Who did you rep? I'd love to hear more about your experience. I feel like this might be my next calling after my engineering career is over.

https://sanantonio.craigslist.org/bod/d/san-antonio-last-2018-models-deal-save/6785164971.html

I like to support Texas builders. This is what I would buy for 50k.

Just remember, there is no perfect boat. Might as well buy a few of them.

Tumble Weed said:

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https://sanantonio.craigslist.org/bod/d/san-antonio-last-2018-models-deal-save/6785164971.html

I like to support Texas builders. This is what I would buy for 50k.

Just remember, there is no perfect boat. Might as well buy a few of them.

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$57k and the consol is not formed into the hull?

A Flats Willy ought to meet your standards....

https://www.willyflatsboats.com/

Pretty boat.

My dad had an early '90s Kenner he bought new. A few trips out of bird island to Baffin or across the pay out of Mansfield and he was redoing the screws and epoxy on the consol.

It became on of those "never again" topics.

So paying $57,000 for a boat with a consol that is screwed down causes pause from me.

I'm partial to shallow sport.

https://goo.gl/images/MLosxv

This is an example of what I was talking about doing your homework. The high end center console manufacturers usually have a 3 piece construction .....a hull, the stringer system, the floor/deck/cap structure. All these parts should be hand lay fiberglass and composit, including the transom. No wood anywhere.
The better companies actually laminate in a piece of 1/4" or 3/16" aluminum within the floor to tap and bolt the console to the deck/floor. This also serves as an excellent mounting for T-Tops and leaning post. No screws like you were talking about that eventually tear out or become loose.
The lesser companies just use fiberglass/composit floors or even wood and screw the consoles down to those structures but they will all tell you they do it best.

Do most bay / bass boats classify 3 peice like that (separate stringers)? Seems odd to me that "top builders" would drop in stringers after the fact and bond or fasten them instead of making them integral to the hull.

I'm used to seeing 3 peice offshore boats as being hull (including stringers), deck, and then cap. That construction method is highly sought after on offshore boats because the independent cap gives you better gunnel space, usually some toe kick, and a better place to install rod holders and coaming pads.

You laminate the hull then add the stringers because you cant hold your lamination schedule structure underneath the stringers....if that makes sense. The stringers are then molded and laminated as well (Just like the hull) and placed on top/inside of the hull but are bounded and glassed as one uni structure to the hull. This is done in your better companies to prevent straight line lateral fracturing of your hull from stress imposed by the stringers in extreme rough water or impacting waves. Some also use a stringer/subfloor molded structure that allows bulkheads and such for storage compartments, fuel cells etc.
Some high end brands then place a composit foam core laminated glass floor on top of the stringers BEFORE installing the deck/cap structure. This adds lateral strength and prevents horizontal flexing of the boat in rough seas, albeit added cost and another step of hull production.
Less quality or cheaper brands just merely place foam core beams or pieces on top of the hull and use chopper gun glass lamination to hold those structures to the hull and build the ensuing needed crossmembers or bulkheads and just set their floor/cap on top of that.

Since this has turned into a thread about builders what do y'all think of Sea Hunt or Robalo bay boats. Those are the 2 my wife and I keep going back to at the boat show if we were to upgrade our current bay boat.

She's not of the mind to drop 90K on some of the others but I can get her to 60.

Robalo is now owned by Chapparal boats. Good solid brand. They have really upgraded their boats recently. They have been known to have a wet ride in some models.
Sea Hunt Is middle of the road in QC.

Check out Pursuit, Skeeter and Sportsman. You get what you pay for.

http://www.newwaterboatworks.com

I've been running a Majek M2/225SHO Yammer the past couple years all over from Copano>Aransas>Redfish Bay>Baffin...no complaints about the boat whatsoever, just the occasional poor judgment of the captain, lol.

Great shallow-water capability with the right prop.
Have gone over some pretty sketchy, out of the water-stuff, no probs.

Highly recommend. Great fit and finish and very durable boat.

Been in many different boats over the years. Mine and plenty of friends and guides. In my opinion, the best boat out there is a Haynie (Unfortunately, mine is not a Haynie). 24' with 250 to 300 on it (depending on how much top end you want). You can run them relatively skinny when needed. You can also use the trim tabs to put the nose down and plow through chop when necessary. One of the driest boats I have ever been in. I have a business partner who bought a Pathfinder, ran it for two years, and hated it. He bought the Haynie and is such a fan that he buys a new one every other year. Every single one of them has been a stellar boat in my opinion. I also have a fishing guide in the Corpus area who has used Haynies exclusively for many years.

Thanks Gunny

I have a redfish line i love; but my next boat will be a m2. Please let me know if you ever decide to trade yours in.

Call Sport Marine ask for John They build in house the JH Performance. I have the Outlaw 230 and they are building a 250 now (25'). Great smooth boats we go out to the first Wells with no problems. In Richmond Texas. 281-238-0060. You may also look at their 256 BX series. You will not be disappointed

FIDO*98* said:

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Ragoo said:

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$57k and the consol is not formed into the hull?

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I wouldn't want a console glassed in on a Bay Boat. Any issue with fuel tank turns a straightforward job into additional thousands of dollars in repairs

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If possible, I'd prefer not to have a fuel tank in the console. Sparks and vapors aren't good neighbors.

I recommend my brother's boat. Because he pays for it 24/7/365, and I but gas 4 times a year

Can't take the wife and kids out on lake Travis with a tube on warm summer days in a cast and blast.

My skiff is mostly BS1088 plywood and has been used hard on fresh and salt in all conditions for 14 years and I have beat the hell out of it jumping waves and wakes like it was a giant jetski, and it's in great structural condition. The wood is actually much lighter and still tougher than many fiberglass applications as it is less brittle and will bend and flex instead of cracking.

It's all on design, craftsmanship, and use of proper materials and construction. Quality epoxy resins instead of that cheaper crappy vinylester and clear coat. Seams constructed with properly laid and sized biaxial glass. None of that chopped spray or mat garbage they use as "fiberglass filler". Proper fitting construction and mounting.

You can build really crappy all glass and foam core boats and superb wood core boats.

Quality is quality and it's outside and inside. Line up 9 Blackwood' s or 9 Sterling's and a Haynie.

Ten guys draw numbers from 1-10 out of a hat. Guess which one gets the Haynie.

Was recently in Baffin with a guide on his 23' shoalwater cat. Winds picked up to 28mph and we were at 9 mile hole. Had a long run back in rough water. Boat was very smooth and dry

All these people with boats and no fishing reports?

Haynie boats are great but slow

Quality is quality and it's outside and inside. Line up 9 Blackwood' s or 9 Sterling's and a Haynie.

Ten guys draw numbers from 1-10 out of a hat. Guess which one gets the Haynie.

You can say that again!

It really depends what bay system you plan to fish as M Shummard mentioned. If it's POC, Mansfield, or SPI you need shallow. That allows you to fish them appropriately and you could also get into back lakes to fish or hunt. If you fish Galveston, Matagorda, Rockport, Corpus, or Baffin bays a boat that takes the rough water would be better. This boat would allow you to go offshore on good days. I don't see how you can crossover shallow and offshore.

Once you decide the type of boat you need to decide splatter coat (Haynie,Transport, Shaolwater, etc) or capped boat (Pathfinder, Blazer Bay, New Water, etc). Splatter coat is SO much easier to maintain because it hides so much dirt and (hopefully) fish blood.

Does anyone know about Catalyst Boats?

JACK DUKE said:

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Does anyone know about Catalyst Boats?

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They sure look nice, but I bet they are closer to $80k than they are $50k.

Catalyst boats are awesome. I demo'd one in Rockport last year. Jaime Reber is a super cool guy and you can tell he loves building his boats and takes great pride in what he does. Boat, 200 Zuke, and trailer starts around 70K. Rigged the way I wanted it was going to run around 85K with 250hp, raised console, and other rigging. You could easily drop 90K on one.

Thx Fido. Saw them yesterday at the boat show. Headed to POC Saturday to demo one...and get a hook or two wet.