[SkiffaDeeDooDah]

Another hull that should never be in three footers, ever.

I'm with ya on that. In reality, there's nothing with the size and weight specified here that should ever be in 3 footers. However, they build a quality lightweight skiff and don't cut corners on the materials that go into them.

 

[Sublime]

Spent plenty of time on glades X and there in way I'm taking that in three footers. That thing does not like any kind of chop at all.

I had a Glades X and agree. But, I didn't say anything about a Glades X. Harry can build a one-off skiff to any spec you tell him.

 

[SkiffaDeeDooDah]

If you could find someone to build a lightweight one-off design (@Chris Morejohn probably has one) similar to the 16' Dolphin Super Skiff with a 18 degree deadrise, you'd have something to handle 3-footers quite well. I had a Dolphin SS back in the 80s. Great skiff.

 

[K3anderson]

If you could find someone to build a lightweight one-off design (@Chris Morejohn probably has one) similar to the 16' Dolphin Super Skiff with a 18 degree deadrise, you'd have something to handle 3-footers quite well. I had a Dolphin SS back in the 80s. Great skiff.

Def need dead rise. Dolphin ride insane but are over 600 lbs dry. Prob more than the HPX. I still think you are looking at a Biscayne or Chittum stripped down to get to that weight. Or epoxy build with no foam etc. Flatbottom's are just going to get back destroyed in 3'.

 

[VANMflyfishing]

My Morejohn Beryllium 17'8" can handle 3 footers easy. I was off shore a few weeks ago chasing albies and had zero issues. It has more freeboard and beam than most boats. So, idk if it would fit on your mothership. I have a tohatsu 60 with batteries and hatches. Whole thing is sub 800lbs rigged. Have someone build you a beryllium with epoxy, carbon fiber, no floor or hatches, and sub 17". The total hull weight could be under 300lbs then its up to you for rigging. I'd suggest the tohatsu 30hp, lithium starting battery and the magnetic puck lighter. You could easily get sub 500lbs.

 

[VANMflyfishing]

A towee would be a sweet option too.

 

[JohnHaas27]

If you could find someone to build a lightweight one-off design (@Chris Morejohn probably has one) similar to the 16' Dolphin Super Skiff with a 18 degree deadrise, you'd have something to handle 3-footers quite well. I had a Dolphin SS back in the 80s. Great skiff.

I will look into the Dolphin Super Skiff, thanks!

 

[skinny_fishing]

Yeah this seems like a hunt for a unicorn really. I think the only kind of small skiff that could possibly handle 3 foot swells is a Panga style hull like a Abaco 14 Skiff or something, but that's gonna be over 500 lbs with a motor easy. MAYBE if you could find a 14' bare bones Panga hull not made in the US (Colombian made) it MIGHT be light enough but even then I kinda doubt it.

 

[Mondo Gumbo]

I have a Panga 16’, made by Imemsa, in Mexico. The builder gives the weight of the hull at 374lbs. I have a Suzuki(non tiller) at ~135lbs.+/-. A small center console, battery, minimal electronics, maybe another 30lbs. +/-. Five gallon portable gas tank, add another 30lbs.+/-. That comes out to about 569 lbs. Take out the gas tank, and you are potentially within your stated limits. Pangas are tough boats, known(among other attributes) to be able to handle rough water, yet still get plenty shallow. Tough to locate this size, though, as I don’t believe that they are importing this size hull into the States anymore.The bigger Pangas will not meet your criteria. Best of luck in your search.

 

[JohnHaas27]

Yeah this seems like a hunt for a unicorn really. I think the only kind of small skiff that could possibly handle 3 foot swells is a Panga style hull like a Abaco 14 Skiff or something, but that's gonna be over 500 lbs with a motor easy. MAYBE if you could find a 14' bare bones Panga hull not made in the US (Colombian made) it MIGHT be light enough but even then I kinda doubt it.

This is a good idea, but the amount of time we are in bigger waves/swells/chop is NOT very often. We actually try hard to avoid that kind of water. One of the awesome advantages to the mothership is that we are usually anchored very near to where we will be fishing. MOST of the time, we are on almost flat water.

 

[flyclimber]

My hull is 550 lbs with no motor. 1981 Dolphin SuperSkiff

 

[JohnHaas27]

My hull is 550 lbs with no motor. 1981 Dolphin SuperSkiff

Unfortunately that would be too heavy for my situation, but thank you!

 

[Marshbound88]

My Morejohn Beryllium 17'8" can handle 3 footers easy. I was off shore a few weeks ago chasing albies and had zero issues. It has more freeboard and beam than most boats. So, idk if it would fit on your mothership. I have a tohatsu 60 with batteries and hatches. Whole thing is sub 800lbs rigged. Have someone build you a beryllium with epoxy, carbon fiber, no floor or hatches, and sub 17". The total hull weight could be under 300lbs then its up to you for rigging. I'd suggest the tohatsu 30hp, lithium starting battery and the magnetic puck lighter. You could easily get sub 500lbs.

The beryllium is the nicest skiff design I have had the pleasure to fish on. After riding on this skiff I can’t even look at my evergladez the same..

 

[Charles Hadley]

Buy a jetski

 

[Hank]

I know you said the lift could not be upgraded, but for the cost of a new boat and motor it seems like a lot could happen to the lift. Like maybe an entirely new one? And your current boat requirements are likely impossible.

 

[Jason M]

Steve Huff has a bare bones full size Chittum with a tiller. Call Hal or go to Palm City and talk with them.They build lots of skiffs for tender use.

They also have two Challengers ready to go but that's going to ride differently than the standard hull.

 

[K3anderson]

My Morejohn Beryllium 17'8" can handle 3 footers easy. I was off shore a few weeks ago chasing albies and had zero issues. It has more freeboard and beam than most boats. So, idk if it would fit on your mothership. I have a tohatsu 60 with batteries and hatches. Whole thing is sub 800lbs rigged. Have someone build you a beryllium with epoxy, carbon fiber, no floor or hatches, and sub 17". The total hull weight could be under 300lbs then its up to you for rigging. I'd suggest the tohatsu 30hp, lithium starting battery and the magnetic puck lighter. You could easily get sub 500lbs.

 

[JoeP]

I know this is a BIG question with lots of potential answers, so I am going to try and first set up the question with some additional information.....

1) We are looking for a skiff with a total weight of under 500lbs, including the motor.
2) We currently have a Maverick 17' HPX which weighs ~1200lbs with 70hp Yamaha.
3) The reason being, the davit system on our "mothership" boat has a max lift capacity of 550lbs and is not upgradeable.
4) We currently tow the Maverick to different locations, which works good, but sometimes it can get a little "sporty" in bad weather/waves.
5) We don't go out on the oceanside of the Keys often, but do sometimes, so big water capabilities would be nice but not extremely necessary.
6) With a lighter boat, having a big motor is not an enormous concern, but it would be nice to be able to do 25mph.
7) We have looked at stripped-down skiffs, like the HB Eldora at 400lbs, but are nervous about abilities in the VERY seldom 2' chop/swells we may end up in?
8) Center counsel is not vital, but a grab bar would be nice for a tiller drive.
9) The boat would need to have the ability to add lifting hooks to the frame.
10) We fish SW Florida from Punta Gorda down to the Keys.

Any input, help, thoughts, would be awesome....THANKS!!!

Keep wishing, it doesn’t exist.

 

[Zaraspook]

First of all if you are anchored in or near three foot swells you should not be using your tender unless it’s to get you to dry land. I have had my Nano in three foot swells after a hurricane but it was in the Tolomato River and the swells were far enough apart that if I went slow it was doable but not smart. My EastCape Glide probably weighed in at around 450 with battery and 20hp engine plus a few other items it was in the 600lb range. That’s with no floor or bulkheads, tiller and Odessey P680 battery. It’s 17ft by 5ft wide. Do you use it to fish in shallow water and as a technical poling skiff or maybe you don’t care about that. Technical poling skiff and a boat with a good dead rise are two completely different animals. A 20hp Tohatsu with power tilt weighs in at a little over 100lbs if that helps. The Nano would make a great tender if you are looking for a technical poling skiff. It weighs 240lbs dry, is 13ft long and 4ft wide. It has almost no deadrise and is meant for shallow water fishing or in very calm conditions. You don’t say what your mother ship is but maybe it would be better to tow if you need a larger tender with dead rise that is able to go off shore. Here are pictures of the Nano and the Glide. They are both technical poling skiffs and not meant for rough conditions.

 

[SkiffaDeeDooDah]

Here are pictures of the Nano and the Glide.

Laugh if you must but... For it's size, how tippy is the Nano? If you could only have one of the two, to fish skinny - Nano or Glide?