dirtrich

Is that a pacific in your photo?

Hi Lester, thanks for the tip! Actually, someone referred to that site last week and I found it and have been lurking around in the shadows over there eavesdropping! Some pretty nice boats, I must say. So what's your take on the acb and stabicraft (outside of them both being made out of your favorite substance)? And no, Maxweld (or was it maxcat?) isn't on my list. Wayyyy out of my price range!

Hi Captaint, Thank you for the offer! I am currently working out a date to go for a ride on a World Cat that belongs to a friend of a friend of a friend. I've been playing phone tag with the acb salesman, hoping to find a local acb owner to take me for a ride. ACB has a 26' (2004) on their website which I've inquired about, but again, communication has been spotty at best. I've also been looking into Stabicraft a little bit, now that I see they have a U.S. shop right up the street from acb. There is a used 28' Stabi for sale in Alaska that is well outfitted, and the asking price is comparable to the 26' acb. On the plus side, I like the layout better (as well as the price). On the minus side, while I have several trucks that could easily tow it, it's a real road hog (width wise) and here in Santa Cruz county we have a militant bicyclist faction (they seem to think they are the new Hell's Angels) who are long on attitude yet short on common sense (inc. sense of self-preservation) and I don't know if the stress of worrying about one of those "Situational-awareness-impaired" individuals committing suicide by riding under the front of my vessel is worth it. Kind of nuts, isn't it? You just wouldn't believe the frame of mind those guys have. I live in the country, next to the mountains, and these "clots" of bicyclists dressed (masquerading) as olympic competitors have absolutely no fear as they occupy the entire lane. I own-operate a lot of equipment, which I drive/tow in combination into the mountains on a regular basis, and you come around a blind corner (20 miles of nothing BUT blind corners) and here's anywhere from one to twenty bicyclists traveling at about 3-5 mph up the hill in the middle of the extremely narrow lane. Sorry, I didn't mean to rant. Anyhow, back on track, I'm thinking about taking a trip to Washington to look at the Stabis and acbs. We'll see how things shape up in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for the info. and links, sounds like a lot of fun and I know my family would enjoy the trip (almost as much as me!). Didn't mean to be rude by not replying sooner, I've been so busy down here that I haven't even had time to turn on my computer since my last post! We're still trying to hammer out our strategy for taking care of business and sneaking away for a real vacation with the boys this summer. Time seems to fly by so quickly it scares me. I'll no doubt be firing off a pm or two to you as things progress down here! Speaking of progress, now that the sky is light, I see that I've got four acres of 5 foot tall weeds that are taunting me! I'd swear I just mowed that a couple weeks ago. Oh well, time to fire up the tractor. Talk to you soon, Dave

Hi Paul, You make some good points. I was looking on their website also (still waiting for a call back about that 2004 26 ft.) and was drooling over that 29'. But the money! Ouch! I don't have champagne tastes on a beer budget, I have champagne tastes on a mixed drink budget. I'm not sure how this will actually turn out for me. Back to the fishing, we're thinking about taking a trip up there, (never been, always wanted to) and theres a few things I'm interested in. First off, there's me, my wife (who doesn't fish) and my 7 and 8 year old sons. The boys and I love to fish, and salmon are at the top of our list (although they're stout for their age/size, I can't see them pulling up those monster halibut!) Besides fishing, the boys want to pan for gold, and we want to see the lights of course! So, can we find all those things at the same place/time? When's the best time to go up there? Dave

I live in central California along the Monterey Bay. Frequently snotty conditions, LOTS of "weekend warriors" who pilot a vessel as cautiously as they drive their cars, lots of fog here....typically three days of sun followed by three days of fog, hazards in the water such as the occasional log, and we like to go offshore for tuna which means piloting a min. of 30 miles out (in the dark). Not to mention lots O whales. These are some of the reasons I would prefer Aluminum (with sealed float chambers), in addition to the obvious: reduction of maintenance issues, longer lifespan (me AND the boat!), higher resale value. Getting there and back faster figures prominently in my decision making process, as well. And sure, you can "get the job done" in about anything. Surfers here fish for halibut off their surfboards on flat days! And I have an '85 22' Whaler Outrage cc that I have been fishing for ten years, in all conditions, my furthest venture being roughly 60 miles offshore. We have outgrown that vessel, as well as the pounding and wet/cold issues. Now that I am in a position to move up, I am carefully considering as many options that meet my criteria as possible. Aluminum, twin hulls, diesel, and anything made on the west coast aren't really "niche" in my book, so those are strong contenders for my $$$. I realize most things in life are a trade off, (speed/ride quality, size/fuel economy, etc. ) but I also know if I look around enough and educate myself as to all the possibilities, I can probably get most everything I am looking for in one package. Like my wife, for example. Took a long time to find her, but she's the WHOLE package! Smart, beautiful, hard-working, low-maintenance, good mother, good cook. She's not into fishing though, so that's the trade-off there (But she's all for me and the boys going!).

Hi Dan, I've always wanted to go fishing in Alaska, and am thinking about going this summer (w. my family of course! My boys are 7 and 8 years old and love to fish) Where abouts are you up there? Thanks for the relating your experiences with the boat. You're the first. There's two boats up there I read about, a nine year old explorer rescue pro, but I'm not sure of the length. That one could possibly be doable for me. The second one is a 2005 25' sportfisher extreme. It looks like it's got all the fishing room I crave, but at $145,000 I can't do it. Well, I could do it but don't know how prudent it would be. I'm also wondering about aluminum cats. Are there many up there? Are they priced like the acb's?

Yes, the "pretty" factor seems to be of foremost consideration for most people. Personally, I do not suffer from that affliction as my primary concern in all matters is how well something functions. I know I need to start going for rides on different vessels in order to make an informed decision, but am so buried with work and family matters right now that I'm not sure how to even begin going about making that happen. I've heard absolutely nothing from the acb contingency that I know must exist out there (posts on various boards), so it doesn't look like I'll be taking the "pepsi challenge" so to speak. The Glacier Bay vs. World Cat threads that I've read leave my head spinning, and the diesel/gas debates are always interesting and thoughtfully stated, and though I have a strong preference for diesel, nothing is set in stone. The Aussie built Kevlacat seems to get rave reviews, and comes with the diesel package I'm interested in, but finding one here used in the size I want is a hurdle. There is a 34 ft. available not too far from me but it's not going on a trailer and I don't want to be married to the slip fees. Then to further muddy the waters, friends and aquaintances are now suggesting (strongly) that Farallon and Davis are two that merit consideration. But I'll admit, I keep thinking about that 34 foot K.C. and how much fun that would be! Until my check writing hand got carpal tunnel from the repetitive nature of the maintenance issues.... Dave

Hi Bolton, Why only the '97 model year? Is that year your recommendation for both the seacat and the 27' world cat? Dave

Thanks for the info., very helpful. I'll keep you posted as things develop.

One4water, Thanks for the honest feedback on the negatives to a cat ride. The "snap-roll" you described scares me a little, but then in my line of work (arborist) you never want to hear the word "snap"! Since most of my fishing requires covering at least 20 miles of water each way, and it's typically bumpy to quite rough out on the Monterey Bay, a smooth ride, fuel economy and "fleet of foot" qualities are highly desirable to me. What type of fuel burn do you experience on your boat?

I hate to admit, but I haven't been in either a cat or an acb. I have read an awful lot of posts about how cats are superior in the nasty water, and the few posts I've read about the acb's talk about how they ride like a dream and are indestructable. The thought of being able to go faster in comfort through rough conditions appeals to me. The added security of a bullet proof aluminum boat appeals to me because I go out in limited visibility conditions, I go out in the dark, and I go way offshore. For some reason, I got the impression that the acb can handle a lot without pounding the snot out of you. And I am so very tired of having the snot pounded out of me in my whaler. Warm, Dry, and comfortable is the direction I'd like to move towards. And fast would be nice too!

Just curious, does any one know how the ride of an acb compares to the ride of a cat? I'm trying to zero in on what type of boat to purchase and would love to tap into the collective wisdom of the boaters here. Size range I'm interested in is 26-28 foot trailerable. Thanks, Dave

Hi guys! Just found your site and it looks pretty nice. I live on (o.k., next to) the Monterey Bay over here in sunny Santa Cruz California. I've got an '85 B.W. Outrage C.C. 22' that I take out for Salmon, rock cod, and offshore for Tuna (120 gallon fuel cell). I love that boat, but it's getting tired and needs a little t.l.c., and the same goes for me, so it's time to move up to something larger, drier, cushier, and did I mention drier? Hope to make some new friends here and I promise I won't lie (too much) about the fish I catch! See you on the boards. Dave