2011 305 express

[Dand1]

I traded my 2008 275 tournament in and I have a 305 express on order for spring delevery. I loved my 275ut i was not real comfortable to far off shore maybe 25 miles tops. Im hopeing the 305 will provide much more comfort to venture much further say to the canyons off ocean city Md does anyone have any similar feelings or experiance in this expensive move I have made. I think things will be great but input from other people allways helps. Please send any advise or comments you may have

 

[ElyseM]

congratulations on your purchase. the wait is now the hardest part.

can't provide any insight on the 305, but in reality, distance is more a function of intestinal fortitude than boat (given adequate fuel). me, i'm a 0-25 guy. but i'm sure some guys will chime in on the 305 in detail.


again, congrats and good luck, ron

 

[fishingFINattic]

I am not sure why you were not comfortable in the 27'er?
I take my 265 Express 110 miles one way offshore -
I just pick the days carefully, carry the correct safety equipment, and am not afraid to cancel the trip last minute if the weather changes to less than perfect.
With that said, the 305 is heavier and longer than the 265 so I would be in paridise on that boat!
One piece added security I am going to look into is sirrus weather-
We did have one trip that people were talking about a thunder storm popping up - but with constant radio communication with other boats, some having sirrus weather, I was able to stay further out than the storm.
Enjoy!
Tim

 

[ElyseM]

One piece added security I am going to look into is sirrus weather-

don't "look into"; just do it! with your comfort range, it will probably be one of the best spends you make.

in '09, i bagged numerous days because of threat of "severe thunderstorms" only to wind up spending a beautiful day at the marina doing maintenance that could have been done on a "real" bad day. put xm in this year and only passed on days that were bad at the get go. it's great being able to monitor storms in near real time. on the days that a forecasted storm for my area actually materialized, i could watch their tracks and they wound up moving well away from where i was. a good spend for me. ron

 

[Pez Vela]

Being emotionally "comfortable" offshore is as much a function of your knowledge, training, and experience as it is the size of your boat (within reasonable limits). In the hands of a seasoned operator, either of your boats is of sufficient size to safely navigate well beyond 25 miles offshore. I believe your comfort level will grow over time if you dedicate yourself to improving your skills while spending an ever increasing amount of time on the water. On the flip side, no matter how experienced a captain you may be, venturing beyond the limitations of what your boat can safely handle will (and should) make you uncomfortable. The feeling of being uncomfortable exists for a reason, and if you feel that way (whether it's because either you or your boat are exceeding its limitations) you are well advised to yield to that feeling and return to port.

 

[magicalbill]

Ding Ding..
We have a winner here, folks.
Pez Vela has described it perfectly...

 

[ocnslr]

Another vote for a Pez Vela as the winning entry.

We have almost 1500 hours under power in our 2002 Islander 270 (Same hull as the 275) and have made dozens of trips to the Norfolk Canyon, about 75nm each way.

Of course, I have over 50 years of small boat experience, so my comfort level may be different than some other folks.

Brian

 

[Tashmoo]

Pez Vala has it dead on, can’t add to it.

What I can tell you is that I have a 275 and am off shore 15 - 35 miles on a regular basis. I pick my days, have no issue with calling it at the dock or on the water, pay close attention to the weather forecast and the satellite weather screen and as important I have the correct safety gear on board. Best way to sum it up is that I am always concerned when I am out that far, you need to be respectful of your situation at all times.

By the way, Sirius is an absolute pain in the butt to deal with but the product is well worth the aggravation. I have been off shore had an isolated t-storm pop up on the screen and have been able to move away from it and continue to enjoy the rest of an otherwise beautiful day. I also find the satellite extremely helpful near shore for those late afternoon cells that you cannot see over the land until a few minutes before they introduce themselves. Get it it is worth the peace of mind.

Congrads on the 305, beautiful boat, I will be curious to hear how the transition is for you.

 

[Dand1]

Again Thanks to All

 

[Hoghunter]

You've already received some great advice on comfort levels offshore. As for the 305 you will love the boat.

I bought mine three years ago and have never regretted the decision. It has a great ride, lots of creature comforts and an acceptable cockpit size for fishing. I love the center helm station but that also leads to really my only gripe about the boat. The captains seat makes for a tight squeeze in the helm area. It needs to be moved one way or the other to do just about anything. I've got used to it but it is a design issue. However, I don't think there's anything they could do to change that and keep the center helm station.

The other advice I would give it to check what props the boat comes with. I have the 250's and they came with 15.25 x 19 stainless props. I was never able to get over 5400 WOT. I changed them out to 15.5 x 17 this past summer and it made all the difference in the world for the boat. I get better fuel economy and can now hit 6000 WOT.

Did you get the 250's or 300's?

 

[Dand1]

I went with the 350's hopeing I will not have to run them as hard and save fuel that way of course they are 200lbs more weight so I hope it was a good move with the money Grady was giveing back it was just a wash

 

[Tashmoo]

Good move on the F350's. I do not know how the 300's will hold up over the long haul, maybe great, but they have some technology in them that has not been proven in a marine environment. The F 350 has so far proven to be very robust. At 500 hours now on mine and not a single issue.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Congrats on your new boat...the waiting is the hardest part for sure. I have plans to one day move up into a 305 or 330. However, I too am puzzled about the comfort level in the 275. That is a sweet ride for sure. I pick my days for sure when I fish offshore and have been 30 miles out in my 192! I have fished 50 off in my 228 too. Again, with a smaller boat you got to pick the days and be mindful of the weather forcast for that day in particular.