Saltwater Fishing Boat

Offshore fishing is the stuff of legend, and brings about daydreams of hours-long battles with huge sailfish ala Hemingway. To realize those dreams, one must first own the right equipment, including an offshore fishing boat. Offshore fishing boats are not your everyday boat. They are much heavier and more rugged than the average lake runabout you see in many of your neighbor's driveways. In fact, you are highly unlikely to see any kind of offshore boat in anyone's driveway as most are not trailerable, though some of the smaller ones are.

Safety is a primary consideration when purchasing an offshore saltwater fishing boat, as you can't just take any boat out into the open ocean. These boats must be able to withstand some rolling ocean waves, and be able to protect the occupants in case of sudden inclement weather. I'm not saying that your boat should be able to plow through the perfect storm, but at least be able to get out of the rain and expect to come out alive should a few waves come along.

Other safety concerns includes having bilge pumps, radio contact with the shore, and radar to detect oncoming vessels who may not detect you, especially if you should happen to be one of those crazies who likes to fish close to shipping lanes. Having an adequate supply of food and water is also a primary concern should you be forced to camp out for a while due to a conked out motor in the middle of inclement weather. It may take a while for the Coast Guard to come and get you!

In general terms, the bigger your offshore boat the better off you are. Of course, this is a moot point to those of us not rich enough to buy one of those huge cabin cruisers that we all dream about. Trade-offs may need to be made...Just make sure that you are aware of the risks and take them under consideration when purchasing your boat. As might be expected, offshore boats are the most expensive of all leisure boats due to the increased ruggedness and sheer size of them. Offshore boats range in size from about 26' in length to just about any length you can imagine and you can expect to pay anywhere from $40,000 on up to a cool $500,000 for a good offshore boat.Anything more expensive than that is a yacht and is nothing more than a status symbol!

The smaller offshore boats will be equipped with either single or dual outboard motors. Most offshore motors will be of the high-horsepower variety, due to the need to power through rough waters. On larger boats, you can expect to have an inboard diesel motor of many hundreds of horses. The overall price of the boat, of course, is directly related to the amount of power that is packed into the motors.

This article gives a general overview of some of the items to consider when shopping for an offshore saltwater fishing boat. For more specific information, as well as suggestions on where to purchase a good fishing boat, be sure to visit Fishing Boat HQ.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Salt water fishing boat

What is the ideal saltwater fishing boat? Hi, my name is Captain Roy Lawson I have been fishing in saltwater in Southern California since 1962, I have set or have helped others set forty one International Game Fish Association world records, I have owned and operated Top Gun Charters since 1978. I have skip-pered half day party boats, three quarter day party boats, all day party boats, and overnight tuna boats out of San Diego. I have owned boats from a forty five foot twin diesel six pack sport fisher down to the twenty four foot cuddy cabin walk around I now drive, there have been many boats in between these two.

All boats are a trade off between form and function, what looks great on the showroom floor may be your worst nightmare when you try to fish from it. I have been to many boat shows and less than five percent of the boats would make a really great saltwater fishing boat. I have spent the better part of my life in boats fishing on the ocean. Now after forty years of ocean fishing here is my choice for the ultimate salt water fishing boat. I won't name any boat company's because that way you know I am not writing an ad for anyone.

First the boat must be in the price range of the typical ocean fisherman, so we will make it under twenty eight feet and under $100,000. It should either be a center console or a cuddy cabin walk around, and it must be a catamaran.

A catamaran is the best riding boat I have ever ridden in, the twin hulls slice through the waves without the pounding of a single hull boat, they don't rock and roll when beam to the seas, they just kind of go up and down, and best of all they get almost triple the fuel economy of a single hull boat, and in the era of three to four dollars a gallon fuel, this one feature is huge. You can go much farther on the same amount of fuel.

Posted by Jakkie Drivers at 10:59 AM
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