Offshore Saltwater Boats

Offshore fishing is the stuff of legend, and bringswhile for the Coast Guard to come and get you!
about daydreams of hours-long battles with hugeIn general terms, the bigger your offshore boat
sailfish ala Hemingway. To realize those dreams,the better off you are. Of course, this is a moot
one must first own the right equipment, includingpoint to those of us not rich enough to buy one
an offshore fishing boat. Offshore fishing boatsof those huge cabin cruisers that we all dream
are not your everyday boat. They are muchabout. Trade-offs may need to be made...Just
heavier and more rugged than the average lakemake sure that you are aware of the risks and
runabout you see in many of your neighbor'stake them under consideration when purchasing
driveways. In fact, you are highly unlikely to seeyour boat. As might be expected, offshore boats
any kind of offshore boat in anyone's drivewayare the most expensive of all leisure boats due to
as most are not trailerable, though some of thethe increased ruggedness and sheer size of them.
smaller ones are.Offshore boats range in size from about 26' in
Safety is a primary consideration when purchasinglength to just about any length you can imagine
an offshore saltwater fishing boat, as you can'tand you can expect to pay anywhere from
just take any boat out into the open ocean.$40,000 on up to a cool $500,000 for a good
These boats must be able to withstand someoffshore boat. Anything more expensive than
rolling ocean waves, and be able to protect thethat is a yacht and is nothing more than a status
occupants in case of sudden inclement weather.symbol!
I'm not saying that your boat should be able toThe smaller offshore boats will be equipped with
plow through the perfect storm, but at least beeither single or dual outboard motors. Most
able to get out of the rain and expect to comeoffshore motors will be of the high-horsepower
out alive should a few waves come along. Othervariety, due to the need to power through rough
safety concerns includes having bilge pumps, radiowaters. On larger boats, you can expect to have
contact with the shore, and radar to detectan inboard diesel motor of many hundreds of
oncoming vessels who may not detect you,horses. The overall price of the boat, of course, is
especially if you should happen to be one of thosedirectly related to the amount of power that is
crazies who likes to fish close to shipping lanes.packed into the motors.
Having an adequate supply of food and water isThis article gives a general overview of some of
also a primary concern should you be forced tothe items to consider when shopping for an
camp out for a while due to a conked out motoroffshore saltwater fishing boat.
in the middle of inclement weather. It may take a