Considering a 22-25ft cabin cruiser. thoughts?

[gman546]

Short story - I have a 18ft bowrider that is a hybrid fishing machine that i like, but it doesnt promote the family to engage in boating as we are on lake erie or lake ontario (we trailer to both). the swells can be big etc. But i don't care to drive up north to use the trolling motor anymore, the toronto traffic is stupid and the lakes are overfished. im fully on board with trolling for walleye or salmon

My boat is worth about 8500-12k depending on if i include the 2025 terrova trolling motor, but im looking at mid-late 80s sun ray seadancers or other equivilent boats that are 22'-25', around $4500-7500, plus a wet slip for 2026. I have the costs pretty much figured at 5-6k operational per year not including fuel, but im wondering the following:

- How are those late sundancer models for fishing out the back ? The sundancer models look like they have the nice open space you can make
- How do they handle? I hear they are kind of narrow so dont ride waves properly
- How hard is it to keep the boats straight when trolling? the sundancers have this big bench that i worry about having to constantly run around to get to the throttles on.

Any other reasons why this is a bad investment for fishing? I imagine its a good investment for family stuff, entertaining, just partying in a wet slip. i get that. but i wont sacrifice fishing.

 

[redneck joe]

Do you know ow what you are up againt on a 45ish year old boat? That comes first before a year other considerations.

 

[StewartL]

Short story - I have a 18ft bowrider that is a hybrid fishing machine that i like, but it doesnt promote the family to engage in boating as we are on lake erie or lake ontario (we trailer to both). the swells can be big etc. But i don't care to drive up north to use the trolling motor anymore, the toronto traffic is stupid and the lakes are overfished. im fully on board with trolling for walleye or salmon

My boat is worth about 8500-12k depending on if i include the 2025 terrova trolling motor, but im looking at mid-late 80s sun ray seadancers or other equivilent boats that are 22'-25', around $4500-7500, plus a wet slip for 2026. I have the costs pretty much figured at 5-6k operational per year not including fuel, but im wondering the following:

- How are those late sundancer models for fishing out the back ? The sundancer models look like they have the nice open space you can make
- How do they handle? I hear they are kind of narrow so dont ride waves properly
- How hard is it to keep the boats straight when trolling? the sundancers have this big bench that i worry about having to constantly run around to get to the throttles on.

Any other reasons why this is a bad investment for fishing? I imagine its a good investment for family stuff, entertaining, just partying in a wet slip. i get that. but i wont sacrifice fishing.

Those Sun Dancers are poor for fishing. The rear sun pad blocks access to the water. They are hard to keep straight when trolling. You'll be constantly fighting the helm.

They also handle poorly in waves compared to a dedicated fishing hull. For your budget, an older cuddy cabin from a fishing brand is a much better choice. You get open deck space and a better ride. Don't sacrifice fishing for the party boat.

 

[Lou C]

Grady White Walkaround

 

[matt167]

SC Chieftan 25’ would be my choice. $10-15k buys a nice one.
21’ Chieftain makes a good pocket cruiser.

A Grady white or even a C-Dory could make a nice dual purpose cruiser

 

[mr 88]

Grady Whites are over rated , seems like every one built into the mid to early 2000's has bad stringers/ transom and or fuel tank . None of that is cheap to fix . I/Os are terrible for trolling and more importantly they are the weak link in the drive system , always needing attention $$. A straight inboard is the way to go if fishing . Lower center of gravity , weight is more balanced out with engine towards the center of boat , not all in the stern . No work required on transmission, troll slower and track perfectly straight . They will use a bit more fuel as you cannot really trim the hull like a I/O or a outboard engine . If you live in WNY , small boat choices -, start looking in the Cleveland- Toledo area on Marketplace for a boat . Aquasport- Carolina Classic -Albermarle , Rampage - Black Fin - Luhrs - Boston Whaler would be what I would be looking for . Your budget needs to be upped , or settle for a boat that isn't going to be enjoyable in the long run . If you get a I/O your going to need a kicker or trolling bags to slow it down and help it track straight . I'll never buy I/O after owning a bunch of them , 3 of my boats are inboards and two are outboards .

 

[Pmt133]

I fished my buddies grady... 22 something. It was alright but I felt I got the sh** kicked out of me for a relatively calm day. On the flip side it had a ton of room for the size (more than the 25 he replaced it with because of the lack of the bracket) and the fishing itself was great. That era Yammy more often than not didn't make it home either but that is what it is and is no fault of the boat.

I've been on that era sundancer... I'd pass for what you're looking to do.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Mid 90s crest hawk. Aluminum hull, cuddy, 4.3V6, 2 tanks, fish all day on one fill-up

 

[airshot]

Any glass boat over 25 years of age will have structure issues and it isn't cheap to repair them! Starcraft Chieften or look at Mareinet aluminum boats, aluminum boat are much easier and cheaper to repair and carry a higher resale value, at least here around Lake Erie. I always have a kicker motor, for trolling and as an emergency return, in case the main doesn't fireup. Had a 22' Islander for 10 years, I/O, never an issue trolling, but used a kicker for trolling. Unless your bow rider is fairly new, they are a dime a dozen and loose value quickly unless they are aluminum. Your estimate on value sounds high. Good luck on your search, now might be a good time to buy with sales so slow. Just be extremely careful if looking at glassers, especially any over 20 years of age !!

 

[Bottom Mapping]

Short story - I have a 18ft bowrider that is a hybrid fishing machine that i like, but it doesnt promote the family to engage in boating as we are on lake erie or lake ontario (we trailer to both). the swells can be big etc. But i don't care to drive up north to use the trolling motor anymore, the toronto traffic is stupid and the lakes are overfished. im fully on board with trolling for walleye or salmon

My boat is worth about 8500-12k depending on if i include the 2025 terrova trolling motor, but im looking at mid-late 80s sun ray seadancers or other equivilent boats that are 22'-25', around $4500-7500, plus a wet slip for 2026. I have the costs pretty much figured at 5-6k operational per year not including fuel, but im wondering the following:

- How are those late sundancer models for fishing out the back ? The sundancer models look like they have the nice open space you can make
- How do they handle? I hear they are kind of narrow so dont ride waves properly
- How hard is it to keep the boats straight when trolling? the sundancers have this big bench that i worry about having to constantly run around to get to the throttles on.

Any other reasons why this is a bad investment for fishing? I imagine its a good investment for family stuff, entertaining, just partying in a wet slip. i get that. but i wont sacrifice fishing.

We had a 1986 Sundancer 268 with twin V-6 alpha drives. Bought in 2002, so 16 or so years of age. Had been carefully maintained and stored indoors by an anal-retentive marine surveyor. Many upgrades made by him, including performance enhancements. It was a great family boat; slept 2 adults and 3 kids comfortably. She cruised at 28 mph, burning 14 gph, which is a solid 2 mpg (really good for a 6800 lb. fast family cruiser). That was the reported basic weight and I never weighed the trailer by itself to isolate the boat weight. But 10,500 to 11,500 laden with fuel and typical trip gear was the routine scale number.

Regarding ride, it was actually very good. Mid-20s on a medium choppy day produced virtually no bounce, just a solid slice through the waves. Two foot-plus waves rendered some pitching up and down of course, but still a comfortable ride. One time at Lake Havasu, one of my minimally boat savy friends rode from a beach to the ramp with me, after doing the same run with my buddy on his brand-new Regal 24' a few minutes before. As some summer thunderstorms approached, the water was 3-foot plus, tight waves. This guy was amazed at the difference between the extra three feet and 2000 lbs. of our 268. He said "I feel so safe on this, but the Regal was very scrappy." That was a fair observation. Our current boat is 24' and way less comfortable in significant seas than the Sea Ray 268 was.

For fishing, it was decent. We salmon trolled and bottom fished in the Pacific NW. We had snap-in carpet, which came out for fishing and beach days. Then it was a spartan fiberglass cockpit, tolerant of mess and blood. for trolling, we would shutdown one engine and idle speed was a perfect troll rate, under 3 mph. No baitwell, but I've always been a bucket guy, so it didn't phase me. The P.O. had installed a raw water wash-down pump, which was helpful. On an 86, the seating aside from the hem area sucked. two rear facing fold-down jumpseats with a 90 degree back angle. At the stern, a very narrow fold-down bench. You could seat eight, but not in comfort. A couple of nice deck chairs made it work for us.

You will have a difficult time finding a decent example of a boat similar to this. If I were in your shoes, I'd be hunting for the newest SD 270 you can afford, with a 7.4L mpi engine and Bravo 3 drive. Many of the benefits our 1986 268 had, with many modern improvements - most of them ergonomic and efficiency gains. I see them offered with trailers fairly often.

I have owned a lot of older boats, usually purchased in the Desert Southwest with a freshwater/indoor storage history. It's a tall order to find a 40 year old boat that's decent today. Best of luck to you!

 

[gman546]

Do you know ow what you are up againt on a 45ish year old boat? That comes first before a year other considerations.

We had a 1986 Sundancer 268 with twin V-6 alpha drives. Bought in 2002, so 16 or so years of age. Had been carefully maintained and stored indoors by an anal-retentive marine surveyor. Many upgrades made by him, including performance enhancements. It was a great family boat; slept 2 adults and 3 kids comfortably. She cruised at 28 mph, burning 14 gph, which is a solid 2 mpg (really good for a 6800 lb. fast family cruiser). That was the reported basic weight and I never weighed the trailer by itself to isolate the boat weight. But 10,500 to 11,500 laden with fuel and typical trip gear was the routine scale number.

Regarding ride, it was actually very good. Mid-20s on a medium choppy day produced virtually no bounce, just a solid slice through the waves. Two foot-plus waves rendered some pitching up and down of course, but still a comfortable ride. One time at Lake Havasu, one of my minimally boat savy friends rode from a beach to the ramp with me, after doing the same run with my buddy on his brand-new Regal 24' a few minutes before. As some summer thunderstorms approached, the water was 3-foot plus, tight waves. This guy was amazed at the difference between the extra three feet and 2000 lbs. of our 268. He said "I feel so safe on this, but the Regal was very scrappy." That was a fair observation. Our current boat is 24' and way less comfortable in significant seas than the Sea Ray 268 was.

For fishing, it was decent. We salmon trolled and bottom fished in the Pacific NW. We had snap-in carpet, which came out for fishing and beach days. Then it was a spartan fiberglass cockpit, tolerant of mess and blood. for trolling, we would shutdown one engine and idle speed was a perfect troll rate, under 3 mph. No baitwell, but I've always been a bucket guy, so it didn't phase me. The P.O. had installed a raw water wash-down pump, which was helpful. On an 86, the seating aside from the hem area sucked. two rear facing fold-down jumpseats with a 90 degree back angle. At the stern, a very narrow fold-down bench. You could seat eight, but not in comfort. A couple of nice deck chairs made it work for us.

You will have a difficult time finding a decent example of a boat similar to this. If I were in your shoes, I'd be hunting for the newest SD 270 you can afford, with a 7.4L mpi engine and Bravo 3 drive. Many of the benefits our 1986 268 had, with many modern improvements - most of them ergonomic and efficiency gains. I see them offered with trailers fairly often.

I have owned a lot of older boats, usually purchased in the Desert Southwest with a freshwater/indoor storage history. It's a tall order to find a 40 year old boat that's decent today. Best of luck to you!

thanks for such a detailed reply. did you notice any issues trolling where it would wander side to side rendering you constantly having to correct the steering? or was it mostly straight

 

[arks]

….or look at Mareinet aluminum boats, aluminum boats are much easier and cheaper to repair and carry a higher resale value….

It’s Marinette.
My slip neighbor has an old 32 footer.
I believe the smallest they made were 28’. The hulls and stringers were 100% welded aluminum. Good lake and Bay boats.

FWIW, my Silverton is 41 years old and fiberglass. The hull is solid but the stringers were plywood with thick fiberglass encapsulation. I have a letter from the Company stating the plywood was used specifically to form the fiberglass stringers only and the fiberglass is intended to be the structural component.

 

[redneck joe]

I have a letter from the Company stating the plywood was used specifically to form the fiberglass stringers only and the fiberglass is intended to be the structural component.

Interesting

 

[airshot]

Silverton was never classified as a consumer priced/ built boat. Yes there are exceptions, but the majority of glassers were designed to last 25 years or so. Not many well made glassers in the 24' and smaller size. The Marionette does come in a 26', can't say how popular but there have been a couple docked at a local marina. As a boat owner for over 60 years, I can't recall how many disappointed fiberglass boat owners I have known when they find their nice boat with a rotten structure.

 

[Bottom Mapping]

thanks for such a detailed reply. did you notice any issues trolling where it would wander side to side rendering you constantly having to correct the steering? or was it mostly straight

Straight tracking with both engines running, but you could feel the drag that induced a slow turn while trolling with one engine off, in neutral. One engine was around 2.5 mph, 4 mph or so with both running (a bit fast for trolling for salmon in the Puget Sound). Even with a little bit of correction applied with an engine shut down, it was better than any single outdrive, single prop boat I've ever had .... I think the dragging drive added directional stability. A single engine, counter rotating drive system seems to be as good as it gets. BTW, the swim platform arrangement on the 1986 SD was not conducive to mounting a kicker, but I never wanted one when I already had twin engines. Trolling without a kicker in my waters is viewed by fellow anglers as something like showing up to a duck hunt with a standard poodle. It works, but they'll laugh at you.

I jut realized the info I cited for my 270 is a bit outside of the size range you specified, but most of the comments transfer to the smaller versions of the same model, except that's going to be single engine only. A 350 small block should be decent in a 250 Sundancer, but I expect it will be thirsty, running in the upper 3000 rpm range to achieve a reasonable cruise speed.

 

[racerone]

Sounds like you need 2 boats one for cottage / family / sleeping.----One on a trailer to go where the fish are

 

[dingbat]

I fished my buddies grady... 22 something. It was alright but I felt I got the sh** kicked out of me for a relatively calm day.

What year?

I've run a Grady 226 with the SeaV2 hull for the past 20 years.
Everyone always compliments how soft the boat rides.

 

[Pmt133]

What year?

I've run a Grady 226 with the SeaV2 hull for the past 20 years.
Everyone always compliments how soft the boat rides.

Want to say it was a late 80s model. Before the Seav2 update. (Had to look that up as I'm not up on gradys... not my speed but seeing the difference with the V2 hull, my experience makes sense.) Also explains why I thought the 25 was a massive change in ride quality for not as huge size difference as you'd think.