The Kenner would be a great start for a cash boat and use Mercury's re power program and just pay off a worry free motor. In your price range I'd be more concerned with a questionable outboard than anything.

I've fished 4 out of my 16 foot bay boat several times at SLP. It's not easy fishing a moving tide because all your lines end up in the same place. It does better in the surf.

1) You're gonna need more than 18' of boat to take 4 people fishing

2) $7k can get you a decent older boat, but you're going to spend quite a bit on maintenance and upkeep.

I plan to sell mine after a few fishing trips. I'll be asking under $5,000 for it. The motor is a 2006 Yamaha with less than 100 hours. I've only used it going from the boat ramp to the
SLP bridge and back 6 to 8 times each summer. The boat is old, and the trailer has been rebuilt several times.

What model boat and year?

It's not yet for sale. It's a 1989 Lone Star 16 ft, built on a Whaler patent, but with 4 more inches of freeboard, or gunnel. It runs dryer than a Whaler. I've made several trips to the 17 mile rigs out of SLP with it but with a different motor.

Excuse my mess. Here's decent picture of my boat. It has an 18 gallon gas tank, an 8 gallon live well, and a Perko with two good batteries. It usually stays in a boat shed near Surfside. I brought it home yesterday to keep for a couple of weeks. I plan to let a boat dealer sell it for me within a couple of months. It's tough to call it quits.

Nice boat. Thanks for the advice guys

Agree with cxjcherokec ,.... With a $7K budget there's not a whole lot of options. I would go with the Kenner and if you can find a 21ft even better. Just find one that has low hours on the motor or good consistent compression on the motor. Most of them were rigged with Mercury motors, if you can find one with a tunnel that would be great.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=923465
100% right up your alley

Just a comment on the ficht OMC motors. Most Johnson outboards of that era were carbureated (not ficht)--only a handful were fuel injected Ficht motors. My OMC with a carburator (1998 175 Oceanrunner) is excellent. If you happen across an older Johnson of that era and you want it, make sure it's not fuel injected and you'll do fine.

Is that a whaler montauk?