Britol 0r Sturdee in BH

[nhursh]

Anyone have experience with either a bristol skiff or sturdee-skiff in Boston Harbor-type water. I have heard that both are good bay boats but have a hard time with anything above a mild chop or swell.

[rel]

<FONT color=black face="Times New Roman,Times" size=2>Since both types of boats you mentioned are flat bottomed skiffs basically they tend to ride hard in rough weather. I used to be a commercial shellfisherman and ran flat bottom skiffs in all types of weather, and from this experience the boat owner of today should stay away from any flat bottom skiff because most only know one speed on the water- fast. These boats will take you out and bring you home in one piece if you use some common sense and slow down when the wind picks up. Mos tof the problems I have heard about these boats on this board can be attributed to going too fast for the sea conditions. I apologize for offending&nbsp; anyone but this is the way I see it. rel</FONT>

[Bob Parsons]

I have a 16ft lund and JohnB has a 17 Bristal Skiff we travel the same waters often. The Bristal skiff is a nice boat. Like the previous post when there is some chop, you have a choice slow and steady or fast with kidneys in doubt. I use my boat in Barnstable Harbor, with trips out into Cape Cod Bay conditions permitting. Again with the right conditions I'll launch on the south side and cross over to Martha's Vineyard. Get a 4 stroke if your budget will allow and get a little more hp than what the minamun is listed for the boat.
I started with a 25hp which was fine when I didn't have a couple of other people but have since upgraded.

[Adam-Albino]

Boston harbor typically has a very short steep chop. You will kill yourself (and your kidneys) will a flat botom boat in bean town....Remember this is not the South Side Cape or Barnstable harbor, You typically don't have lines of 300-600 foot ships throwing wakes and 40mph commuter boats buzzing around in those places...My modified v has problems and so does every other one that I know under 20 foot...
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[mcollins]

I have a Sturdee 16 w/Yamaha 25. Since it's my first real boat it took me a season to get used to what the boat can and can't do. You must watch your speed in any kind of chop, and the sharp corners where the gunwhal meets the bottom also creates some strange handling characteristics.
It will take a 3 ft chop w/o any problem, a little trickier in a following sea. I fish buzzards bay a lot, from the west end of the canal down to the end of the dike, all over south cape, barnstable in and outside the harbor, plymouth.
If you can put up with the chop and resign yourself to not being able to keep up with the 19' v hulls you'll be OK.
I got it because I wanted a new boat for relatively short money. I don't mind the chop that much and I can cruise all day on 6 gallons of gas. Set your expectations and go from there. - Mark

[JohnBerger]

<DIV>As Bob mentioned I have a Bristol Skiff and am very happy with it.&nbsp; I went to the boat show this year with an assignment from a friend to see if I could find anything in its price range to beat it and I came up with very little.&nbsp; One of the things I like the most about it is the rear casting deck - as I looked at other boats I could not find many that even had this feature as most other boats attach the outboard in a well built into the transom as opposed to just tacking it onto a flat transom like the Bristol does.&nbsp; Since I do a lot of fly fishing and like to be able to move up to a spot (often close to shore), have a good platform to help me see if there are any fish to cast to, make a few blind casts, then move on - the Bristol suits my style well.&nbsp; </DIV>
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<DIV>That being said - it would not be that hard to build a casting deck onto many of the aluminum boats.</DIV>
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<DIV>The comments on flat bottomed boats are true - in rough water you have to go slow.&nbsp; This is particularly true if you have any passengers up forward.&nbsp;&nbsp; As Bob mentioned there are times when we fish together that I really have to lag behind him.</DIV>