SeaSwirl 1997

[brooksville_rebel]

Hello
Yep another Is this boat any good question. We have a pontoon and I am quite happy sitting on it out in the Gulf and drinking beer and blasting tunes. However the wifey wants to go farther out to fish. So we've been looking at boats. Driving me nuts. One day its she wants a Cuddy. Couple days later its a Center Console, then a walk-around, No a walk-around with a cuddy. No lets get a big boat. No lets get a little boat. Its driving me nuts. If she didn't cook so good I'd take her out farther and drop her with the anchor. Joke. But feel like it sometimes.
So she found this one were she seems to be liking it and keeps going back to.
Its a 1997 Striper 2100 (I believe that was the model but can't recall since we have seen so many) with a 150 Johnson outboard. We did go see it and looked nice.Everything was in good condition. It was just out last weekend. I just don't know enough about these boats. Doesn't help as he only speaks Spanish and us only English so sometimes communication is a slow process. If we get serious about buying it will bring a friend that speaks Spanish tho. The only big boat that I that went out far on was a big Navy supply ship I was sent to go load up when I floated from Okinawa to South Korea while in the Marines.

She wants to be able to go 20+ miles out in the Gulf. Head south into Pasco to fish and north to Citrus to scallop. We are in Central Florida, Hernando County.
Maybe stay over night out there. That far out, probably closer to shore more likely.
To Fish off of for the most part
My concerns are riding the choppy waters.
I can't find any details on draft either. Our pontoon is wet slipped and were we are it gets a real low tide sometimes so that worries me too with it.
Feed back greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[JoLin]

Stripers are common up here (Long Island) and they have a good rep for seaworthiness relative to their size. You still have to watch the weather, tho. 21' isn't very big. Florida weather changes fast- think about how long it'll take you to travel those 20 miles to shelter when the waves kick up and you're limited to 10 mph.

If you're looking to overnight it'll be very cramped in the cuddy. My first boat was a 21' Pro-Line WAC with a 175. I overnighted once by myself (wife wasn't interested in squeezing in there, too) and decided that for weekending we'd need something bigger.

Personally, I'd be looking for a bigger one.

My .02

 

[Chris1956]

I have a '98 2100 Dual Console. It will have the same hull as the one you are looking at. The quality of the boat is good, and it is very seaworthy. I would think you will want more power, as your boat is likely heavier than mine. You may want more length as well as pointed out by John.

Seaswirl changed the hull design a few years after that (and mine) was made. The new hull model number, for example is 2101 for a 21 footer. Whereas I think my hull is OK, my '88 SeaRay's hull for example, was faster and better.

 

[dingbat]

The further out you go the smaller your boat looks. At 20 miles the 21’ will seem like 17’.

My 21ft. was pretty good in the chop but at #3000 it bobbed like a cork in the ocean.

Jumped up to a 22’ (same boat) but almost doubled displacement. Huge difference in the way it behaved in open water.

 

[southkogs]

Sleeping on a 21' cuddy 20 miles off shore is going to 1) be tough to anchor and 2) feel like you're a survivor hanging on to wreckage. I've been out that far on a 21' in the Gulf and dingbat's right ... they start feeling pretty small pretty quick.

For the day, in good weather you're fine. I've been out on a 19' center console and comfortable even in some mild storms.

 

[capecodtodd]

That is a good looking boat Brooksville. I am a fan of the walkaround cuddy and I am actively searching for one now to replace my Stingray. In my research the Sea Swirl is a good boat but I believe the 21 doesn't have a sink/stove or a potty. Not deal killers but what may be is what the others suggested that a 21' boat gets really small the further out you go. I'm looking at a 23-24' boat which is a compromise in sea worthyness and trailerability. My wife would have us get a 26' but that is a whole other beast to deal with.
Also on the boat you are looking at I don't see trim tabs which would help in rough seas. How many hours on the 1997 motor? I'd be a bit nervous heading out 20 miles with a motor that is not 100%

These boats have a pretty deep V hull so the draft is approx 2.5-3' You can google owners manuals etc to get the real number.

 

[dingbat]

These boats have a pretty deep V hull so the draft is approx 2.5-3'

What boats are you looking at?

I draft 14”.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I was looking at Stripers theres a number of them up here in the NW. I have a couple buddies with cabins and there all to small to really sleep in. And every one of them made a couple overnight or slightly longer sleep overs in them the first year but never or hardly ever did it afterwards. One of my buddies cabins rear most beds actually was more comfortable then the wider bed even though it was really narrow it also seemed to be more level in that area when I layed down in it. His boat is a 26 Larson. You need to be 28 plus feet long to be able to comfortable sleep overnight then theres the need for AC ( it can be uncormfortable hot below deck when the boats sitting still and the temps about 80 degrees) more fresh water etc that now turns your boat into huge money or your buying some worn out junk. i looked at several 29 foot Stripers that were about as close to right in a cabin as I could get. New there $200K used with thousands of hours $50K I did almost buy a 2901 really liked the boat but I held off and the boat that haunted my dreams showed up in a boat show here last Feb. It now haunts my driveway. Sporting 28 hours it calls to me all the time telling me im abusing it because it sits so much. However my life change is still about three years away. I wanted to have my boat bought and paid for before I cut my work back 3 to 4 months a year. So It sits a lot. I do plan to wear the paint off it when the time comes.

I plan on being a snow bird will drive my boat to Florida from Washington state for three months a year. Needed to be trailerable and 28 foot boats start to become a lot more effort to drag down the road. I settled on a CC because I doubt we will use the cabin area for more than storage and I do not want my boat to be a storage locker. We are divers and I do like to fish. Of which the boat I chose will work well for that. So before buying a cabin talk to people with similar needs as yourself and make sure a cabin is right if not get a CC. Im making a sun shade that will stretch from the rear of the console to the back of the boat so when its hot and sunny we have more shade if were lounging in the rear.

As far as size like everyone else mentioned 21 feet will seem a lot smaller the farther you get from shore. For that factor I bought a 26 foot boat its closer to 30 feet in total length it’s also 9 feet wide. Its just barely big enough to really make regular trips far from shore. But theres really nothing else thats small enough to trailer the kind of miles I will. Myself id look for a larger CC over that striper but that boat really has a lot packed into a boat of its size. I spent about 30 minutes on one just like it I knew from the moment I tried to lay down on its bed its sleeping area would become a storage locker and started looking at bigger boats all together.

 

[capecodtodd]

What boats are you looking at?

I draft 14”.

I was just quoting what I have been seeing. For example I'm looking at a 2003 Sea Swirl Striper 2301 and the reported draft is 33" .

 

[dingbat]

I was just quoting what I have been seeing. For example I'm looking at a 2003 Sea Swirl Striper 2301 and the reported draft is 33" .

I see that....in comparison, a 29ft.Welcraft Coastal “drafts” 22”.

Guessing they’re giving you the “draft” with the motor in full down position. Normally “draft” is given for hull only