Seastrike

[tr]

I'm thinking of buying a seastrike 19 cc for waters around Martha's Vineyard. Other possibilities are Maritime Skiff and Key West. Any thoughts and advice?

[jeffg]

I looked at the 20' cc Seastrike two years ago and thought it was a pretty nice boat--good hull design, not too many bells and whistles, but a pretty practical layout for fishing. I got back on it this year at the boat show and I have to say, it kind of looked like the quality had slipped a little--mostly in the detail work.

For instance, to put in the below-the-gunwale horizontal rod holders they removed a piece on the gunwale and then glued it back on--but the fit and finish were horrible. The fiberglass was barely aligned and the fill was all uneven and already coming off. The other thing was that I felt pretty confident that if I grabbed it and pulled sharply, i could have ripped the whole piece out.

This is just an example, and it doesn't mean the hull isn't intact or that it doesn't ride well, but I figure if they cut corners there...well, who knows. Not to mention that if you're going to shell out that much money for a new boat, you'd think they could address minor problems like that. I'd take it for a ride and bang it around a little.

What are they asking for it?

Jeff G.

[BillySalmonhole]

HEY TR, JEFF:
I LOOKED AT THE SEASTRIKE A COUPLE TIMES AT RECENT BOAT SHOWS, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH JEFF REGARDING A NICE HULL DESIGN. IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD RIDE NICELY IN SOME CHOP, BUT I WOULD NOT SERIOUS CONSIDER IT TILL I TOOK IT OUT AND BEAT IT UP A LITTLE AS JEFF HAD SUGGESTED. I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE FIT AND FINISH BECAUSE I DIDN'T LOOK AT THAT COMPONENT CLOSELY. THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH IT IS THE CASTING PLATFORM FOR MY STYLE OF FISHING. I PREFER MORE FREEBOARD FOR SECURITY IN ROUGHER SEA CONDITIONS. THE RAISED CASTING DECK ALMOST REQUIRES YOU TO INSTALL A CASTING/LEANING POST, UNLESS YOU HAVE EXCEPTION BALANCE OR FISH ONLY CALM WATERS. BY THE WAY, KRIS JOP FISHES THIS BOAT ON THE MONOMOY FLATS, YOU MIGHT CHECK WITH HIM.
WHAT IS THE "BALLPARK" PRICE ON THE 19' SEASTRIKE? THERE ARE A LOT OF BOATS TO LOOK AT IN THAT SIZE RANGE. FOR EXAMPLE THE MARITIME SKIFFS(NICE STABLE BOAT FOR THE MONEY,AESTETICS BLAH),THE KEY WESTERS AND PALM BEACH DESIGNS(THEY LOOK LIKE THEY RIDE HARD, FIT/FINISH SO SO), LEMA SKIFF18.5'(SAME HULL AS THE OLD 19' RAMPAGE, FREEBOARD CUT DOWN A LITTLE, EXCELLENT RIDE AND VERY STABLE, MULTIPLE LAYOUTS, LOW MONEY), PARKER 18'(NICE BUT A LITTLE MORE MONEY), ROBALO 18'/21'(MORE MONEY, DEFINITELY WORTH LOOKING AT) . THE BOAT THAT HAS IMPRESSED ME THE MOST THROUGHOUT MY RESEARCH AND TEST RIDES IS THE NEW HYDRA-SPORTS VECTOR MODELS 2020/2390(MORE MONEY, YES, THAN THE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED BOATS, BUT THEY STACK UP AGAINST THE COMPETITIVE PRODUCTION LINE BOATS, ie. GRADY/MAKO/SEACRAFT/REGULATOR VERY WELL AND FOR ALOT LESS MONEY). THE HYDRA-SPORT SEAHORSE SERIES 21' PACKS ALOT IN FOR THE MONEY, INCLUDING A HEAD WHICH IS NICE FOR FEMALE GUESTS, BUT YOU GIVE UP A LITTLE ON THE RIDE THOUGH.
EVERYTHING IS A COMPROMISE IN SELECTING A BOAT. I WOULD RECOMMEND MAKING A LIST OF WHAT YOU WILL USE THE BOAT FOR AND WHAT FEATURES ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU. DECIDE ON PRICE AND SIZE RANGES. THEN I WOULD USE THE 90/10 RULE TO HELP LIMIT YOUR SEARCH. THE 90/10 RULE IS: WHAT WILL YOU USE THE BOAT FOR 90% OF THE TIME VS. 10% OF THE TIME. WHAT BOAT HAS THE FEATURES THAT WILL BEST ALLOW YOU TO USE THE BOAT THE WAY YOU WILL 90% OF THE TIME, AND FITS YOUR SIZE AND PRICE RANGE. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE OTHER 10%.
FOR ME ITS A NEW HYDRA-SPORTS 2390 VECTOR!
GOOD LUCK IN YOUR SEARCH AND KEEP IT FUN!

BILLY

[Adam-Albino]

You also might want to check out Stagepoint Boats (Brewers Marine) http://members.tripod.com/~Bgage/STAGEPOINT-BOATS.html. I have one going on 25 years young, and Mike P. is just having one built.

They have a traditional "Novi" hull (mine) like a Seaway (eastern Boats), and they also make a really nice Fly model with rased casing platforms (Mike's), pop-ups, etc.

Short money at around 9-10K loaded, around 15-18k with engine and trailer.
<IMG align=baseline alt="" border=0 hspace=0 src="http://photos.netclubs.com/live/photos/v/9/t/2/t2c710a3839h31nr004cfcdhuo/flyman2.gif">

[jagarland]

You also should look at the Scout line. I have a 1999 17.5 CC and it rides very well and is dry. They have boats in the 18.5 and 19.5 range as well. One of the 19 footers is a bayboat and I understand it is setup somewhat similar to their flats boats but with more freeboard. Their site is: http://www.scoutboats.com/showroom.html. Take a look. The fit and finish is absolutely first class. Allen Harbor Marine in Harwichport is the dealer I bought my boat from.

Jack G.

[jtc]

Purchased a new 1999 19ft Seastrike and will be selling it this year as I now have a family and rarely get to fish the reefs off of southern RI. This boat has been simply excellent in some of the most challenging conditions. I guess I'm partial as I have been so happy but I feel that comparing this boat to a hydra-sport or scout or any skiff is kind of crazy. The finish and ride is so superior on the seastrike I'm surprised to see them mentioned. I routinely fish with friends on Parkers and Hydrasports and while they may offer slightly more stability on a drift there were plenty of windy choppy days that my boat was the only choice. I have banged this boat out in small craft advisory waters from New London to RI and been shocked with the stability and control of the hull. I would highly rec getting one out in tough seas to see what its capable of.

JTC

[gf2020]

Wow, this message thread was originally from 7 years ago! :eek:

[stickman]

And imagine, this thread is still providing value as I consider a 2000 Seastrike boat.

[flynny]

Didn't notics the date of the original thread until now, but for Stickman, I bought a 20' 2001 Seastrike back in '04. The guy I bought it from fished it pretty hard in CCB and Vineyard Sound, and did a lot of research himself before buying and he was very happy with it. Since I've had it, I couldn't be happier. It's a great fishing boat and can handle 3-5' seas well. Not many dealers have them in New England, so they are not well know but several years ago they were know as a tough, well built boat that could compare to high end boats without the big price tag. They were sold or had some management changes a few years back, so I can't give any input on the new Seastrikes, but the older ones (before '05 say) are very well built. Let me know if you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to answer.

[stickman]

Thanks flynny, the boat was gone before I got there.