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Can anyone recommend a 17-foot center console that doesn't "feel" like 17?

I've been looking mainly at used 19's (which are reallly about 18'6") at $15,000 or less. But I've seen a few 17's (some even closer to 16) that seemed pretty dang nice.

A Cobia 174CC caught my eye, and a friend's Cape Horn 17 seems solid. I also have seen Pro-Line 17's, the Palm Beach Whitecap and the Key West 1720. All are good boats but a little cramped-looking from the outside.

I'd like enough room to maneuver with 3-4 fishermen aboard; decent, dry ride and storage; and enough boat to be comfortable when there's a little bit of a chop or a lot of bigger-boat wake.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO FISH 4 GUYS, YA NEED AT LEAST A 20' BOAT. A 20' AQUASPORT WOULD BE A GREAT BOAT FOR YA, WITH AT LEAST 90 H.P. I HAVE HAD 2 AND THEY ARE GREAT RIDIN AND FISHIN BOATS. YOU CAN FIND ONE, SAY 1997 OR NEWER FOR A LOT LESS THAN $15,000. THE LAST ONE I BOUGHT WAS A 1997 WITH A 115 JOHNYRUDE ENGINE , FISH FINDER, GPS, T-TOP AND ALMOST NEW ALUM. TRAILER, PAID $5,900 FOR IT ON A ESTATE SALE. THE ENGINE ONLY HAD 26 HOURS ON IT AND IT WAS KEPT INSIDE CLOSED BOAT HOUSE. I HAD TO TAKE A DAY TO GET ALL OF THE DIRT DOBBER NEXT OFF OF IT , BUT IT TURNED OUT GREAT.
PA (AKA) ALMAR

pcbayou wrote:Can anyone recommend a 17-foot center console that doesn't "feel" like 17?

The closest I would recommend is a 17' Cape Horn, in the older "rolled edge" version. I think they began to use an inner liner 3-4 years ago. Without an inner liner there is much more room. However, 4 guys is too much for comfort, IMO in a 17', even in the Cape. Two is about right, maybe three if they don't bring much stuff or are good at sharing casting room.

I have owned a 17' Aquasport since 1986. It has been a great boat, but it is 17', not 19 or 20. Its good for two fishermen, up to four to just ride around. I am thinking about a replacement in a 19', for just a bit more room, but not to fundamentally change where or how I fish. I keep boats a long time.

Luck,

EJ

I'm not aware of any 17' boat that would comfortably fish 4 people. I agree with Pa. If you're wanting to fish that many, you need a 20' boat.

You are on the right track with a Cape Horn if all you want is fishing room from a 17' boat. The 19' Cape Horn is also a great boat. I had a 2002 model 17' Horn (new body style) and it does have more room than the old body style. We had four people in it fishing, but it would get a little nerve racking when you had a fish on or trying to move equipment around. Three people was all you really wanted in the boat. Now the 19' Horn can handle four people without too much hassle. BTW - there is very little storage room in a Cape Horn, so you really have to stream line what you take on board. You might find a used 19' Sea Pro or Key West boat. They both have a lot of fishing room, but the price tag is going to be tough for a decent boat.

Thanks, y'all. I've just about decided not to look too closely at that 17-foot Cobia, though it looked nice from a drive-by. I don't really need room for 4 serious fishermen all the time. But I do need room occasionally for 2 fairly large fishermen and as many as 2 petite fisherwomen.

I'll keep an eye out for Aquasports, Sea Pro's and Key Wests at 19 and a little above. Some older Pro-Line 19's seem good too, at a good price. Thoughts from anybody on that?

pcbayou wrote: Some older Pro-Line 19's seem good too, at a good price. Thoughts from anybody on that?

Decent boats, but very little deadrise, and wet. Good boats for the flats, offshore they pound. They were originally designed as guide boats for the flats, before bay boats.

EJ

Good luck. If you keep shopping that price range you can find some very functional boats. I found a 2002 19' Key West in North Carolina with a T-top and a 125 Salt Water Merc (loaded - electronics and all) for $13,995 the boat was in great shape and someone needed out in a hurry. It sold before I could get there. Those deals don't last long.

My wife and I have a 17' Cape Horn and as much and we love it, and highly recommend Cape Horn boats, it would be crowded with 3 much less 4 people fishing. But if no more than 3 are going out, you can't beat the solid quality of the boat....but as Saltwater4me correctly warns, the Capes are all fish box and very little storage room otherwise. Great if you hit a load of grouper but a bit wasted for inshore use. I also looked at resale value....Cape Horn is amazing on resale...we bought ours cheaper new than those we say on Boattraderonline used. Good luck.

Nemo, I've noticed that the Cape 17 and 19 seem a little sparse on deck. I could always use the fishboxes to store stuff if I don't catch many fish. The Capes are solid boats, and they look massive compared to Key Wests, Aquasports, etc. But they just don't seem suited to bayou and flats fishing, which is mostly what I do. If a Cape 19 I spotted a couple of weeks ago is still here, I may take another look.

Before you buy anything, look at the Cape Horn Flats 16. If you're looking for a flats/bayou boat, there may not be anything that can top it.

It's 16+, wide and room to walk around. IT IS WIDE! It's not the driest for venturing rough water outside the pass (I grew up in the Cove on the water). But strong enough to plow if you get in gulf highs. It is perfect for inside Shell Island and all the bays.

The 16 is pretty much bare bones. Good price. For the fisherman who wants a good solid ride, can beef up in horsepower, relatively shallow draft, enough of a V to cut.... blah, blah, blah.


Can head deep for grouper on a calm day. Can hang around trout all day.

Funny you should mention that. I saw a Cape Horn 18 flats boat for sale today in a storage lot on Thomas Drive, and I liked it a lot. It was a 2002 I think, and out of the price range. I liked the raised front and back decks and the wide floor around the console. I couldn't quite tell what all those little doors opened to, and it was too hot to climb the fence for a closer look.

It's good to hear from someone who knows the pass and Shell Island. I do wish sometimes a few hundred people on a Sunday afternoon didn't know about it.

The 17 Cape Horn is actually an excellent flats boat. There is no convenient way to put a bow mounted trolling motor, but we have been in a foot of water (outboard up of course) although 2' are really needed to operate with a 115 tilted (the boat only draws 8" according to the website). What we like about the 17 Offshore is that we can do 2' or 20' in one boat. They are sparce but they "git'er done."

If your wanting to venture out the pass on occassion (good wather) the Cape Horn 17 would be your boat....But if you never intend to go out the pass, there are tons of boat that will do.....It's a matter of pulling the trigger on one...No one boat will do it all, some come close....

Check out Lighthouse Marine on 390, tey have several used Mako's, Whaler's, Wellcraft's, etc....

Shell Island tours (SP?) at the base of the Hathaway, had several used Cape Horns with no power....

Thanks, Chalk. I checked with Lighthouse Marine a couple of weeks ago and will again. They seem to be good folks who know their boats. I'll check out the Shell Island tour site, too.

Hey, Nemo, a foot of water is fine. Even when the water's cool, I can get in up to my shins and give the boat a shove. I've noticed, though, that the water gets colder every year I get older.

I had seen that 8-inch draft on the Cape 17 somewhere and thought it couldn't be right. That's pretty good for a boat that deep.