After reading the “From The Helm” column in the June issue my mind started wandering to 21-foot boats. That’s the next step up in boats for my wife. I want to move her up to that 21’ range so her forays over to Nancy’s on the Vineyard and The Raw Bar in Falmouth are a little more comfortable and the sea bass and fluke trips with the kids will be a little drier and safer.
There are a lot of great 21’ center consoles out there. This month the column in On The Water Magazine was written by Captain Scott Newhall out of Absecon, New Jersey. Scott took us through his Cobia 214. The Cobia has always struck me as a very nice boat with a great fit and finish. Sometimes not getting the recognition that some of the other lines get but offering great value for the quality they deliver. A nice beamy boat with high freeboard and a fairly deep V hull make the boat a comfortable family fishing boat. Cobia was bought in 2005 by Maverick Boat Company. Maverick is one of the Nations largest independent boat builders with a great reputation for quality products that include Hewes, Pathfinder, and Maverick. The only thing these guys do is fishing boats and they are committed to bringing the best fishing boats to market. A boat company of anglers building boats for anglers in my opinion is always a good thing. You can check out Cobia Boats here. Definitely worth consideration.
One of the best boats I’ve found to navigate rivers upstream, as well as downstream, providing access to the best fly fishing waters is a craft called the Mokai. It’s considered a motorized kayak. It’s powered by a 7 hp 4-stroke jet propelled motor. Tougher than nails and a hoot to drive up class 3 and 4 whitewater. Simply Google Mokai and watch their video. I own two of these craft with the Honda engines and am thinking about upgrading to the new design and engine, once I find a buyer for the older ones. They are quite popular in Alaska as well as Hawaii around the islands. The internal jet drive is stainless steel and designed for saltwater use.