Saltwater small boat choices.

[adamcu280]

I’ve been lightly looking around for something to day fish and cruise around the Salish Sea. Gotta be trailerable with my Sienna (3500 max) so nothing huge. 2-3 people and maybe a dog. I’ve been operating small boats of all types in the Salish Sea and elsewhere for decades and have lots of respect for the ocean so I’m not totally clueless.

I have a soft spot in my heart (and spine) for Montauks after growing up with one and then putting hundreds of days in one doing bird surveys in the San Juan Islands but I know there are other options worth considering.

Talk me in/out of these options:
16.5’ Wahoo

1650 Wahoo Center Consol - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

If you like Boston Whaler, you will love Wahoo. 1650 Center Console. Less than 400 original hours. Full service records since new. New steering cable. 90 hp Merc. Bimini top and winter cover. EZ...

bellingham.craigslist.org

I like the hull but not the engine and it seems expensive.

16’ Bayrunner

1995 16 ft Bayrunner with center console - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

All welded aluminum 16 ft bayrunner. Hull in good condition, 2002 Honda 30 Hp 4 stroke motor good condition. Following items purchased last month New battery (6/24) New seat (6/24) New wheels &...

seattle.craigslist.org

Aluminum = easily beach-able. Honestly seems pretty ideal if everything runs smoothly.

17’ Sea Squirt

17' Sea Squirt Center console - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

1986 Sea Squirt, restored in 2022 with new Yamaha 50 (4hours - not fully broken in), new paint, new T-Top, rewired with new bilge pump, new Garmin GPS/fish finder, new trailer. Sea Squirt was a...

portland.craigslist.org

This one looks pretty ideal as well. I’d probably ditch the T-top.

13’ RIB

13' POLARIS RIB - boats - by owner - craigslist

Incredible condition for the year. Always stored in a garage. Mint FG hull. No patches or leaks. Fabric is perfect. EZ Loader trailer. Will take up to a 45 HP outboard. Does not come with an...

vancouver.craigslist.org

The smallest one here but probably the most seaworthy of them all. I love RIBs and if this was 16’ it’d be at the top of the list. Obviously needs power.

I’m still pissed that I missed out on the Montauk that @ffb ended up with.

 

[Evan B]

The only two from that lot I'd consider if it were me:

If fly fishing or casting of any kind is the goal, that Sea Squirt looks like a great boat. The recent restoration and repower make it a pretty solid choice.

The Bayrunner would be great for a workhorse for a lot of different stuff. But a 30hp would probably leave you wanting more power.

The others :

The Wahoo is a cool hull, but the lack of freeboard and that engine along with the price make it not much of a candidate for me.

The Polaris is too far from being something I'd ever consider to have an opinion on it.

 

[adamcu280]

@Evan B I agree with all of your assessments. My experience with RIBs leads me to believe they punch above their weight, but 13’ is definitely on the small side.

The Wahoo and Sea Squirt seem comparable in freeboard (at least in the photos) and similar to a Montauk. I kind of wonder if 50hp is underpowered as well; most of the 17’ Whalers I’ve operated had 90s or at least 70s.

 

[adamcu280]

Now we’re talking!! This is similar to what I ran in the San Juans and Bahamas. I’ve taken RIBs like this as far as Swiftsure, or from Newport to San Clemente Island and then 30nm west…

Novurania MX580 18ft Hypalon RIB Rigid Inflatable Boat - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

Outboard is effectively a Yamaha F115, 4 cylinder, 4 stroke EFI. Engine is made by Yamaha and marketed by Mercury. If you don't know, Novurania is a super high-end Italian brand - the Ferrari of...

seattle.craigslist.org

 

[Tuna Ball]

I went through a recent boat search like this but mine was more centered around the Whalers. I wanted something I can fish my local lake with most of the time, but capable of near shore ocean calm days. I looked mostly at Montauks. One I test drove had too much stern weight with a 90 Honda and 9.9 kicker. It was a fairly slow hole shot and plowed a huge wake at moderate speeds. It even took a couple waves over the stern in 1' wind waves. I was tempted to buy it and repower with a 70. I ended up with this classic Nauset with a 60hp high thrust. This was the predecessor to the Montauk. I was shocked how much better it performed than the Montauk with two motors. It throws you back when you hit the throttle and planes slower with modest wake. Of those choices you mentioned I like the Sea Squirt and agree about ditching the T top. Not having obstacles is the beauty of an open boat. Good luck with the search.

 

[Chucker]

The sea squirt is probably the nicest one there, and the best deal if the hull is actually sound - though I have never actually ridden in one. Maybe slightly underpowered, but you’ll prefer the gas bill with a 50 compared with a 90!. The rest all have issues.

 

[adamcu280]

I went through a recent boat search like this but mine was more centered around the Whalers. I wanted something I can fish my local lake with most of the time, but capable of near shore ocean calm days. I looked mostly at Montauks. One I test drove had too much stern weight with a 90 Honda and 9.9 kicker. It was a fairly slow hole shot and plowed a huge wake at moderate speeds. It even took a couple waves over the stern in 1' wind waves. I was tempted to buy it and repower with a 70. I ended up with this classic Nauset with a 60hp high thrust. This was the predecessor to the Montauk. I was shocked how much better it performed than the Montauk with two motors. It throws you back when you hit the throttle and planes slower with modest wake. Of those choices you mentioned I like the Sea Squirt and agree about ditching the T top. Not having obstacles is the beauty of an open boat. Good luck with the search.

View attachment 121136

Beautiful Nauset! I like the updated console.

The Montauk I ran for the USFS had a Honda 90 and a 9.9 kicker (and a lot of extra gear including a telescopic radar tower!) but hauled ass. The waves over the stern were definitely a factor; the crews before and after mine both capsized, thankfully with no injuries, due to swamping.

I reached out to the lab to see if the boat was still around (surveys ended in 2012) but found out that the engine had seized and the hull was waterlogged after over a decade of being idle. Oh well.

 

[Chucker]

Now we’re talking!! This is similar to what I ran in the San Juans and Bahamas. I’ve taken RIBs like this as far as Swiftsure, or from Newport to San Clemente Island and then 30nm west…

Novurania MX580 18ft Hypalon RIB Rigid Inflatable Boat - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

Outboard is effectively a Yamaha F115, 4 cylinder, 4 stroke EFI. Engine is made by Yamaha and marketed by Mercury. If you don't know, Novurania is a super high-end Italian brand - the Ferrari of...

seattle.craigslist.org

This looks like it would be fun, but it’s way overpriced considering that it has a 24 year old engine. The ad saying that it was a yacht tender should be interpreted as it was used hard and never had the salt flushed out of the cooling system.

 

[adamcu280]

This looks like it would be fun, but it’s way overpriced considering that it has a 24 year old engine. The ad saying that it was a yacht tender should be interpreted as it was used hard and never had the salt flushed out of the cooling system.

True, the engine is definitely suspect, and who knows how worn out the tubes are. But when these things are in working order they are capable!

 

[SurfnFish]

- Whalers are wet, and prone to shipping water especially when anchored in any sort of heavy chop and swell. When I was a harbormaster, prior to running charter boats, we had a couple that ended up swamped when left on the hook in the wind scoured west end of our harbor during winter storms. Conversely, they ride nice.
-owned both a 16' Bayrunner and a 21'. They ride well, are narrow beamed, a 16' is really pushing it for 3 pus dog. An 18' would be a good compromise, more room.
-RIB's make for a cold and wet ride, and offer limited deck space due to the pillow hull.

I would suggest looking for a boat with an open dance floor, high gunnels and forward wind protection, and none is better at 16' than the Arima 16' Sea Chaser, which fully loaded with motor and trailer weighs around 1800#, and provide a comfortable, dry ride out of the wind. They can also be fitted with a convertible top for those wet days

 

[Matt B]

True, the engine is definitely suspect, and who knows how worn out the tubes are. But when these things are in working order they are capable!

If you’re just looking to cruise around the Salish Sea with a person or two and a dog, the RIBs seem to have a whole lot of capacity you don’t need but have to pay for, and it comes at the expense of deck space, which is nice to have for fishing.

 

[adamcu280]

If you’re just looking to cruise around the Salish Sea with a person or two and a dog, the RIBs seem to have a whole lot of capacity you don’t need but have to pay for, and it comes at the expense of deck space, which is nice to have for fishing.

All true. I do love the “get you home no matter how bad it gets” factor of a RIB though.

 

[adamcu280]

- Whalers are wet, and prone to shipping water especially when anchored in any sort of heavy chop and swell. When I was a harbormaster, prior to running charter boats, we had a couple that ended up swamped when left on the hook in the wind scoured west end of our harbor during winter storms. Conversely, they ride nice.
-owned both a 16' Bayrunner and a 21'. They ride well, are narrow beamed, a 16' is really pushing it for 3 pus dog. An 18' would be a good compromise, more room.
-RIB's make for a cold and wet ride, and offer limited deck space due to the pillow hull.

I would suggest looking for a boat with an open dance floor, high gunnels and forward wind protection, and none is better at 16' than the Arima 16' Sea Chaser, which fully loaded with motor and trailer weighs around 1800#, and provide a comfortable, dry ride out of the wind. They can also be fitted with a convertible top for those wet days

View attachment 121150
View attachment 121151

My experience with RIBs is they’re the driest and most comfortable style of open boat I’ve ever used.

Arimas are nice for sure but I think I’d rather have an open platform for easier fly fishing. I’ve fished out of them before and I think it’d be tough to have two people casting from the cockpit.

 

[Matt B]

My experience with RIBs is they’re the driest and most comfortable style of open boat I’ve ever used.

Arimas are nice for sure but I think I’d rather have an open platform for easier fly fishing. I’ve fished out of them before and I think it’d be tough to have two people casting from the cockpit.

It’s very doable. Speaking from experience in @Nick Clayton’s old boat. And we had three that day, although mostly someone was fishing from the bow. With a little communication (“I’m casting”) and rhythm it’s not bad at all.

 

[Bugmeister]

Any older ~1990s Outrages for sale somewhere?…

 

[adamcu280]

Any older ~1990s Outrages for sale somewhere?…

Yeah… mostly either needing repower or above my price range. I’m bummed my next door neighbor sold his 17’ Outrage a few years ago. The best boat is your friend’s boat.

 

[Tuna Ball]

I was planning to check this one out if the Nauset didn't work. I would expect a future repower but those 2stk can run a long time. He was willing to budge on price some. The deck layout could use revised and I didn't want that project either.

Boston Whaler 17 Montauk - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

Currently setup for fishing. Make this “Unsinkable Legend” yours for a fun filled summer on the water! I am the 2nd owner. Purchased in 2020 from the original owner who babied it and used it mostly...

seattle.craigslist.org

 

[adamcu280]

I was planning to check this one out if the Nauset didn't work. I would expect a future repower but those 2stk can run a long time. He was willing to budge on price some. The deck layout could use revised and I didn't want that project either.

Boston Whaler 17 Montauk - boats - by owner - marine sale - craigslist

Currently setup for fishing. Make this “Unsinkable Legend” yours for a fun filled summer on the water! I am the 2nd owner. Purchased in 2020 from the original owner who babied it and used it mostly...

seattle.craigslist.org

I’ve definitely looked at that listing more than once. I don’t really want to deal with the repower though. What’s up with the deck layout? Hard to tell from the pictures.

 

[John Svahn]

I spent a lot of time in a Montauk in Chesapeake Bay, which is known for short steep chop. It is pretty slammy in that stuff. Not sure what the Salish is like.

 

[ffb]

I don't have nearly as much boating experience but of those options the Sea Squirt besides the unfortunate name would top my list. I wouldn't overlook the fact that it also has a brand new trailer as well. That is a huge piece of mind when traveling. My old Tiderunner had a rotten trailer and spending the money to buy a new trailer was the best thing I ever did with that setup. Trailers are also expensive.

I think the only negative would be the HP choice. But it's also brand new and having gone from a 2 stroke to a modern 4 stroke I would have a hard time considering anything with a 2 stroke that I wasn't budgeting to immediately repower.

Sorry about the Montauk.... you can come down for a boat ride any time though