I'm new to this for forum and offshore fishing too. I have done alot of offshore stuff with guides and friends, and now I'm ready to buy a boat. I need some opinions on a good offshore boat. I want between a 23 to 26 footer cc, but my budget limits me from the boston whalers and the grady whites. Looking at the mako, angler, pro- line, century, etc. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Get something with either (1) twin engines rigged, or (2) a kicker motor in addition to your main motor, and be sure they both run on the same fuel type (i.e. both four strokes, or both run on the same fuel/oil 2 cycle mix). Reason being that you absolutely do not want to be stuck 40-60 miles (or more) with a dead motor and no means of propulsion at all. A 9.9hp kicker motor may not move you very fast, but it WILL move you.

Get the boat inspected by an independent mechanic that you know and trust, even if it means paying for two hours to find out that you don't want the problems the boat has.

If you have lots of womenfolk in your family that will want to go with you, for the love of gawd, make sure you have SOME minimal creature comforts - say a cuddy cabin & flushing head.

I guess what I'm asking is what brands are the better boats and are there any to avoid and why

Here is a link to my boat. I just bought an Aquasport and need to sell this one. Hope link works.
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...er_#Post6731950

I took it out of South Padre/Port Isabel twice this last summer. It did awesome.

I would recommend a Marine survey which looks in to everything. If there are any problems a good marine surveyor will find it. It is peace of mind and also required by GOOD insurance companies.

Oh sorry, misunderstood you. The brands you mentioned are all decent boats. It's going to boil down to the condition of the individual boat and what you personally require in the way of function/features/amenities.

Key West. GREAT BOAT!

I fished a 26' Glacier Bay catamaran and it held high seas pretty well!

Unless you live at the coast and are retired, OR wealthy, stick to friends/guides. As ex owner of a 28' Grady, I will tell ya owning an offshore boat is a huge PITA, and expensive as hell. The cost of the boat isn't even half of it. But if ya gotta have one anyway, I have been really impressed with the Cats.

yep. Having a nice 20-22 footer that is safe and reliable for trips out to about 20 miles on GOOD days is a much cheaper invesment. wanna go long? get on a headboat,
hire a charter, or use the boat-pooling feature that most of these sites have.
all very effective w/out the headaches/wallet-aches!!!

BTW, this nice Hydra-Sports will be for sale soon if something doesn't change....

I'm thinking I am pretty set on the Robalo or Grady-white. Thanks for all the help

I have a robalo and love it! They have an older one on CL for 9k right now.

Have been in glacier bays-- very impressive. Gravois boats are also good. (aluminum offshore construction)

What is CL?

craigslist

Link to the robalo on craigslist
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/boa/2813889923.html

Yellowfin.

Look at the Key West. They are one of the top sellers in Florida. I had one for 10 years annd they are a great boats. Power with a Yamaha(s).

Amen to the comment on high actual cost of keeping and running offshore boats -- especially in Texas. I've resisted the urge to do it in Texas, but kept a boat in the Northeast as a place to stay and fish. Here are some observations.

At the risk of making a tax comment on a fishing/boating thread, under the current (and long standing tax rules) if you purchase a boat that meets the second home test (berth, head, galley) and you get a loan for it, the interest payments are deductible, just like home mortgage interest.

One thing that has amazed me since I moved to Austin is how long and how tough runs to offshore fishing are from the Texas coast -- and I've been running 50 to 80 foot sportfishermen since 1969.

For now, I've left my boat in the Northeast, where I have a 30 to 60 minute run from the dock in Block Island to bluefin and 15 minutes to stripers, bluefish, and false albacore. Other posters' comments about multi-engine necessity are 100% correct. Here, running 30-70 miles offshore in a boat with fewer than two well-maintained engines is not a wise thing to do. Strange things often happen.

Hatt nailed it. Many folks that have never fished the Texas coast will underestimate it. I seldom fish inside 40 miles. Add 3-4 ft short period wind waves to that ride and you and your boat are in for a beating.

I've decided to hold off on buying another offshore boat until I retire in the next few years and relocate to the coast. I can charter or go with friends and pay the expenses to use their boats much cheaper than hauling and using my own.

If you're going 40 mile+ one way, twins is the way to go.
150hp are good motors. Not overpowered, and fuel efficent.
4 strokes are really good, but I wouldn't discount the newer two strokes either.

I like Parker boats. They are not a popular in TX as they are on the mid-atlantic side and up in the northeast. These boats are built very well, very strong hull. The lay-out tends to be spartan, showing its commercial fishing roots. It's like a blank canvas and you add what you want to add. Another boat maker form the same area (NC) is Albermarle. Also very well built.

However given the economy, you may find real bargains on great boats like Pursuit, Contender, etc..

My boat posted earlier in this thread is up for sale again. Had it winterized so took it off the market. Cranked it up this week and dayum it sounded good. May take it to PK and stretch its legs a bit this weekend

Yellowfin- check Florida for awesome steals