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Sportfish for family

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by biminiblues, Jan 26, 2021.

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  1. biminiblues

    biminiblues New Member

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    We are looking to get the boat in the mid 50s low 60s. Most of what we do will be family cruising but we’d like toy to have fishing capabilities. It seems most boats are either all cruising style with very little fishing equipment or battle wagons. The Riviera seems to be a family friendly boat that’s laid out like a sport fish. Any other boats? We like the lounging capabilities on the bow etc.
  2. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    Over the weekend, I met an owner of a 2000-era Hatteras that keeps his boat in Eleuthera. He previously had a Riviera and said the ride wasn't good, so he sold it. I've never sea-trialed a Riviera, so I can't comment. Might have been a specific year issue, wasn't trimmed right, etc. Maybe one of YF's more experienced captains can chime in.
  3. Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    How big is your family, most 50-60 foot production sportfish should have 3 cabins, with the lower 60's boats having 4 cabins. Also you could setup a sportfish to be a cruiser quite easily with the addition of a cockpit table and sunshade, and bow lounges etc. The production builders, (Viking, Hatteras, Bertram, Ocean, Post, Riviera,) offer models in your size range, and depending on your budget, you should be able to find a suitable boat from any one of these builders. With some of the builders geared more towards pure sport fishing, and others a mix of both.
  4. biminiblues

    biminiblues New Member

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    Thanks for the feedback. We are a family of 5. mom dad, 9YO, 8YO and 6YO. Primary use will be in Bahamas. We currently have a 34 center console but want to move up into a boat we can live aboard for a couple of weeks at a time either in a marina or on the hook. We will never really be hardcore into big fish but want the ability to troll and fish. Budget is 1-1.5, assuming it is used and someone else took the initial depreciation hit. That is more than I truly want to spend but I would rather buy a quality build. I like Hatteras a lot but the motor yachts are not fishy enough and the SFs aren't quite posh enough for mom in terms of spots to lounge. your idea to add what I need to a SF is a good idea.
  5. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    You might want to look at something like an Off Shore? unless speed is a consideration. To me its both fishy and posh. SF have the sleeping quarters bunched together. With children (or guests for that matter) its nice to have a little separation. We have a 50 Post, 3 staterooms with alot of beam and a big cockpit. Still, 5 people living aboard would be trying. Long weekends were ok. Just our experience having had 2 children cruising with us. Our kids spent a lot of time in the inflatable exploring and visiting friends they made.
  6. motoryachtlover

    motoryachtlover Senior Member

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    Is a cockpit motor yacht a consideration? Every now and then you see one with outriggers. Maritomo is another Australian convertible that is more cruise than fish.
  7. Silver Lining

    Silver Lining Member

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    While my 50 Viking sport cruiser is not what you are looking for, we do a couple Bahamas trips a year spending maybe 4 weeks per summer on the boat. We also like to fish some but wanted a large flybridge with seating, a swim platform, portholes, side decks, built in steps to the bridge and a few other aspects not often available on a sport fish

    So I installed high end rod holders in the gunnels and a nice set of removable outriggers. Only takes a few minutes to retrieve from lazerette. Can easily troll a 5 line spread. Works well and convenient. Also not having huge permanent outrigggors means I can go under several bridges in S Florida icw on the way out
  8. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Given your family size, what about buying a nice Hatteras (or other) motoryacht and towing a 26’ center console for fishing? In the Bahamas you don’t have to run so far to go fishing, and you don’t have to bring the entire house and family fishing if they don’t want to.
  9. Slimshady

    Slimshady Senior Member

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    J is correct medium size tender is way to go. Besides fishing you'll want to explore all the little coves and bays. With no tender everyone goes fishing cause the hotel left the dock. Kids will be old enough soon to drive it also
  10. biminiblues

    biminiblues New Member

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    Thank you these are great ideas. I’ve been looking at the hatteras 60/64 motor yachts and thought the same thing, well want a runabout boat/tender. They ain’t cheap.
  11. Slimshady

    Slimshady Senior Member

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    If you get a motor yacht, you get much more usable space per foot vs a sportfish therefore could downsize a little. Plus lots less wear and tear and fuel using tender.
  12. gr8trn

    gr8trn Senior Member

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    It's settled, sell your 34 center console. Buy a depreciated 26 center console and a boat like a Sunseeker Manhattan 60 ( just an example of a very nice living and cruising platform for $700 to $800K) to cruise and lounge and live. Unless the fishing you want to do is in transit only.
    This way when you are back home you still have the 26 center console to use similarly to your current 34. Plus your kids will be old enough soon to have more fun running the 26' fish slayer.
  13. motoryachtlover

    motoryachtlover Senior Member

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    I have a 54 MY with a 13 RIB with a 60 hp OB on the bow. I would not have a big boat without a relatively fast dinghy. I also have 23 Everglades DC with a reinforced bow eye. I am very tempted to pull the EG to the Bahamas but I keep hearing how hard it is on the boat being towed and just the overall PIA it can be. I would consider taking it on if my oldest daughter came but I think just my wife and I would struggle and find it more trouble than it is worth. I mention this for 2 reasons. First to get some of you alls comments on my thoughts and the other is to let the OP know that in my opinion and some others towing a boat is not a casual endeavor. I should mention that I used to have a 16 Whaler that I towed behind the MY and while it was great to have once tied up or anchored, the whaler did suffer some damage while towing at 22 knots. Now if you are willing to slow down then I think the wear and tear is greatly reduced. I struggle to slow down and as I have aged the big long all day runs have lost their appeal. Maybe once i retire I can slow down. Until then I will go with my dinghy on the bow.
  14. Lunderic

    Lunderic Member

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    I was recently in a very similar situation although I probably lean more towards fishing. I was looking for a fairly long time and recently settled on a 53 Viking Convertible that came around at the right price. It's a bit of a compromise (with wife)but I think it will work out for us. She wanted 2 Queen SRs and a large bridge. My suggestion is to look at quite a few boats and narrow your needs. The right boat will come along eventually
  15. biminiblues

    biminiblues New Member

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    i've never towed a boat and the stream can be punishing and unpredictable. i do think being able to run to various islands without taking "the house" with us will change the experience a lot. i KNOW we will use the extra space of a MY but THINK i may want the fishing options of a SF so i lean towards the MY with big dingy or tow. if we are in islands for only a week we can look into renting a small CC and if over a week, pay someone to run the CC over with us and send them home. myself and crew are too inexperienced right now to buy a big boat AND learn to tow.

    these are all first world problems.... i appreciate the feedback. i live in coastal Georgia where there are relatively fewer shops to get parts and work on a big MY or SF so the boat will likely live in south florida and ill have a CC at home regardless. my hope is to find a boat that is a good deal and minimize the hit if i need to get out of it after a year or two. the problem is, the seed has been planted and i will either pull the trigger or wish i did and be posting questions for the next 5 years until i get kicked out of this most informative forum.
  16. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Elk, you’re going to need someone to maintain the big boat in florida. Pay a captain to run the big boat across for the few times you go to the bahamas. A good captain that knows the ins and outs of all of the nooks and crannies in the bahamas is worth its weight in gold anyhow.
  17. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    The literal interpretation of that often hits me as we say it but do we really pay attention to being worth our weight in gold. My calculation shows that would put you worth about $7.4 million. You're good, but not quite that good. lol
  18. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    First, to set background on my answer. I'm not a SF fan for ownership and I don't like the idea of towing a CC. So, with that disclosure my answer to this.

    If you fish and intend to do a reasonable amount then a SF makes sense. To equalize the space to that of a MY you may have to go a size larger, but a MY will never be as good for fishing as a SF. It's your purpose and use that matters. Now, I'd much rather carry a tender so I'd get a boat large enough to carry the tender I wanted to take with me. No, it's not as large as a CC but still it will allow you to explore and most of the Bahamas is very accessible to the SF. If you want to do more, you can always rent a CC for a day or week here and there.
  19. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I will make that over my career, so perhaps i am!!!!!!!:D
  20. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    Move the CC to the Bahamas once and leave it there? Or get a slightly smaller CC and ditto? Retrieve and use when necessary?

    -Chris