70hp

[CNT]

Yep Texas. I have been on 18 footers that 2 guys have to say excuse me every time they move, no room. Can I say it was a Tracker, yep I just did. My 19'6" StarCraft is wide and deep enough to dance in when I move the seats around or leave a few dockside. I seldom have 3 people in her fishing unless still fishing for Yellow Perch or Crappie. That didn't come out right. If it has more than 3 ABOURD we are on a nice sightseeing tour wasting both Uncle Johnny's time and fuel. And to make it even worse I pass over big schools of fish and I can't hook any, I go to the same area the next day and they are long gone. I don't know why I torture myself.

Nice poetry! :clap2:

 

[Old Ironmaker]

To answer just 1 of your questions a boat may have both 12V as well as 2 batteries in tandem to make a 24V for electric trolling motors. If you see a boat you may pull the trigger on after it is tested "IN" the water go to the NADA site, answer all the questions i.e. make, model, engine, HP, options etc. and it will give you the prices it might be worth.

If you are the guying trying to drive over 100 MPH let me know when and where you are doing it so I can stay home that day. If you think you are going to go WOT on any boat continually you must have plenty of money to do that for fuel and maintenance. You do realize boats are usually rated for gallons per mile and not the other way around.

 

[JimS123]

So here I am learning too. Beam (width) is as important as length. Here mention 91" beam, that's 7 and 1/2 feet, it's pretty wide. But, I will bring tape measure as I look around at boats.

My last boat was 19' long and the beam was 84". I bought that model specifically because it was a bit narrow so it would fit thru my 8' wide garage door. The boat was adequate...but not ideal. We regularly had 4 adults and 4 pre-teens aboard.

Now we have a 16' garage door and our current boat has a 100" beam. Boy, what a difference! I sure wouldn't want to go any narrower.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Draught is very important as well. Not just how much hull is under water how much hull is above the water. I have been in skinny 18' boats that the gunnel comes just to my knees, mine comes mid thigh. I'm 5'11".

 

[ahicks]

Draught is very important as well. Not just how much hull is under water how much hull is above the water. I have been in skinny 18' boats that the gunnel comes just to my knees, mine comes mid thigh. I'm 5'11".

I think my preferences there would be determined by what kind of water I frequented most of the time. I like the low sides of many bass boats in calmer waters or those that rarely get choppy (eg smaller inland lakes, many shallow water Florida bays). For more lively action, like you might see out on the Great lakes where crap can and does come up quickly, I'm looking for much more freeboard! Something that will keep the spray down if heading home in a hurry! Bass and bay boats can be miserable with a lot of spray coming over the sides (especially the up wind side).

In either case, wider still = better in my book.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

We fish Erie 99% of the time and when I offer advice it usually is preferences for me. There are applications for low draught (draft in most English language places) like a proper Bass boat in calmer waters. I say calmer waters but I have seen 1st hand what a "real deal" Bass boat can handle. The hull was out of the water as much as it was in the water. Those guys are nutso. I have been caught here a few times on Erie. We round a point and go from 2' rollers to 5 and 6 foot breakers in a minute. Especially in an open bow like my StarCraft Superfisherman 190, very deep V too. As I always say there are guys in 30' cruisers that have kissed the ground when they came in. No boat can be big enough sometimes here. The Edmund Fitzgerald comes to mind. The worse I have ever seen was when a commercial fishing boat needed the Coast Guard to retrieve the crew on our Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. It was only a few miles from our place straight out. The cottage was shaking that afternoon, dead calm a few hours before. Our guests couldn't believe the winds. Only that day did my brother come to realize why I never built a dock on the shoreline. The storm last month on the north shore of Erie ripped steel docks from their piers locally. 100 MPH winds all day and night. Scary stuff.