pacific assassin build
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2021 1:23 pm
Thought this might be enjoyed over here.
I have been thinking of getting/building another boat since I sold my Contender 27 open several years ago. My contender was 30' OAL and my NR seahawk was 26 OAL so I was really looking for something right in the middle. With building a new house and shop pretty much done it seemed time. New boat has some definite parameters that I wanted. I pretty much wanted a commercial style boat, no extra fluff, easy clean up/maintenance and just give her a rinse at the end of the day. Had to have a flat floor walk around pilot house, keep 4 plus out of the weather, hold around 200 gallons of fuel so I can fish tuna for 2 days and not have to deal with the fuel dock and there short hours, big back deck for fishing/crabbing/shrimping room, walk through side door or transom to ease access as I get older. Side and back doors on cabin to be able to lock gear up inside and keep honest people honest. On aluminum boats (prefered) no paint except nonskid and bottom paint, prefer no foam. Fuel economy is also a factor, I did not want a thirsty gas hog lol. As well as the weight of the boat, I do not want to have to get a new rig to tow the boat, but will if have to. I do not want to have to have a pilot car to be legal, I want to be able just hook up and go where I want and not worry so limited on width to pretty much 8'6". I could go a bit wider but don't want to push it much.
I thought about a CC again but do not want to have to deal with spray shields/wings, although if push came to shove it was a option.
I had looked at buying a kit from Specmar/Cope and building myself. That is a lot of time and effort and then there is the question of getting my welding skills up to snuff. I can weld but that is a different level. Could I get them there, probably it would take a lot of seat time. I also thought about the fact that if I tweak the boat while welding it up that is a lot of expensive scrap metal lol. I will revisit building a small boat down the road as I think it would be a fun project.
I looked at NR and Allied walk around pilot houses but their cost on something like this is beyond my budget. Several of the smaller custom builders were looked at/talked to, again budget, ect came into play.
I also looked at catamarans and aluminum ones are again out of budget and talked to a few builders in glass back east and no go an a pilot house in the size/price/ I wanted.
Farallon 2600WA was also on my list, I fish on a 2800 and it is a beast, love that boat. The 2600 was at the top of my price range. With what it weighs it would be a max tow for my current truck. Start adding a few options and it grew out of budget and over weight so I would need a different tow rig. I also really wanted a 28' OAL boat and 200 gallons fuel. The 2600 is 26 OAL and 150 gallons of fuel. 200 Gallons is a option but then it cuts into the infloor fish hold which I did not care for. The sleeping berths and in floor fish hold had great attraction for me, being able to store a bunch albies below deck would be great and leave the back deck more open. This would help mitigate the shorter OAL as far as back deck room for fishing. This boat was at the top of my list even though it was glass, only held 150 gallons of fuel and 26'OAL and would cut into options I wanted as it was already maxing out budget in pretty stock form.
In the end I ended up going with a company I have drooled over for years and tried to buy a couple of used ones but it never worked out and in the length I want they only come up used once or twice a year if lucky. Actually the 26' is the ones that come up I have never seen a 28'.
I have been thinking of getting/building another boat since I sold my Contender 27 open several years ago. My contender was 30' OAL and my NR seahawk was 26 OAL so I was really looking for something right in the middle. With building a new house and shop pretty much done it seemed time. New boat has some definite parameters that I wanted. I pretty much wanted a commercial style boat, no extra fluff, easy clean up/maintenance and just give her a rinse at the end of the day. Had to have a flat floor walk around pilot house, keep 4 plus out of the weather, hold around 200 gallons of fuel so I can fish tuna for 2 days and not have to deal with the fuel dock and there short hours, big back deck for fishing/crabbing/shrimping room, walk through side door or transom to ease access as I get older. Side and back doors on cabin to be able to lock gear up inside and keep honest people honest. On aluminum boats (prefered) no paint except nonskid and bottom paint, prefer no foam. Fuel economy is also a factor, I did not want a thirsty gas hog lol. As well as the weight of the boat, I do not want to have to get a new rig to tow the boat, but will if have to. I do not want to have to have a pilot car to be legal, I want to be able just hook up and go where I want and not worry so limited on width to pretty much 8'6". I could go a bit wider but don't want to push it much.
I thought about a CC again but do not want to have to deal with spray shields/wings, although if push came to shove it was a option.
I had looked at buying a kit from Specmar/Cope and building myself. That is a lot of time and effort and then there is the question of getting my welding skills up to snuff. I can weld but that is a different level. Could I get them there, probably it would take a lot of seat time. I also thought about the fact that if I tweak the boat while welding it up that is a lot of expensive scrap metal lol. I will revisit building a small boat down the road as I think it would be a fun project.
I looked at NR and Allied walk around pilot houses but their cost on something like this is beyond my budget. Several of the smaller custom builders were looked at/talked to, again budget, ect came into play.
I also looked at catamarans and aluminum ones are again out of budget and talked to a few builders in glass back east and no go an a pilot house in the size/price/ I wanted.
Farallon 2600WA was also on my list, I fish on a 2800 and it is a beast, love that boat. The 2600 was at the top of my price range. With what it weighs it would be a max tow for my current truck. Start adding a few options and it grew out of budget and over weight so I would need a different tow rig. I also really wanted a 28' OAL boat and 200 gallons fuel. The 2600 is 26 OAL and 150 gallons of fuel. 200 Gallons is a option but then it cuts into the infloor fish hold which I did not care for. The sleeping berths and in floor fish hold had great attraction for me, being able to store a bunch albies below deck would be great and leave the back deck more open. This would help mitigate the shorter OAL as far as back deck room for fishing. This boat was at the top of my list even though it was glass, only held 150 gallons of fuel and 26'OAL and would cut into options I wanted as it was already maxing out budget in pretty stock form.
In the end I ended up going with a company I have drooled over for years and tried to buy a couple of used ones but it never worked out and in the length I want they only come up used once or twice a year if lucky. Actually the 26' is the ones that come up I have never seen a 28'.