Blackwell 61 vs Davis 58

This thread has been moved to the Sportfish Forum.

Well, I have run a Davis 58 a few times. It is a production boat and really no different than an Egg Harbor and is built exactly the same with the exception of hull design. That being said, for me it leaves a lot to be desired. The wiring is messy in the rear of the engine room and not supported well, there are hoses unsupported that just run across the engine bed, excessive fuel line for the generator and placement of the racor that makes no sense, the steering resevoir is hidden on the port side behind a fiberglass access panel with 4 screws that you cannot even check the pressure or level without removing the panel, an a/c pump that loses prime if the fwd fuel tank is empty, They use these s/s looking seacocks where the handle seperates from the ball valve and just turns but doesn't close the seacock, the rear E.R. bulkhead cracks where it meets the ceiling, the staterooms are small for it's size and the height of the master ceiling and placement of the TV is just REALLY ODD and is the same way as in a 50' Egg Harbor I ran and I'd rather have an attic with storage than a funky 14' ceiling. That being said they do get up and run 33-35 knots at cruise, have a good ride, and seem to be structurally sound otherwise. It really could be a very nice boat, if they paid attention to detail in the engine room, it looks like they just ran all of the hoses and some wiring with no thought, hooked it all up, and then the guy that's supposed to come in and secure everything and route it got fired or something. Honestly, someone could go in there with cable clamps, wire ties, a drill, bits, and screws and tidy most of it up in a day or two.....

I'm not familiar with the Blackwell's, but they are a custom boat and probably have a better build quality and design. I've heard good things about them. I would look towards a Bayliss, Jim Smith, Rybovich, or others in that size range. There are also a few good Carolina builders I wouldn't overlook as well.

If you want a good cold-molded sportfish, take a look at Lightning Yachts in Beaufort, NC.

Are you taking new or used? What's the budget? There are some unbelievable deals out there right now in the sf market.