When I started blue water fishing the east coast I bought a Sceptre - absolutely a great trolling boat. The cuddy supplies extra storage for rods and dry storage - out of the way. The huge uncluttered cockpit is great for multiple people running around and dragging fish in. I usually fish cc's but that was my favorite for long trips either grouper fishing or trolling, the windshield keeps the wind from beating you up, our grouper trips always involve hours of running in and out - its nice. There is no reason the helmsman can't keep and eye on the fish and fisherman - I wouldn't do brackets as the motors will be way back there though. I had a 650lb V8 on mine and didn't have any issues with water coming into the splashwell which is huge anyway.

In summery - the windshield is nice on long runs - the cockpit being open is very nice - I had 2 movable Pompenette fighting chairs and a 155 igloo and still had plenty of room. Even the infloor livewell worked fine although we didn't have these new ones back then - its like a marine aquarium, you never get it all out LOL - but a feeder well would have been nice - depending on cost.

Being in Fla with the heat I had a bimini with a space between the windshield for air - had a connector but the only time I used it, it quit raining by the time I got it up - that and the side curturins were a total waste of money.

Fished a guys 25 ' aqua sport walk around once in aug. a few yrs ago in the keys I live in s fla and thought the heat was going to kill me give me a CC and some air moving Round me down here

The keys in Aug a CC doesn't help either, nothing helps -

my Sceptre the window would open and the 12" cut over the winshield to the top it was about the same. If the window didn't open I think it would have been different - I hear some did and some didn't

I haven't owned a boat with cuddy. But my next one will likely have one. The lack of rain, spray and sun protection makes my CC a fair weather boat in New England waters. Which is fine, because a 20 footer is not an offshore boat. At least not in my book. But for fishing further out? I want more shelter.

Egg is right on the opening windshield. Even up north, a hot day and no good air circulation makes a cuddy damn hot. Mine becomes a different boat when you open the windows and hatch.

What amazes me is that few, if any, modern cuddy cabin boats have OPENING windshields! Some have little dinky vent windows that don't begin to provide the ventilation you get with an open windshield! I've concluded that whoever designs them never spent any time actually USING them, at least in South Florida!

Both sides of the Seafari's front windshield open straight out so you get the best of both worlds . . . virtually no windshield for hot dry weather (and minimal drag when trailering!), but great protection from wind and spray when it's cold and wet. Moesly also had a brilliant idea when he put the front hatch on a sloping surface . . . it's a big improvement over a horizontal hatch that makes it much easier to crawl through, plus the hatch becomes a big air scoop when open! When I'm anchored out overnight, the hatch rarely has to be opened more than a few inches because it catches even the slightest breeze. These subtle details are the mark of a designer who has "been there/done that"!

I'll need both when the time comes...Actually 3. The 23 CC with a big single and a good roll up enclosure will handle any fishable summer time situation here on Florida's Gulf Coast. As for night snapper trips and winter weather when temps plummet below 70, ( Anything below 70 is chilly for a south Florida native ) a Sceptre with a hard top and good enclosure, twin small bore 200 Etecs (for piece of mind at night) mounted on the transom and a cabin heater will be my choice.

As for the 3 boat theory, I'll never give up the ol' 18 for its inshore/near shore versatility.

Someday...

not sure what the alure of a hard top is vs a bimini - the hard top would get in the way alot IMHO