Suggestions / help on new boat.

walleyes

walleyes

Crew Member
After some deliberation and discussion with momma bear we have decided to look at a smaller boat. Our Wellcraft 264 Coastal I purchased last year is a little more boat than we feel we need or want. Taking into consideration where I live and the amount of use I’m getting out of the boat it’s just a waste. The wife feels uncomfortable around the boat and handling it at the docks and marina and to be honest I do as well. It’s a little to much boat for me to be towing all the time as well.

So with that in mind I am looking at the smaller welded aluminum boats out there. Definitely want the hard top full enclosed cabin. Boats in the 21’ to 22’ range, boats like the Hewescraft 210 Sea Runner or 220 Ocean Pro that size and style. I’ve been doing research on most out there like the Thunder Jet, Duckworth, Kingfisher, Weldcraft. So far the Hewescraft fits the budget the best, looking to stay under or around $80,000. I am not against a custom job either if someone has suggestions there.

With that in mind mine is up for sale, do a search for now I do have pics of it up I will be taking a few more pics and putting it up officially here shortly in the next few days but if anyone is interested in the mean time drop me a pm if you care to.

Thanks people and look forward to the input.
 
Some of these aluminum boats can feel quite “cheap”simple, and utilitarian, so be prepared for that; especially stepping from your existing platform. i love my buddies 22’weldcraft. it’s just so damn sturdy. the duck worth is just a basspro shop special, just not a fan of the fit and finish. don’t know much about the others ; silver streak is another nice one
 
I agree with you that these type boats are very utilitarian and basic and that’s ok with me, very low maintenance and easy to keep clean which for a clean freak like myself that’s great.

Anybody have any input on the Raider boats, I’ve never heard any info on them.
 
This will be my 7th year with a Raider. When I first bought, they were a budget boat that was less than a comparable Hewes. It's a great boat but definitely more basic than Hewes. New models nowadays are definitely close in price to Hewes, with more bells and whistles though so they are very comparable. Depending on the model, the Raiders have a more aggressive deadrise and bow entry so you will definitely have a better ride. I think Raider offers self bailing decks in some of their smaller models now, while Hewes does not.

I tried to sell mine last year to buy a smaller boat and the deal fell though much to my frustration at the time...now I'm glad to still have it!
 
I looked at all of those manufacturers over the years. Some brands I found better than others depending on the size of the boat. It seemed to me that one brand built better bigger boats but cheaped out in smaller ones and vice versa.

Duckworth and Weldcraft are built by the same company if that means anything. I did a lot of research on all brands and custom builders but not going to post it here for a public flaming...lol

You definitely won’t get into a SilverStreak for that price tag unless used.

I also would be looking at glass boats in that size range unless you have decided aluminum for sure. Just my opinion and they both have good and bad.

I would look at NorthRiver possibly as another name in the hat. I did look at a few 25 and 27’s that were good. I can’t comment on the brand other than that.

Good luck in the sale and purchase!
 
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I have a hewescraft searunner 22 foot hard top. Love the boat and would buy another one but also like a few other brands like north river, silver streak..... one thing is make sure you get suspension seats and not just for the driver get passenger also lol.
 
kevind said:
I have a hewescraft searunner 22 foot hard top. Love the boat and would buy another one but also like a few other brands like north river, silver streak..... one thing is make sure you get suspension seats and not just for the driver get passenger also lol.
Click to expand...

It was watching you guys fish out of your boat last year that got me to thinking about those boats kevind. They are all the boat I need. Even the 210 Sea Runner with the 96” beam I think is enough for me. The 102” beam is definitely a nice touch. It will come down to pricing in the end.

With the boat I have I find it’s more of a hindrance on where I can go with it than it is an advantage. It’s just a little big and heavy to trailer in a lot of places and needs a decent ramp to launch it. Can’t beach it cause you’ll never get that thing off. Yah for us it’s just a little too much boat.
 
We have a Hewes 20 ft sea runner bought new in 2007, previously had fiberglass. Much easier towing, less maintenance and sips fuel. Do the Ukee trip every year and have fished every spot we wanted including several trips to Big Bank . Love all the fishing room and storage. Coming from a big glass boat you’ll miss the ride but its the price you pay. My son has a 2016 21 ft sea runner and the helm is set a little further ahead which seems to give it a better ride than ours, he also has trim tabs which help a lot. Know 4 other guys that have them and they all love them. I think there’s fancier ones out there but for a price......
 
walleyes said:
It was watching you guys fish out of your boat last year that got me to thinking about those boats kevind. They are all the boat I need. Even the 210 Sea Runner with the 96” beam I think is enough for me. The 102” beam is definitely a nice touch. It will come down to pricing in the end.

With the boat I have I find it’s more of a hindrance on where I can go with it than it is an advantage. It’s just a little big and heavy to trailer in a lot of places and needs a decent ramp to launch it. Can’t beach it cause you’ll never get that thing off. Yah for us it’s just a little too much boat.
Click to expand...

You can find some really good deals if your on top of it but you have to be first in line if you go the used route. We got ours for a steal of a deal to be honest. Took a while and missed out on a few but looking back it all worked out cause we found the one we got which was bigger and better than the pervious ones.
 
Thanks guys, soaking up the info it’s all appreciated, and yes if you guys see something that would peek my interest please let me know. We have lots of eyes on here it’s better than one set.
 
I’m sure you’re well aware but be aware of the deadrise on the different makes and models
Especially important on the tinners
 
Definately consider North River. the Seahawk is a great boat. Dare I say a step up from the Hewescraft. Alot of good boats to choose from for sure.
 
Yes a few of them are trimmed much nicer than the Hewescraft or Raider or Kingfisher but you pay for them. I got a quote for a 22 North River and it came in at over 100. 115 with tax, little rich for me. Fit and finish is nice but in all honestly it’s not the biggest thing on my list. I look for solid construction, usable space and functionality over fit and finish. Resale is a long ways off on this one so not a big issue. And I’m not hard on my stuff, I use it but don’t abuse my equipment so it doesn’t have to be a tank either.
 
@walleyes

I love my Silverstreak 18.6 Gambier (21 ft OAL), but more importantly, so does my wife ;);) (Alaskan bulkhead and diesel heater) Deals can be had on them as well; maybe worth asking around. It wasnt much above your budget without the GPS, Radar and kicker. Re-sale may not seem like it's important now, but consider that you're looking to sell your current boat after only a year of ownership (it happens), so resale might be something worth considering.

Just my 2 cents :)
 
I have a line on a supposedly lightly used fresh water only 2016 Kingfisher 2425 Experience. So far numbers sound good we will see what the boat looks like and how it’s rigged, should get some more solid numbers and info in a couple days.
 
I had a 190 sea runner hard top. If you can afford it I’d go lifetimer or silver streak. They cut the waves a bit nicer in that medium chop. It was not a bad boat by any means. And probably the most bang for my buck when I bought it new. Had a 150 yammi on it that I was happy with. So if your looking at the 210 I’d probably go straight to the 200, same weight as the 150 and 175. I had trim tabs on mine which was nice if your solo fishing and going from point A to B. Had no problem getting up even with 5 people on board. The beam is plenty and was very stable at rest. Paint on gunnels and other places will chip from use.
 
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