New boat ??

capt louie

For some crazy reason I'm toying with the idea of buying a new boat ?  My old '74 hull is good and all but i want more boat around me,

Been looking hard at a Dusky 227XF  with 200 Suzuki . Takes 7 months to build . I was late on a nice C hawk23 with a lot of extras but oh well.  
Thoughts ?

Jts

Maybe extend your search area and check Craig’s list around where C hawks are built.  A long drive but worth it if the boat is good.

DOCKSIDE

Yamaha or Merc.   Shitcan the zuke....

capt louie

DOCKSIDE said:

Yamaha or Merc.   Shitcan the zuke....

I have commercial friends that really like them.

redeye76

Agree Capt Louie,Down around Tampa and St Pete I see way more Zuke's on commercial boats than Merc or Yammy these days. Zukes are also more fuel efficient. 

Crkr23

Capt Louie, do you know who they use for service? I don't really trust the dealer that I bought from, They did a crappy installation.

plastered

DOCKSIDE said:

Yamaha or Merc.   Shitcan the zuke....

My 300 zukes have been great 2600 hours still 
running strong.

capt louie

Crkr23 said:

Capt Louie, do you know who they use for service? I don't really trust the dealer that I bought from, They did a crappy installation.

In the keys.. Around here not sure ?

Crkr23

Thanks

tag

Wow, a 7 month wait. The outdoor business is booming

CJFL

Dusky is a good boat. They are however still made with plywood and the beam is narrow, which makes them roll on the drift easier than some boats. What makes you prefer the dusky? There's a lot of good options out there.

capt louie

 What makes you prefer the dusky? There's a lot of good options out there.

Like the hull and believe it's correct for sea conditions here. I don't see any mention of wood ?

CJFL

Before I accidentally deter you from a Dusky, let me just say they are a rock solid boat. Fished on one for years. That said, they are 100% built with wood stringers. Not sure about the transom.

I think you can have fiberglass/composite stringers built in, but it costs more money with them: I would call them to make sure that is correct.

Elapid

agree with CJFL on making sure there is no wood in it- you have too many options that don't have wood anymore. also regarding the zuke i love mine. 2015 w/420+ hrs with only reg maint and just had to replace the lower unit (slammed a rock) which ended costing about half of what a yammie would have been. 

Doc Stressor

Dusky use to use a whole forest to build their boats.  That's what made them feel so solid.  They will build one for you with foam-filled stringers and transom for extra money.  

Wood is fine for 20 years as long as it is properly treated and encapsulated.  At Louie's age, that's plenty long enough. 

swampmonster

Cape Horn makes a good boat. The beam may be over 8’6”. The are rock solid. 

capt louie

Beam of a Dusky 227 is 8'2"  , seems pretty good. Website says 100 % composite ?  My '74 Sportcraft has wood stringers. 2 x 10 completely glassed over . Still solid. 
I like the 3 piece construction and full transom of the Dusky. My old boat , like me , is getting leaky.LOL

Hardcore Lures

I owned a Dusky back in the 80s for 10 years and win a lot of money fishing kingfish tournaments in South Florida.  Duskys are very solid no frills boats.  For the money they are hard to beat.  Another nice feature is that you get to configure your boat exactly the way you want it because each one is custom built in Dania fl.

Doc Stressor

The first bracketed boat I was ever in was a 20' Dusky, which is the same size as the 227.   I really liked the ride out of Tarpon Springs.  It could pound a little but was really solid in the bigger stuff.  Unlike a lot of other boats with brackets that I've been in, it wasn't squirrely in a following sea and you could slow down to slog when needed.  A few that I've seen over the years had kind of crude workmanship and wiring, but that may have changed.  They are simple no-frills boats like Cape Horns.  But those 2 hulls and layouts are pretty different.  

You should try and get a ride on one before you buy.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNB-5DBh3EM

ANUMBER1

my 1979 Sermons has wood stringers, prolly gets used more than most

Widespread Panic

1970 Hydrodyne with balsa core still in use with no issues. 

electrodog

When I lived in South Fl. I visited the Dusky factory in Dania and spoke to the owner, I think his name was Mike Brown. He was quite the character and when I asked to go for a sea trial on a 25 (now the 27),he was not very accommodating, literally giving me the run around. I left the factory and found the boat I wanted on the boat trader and had it for several years. Dusky s are not "refined" or "pretty" boats but they will take a beating and won't break the bank. I still have a little 16R that I use on the flats and nearshore. I think they have gone downhill as far as fit and finish. I would be on the look out for a used one in good condition but that's just me. Good luck!

capt louie

I would be on the look out for a used one in good condition but that's just me. 

Not many out there . Seen a few but not the size I'm looking for or they have E tech's.

flats habit

Might think about Sportsman’s...I just bought one and love it!