View media item 2031I shy away from social media. At times I find it entertaining and informative but mostly petty and irrelevant. Same with MicroSkiff, yet it is the place to post my thoughts and comparisons on three great skiffs. From what I have seen, a few of you will want to argue with me about whatever. I am not interested. I do this just to pass along a little experience. That said, I will attempt to give you my perspective as an owner of the new Chittum Snake Bight 12 degree.
First a little history: A Florida native, I grew up on an island and started fishing about 60 years ago. One of the pictures posted is of my stepfather with Capt. Bill Curtis (and a beautiful bonefish) that I took in 1967 while fishing the radio flat off Key Biscayne. I have been told that the platform in the background is the prototype of the poling platform developed by Curtis, Hewes and others and the basis of which we now all enjoy. I built my first flats boat in 1987, bought a Hewes 18’ Lappy in 1996, a Waterman 18 tunnel in 2002 and a 2004 Marquesa in 2009. My Chittum was first launched on October 27, 2016 and now has 135 hours on the 60 HP Suzuki. Just a note that both HBBW skiffs were built prior to current ownership. Most of my fishing is for reds, except for tarpon season. I trailer to the keys once or twice a year and the LA marsh two or three times. I prefer to flyfish.
I fish on a regular basis with a friend that bought my Waterman and with another that has a 2003 Marquesa. I am very familiar with both boats and know their strengths and flaws. I have enjoyed limited time on several other flats boats fishing with guides and friends.
Ever since having built my first flats boat, I have had an interest in boat making and the improvements in materials and design over the years.
The characteristics that I will attempt to grade for the three boats I have owned over the past 15 years are: Fit and Finish, Ease of Trailering (Launch and Load), Draft, Poling, Traversing Big Water, Stealth, Stake Out, Dryness, Stability, Performance and Speed
Fit and Finish: I give both HBBW’s a 9, the Chittum an 8.
Ease of Trailering: The Waterman and Chittum with Ram-Lin trailers are easily a 10. They are also easy to maneuver around in the garage (important when you get to my age). I dry-launch and drive-on to load. The Marquesa, being heavier, rates an 8 for trailering and a 6 for garage maneuvering.
Draft: I have never seen a boat run in skinnier water than the tunnel Waterman – probably only 5 inches. Sitting still it drafts about an inch, maybe two, less than the Chittum. The Marquesa is about three inches more than the Chittum.
Poling: My buddy that owns my old Waterman and I poled across a flat next to each other to see which boat could go the shallowest. It was a tie. We each had an angler with us on the bow. The Chittum is a bit lighter than the Waterman and a bit easier to pole. They both track straight. Both rank a 10. The Marquesa is not close to the others, it’s much harder to pole.
Big Water: Surprising, the Chittum is the overall best of the three boats even though it weighs about half of the Marquesa. I don’t know why but it handles rough seas better – I guess it stays higher up, on top of the waves. The Waterman, with a 2 degree deadrise, just can’t compare.
Stealth: When poling for tailing reds, I rate the Chittum and Waterman equal. Both are quiet with little “push”. When staked out for tarpon, the Chittum has less wake than the Marquesa.
Stake Out: When the afternoon winds pickup during tarpon season the Waterman is not good. It will take on water at times and bounces around a lot. This is the main reason I sold the Waterman.
Dryness: Easily the Chittum has the advantage with the Marquesa coming in second.
Stability: If I could rate the Marquesa as a 10 then the Chittum is close at a 9 and the Waterman a 5.
Performance and Speed: Two anglers and gear – The Waterman (60HP two-stroke) is 35, the Chittum (60HP four-stroke) is 36 and the Marquesa (90 HP two-stroke) 39.
So, I sold the Waterman because of tarpon fishing and it cost me the advantage I had while poling. I sold the Marquesa because of weight and I wanted the advantages of both HBBW’s in one boat.
Having access to truck weighing scales, I weighed both the Chittum and the Marquesa with batteries and full gear. The Marquesa was 1500 lbs. vs. 920 for the Chittum with about 100 lbs attributed to the batteries (Lithium batteries in the Chittum).
That’s my two cents. View media item 2030
On a side note: I have seen where George Sawley of Chittum has ruffled a few feathers. Reminds me of President Trump. But to suggest that his banter is a reason to ignore considering what is easily one of the top flats skiffs made is, to me, silly.
First a little history: A Florida native, I grew up on an island and started fishing about 60 years ago. One of the pictures posted is of my stepfather with Capt. Bill Curtis (and a beautiful bonefish) that I took in 1967 while fishing the radio flat off Key Biscayne. I have been told that the platform in the background is the prototype of the poling platform developed by Curtis, Hewes and others and the basis of which we now all enjoy. I built my first flats boat in 1987, bought a Hewes 18’ Lappy in 1996, a Waterman 18 tunnel in 2002 and a 2004 Marquesa in 2009. My Chittum was first launched on October 27, 2016 and now has 135 hours on the 60 HP Suzuki. Just a note that both HBBW skiffs were built prior to current ownership. Most of my fishing is for reds, except for tarpon season. I trailer to the keys once or twice a year and the LA marsh two or three times. I prefer to flyfish.
I fish on a regular basis with a friend that bought my Waterman and with another that has a 2003 Marquesa. I am very familiar with both boats and know their strengths and flaws. I have enjoyed limited time on several other flats boats fishing with guides and friends.
Ever since having built my first flats boat, I have had an interest in boat making and the improvements in materials and design over the years.
The characteristics that I will attempt to grade for the three boats I have owned over the past 15 years are: Fit and Finish, Ease of Trailering (Launch and Load), Draft, Poling, Traversing Big Water, Stealth, Stake Out, Dryness, Stability, Performance and Speed
Fit and Finish: I give both HBBW’s a 9, the Chittum an 8.
Ease of Trailering: The Waterman and Chittum with Ram-Lin trailers are easily a 10. They are also easy to maneuver around in the garage (important when you get to my age). I dry-launch and drive-on to load. The Marquesa, being heavier, rates an 8 for trailering and a 6 for garage maneuvering.
Draft: I have never seen a boat run in skinnier water than the tunnel Waterman – probably only 5 inches. Sitting still it drafts about an inch, maybe two, less than the Chittum. The Marquesa is about three inches more than the Chittum.
Poling: My buddy that owns my old Waterman and I poled across a flat next to each other to see which boat could go the shallowest. It was a tie. We each had an angler with us on the bow. The Chittum is a bit lighter than the Waterman and a bit easier to pole. They both track straight. Both rank a 10. The Marquesa is not close to the others, it’s much harder to pole.
Big Water: Surprising, the Chittum is the overall best of the three boats even though it weighs about half of the Marquesa. I don’t know why but it handles rough seas better – I guess it stays higher up, on top of the waves. The Waterman, with a 2 degree deadrise, just can’t compare.
Stealth: When poling for tailing reds, I rate the Chittum and Waterman equal. Both are quiet with little “push”. When staked out for tarpon, the Chittum has less wake than the Marquesa.
Stake Out: When the afternoon winds pickup during tarpon season the Waterman is not good. It will take on water at times and bounces around a lot. This is the main reason I sold the Waterman.
Dryness: Easily the Chittum has the advantage with the Marquesa coming in second.
Stability: If I could rate the Marquesa as a 10 then the Chittum is close at a 9 and the Waterman a 5.
Performance and Speed: Two anglers and gear – The Waterman (60HP two-stroke) is 35, the Chittum (60HP four-stroke) is 36 and the Marquesa (90 HP two-stroke) 39.
So, I sold the Waterman because of tarpon fishing and it cost me the advantage I had while poling. I sold the Marquesa because of weight and I wanted the advantages of both HBBW’s in one boat.
Having access to truck weighing scales, I weighed both the Chittum and the Marquesa with batteries and full gear. The Marquesa was 1500 lbs. vs. 920 for the Chittum with about 100 lbs attributed to the batteries (Lithium batteries in the Chittum).
That’s my two cents. View media item 2030
On a side note: I have seen where George Sawley of Chittum has ruffled a few feathers. Reminds me of President Trump. But to suggest that his banter is a reason to ignore considering what is easily one of the top flats skiffs made is, to me, silly.
