Which boat would you choose

[Duraflame]

I have a dilemma. I have two boats I'm quite interested in, but I need some opinions to help me decide.

Boat 1

2004 Sea Pro 220 WA

- 2004 Suzuki 200hp 4 stroke

- Bimini soft top with side curtains

- Dealer bought on auction, no details

- Mechanically checked and approved

1998 Hydrasport 225

- 2003 Yamaha 225hp ox66 2 stroke with 459 hours

- Freshwater only

- Hardtop with full enclosure with 6 rocket launchers

- Owner selling

The Sea Pro is about $2k more.

I'm quite perplexed here, as I really want a 4 stroke, but I also really want a hardtop with full enclosure. I'm planning on installing a 9.9hp 4 stroke kicker, so I'm leaning towards the Hydrasport. I also think that the Hydrasport is a higher quality boat.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

[Floatmanmike]

Hydra sports all the way.

[SeaCatMich]

I appreciate your dilemma but I think I'd go with the Hydrasport. Better made boat overall but pretty sure the Sea Pro is wood free. The Suzuki 4 strokes are great engines and I really like that 4 strokes are nice and quiet. The Yamaha OX66 is a great 2 stroke too and with a kicker you will only be running the main engine on runs in & out. Hardtops are much better than a bimini and it is always nice to have the capability of a rocket launcher rod holders for storage on the hardtop. I'm pretty sure that the Hydrasport transom is going to be fully closed with a gill bracket for the OBs -- I'm not a big fan of splash wells.

[RedRider]

Dealer bought on auction, no details = scary unknown

I would lean to the hard top..I had a bimini and my new ride is a HT.. I would never go back

[prop nut]

I don't know guys ??

If smells like fish it's usually fish

I think I would have to steal a boat super cheap to justify putting up with a two stoke you are talking 5- 10 X the fuel use let alone the smell

Either the hydra sport is priced to high or the sea pro is priced to low or both

That V6 4 stoke suzuki new is about 15 k motor by itself even used if scanned and it's never had problems is worth about 8-9k

Sounds like a lot more investigating needs to be done

[gmfishon]

i would probably go with the hydrasport, but yes as frank points out perhaps dig a little deeper into both. maybe survey ? maybe find a boat like the hydrasport with a 4 stroke or make a low offer based on after a season or two swapping that 2 out for a 4 stroke.

[SUPERTRAMP]

The Hydra Sport is an awesome hull design and very capable of anything you throw at it. As long as you are going to go for it I would take that one. 459 hours is nearly nothing, and getting the kicker makes a no brainer.

[Hooked Up]

I had a 02 Sea Pro 210WA with an I/o. Decent boat for a couple guys. I now own a 03 0 HS w/

A ox 200 2-stroke. Solid ride and a lot of cockpit space for a cc. The closed transom with outboard bracket adds a lot to performance and room. PM me if you have any questions on either!

[Duraflame]

This Hydra Sport is pre the outboard bracket, and therefore has an open transom. However, the owner has done a good job enclosing it. I'm headed down Friday to check it out, and if it's as good as the photos show and performs well on the water, I'll be bringing it home. Thanks everyone for the advice.

[FishingandHuntingUSA]

Before considering either spend the money and take them to a good mechanic to go over from top to bottom. Listen to what that mechanic has to say before even thinking of buying one.

[mattmishler]

Before considering either spend the money and take them to a good mechanic to go over from top to bottom. Listen to what that mechanic has to say before even thinking of buying one.

call mark at reel action charters and surveys, he will help you out.

[gmfishon]

heading down and perform well on the water, where is the boat? I'm jealous wish I could be boat shopping somewhere with open water. good luck and let us know how it turns out!

[Duraflame]

heading down and perform well on the water, where is the boat? I'm jealous wish I could be boat shopping somewhere with open water. good luck and let us know how it turns out!

The boat is in South Carolina. I'm heading down Friday and on Saturday I'm going to do a full inspection and then take it out on Lake Murray, just outside of Columbia, SC. The seller got another offer for full price from a guy in VA, but the seller promised he would hold it for me. If all checks out, I'll be pulling it back on Saturday.

One nice feature is that it has never been slipped, rather it has always been stored in a barn on a trailer. I'd love to have a mechanic check it out, but I won't have the time. I'm a pretty mechanically knowledgeable guy, so I'm going to have to do it myself.

[fishy1]

Has this boat been primarily used in fresh water?I know of a lot of people who purchased saltwater boats and had a lot of problems with corrosion on electrical components.

[Chris Craft]

The 1998 Hydrasport 225

Why...

I'm a walk around owner. 215 Chris Craft Sea Hawk.

If you fish with 1 other person the cabin size is fine. With 2 or more they are way cramped. The side room the W/A uses cuts into the cabin room way too much making it cramped. To get into the cuddy the port person has to get out of the way so you can get by them. Handing rods in and out is a pain getting around the seat. In a light rain your under the canvas and everyone is bunched up in the middle of the boat.

Sure, walking around them to dock and such is great but not worth it. It takes 5 minutes to dock your boat, your fishing for 4 - 6 - 8 hours.

Just my $.02

[Duraflame]

The 1998 Hydrasport 225

Why...

I'm a walk around owner. 215 Chris Craft Sea Hawk.

If you fish with 1 other person the cabin size is fine. With 2 or more they are way cramped. The side room the W/A uses cuts into the cabin room way too much making it cramped. To get into the cuddy the port person has to get out of the way so you can get by them. Handing rods in and out is a pain getting around the seat. In a light rain your under the canvas and everyone is bunched up in the middle of the boat.

Sure, walking around them to dock and such is great but not worth it. It takes 5 minutes to dock your boat, your fishing for 4 - 6 - 8 hours.

Just my $.02

I'm not sure I understand your point. I need a boat that I can slip all summer, as well as sleep on it occasionally. The hardtop WA is exactly what I need, plus this has a larger than normal canvas, which includes the two jump seats behind the helm seats, so there is sitting room for 4 when conditions are wet. This boat also has an 8ft 6in beam, which is a full foot and a half wider than my old open bow Lowe. The locking cuddy allows me to store my gear on the boat. Although the boat is in SC, it has been used solely on lake murray, with only a few trips to salt water. It has always been stored on the trailer in a barn, and has never been slipped, so I'm not terribly worried about bad stringers or transom, but I'll certainly be checking them out.

There's no way I'm going back to an open bow boat, especially on lake Michigan, as they are dangerous if caught in a fast moving thunderstorm 5 miles out. A big wave over the bow or transom has caused many boats to sink. Plus, they can't be slipped. The qty of WA boats available down south allow for a much lower asking price than similar boats in the great lakes. Yeah, I'll have to spend a few thousand rigging it for salmon trolling, but I'd rather be able to start from scratch than deal with another owners rigging and holes drilled into the gunnels.

[Duraflame]

I don't know guys ??

If smells like fish it's usually fish

I think I would have to steal a boat super cheap to justify putting up with a two stoke you are talking 5- 10 X the fuel use let alone the smell

Either the hydra sport is priced to high or the sea pro is priced to low or both

That V6 4 stoke suzuki new is about 15 k motor by itself even used if scanned and it's never had problems is worth about 8-9k

Sounds like a lot more investigating needs to be done

I did find out from the dealer that the sea pro was a salt water boat, and it also has some bad oxidation on the motor cover, meaning it sat outside a lot. The dealer didn't have much other info, which is concerning, as it might be recovered from a hurricane or something. I'm going for the HS. My 4 stroke kicker will solve the fuel usage issues, I just need to find a good mount and install it. I also like the fact that the HS comes with a brand new Simrad gps/sonar with sidescan, which can also be hooked up to an autopilot in the near future. It can mark fish at speeds up to 35mph.

[Just Hook'n]

Hydrasport is a tank...almost unbreakable in Michigan waters...awesome boat and you will NEVER regret a hard top.