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Talk me out of a River Hawk 18 Pro-V CC

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9K views 31 replies 19 participants last post by  Sterling silver 
#1 ·
Greetings everyone,

First post here at Washington Fly Fishing, but have been searching and reading other people's posts for years and I thank you for the information you have provided.

I'm in the market for a new boat and wanted to use the forum as a voice of reason and see if there was something different I should be looking at, or if this is it.

I'm looking at a River Hawk 18 Pro-V Center Console (see link at bottom of post). This will be an upgrade from my 12' Alumaweld that I'll be selling once I have the new boat in the water. My breakdown for use would be something like;

50% fly fishing Puget Sound by myself or with 1 other
20% exploring Puget Sound and camping with my family (3 kids, wife and dog - often it's just me & the kids)
10% crabbing
10% spinning/casting fishing with my younger kids
5% pulling my kids on a tube
5% misc (Columbia River fishing, diving, maybe larger lakes - maybe)

My only real hold up is buying a more family oriented boat for the NW that isn't enclosed, but then it wouldn't be all that great for fly fishing. I'm not interested in a tiller, I'm tired of sitting down low right next to the motor and would like to be able to see better. The window does fold down out of the way while fishing on this model. I like aluminum because I'll typically beach my boat and fish from the shore for a bit, let the kids run around, etc.

Other boats I've been looking at are 17' & 19" Whalers and other CC aluminum welded (i.e. North River, Alumacraft). My budget is 20k and I've been looking for some time to find one that's in newer used condition and I'm coming up empty. 2 boats are out of the question - the Boss says it has to fit in the garage so she doesn't have to look at it every day and she's not parking outside.

Other thoughts? Considerations? Thanks...

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boat...on=/category/New-Boats-Lacey-WA/105891480.uts
 
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#6 ·
The boat at Cabelas is $16,800 and would need some wiring work for extras, but that's about it. I've been looking for that "screaming deal" since March but seem to be a bit light on my budget of 20k. Whalers don't seem to be sold at much of a discount until they're 20+ years old. Throw a newly rebuilt motor, or a new motor on there, and I may as well purchased the new boat listed for less!

A kid or two would be with me almost always. The whole gang only some of the time. I've borrowed a few boats over the last few months to see how they work and a traditional open bow style with the top up = very little room to cast on the back deck and difficult access to the front deck. If I went this route I would most likely change up my style of fishing which would work, just not top of my list.
 
#7 ·
Saltwater fly fishing off a boat takes a little different approach than most are familiar with, IMO. Especially for any boat that is not a CC. I would have never thought my Arima would make a decent fly fishing platform but with the top up I can bring 4 adults and fly fish two at a time quite comfortably. It requires adjusting your casting angles a bit, but that's it. Lots of guys are surprised at how well it fly fishes when they come out in it. Just a thought.

Nothing beats a cc for fishing space, but in my experience they provide a cold, wet ride that families and less serious fisher persons don't deal with as well.

As far as CCs go, I know nothing of the boat in question. My only advice would be to test run it if possible with a fairly heavy load, make sure that 70 is enough power for your needs.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Nothing beats a cc for fishing space,
I disagree!

A tiller steer offers so much more space but, as the OP noted, there is a trade-off in the ease of steering and visibility issues.

I cured my bow-rise visibility issues by installing trim-tabs but pushing and pulling that tiller handle still isn't as easy as sitting at a console! I let the wife take the helm of our 17' Triumph w/tiller steer last week. She lasted about 15 minutes before she throttled down, kicked into neutral and said "You can take back over. That's a lot of work!"
 
#8 ·
Go for it!
I cant argue against logic and commonsense, and think I am gonna win. Enjoy the new boat. Its a percect time of year to be out fishing the salt.

Since you have been looking and cant find a screaming deal, it will show up the week you buy the new boat. ....thats the way it works.

Now get down to Cabelas and bring home a new toy.
 
#10 ·
YES! It was this forum where I ran across your post about the Arima. I've been looking for it again for some time. The forward cuddy style vs. cuddy - did you ever do a review on it? I'm assuming yours has a toilet, which one did you get? Did you buy it new? Arima is a smaller builder and I've yet to see one on CL or Boat Trader used.
 
#11 ·
Yep I've posted about my Arima a handful of times.

I bought a used 19' Sea Ranger. Originally I was looking at the 17' Sea Chaser but opted for the extra room and larger cuddy, which I don't regret at all.

It does have a porta potti. I originally bought a 15' Smokercraft but quickly decided I wanted to do more. The wife gave me the ok but requires a place to pee, so a cuddy was the natural solution.

I never did a full review but a short pros and cons list:

Pros:
- lightweight. Doesn't require a huge tow vehicle nor a ton of horsepower.
- lots of room. For a 19' boat it has an amazing amount of fishing room.
- lots of storage. The cuddy is fantastic for bringing anything you want. Its also great for wives or kids to take a nap or get out of the weather.
- handles big water well. I've had this boat to Swiftsure bank, Umatilla, out of Westport numerous times... It will handle way more Water than I ever wish to be in.
- fly fishes very well. 2 guys can stand in the back sponsons with stripping buckets and fish no problem. A third guy can fish off the bow on calm days. Fishing a third guy with a gear rod in the back is no problem either.
-Easy to launch and retrieve. I fish solo quite often and can launch and retrieve this boat at just about any launch solo quite easily.

Cons:
- Not self bailing. All water must be pumped out the bilge.
-Limited bow access. Not the type of boat you're probably gonna beach all that often. At least not me.
-It's flatter bottom will pound in the chop. Easing back on the throttle and installing trim tabs will take care of that.
-weight distribution is semi important, these boats become ass heavy very easily. -Not fast. These hulls are not built for speed. Of you're a go fast guy you should probably look elsewhere.

That's what pops into my head right now. I am biased, obviously, but IMO its darn near the perfect NW boat.

Whatever you end up getting think long and hard about the possibility of having desire to fish places like Neah and Westport. It's amazing how quickly that bug can strike and having a boat that is at least capable on a good day is a big plus.
 
#12 ·
My advise is to buy a boat 2'-3' longer and 1' wider than that boat that way you will already have the boat that you will want in 3-5 years.

I am a fellow cc owner and would not change a thing. I bought a boat that rides really nice in 3' chop and is very comfortable when the family wants to go. One thing I learned a long time ago that my family doesn't like to go out when the weather is nasty so I didn't need the canvas top. I just love the fishing versatility of the CC. Good luck
 
#13 ·
Usually get some good advice asking for boat suggestions but typically it ends up with people telling you to get something that would suit them rather than you. Only you know what's going to work for you. Most people who get into boat sell there first within a year or two and upgrade to what they really want. That upgrade usually ends up putting them backwards regarding money so skipping that step and going toward the top end of your price range may seem foolish but will save money in the long run. Buying new and then upgrading a year or two later and you'll take a bigger hit.

You'll get much more for your money buying used than new and if you due your homework should end up with a quality boat and no issues. However, the River Hawk you're looking seems like a really nice boat and if you're the kind of person who isn't always looking to upgrade you could have years of enjoyment for a "relatively" small investment. Time spent on the water with your family is time well spent. The other consideration is getting enough motor to be able to pull them on a wakeboard or something like that. 60hp and up in a 16-17' boat is enough for smaller kids.

Always looking at boats so here are some suggestions.

http://skagit.craigslist.org/boa/5153713100.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/boa/5129441927.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/boa/5149191455.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/5146025882.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/bod/5117836298.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/nco/boa/5147595588.html
 
#20 · (Edited)
I was looking at these boats while back and if I was in the market, I would give them a serious consideration. To me and my fishing needs, these boats seem like a good balance/compromise between quality, features, price, weight, and location. I like the open style for fly casting, the fact that you don't need a huge vehicle or motor to get you to the water or moving on it, and did not come with a lot of stuff you don't need or go wrong on a fishing boat. I thought it was a well-built boat for the money.

Sorry, I can't talk you out of it though my preferred setup is a side console, that way I keep the center open for space but have the control of a steering wheel and I can get more weight up front, rather than right in the stern.
 
#23 ·
I agree that a tiller steered boat provides the most amount of space, but I prefer having a console and wheel for control. On a 16' boat you're gonna fly fish 2 at a time whether it has a center console or not, so the real difference will come with how important that space in the center is to you.

I also like a console for mounting electronics, rod holders etc and for some protection from the spray and elements.

The best advice I read when boat shopping is to buy a boat that will cover 80% of your needs. For the other 20% just go with friends, charters etc. Made sense to me, especially since all boats are a compromise and a guy really needs quite a fleet if he is to cover all situations and fisheries.
 
#24 ·
I agree that a tiller steered boat provides the most amount of space, but I prefer having a console and wheel for control. On a 16' boat you're gonna fly fish 2 at a time whether it has a center console or not, so the real difference will come with how important that space in the center is to you.

I also like a console for mounting electronics, rod holders etc and for some protection from the spray and elements.

The best advice I read when boat shopping is to buy a boat that will cover 80% of your needs. For the other 20% just go with friends, charters etc. Made sense to me, especially since all boats are a compromise and a guy really needs quite a fleet if he is to cover all situations and fisheries.
Nick you know we all need multiple boats to fill our needs
 
#25 · (Edited)
I have a 18.5' Weldcraft with the Deep V, it's a bay boat, The hull is perfect for Puget sound wave intervals.

I don't like fly fishing from the bow or the stern. I do it, but always snagging on something. I could improve it, but rather I just think about all the other boat models I should buy.

It has a reverse chine welded into it and the outboard is mounted on a swim step. I like both of these features. The swim step should be full transom though.

I liked carpet inside the gunnel walls, but now I regret that decision.

If I sell this boat I would be looking at center console boats that have low plaining speed. Lowest speed I could find. A slow planing boat is useful for scouting fish water and picking your way through the sloppy big water.

I am wary of any bay boat that has the word "river" in the model name.
 
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