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Merica
New Member
11 Posts |
 Posted - 07/20/2012 : 08:14:57 AM
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| I am looking at getting a new boat and have narrowed my search down to the Sea Hunt BX 22 pro and the Sportsman 227 Masters. I like both of them because they seem to have everything it takes to fish for everything from bass to stripers to redfish and offshore on a not terrible day. Do any of y'all have any opinions on which one might be better. I would mainly be using it for striper fishing and going offshore but I still want to take my dad bass fishing because that's all he really wants to do, but I still enjoy inshore fishing and shrimping. Thanks for the help. |
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saltydog235
Senior Member
9752 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 09:02:05 AM
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You look at Pioneer yet?
Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid" John Wayne
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Fishb8
Senior Member
6164 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 09:08:14 AM
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Easy Mark. Don't be knocking a SeaHunt.
Fishb8 (Fish Bait)
23 Sea Hunt "My Last Boat V"
If you can't stand behind our soldiers, try standing in front of them. |
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saltydog235
Senior Member
9752 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 09:22:13 AM
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Not knocking them in any way. Just giving him other options, I've looked at a whole lot of boats lately.
You need to come look soon.
Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid" John Wayne
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Hornetf4
Starting Member
4 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 10:19:31 AM
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I have the 24BxBr Sea Hunt and I'm very happy with it. You can't go wrong with a sea hunt.
Hornetf4
24 Sea Hunt "Lock-N-Load |
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Phin
Prolific Poster
12929 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 11:04:53 AM
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Sea Hunt is the fastest growing production boat company in the country I believe.... And Pioneers have proven to be basically unbreakable by design and construction and top of their class in fit and finish as far as fiberglass production boats go IMO.
Hard to compare a brand new company to either of those.
Would think about quality, customer support short term and long term, fit and finish, construction type/methods, ride/performance, layout and then looks. Have no idea about any of those for the Sportsmans, but the general rumors I hear are that they're pretty nice products.
Hope you share what you learn about them.
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Luke 8:22-25
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Pluffdaddy
Senior Member
226 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 11:20:12 AM
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| It is hard to challenge a Sea Hunt in the price point. If I were in the market, the Hunt 22' or 24' would be my choice ride. |
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wstrickland1
Senior Member
1370 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 1:02:01 PM
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I've got a BX 22 w/ an F250. I've had boats by Mako, Whaler, Grady, Triton, Scout, Mckee and others over the last 30 years and so far this is my favorite. I'm not saying it's better than any of those or others but just that it's my favorite. I usually get a boat and am ready to move on to something else after a few months but this is the first boat I've had that I feel like I want to keep for a long time. It's very stable, solid, has a huge bow flare, well laid out, lots of storage, looks great and didn't put me in the poorhouse. Plus The dealer is great to work with and from what I understand Seahunt gives great support.
Boatless |
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DownLow
Senior Member
199 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 1:20:07 PM
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| Interesting, I wasn't aware of the Sportsman yet. I probably do more family cruising (at this point) than I do fishing so I thought the Sea Hunt Ultra or similar was my next option. Most bay boats are more fishing-oriented and aren't set up very well for cruising people around. The Sportsman model opens that option up a bit more with that jump seat in the back. Will definitely have to look into Sportsman a little more and make a visit to Hanckel (assume they have some sitting there). Like Phin said, challenge is that it's a brand new company. Fortunately (well, not really), I'm still a couple of years out from upgrading so have a little time. Merica, please share what you learn and decide along the way! |
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Fishb8
Senior Member
6164 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 1:36:54 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by saltydog235
Not knocking them in any way. Just giving him other options, I've looked at a whole lot of boats lately.
You need to come look soon.
Still trying to get the wife on the same page as me
Fishb8 (Fish Bait)
23 Sea Hunt "My Last Boat V"
If you can't stand behind our soldiers, try standing in front of them. |
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saltydog235
Senior Member
9752 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 3:11:23 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Fishb8
quote:
Originally posted by saltydog235
Not knocking them in any way. Just giving him other options, I've looked at a whole lot of boats lately.
You need to come look soon.
Still trying to get the wife on the same page as me
Fishb8 (Fish Bait)
23 Sea Hunt "My Last Boat V"
If you can't stand behind our soldiers, try standing in front of them.
Lemme talk to her.
Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid" John Wayne
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C Tackle
Senior Member
567 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2012 : 10:24:15 AM
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Sportman is owned by the folks that owned Sea Pro. Their non compete ran out and they are back in business again. I think there both great boats and I am in the same boat as you. I am torn between the 2 brands. I am going to have to go with Sea Hunt b/c they have had a long time to improve and tweek their BX 22. For the money I am not sure their is a better bay boat on the market in the 22ft+ range. It's not a yellowfin, pathfinder or lake and bay but and the end of the day it does not cost your double the price to own.
He must Increase,but I must decrease. John 3:30 |
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JBM
Senior Member
330 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2012 : 4:37:28 PM
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| I would rather have a used "top of the line" boat (regulator or pathfinder are just two examples) than a brand new "middle of the pack" boat like Sea Hunt or Sportsman. With boats, most of the time, you aren't just paying for the name. There is a reason they cost more. Sea trail a 21 or 23 Regulator and you will know what I am talking...... |
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caw caw
Senior Member
393 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2012 : 12:19:10 AM
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| I agree with JBM on the Regulator(or Pursuit) being worth the money. I have a 220CC Sea Pro and its "OK", but you get what you pay for. Since I hardly put 100 hrs a year on mine, it's good enough for me. I have owned Pursuit and been on a few Regulators and the difference in ride, quality, etc, are very clear when compared to a "mid grade" boat. |
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saltydog235
Senior Member
9752 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2012 : 09:02:19 AM
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Crawled up on a Sportsman the other day, its a nice boat. Definitely more of a family boat than a fishing boat. The access hatch to the bilge and pump area is a nice touch and really does open it up for easy maintenance and cleaning. The bait wells in the rear aren't very nice and would be a PITA fishing. I also love and hate the full rear bench, awesome for riding out but going to be a PITA to fight a fish around. Hatch lids felt sort of light and cheap but decent hardware. Lower dash on the cockpit which helped visibility but I'm not sure you could easily get a larger display in there with room for much else. Steering wheel wasn't tilt and seemed to be at both an odd angle and height for me.
I don't think that its the boat for me but I can see where it will appeal to many others. The fit and finish is pretty darn good. The boat has a solid feel to it as well.
Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid" John Wayne
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saltydog235
Senior Member
9752 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2012 : 09:06:04 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by JBM
I would rather have a used "top of the line" boat (regulator or pathfinder are just two examples) than a brand new "middle of the pack" boat like Sea Hunt or Sportsman. With boats, most of the time, you aren't just paying for the name. There is a reason they cost more. Sea trail a 21 or 23 Regulator and you will know what I am talking......
Yeah, I'd agree with you but normally a used Regulator, Pusuit, Edgewater etc is still more than a new Sea Hunt is and falls outside of some budgets. Then you have to factor in engines with sometimes high hours, hulls that have been run hard and zero warranty on any of it. Those entry level boats fit a budget and give some peice of mind in the warranty aspect too. Kind of like buying a new Toyota vs a used Mercedes.
Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid" John Wayne
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Merica
New Member
11 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2012 : 12:46:10 PM
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| I agree with saltydog. I do not like where all the livewells are located on the sportsman for fishing at all. The two main ones are in the back with a smaller one under the console seat. That just seems like a waste having to go to the back of the boat to get bait all the time when the Sea Hunt has the one in the back middle, one under the console seat, and an option to have one one the leaning post. To me that set up is more for fishing than the other. The sportsman also does seem a lot more family friendly than the Sea Hunt but right now being single I'm not too terribly worried about that and I don't think that the Sea Hunt is bad in that department either. I do like the Sportsman's console design. It has the gauges on the lower level and leaves the flat panel completely open for any electronics that I might put on there. I also like that it has a 72 gallon tank instead of the 50 gallons of the Sea hunt. Right now the thought of it appeals to me more just in case it would be nice to have the extra 20 gallons but in the long run my wallet might not thank me for that decision either. The main reason that I am looking at a new boat is that I have had some bad experiences buying boats before this will be my 4th and the other 3 have all been used. You just never know really what kind of boat you are getting and how well they really took care of it. Sure there are tests that can be done but still its always something thats in the back of my head. For the same price point I think I would rather go for a new boat than a used boat. I haven't really looked into Pioneers at all. I remember when they made a strong push several years ago but then I feel like they kinda fell off the map since then so had not even thought about them. Still havent made up my mind yet at all. Right now the sportsman people are much nicer and more friendly to deal with and actually seem like they want to sell me a boat and are also affiliated with my boat mechanic whereas the sea hunt dealer seems like its a hassle to even talk to me about the boat and I have been in there several times and each time they act as if they could care less if I were to buy one from them. |
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sternline
Senior Member
1162 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2012 : 4:38:00 PM
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I have never been able to figure out why folks who write fishing reports, or any composition relating to fishing in general, seem to have an aversion to using paragraphs.
It's much easier to read reports that use paragraphs; probably get a lot more "reads" by using them.
I'm just sayin'...
I love my Seahunt, great boat-good in a seaway and in the creeks.
Have been all over the place in it-easy to maintain, not too expensive to run-insurance etc is reasonable.
Suspect you were not badly treated at Seel's; I bought my boat there and have used them for maintenance for years. Good folks!
"Watch what we do, not what we say." John Mitchell
Sea Hunt Triton 202
Yammy 150
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Edited by - sternline on 07/23/2012 4:43:20 PM |
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Merica
New Member
11 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2012 : 6:40:28 PM
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| It definitely wasn't Seels it was a dealership up in Columbia where I am located |
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Mandopickr
Senior Member
378 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2012 : 5:27:18 PM
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Merica wrote "whereas the sea hunt dealer seems like its a hassle to even talk to me about the boat and I have been in there several times and each time they act as if they could care less if I were to buy one from them."
Merica, I'm also looking for a new(er) boat, and I amazed that in two of three cases I can't get them to call me back. I went by the local Key West dealership again today, finally left in frustration. As for the Sea Hunt, I think we may be trying to talk to the same dealership. The Nautic Star dealer is the only one that I've been able to get to respond and answer some of my questions.
Obviously the slow down in boat sales over the last few years hasn't had an impact on customer service. Plus, you have to wonder if they act this way when you buying a boat, what are they going to be like if you have a problem. |
Edited by - Mandopickr on 07/25/2012 5:28:54 PM |
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Curly Dog
Senior Member
416 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2012 : 9:47:31 PM
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The Sportsman Boat Co is owned by two individuals. One of the Hancock brothers that used to own SeaPro and one of the original owners of Key West.
As far as the local Sea Hunt dealer in W. Cola I'd rather do without a boat than buy there and an old college buddy is one of the sales guys. I tried to buy a camo duck boat from them and they won't even get out of there chairs to sell a jon boat. Very arrogant folks. |
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saltydog235
Senior Member
9752 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2012 : 10:34:45 PM
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Ya'll need to call Boat Shed in Georgetown. I can gurantee you Brian will take the time to answer any of you questions, give you a straight up honest assessment and find out anything he doesn't already know about his products. They are a Pioneer and Key West dealer.
Tailwalker in Georgetown is handling the Sportsman line as well as Cobia, GW, Contender and a couple of others I think.
Cape Romain/ PI Marine is handling Tidewater and Scout, I'm sure Richard would talk to you as well.
Mark
Mako 262 Twin Yammaha F200s
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
"Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid" John Wayne
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Fishb8
Senior Member
6164 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2012 : 06:54:56 AM
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For seahunt, call Seel's in West Ashley. Every time I have been in there I have been happy.
Fishb8 (Fish Bait)
23 Sea Hunt "My Last Boat V"
If you can't stand behind our soldiers, try standing in front of them. |
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Trollin4Tuna
New Member
18 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2012 : 09:28:47 AM
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| If you want to save a bunch of money look up north. At least on Sea Hunt. |
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Phin
Prolific Poster
12929 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2012 : 09:55:35 AM
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You should look at Pioneer.
Not sure why you think they were making a push then fell off the map. They lost a lot of dealers when the economy tanked- just like everyone else. They had to buy boats back from dealers who couldn't pay the the floor plan notes any more, and that also was just after Pioneer moved from a tiny facility into a huge one. So they continued to spend the resources they had on actual production and materials rather than advertising.
I will say it one more time. You really should look at Pioneer. If you have owned various boats and been unhappy, then the Pioneer is something that will at least leave a lasting impression on you. They are a bit different from other production boats, but you have to look close and actually USE the boat for it to matter. Otherwise, they all look about the same 50ft away.
The Sportsman boats look like a cross between a Scout and Sea Pro to me. Not my thing, but I will not get into why because I know those boats are a lot of other peoples' thing and a lot of those brands are/were built and sold. The boats are quite different. Doesn't mean better or worse. Means they have different qualities that folks prioritize differently. Otherwise there would have been a company who built one boat that everyone loved.
price
durability
performance
support
looks
layout
design
function
finish
quality
Lots to vary on there.
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Luke 8:22-25
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Merica
New Member
11 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2012 : 9:11:18 PM
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I have nothing against Pioneer boats at all. I just havent heard anything about them in a while. I looked at their website the other day and I am just not sure that they are layed out the way that I would like. There are several options on the Sea Hunt that I like that I don't really see but I havent actually tried and talked to anybody there so I dont really know. I will probably look into them further about it.
I can promise you that I will not be buying a Sea Hunt from up in the Columbia area from the dealership close to me. |
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Sea Hunt vs Sportsman
