dr_boogs said:
Panag - thanks for that feedback. Was asking TC based on his Sabine thread. Thanks for the endorsement.
How does it compare to the makes/hulls I mentioned in my post above? What do you like most? Anything you wish you could change?
I like the center console set-up most, what set-up do you have? How does it pole? How shallow can it get up? Is the "no hull slap" true or a marketing strategy?
Might PM you and ask to take a look at yours sometime. I live in B/CS, fish POC and Seadrift.
This is the first skiff I've owned. Was solely freshwater boats before this, so definitely take my observations / opinions with a grain of salt. The Sabine rides much better than I expected. I do think the composite boats you listed above would have a softer ride in a bit of chop than my Sabine. I went with aluminum because I knew I was going to run the boat hard and I didn't (still don't) know the area well enough to protect the boat. I don't think it's a huge deal if you go with a composite boat, but the truth is I do hit oysters / rocks probably every single trip out and it doesn't bother me at all. And that's my favorite part of the boat...I'm not afraid to really run it. It's just really durable. To touch on another comment above, my hull isn't hotter than any other boat out there, but it's because it's a light color. Most aluminum boats are dark green and those do get hot. Regarding hull slap, as long as you don't put all the weight in the back of the boat (to the point that it picks up the bow) it's very quiet. I don't spook fish until I'm literally within a rod's length or closer in the vast majority of cases.
I have a non-tunnel side console and I wouldn't change that for where I fish. If I fished in south Texas I'd probably have held out for a tunnel, but for Galveston and Freeport I can tell you without hesitation it's unnecessary. I absolutely love the side console because I typically fish with just one other person and we can very comfortably sit side by side. I can also comfortably stand and drive. I also have a backrest and will never own a skiff without one (unless I wanted a smaller boat with a tiller; see my note below). It's just so comfortable and makes resting on a hot day much easier. It also is another way to get on and off the poling platform quickly and easily.
As far as performance, I cruise around 30 MPH. It will go a little faster but I'm not out there to race anyone and the ride is best when I keep the bow down. I do think a benefit of a composite boat with a bigger engine would be comfortable speed, but that's probably unique to me because I keep mine in a drydock. Most people trailer their skiff so speed is less important. As far as how skinny it will get up, I have no idea. Never done a test but can tell you it will spin up with the lower unit in the mud in the marsh without issue. I almost never do it though because in my area I can just pole the boat to deeper water (poling is easy but I can't compare to others because this is my first skiff). I can tell you it will get more than skinny enough to catch fish in the marsh. I've surprised more kayakers than I can count.
I wouldn't change anything about my skiff, but there is a more ideal setup in my opinion. Money no object, I'd have a composite skiff that was faster with more HP so I could cover more water (again because I don't trailer my skiff) and I'd have the simplest 20/30 HP tiller micro skiff I could find so that I could get way way way back in the marsh. If you can only have one skiff, the Sabine is pretty damned good combination of it all.
Lastly, I'd just say Brian (owner of Sabine) has been fantastic. I can text or call him any time. If something happens I can swing the skiff by his shop near Bayou Vista. That was the biggest selling point.
If you want to have a more detailed chat or come check out the skiff, feel free to PM me and I'll give you my cell number. Hope this was helpful!
