New to forum, looking to learn about down east boat

[Bear13]

Hello all,

I live and fish in New jersey (Mansquan inlet). Currently i run a 26 Regulator and have since 05, a 23Reg before that, 21 mako before that and dad's 29 Topaz before that. I mostly fish offshore and have done more 100 mile (one way) over nights on the 26reg than most would beleive. I am a captain and been on the water since a lil cub. I now have two lil cubs of my own that love to fish as well. 7 and 5 and have already been out deep tuna fishing. This has me thinking about changing gears, I see a Downeast in my future but I know VERY little about them.

The use, I wreck fish a lot but Tuna fish, chunk and troll, much more our runs are often 100 miles ONE direction. Light tuna and shark tourney fishing too. Also, some small time chartering mixed in, 15 to 20 trips a year.

Thinking something in the lower 30's. Read lil about the new Beal 30. Love the Wesmacs, Duffy's looked at some H&H. What others???

I don't need lighting fast but is 24kNTS cruise doable? If no is 20?
I need to consider efficentcy as many trips will be just my sons and I (in the future) and I need to be able to afford the bill. Is 2MPG realisitic??


I don't need fancy just a very functional and comfortable fishing boat with great lines. Stable drift too!

Any info is appreciated... THANKS

 

[Toolate]

I cant comment on the boats you mentioned but the 3-4 gph is doable for many boats but that is at speeds at or below 10kts usually I think. This an incredible site with a few major contributors and many minor contributors so keep the questions coming.

I have a couple kids (6/9) and just bought a 30' Sisu flybridge boat for cruising LI Sound mostly and it has been great. The trip is all of a sudden as fun as the destination and 14 knots on a DE boat is really moving along just fine.

I had boats that went 35knots and its fun but really totally unnecessary and a huge expense at the pump. Settle in and participate- also search back using the boat makes/models and you will be surprised at what you find.

 

[cb34]

speed

Hello all,

I live and fish in New jersey (Mansquan inlet). Currently i run a 26 Regulator and have since 05, a 23Reg before that, 21 mako before that and dad's 29 Topaz before that. I mostly fish offshore and have done more 100 mile (one way) over nights on the 26reg than most would beleive. I am a captain and been on the water since a lil cub. I now have two lil cubs of my own that love to fish as well. 7 and 5 and have already been out deep tuna fishing. This has me thinking about changing gears, I see a Downeast in my future but I know VERY little about them.

The use, I wreck fish a lot but Tuna fish, chunk and troll, much more our runs are often 100 miles ONE direction. Light tuna and shark tourney fishing too. Also, some small time chartering mixed in, 15 to 20 trips a year.

Thinking something in the lower 30's. Read lil about the new Beal 30. Love the Wesmacs, Duffy's looked at some H&H. What others???

I don't need lighting fast but is 24kNTS cruise doable? If no is 20?
I need to consider efficentcy as many trips will be just my sons and I (in the future) and I need to be able to afford the bill. Is 2MPG realisitic??


I don't need fancy just a very functional and comfortable fishing boat with great lines. Stable drift too!

Any info is appreciated... THANKS

You will find that 24kts is "lightning" fast for a de....

 

[jerseysportfisher]

You will find that 24kts is "lightning" fast for a de....

and on the expensive side

 

[F/V First Team]

It is?

Learn something new every day

 

[Bear13]

You will find that 24kts is "lightning" fast for a de....

Thanks for the input. Is 20? What would be more realistic?

Truth is even on my Regulator I usually around 20 at sea. Last trip I had to do 97 miles at 7 knots.. Was ok though fished the whole way home...LOL

 

[chuggy]

Hello all,

I live and fish in New jersey (Mansquan inlet). Currently i run a 26 Regulator and have since 05, a 23Reg before that, 21 mako before that and dad's 29 Topaz before that. I mostly fish offshore and have done more 100 mile (one way) over nights on the 26reg than most would beleive. I am a captain and been on the water since a lil cub. I now have two lil cubs of my own that love to fish as well. 7 and 5 and have already been out deep tuna fishing. This has me thinking about changing gears, I see a Downeast in my future but I know VERY little about them.

The use, I wreck fish a lot but Tuna fish, chunk and troll, much more our runs are often 100 miles ONE direction. Light tuna and shark tourney fishing too. Also, some small time chartering mixed in, 15 to 20 trips a year.

Thinking something in the lower 30's. Read lil about the new Beal 30. Love the Wesmacs, Duffy's looked at some H&H. What others???

I don't need lighting fast but is 24kNTS cruise doable? If no is 20?
I need to consider efficentcy as many trips will be just my sons and I (in the future) and I need to be able to afford the bill. Is 2MPG realisitic??


I don't need fancy just a very functional and comfortable fishing boat with great lines. Stable drift too!

Any info is appreciated... THANKS

I think you will find a DE way different than your regulator, which are fine boats indeed. Speed difference and ride will be the big factor. Slower speed for sure, but the same in almost any sea conditions. No more pounding and it will be nice to be out of the elements. The boats are great for any kind of fishing, not a lot of roll (at least what I have experienced) on the drift.

24 knots is possible, depending on the power set up, prop, etc. With my boat, on the pins, she will do 24-25 knots in flat water, but without trim tabs, she leans over a bit to the port due to the prop torque. 18-20 knots is best. At that rate, I am still averaging 3-4 gph between fill ups.

Some of the best Cape May charter boats are DE style - workhorses, comfortable to fish. Suggest going on a DE for a trip to see if you like it and can "tolerate" the slower speed. Your 100 mile treks, already a full day adventure, will get a bit longer, but the trade off may be worth it in stability, security and efficiency.

 

[Bear13]

Thank you. i spent many years on an 88 29 Topaz. While great boats they pound a bit we were pften down to 18-20 knts or less in that boat. So, slower wouldn't bee too much a shock. I have time, but figured i enter into a discussion now. I think my biggesgt issue is that I would lose the ability to fish back bay fluking and such.

Most of the DE's draw atleast 3' correct? Most of my fishing is offshore but I do enjoy some backbay with my young boys occasionally.

 

[chuggy]

My boat draws 2.5 feet. I suspect you are right that most are 2.5-3 feet, depending on how skinny of water you fish in for fluke, that might be ok. We do fish back bay in S Jersey, but not up too many of the creeks. Tend to run to the reefs. If you know your water, you might be ok, otherwise, perhaps do a package - DE boat and a carolina skiff or whaler. Attached is a different angle of my boat so you can see how much room we have.

 

[chuggy]

My boat draws 2.5 feet. I suspect you are right that most are 2.5-3 feet, depending on how skinny of water you fish in for fluke, that might be ok. We do fish back bay in S Jersey, but not up too many of the creeks. Tend to run to the reefs. If you know your water, you might be ok, otherwise, perhaps do a package - DE boat and a carolina skiff or whaler. Attached is a different angle of my boat so you can see how much room we have.

Pics now attached

 

[Bear13]

Thanks sir! Thats a fine looking rig! The more i look at DE's the more I like um.

The more I think about where i fshed this year, I think 3' would be OK. Certainly a package wouldn't hurt if there was an issue.

Nice boat man!

 

[manni-yunk]

Thanks sir! Thats a fine looking rig! The more i look at DE's the more I like um.

The more I think about where i fshed this year, I think 3' would be OK. Certainly a package wouldn't hurt if there was an issue.

Nice boat man!

Bear - looks like we both found this place!!! Did you see that barn was sold??? Wow - I would love to know what Ron got for it.

 

[eyschulman]

Down east boats are the way to go. Just watch yourself on this site or you might end up with a 30 ft boat with six hundred HP. I note a definite trend to push the DE type to max speed and I think the racing mentality like most fanatic thinking is pushing to the forefront. There is nothing wrong with 14-16 K boats that also do 8K economically and that is what the traditional DE was all about.

 

[plowin]

14-16k is absolutely fine until you have to go 50-80 miles to get on the fish. I know from experience, I did it for 15+ years.

 

[eyschulman]

You seemed to survive the 14-16 K trips. Look a Carolina planning sports fisher is faster if speed is your main issue. What Im thinking is that pushing the DE to its limits for speed does not make as much sense as switching to a hull type that is meant for the speed and is well proven for that purpose. Just because we can put bigger motors in boats does not always justify it. Yes when I was a kid (1950s) I had a light car with 275+ horses. Now that Im grown up I drive a hybred with 200 hp and get 38-40 mpg. Yes I know whats behind the big motors and a lot of it is kid stuff. I am not against getting out to the banks faster I just don't think a DE is the best way to go if that is a major criteria. I own a DE and would not own a SF but I don't go 50-80 k to fish if I did the the SF would be more appealing.

 

[BillD]

You seemed to survive the 14-16 K trips. Look a Carolina planning sports fisher is faster if speed is your main issue. What Im thinking is that pushing the DE to its limits for speed does not make as much sense as switching to a hull type that is meant for the speed and is well proven for that purpose. Just because we can put bigger motors in boats does not always justify it. Yes when I was a kid (1950s) I had a light car with 275+ horses. Now that Im grown up I drive a hybred with 200 hp and get 38-40 mpg. Yes I know whats behind the big motors and a lot of it is kid stuff. I am not against getting out to the banks faster I just don't think a DE is the best way to go if that is a major criteria. I own a DE and would not own a SF but I don't go 50-80 k to fish if I did the the SF would be more appealing.

Isn't the state of Washington a "green" state ???

 

[eyschulman]

It might be a green state but I was raised and did my boating on the east coast until a few years ago. I lived on the southern boarder of where the DE ran into the Jersey and Carolina SF types where running out a way to fish is common.

 

[manni-yunk]

Ive been running to the Canyons from NJ at 16-18 knots for the last 10 years. For about 2.5 in there I bought a center console and ran the 60-70 mile run at almost 50 knots......which was awesome......on the 2 days per year that my work schedule allowed me to run her at that speed and conditions allowed it. The other 2 days per year we ran at about 30 knots - and on a majority of days that we ran out - we ended up coming back at about 25 knots tops. (she could handle running at 35 in almost anything, but my back, neck, and kidneys could not).

Id rather have a comfortable, inside, warm or cold (heat/AC), 16-18 knots run in a DE than much of what is out there. People after speed also have the money to burn the fuel. I know people with a 45-50 ft sportfisher that will cruise at 25-30 knots, and burn 50-55 g/hr. Plus - even on some of the larger SF, the cockpit is embarrasingly small and inept. Not all, but on many.

Every boat choice is a compromise but if I can get a boat that is 42-45 ft, does an honest 18 knots while burning equal to or better than 24/hr - and offers all the interior accomodations to keep my family and friends warm and safe - then Im in. And, Im sick of the flybridge ladder. I want to run the boat from where everyone is hanging out for now on.

As stated, every boat is a compromise - but at this point I think a DE boat fits the compromise I need.

 

[eyschulman]

This looks like what you need 18 K at 20 gal/hr 48 ft twin JD 330hp. Its kind of pricey.

 

[Bear13]

I can tell you all this.. looking for a the right Downeast will drive a man nutts!