Best 20ft or less intercoastal boat???
 

Looking for a boat to run around to dinner, tow a skier, etc., on the intercoastal in Florida. The boat will most likely never go out of the inlet for any reason, so seaworthiness is not a concern. The two biggest factors in the choice of the boat are highest seating capacity and something that can be left in the water with very little maintenance. The obvious choice of boat would be a 17 Boston Whaler Montauk, but if anybody has input on some different options I would like to hear it.

20 Albury or 23 Albury if you can spare the extra 3 ft.
http://www.alburybrothers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Albury-Brot...7698/timeline/

They are pricey but the resale is fantastic. I know a guy that built one new, put 700 hours on it and sold it for 15K less than he paid for it new! Granted the prices of the new ones shot up in that 5-6 year period but his boat was over the top clean and it sold in less than 6 weeks despite what I thought was a high asking price and it being a salt water boat left in the water it's whole life.

I had 13' and 15' Whalers since I ws a kid. As an adult, I loved the 15' whaler, a 17' Whaler would be even better. It was the perfect ICW waterway boat for Jersey shore. Many evenings we would go for a cruise; or go explore the back waterways, water ski (my friends), fish, crabbing, clamming, ect....The NJSP (marine police) never busted my balls, so I would drink wihin reason when I was on the Whaler. I also had an 18' Donzi when i was in college at Avalon-Stone Harbor back in the day, which was also a great ICW boat, except i was young, and the marine police busted my balls, thougn I was never ticketd, they ususally were jsut checking out the talent I had with me (girls).

Bottomline a Whaler or Edgewater are great boats for the ICW if performance is not a requirement. Or find a used 16' or 18' Donzi if there are Budget constraints. Or go all out an get a Hydrostream or Allison, I have always loved those two OB hot-rods.

My $.02 opinion

Thanks for the input guys. The reason we like the whaler is the 7 persons capacity and the simplicity of an outboard. We have the intrepid and the Nortech, so we are looking for something we can hop and use without the hours of cleanup afterwards.

302 Sport -

Do yourself a favor and check out some deck boats.

Most may look kind of funky but boy are they killer for everything you said you want.

My parents got a 22ftr when they got a place in Ft Meyers Beach many years ago. Was unbelieveable (in the back bays and river) for all these same uses. It's now up here and I use it for these same exact reasons too. With just a 225hp 305 I/O it can pull up grown up slalom skiers even with say 8 people sitting aboard. Tops out in mid 40's, so they run qute well.

Much better than a CC for these purposes , until you get out in the rough of course. With a wide and quite flat bottom, they slap waves big time. But, you stated back in the intercoastal. so perfect !

Anyhow, they plane easy (no nose up) and can carry a ton of people for it's size. Seating and storage everywhere. Ladders and platforms in both rear and front, etc,etc,etc.

They make them many different sizes and outboard or I/O . Plus, much different lyouts and looks. Type "deckboat" into your search engine and then pic images. You'll see tons of different types.

Here's a pic of an almost identical layout boat like I use when 'hanging out entertaining':

http://features.boats.com/boat-conte...07/img8201.jpg

Edit in: Make sure to get a bimini. Most biminis on this will cover 1/2 the boat, and with the seating a bunch can seek refuse under or it or move from out from under it.

I would go with a RIB.

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The Eliminators are rock solid, beautiful paint, great for calm waters

Photo Credit: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/boa/5220602858.html

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...ytona19_05.jpg
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...ytona19_01.jpg
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...ytona19_04.jpg
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...ytona19_02.jpg
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...ytona19_03.jpg

That clearly isn't a boat you can seat a lot of people and leave in the water full time.

17 Whaler is going to be a very small boat for 7 people and the weight will probably exceed capacity. Usually the plaque reads like 7 persons or 1000 lbs.

Any recommendations on specific deck boats?