Casco Bay Skiffs / Seacraft Molds

[godwinaustin]

I am looking at purchasing an 18' Casco Bay Skiff. They were made in Maine by a company called Americon, which has since gone out of business. Apparently these were quality boats built off a shortened 20' Seacraft hull mold. Does anyone have any info or opinions on these boats?

The Casco Bay is a 1999 model year, and it is a very bare-bones boats. Essentially just the seacraft hull with a console.

Anything would help. thanks so much.

[Rich]

If these are the boats you are refering to, the hull looks nothing like a SeaCraft hull.

web page

pic of hull

[godwinaustin]

If these are the boats you are refering to, the hull looks nothing like a SeaCraft hull.

web page

pic of hull

Those are the ones. I was told by a couple people that Casco Bay used the 20' seacraft hull mold on at least the 18' model. I am not sure about the others. Here are a couple other pictures...

[Rich]

Well those pictures tell a different story, in fact it def looks like the stepped SeaCraft hull.

[Ed]

It's a rolled edge skiff (no liner), based on the 20' Seacraft. Very utilitarian....

Definitely worth checking out.

[Ed]

Oh yeah, Just because it is based on the Seacraft hull does not mean you should pay top dollar. Use the fact that the company is out of business to your advantage.

[godwinaustin]

So what is the advantage/disadvantage to owning a skiff type boat? What do you mean when you say it has no "liner"? Thanks.

[Ed]

There differences between a linered two or three piece boat and a rolled edge skiff can't be explained in a coupel of paragraphs. However, rolled edged skiffs have a utilitarian look to them while linered boats have a more finished looked.

If you are planning to use the boat for striper fishing and beach taxi...buy it.



The floor of a rolled edged skiff is created in the boat and tabbed to the insude of the hull. As a result, it probably has a few bumps and waves and usually has a "webbed" or splatter finish to hide some of the imperfections.

A bo

[godwinaustin]

There differences between a linered two or three piece boat and a rolled edge skiff can't be explained in a coupel of paragraphs. However, rolled edged skiffs have a utilitarian look to them while linered boats have a more finished looked.

If you are planning to use the boat for striper fishing and beach taxi...buy it.



The floor of a rolled edged skiff is created in the boat and tabbed to the insude of the hull. As a result, it probably has a few bumps and waves and usually has a "webbed" or splatter finish to hide some of the imperfections.

A bo

Thanks Trident,


I definetly dont care about the look of the inside of the boat. If anything I prefer a more stripped down look. But does a non-liner boat like this have any structural disadvantages? Is it any less seaworthy or durable without a liner?? thanks!

[McGillicuddy]

Looks like a well made boat from here, with pretty reliable power. I think Maycraft and Jones Brothers make some rolled edge boats similar to that (using Sea Ox hull molds rather than Seacraft)and they are tough, low maintenance, very good fishing skiffs. And based on the variable dead-rise this one will likely have a smoother ride. Although I don't know anything about Casco Bay Boats, I do know that many good boat builders went out of business for not realizing what it was costing them to build a better boat. That may be the case with that skiff... Have you gone for a test ride? What are they asking for it?