most likely be rot in the structure. you will need to check it out. and if the drive is a VP AQ series, they are not a bad drive. if the drive is OMC, dont even consider buying it.