Hardest question of all

[500 PSI]

Try the web site: www.iboats.com. Many used watercraft with potos and prices of boats from all over USA. Good Shopping!!

 

[Mike Matthews]

Check out a C Dory. Hell bent for stout, comfortable, and well within your 60 grand cap.

http://www.c-dory.com/

 

[Tom Winters]

C-Dory's are wicked cool boats, but I couldn't even get my wife to look at one. Too workboatish for her. Not that easy to find one in southern Florida since they're made up in Washington state. The 25' has gorgeous lines and would be killer for diving. The owners are fanatics about them too. Almar is another superior boat adaptable to diving - no one in southern Fkorida has even heard of them. But then again, I never heard of Century boats in while I lived in Honolulu.
As much as I would have liked a boat with a small cabin or a walkaround-type hull, I'm pretty happy with my Century 30' center console. I couldn't imagine actually using the little undercabin to sleep in or use the head down there, but I sure can store a lot of stuff down there.
With the holiday season here, boat sales in general are moribund at the dealerships, and they are all desperate to make some end-of-the-quarter and -year sales, so it's a buyer's market all the way.A friend of mine who is a successful yacht broker is not even thinking about when his next sale will be.

 

[back40]

I own a 21ft Cape Horn and love it. I have also a extended experinces with the 19 and 24 foot boats. From what I have heard from the Coast Guard most hate the new Whalers they have. They say they are great until you hit rough water and then you had better hang on. Also I thought all boats had to have floatation foam in them these days. Not that they won't sink to a point but the boats won't go to the bottom.
I would look at a 24ft CapeHorn with twin 200hp outboards and get a spray dodger to cover the front. Then you can put it down when you don't need or want it.
Just my thought. I am partial to Cape Horn, best ride for the size and easy to maintain.
back40

 

[Nemrod]

I own a 21ft Cape Horn and love it. I have also a extended experinces with the 19 and 24 foot boats. From what I have heard from the Coast Guard most hate the new Whalers they have. They say they are great until you hit rough water and then you had better hang on. Also I thought all boats had to have floatation foam in them these days. Not that they won't sink to a point but the boats won't go to the bottom.
I would look at a 24ft CapeHorn with twin 200hp outboards and get a spray dodger to cover the front. Then you can put it down when you don't need or want it.
Just my thought. I am partial to Cape Horn, best ride for the size and easy to maintain.
back40

Lot's of good boats. The above statement is incorrect. The commercial version of the Whaler that the Cost Guard and military uses is made by Bruswck Corp. which also owns Whaler. Commerical "Whalers" are currently serving in the military and are in Iraq for example. The commercial boats use the old style hulls, new Whalers mostly have a deeper V and less of the "sea sled" look to them. The boats behave differently, most Whaler folks say the older hulls (such as currently built by the commercial division) are more seaworthy but rougher riding than the civilian Whaler products.
Yes, most boats have foam in them but only a few have the ability to float the engine out of the water with several times their capacity on board and still continue to make way and even drive up out of the water like a Whaler can. Lot's of good boats, most that have solid advantages over the Whaler also cost a lot more money--none are cheap. Few actually have the amount of floatation that a Whaler has.
Trailering a boat requires a compromise. Once a boat gets out of the 18 to 21 foot size it becomes increasing diffucult to launch and recover, it requires heavy duty towing vehicles, and is tiresome to tow long distances thus restricting the versatility. It is all a trade off--one thing for another thing.

Further, the military and the Cost Guard are more and more going to RIB and other types of non conventional boats. My bet is that 20 years from now inflatables and RIBs will dominate the sub 20 foot market. They carry more weight, are more durable, just as fast, more stable, more seaworthy, unsinkable and they are very expensive right now.
The military Whalers 9Brunswick Commercial Division--they have their own website) are gray hulled, have additional heavy duty features such as aluminum diamond plate armor, multiple heavy rubber strakes, machine guns, rocket launchers and are crewed by fellows in armored jackets and holding machine guns and displaying a really bad attitude towards the enemy. These boats are in fact in service now along with many other toys bought with tax payer money intended to cause a "bad hair day" for bad people. N

 

[back40]

Nemrod, you are also correct in the type of boston whaler you speak of. I am refering the the 90 new boston whaler outrage boats the coast guard bought last year. These are the same type of recreational boat you or I would purchase from our local dealers. I have spoken with a number of coast guard personel that use these boats on a daily basis. I am not trying to put down a legend but all of them don't like the ride of these new boats in rough water. Just my thought's on the subject.
back40