Any opinions: Seahog Shortie Superhog

I'm considering buying this, asking price £3250 Sterling:

For Sale: Seahog Shortie Superhog,
40hp Mariner with a 5 hp Yamaha back up, comes with swivel seat, Cuddy seats as well as stern seats, F/F, VHF, Flares, Radio/CD, anchor, 25 ltr tank and a 30 ltr tank, electric bilge pump, full cover, boat comes on a roller coaster trailer, that has only done about 300 miles from new (Trailer is 3 years old)

Was initially a package deal from mid-late Eighties (boat and engine), guy has had it for the last six years and I reckon he takes good care. Not moored, kept in his driveway. I haven't been to see it yet, but i'll have a knowledgeable mate along with me if I do.

I'll be using it in Sheephaven Bay, Co Donegal. It's a cathederal hull, he says. I hadn't actually considered this type, was thinking more along the lines of an Orkney.

Anyone got any opinions, advice, observations? Luke, what do you reckon?

Cathedral huls are very stable. Infact, they are the most stable type of hull. How big is the boat? Im not sure but i think they are 16 ft? It looks like a good enough deal on paper and a rollercoaster trailer is the bees knees! I do not have one myself but Damien (dtsac) has and I have often admired how easy it is to retreive the boat from the water. I would go with a cathedral hull if you are planning to use the boat on the west coast. The biggest mistake people make when buying boats is that you must consider where the boat will be used? What do you need it for? For example, My own boat is pretty big and heavy and even with a 90 hp engine on her uses up a fair bit of juice. My fishing by the nature of how crap the quality of fishing is in Dublin sometimes takes me up to 17 miles off shore. If I were to have a smaller engine it would be too fuel inefficient to be worth doing. The boat has a planeing hull which means it is more efficent at speed than say an Orkney with a V hull. In most cases while this is a favourable trait it can also mean on the downside that these boats lean a bit more with a couple of anglers on one side of the boat. In the Case of the Norman 20 this is the exception to the rule as it has concrete running through her keel which means their is absoloutely no lean! As i said she is a heavy boat! To get to the point I need to get where i am going pretty quick if any fishing is to be done so this particular boat suits my needs. If it is rough out, I wouldnt be going out there anyway so it suits me. I moor my boat and so a cabin is great for storeing all you gear when you are not there. If you plan to launch your boat then obviously a cuddy makes more sense. The west coast waters are more prone to rough weather and are a lot more changable for this reason a V hull or better a cathedral would suit your needs better. Also if you can manage it try to go for a bigish boat as size does matter! The sheer size of a boat has a lot of bearing on how safe it is. 16 ft would be the bear minimum for the west coast with 18 ft being more preferable in my opinion. That particular boat would do OK with the 40 HP on her but pack in 3 anglers, their gear etc. and you would be pushing the engine quite hard to be doing 20 mph. this uses more fuel and also runs an engine into an early grave. Don't be in a major rush to purchase. Time is now on your side. The season is coming to a close and people will be thinking of storeing unwanted boats. This puts you in the driving seat. you would get little use out of her over the winter anyway. bargains are out there if you are patient! take your time. There is nothing worse than getting a boat and then having trouble with it. It breaks your heart...

Cheers Luke, all good points to consider.

This particular boat is 15 feet length and 6 1/2 wide, so it's pretty beamy. I don't think I'll be venturing very far out of the bay, if at all. More for sea-trout and mullet, I think.

Though I've never fished from any of the Seahog range I see quite a lot of them. I know a good few Welsh lads who are delighted with their Seahogs. Last year three big lads fished the Cork Festival out of a Shortie quite comfortably. The SeaLord is also an impressive performer.
If I'm correct the Super hog is a derivitive of the Hunter. A fine boat. The Samauri is another decent vessel.
I think with a bit of sense you would be able to do whatever angling you want out of the Hog. I would imagine that the 40hp will give you super performance to 30Knts at least. If everything checks out take your chances. The money seems right. You'll make it back in six months if not satisfied.
Jim.

Another boat you might consider is the pilot or the Wilson Flier. These are older boats but excellent all the same. I think in essence it is the Pilot that most of the newer Seahogs etc. based their design around. They have a cathedral hull, are unsinkable, 18 ft long, have a lockable cabin and have a very good deck area for fishing. They have a bow hatch for anchoring work and are quite light and fast. They can take engines of 40 HP - 75 hp and are excellent performers being very stable. I was considering one of these when I was buying my second boat. These boats are every bit as good as those in the magazines but will cost you less. A thing to consider when buying boats is that even a second hand vessel of say a Seahog or Warrior for example will cost you a fortune. This is because the seller is probably the origional owner and is trying to make a comeback on the extortionate price they spent on the vessel new. If the boat is second hand and has been well looked after then it is every bit as good as a new one. By all accounts the Warrior 175 seen in Jims pic seems to be an exceptional boat. From what Jim tells me about it, it is hard to beat but they will cost you an arm and a leg. Take time to make a sound choice. Why not pay a visit to my forum and and ask the lads their opinions? Everyone will give you an honest account of their boat and you might learn a thing or two to help you make your decision. There are a lot of boats out there that would suit you needs and they all need'nt cost you as much as the Seahog you are on about. :shock:

Thanks Luke.

I'll certainly take up your invite to your forum sometime in the next few days. (Going Bassing, Rokering and Smutting tomorrow, must get ready!!!)

Expect there when you see me :D