May cross to the other side...

L

LmannyR

New Member
Aug 16, 2008
328
West Palm Beach, FL
Boat Info
220 Sundancer 1989
Engines
5.7 Mercruiser w/Alpha 1
I've been researching ALOT lately on the "NEXT BOAT". My main choice until recently has been the 290 Amberjack. Love the Sea Ray Cabin. The fishing stuff seems to be an afterthought though, especially the live bail well/bait station. The Seating isn't great on deck to cruise. BUT did I say I love the cabin! We have stayed onboard ONE night in the past 1.5 years I have had the 220. I think if we had A/C, Generator, and more cabin space it would have been a different story.

So my next choice is the Wellcraft 290 Coastal. Deck seating is more complete. The fishing aspect does not seem to be after thoughts. The cabin is not glamorous but can sleep 4 comfy or 6 with the bunks. Those bunks are probably only good for kids though.

They both have the same fuel capacity, twins, same cabin features.

The Coastal fishing stuff seems to have been built into the design and seating layout is nicer IMO for cruising than the Amberjack.

What do you all think? I'm still researching and am very open minded. I plan on buying in 1-2 years. New house in progress first.

Thanks!!!
 
It depends(Grin)

Which is more important to you the cabin or the fishing deck items?
 
I am Sea Ray fan for sure (had 3 of them) but I LOVE the Coastal! It's looks like a sweet boat. If I were looking for a boat to fish, I would seriously look for a Coastal.
 
I owned a 290 coastal 2003 year and loved the boat. I moved to my 340Da because I found myself using the boat more for crusing than fishing. With that being said I can tell you the coastal is a awesome boat. The cabin is very room but with my wife and 2 kids it was cramped. We never used the bunks and they slept in the lower berth. We had a generator and a tv with built in dvd. The cockpit was plenty roomy and with the fold down seat it saved having to bring extra chairs etc.. Sometimes we used it as our table and laid food out on it. Definitely go with the 4 strokes I had the yamaha 225s. email me with any questions as I know the boat inside and out.
 
Tonka Boater said:
The 290 Coastal is a nice boat. What year are you looking at? Twin outboards?
.
Click to expand...

Looking at 2000 or newer. Twins (another reason for the upgrade).

chuck1; said:
t depends(Grin)

Which is more important to you the cabin or the fishing deck items?
Click to expand...

I would like the cabin and fish features equally. I think the Coastal is a TRUE 50/50.
 
Jack380AC said:
I am Sea Ray fan for sure (had 3 of them) but I LOVE the Coastal! It's looks like a sweet boat. If I were looking for a boat to fish, I would seriously look for a Coastal.
Click to expand...

Ditto for me. I remember the first time I got on a 330 Coastal at the Phila boat show (back when there was one!!)

It was excellent I was dreaming of what it would be like to fish off of one for years after the show. Great lines, great layout for fishing and the cabin was nice too.
 
love the look of the wellcraft...but none of the posters (including me) have said they have been on one in some snottty weather, so we don't know about that so-far. I have heard nothing but good about amberjack's from people who've owned them and fished them for years. Read something about water intrusion a couple years ago with the coastal.....but that could happen to any boat
 
I liked my AJ. Handled great in rough weather and was a very heavy boat for it's size (i.e. made a great stable platform). I can't really comment on the coastal, but the AJ really was a top-notch boat. The fishing gear didn't seam added-on to me at all. But that is just my opinion. Carries a LOT of fuel and is a very high quality boat.
 
My wife and I looked at the Wellcraft and the Scout boats before deciding on a cruiser. We use the boat much more for cruising and day trips than fishing and can use the Parker for fishing if we really want to. Both the Wellcraft and the Scout are fantastic - good layouts, nice features and reasonable cabins. The 4stroke Yamaha's are really nice and quiet and have great power. Of course - it came down to price as well as we had other things we wanted to spend our money on - new house and business took some of the priority.....
 
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