Raider 18

Thanks for advice Dirty Fecker,
made my mind up today and put a deposit on the cuddy version so cant wait! Have to gather up a few euros now

Thanks again

I don't think you can go far wrong with the Raider, and with today's ever increasing fuel costs, the sort of fuel consumption you can expect will pay dividends, not the least being able to go to marks with worrying too much about the cost of fuel to get there. It should be a factor in the boat holding it's value too........

There is no boat like a Raider. I boat fishing since I was 14 years old and have owned various boats for over 20 years.

When buying a boat you have to carefully consider what qualities you want it to have. I have a Raider 16 Fisherman for the last 4 years. It is fast, stable and has lots of fishing area. On my own in calm conditions I can reach 28 knots which is an exhilarating but frightening speed. Usually I would do 16-20 knots. This is fantastic if you wish to cover large areas or fish wrecks.

No boat is perfect and because of the height the boat can drift a little quickly in wind.

I decided to get a new boat this year and tried various ones. First of all I considered an Arvor 21.5. This is a lovely boat. However it is not easily towed around the country. Also on a test drive it is slow.At speeds of 15 knots it slaps more than the raider.

I looked at the bigger Orkneys. Again too slow and heavy.

Eventually, I decided that I would buy a new Raider. I considered the Raider 16 cuddy. Having had boats with a cuddy I do not see their function and felt the same when I looked at Raider cuddy version. I am 6'3" and spend most of my time looking over the cuddy when flying along. It offers absolutely no shelter. When fishing it reduces your fishing area. On the plus side it makes the boat lighter and the boat drifts a little slower in wind.

Then I decided to try a Raider 18 Fisherman and now own 2 boats. Anybody know a good divorce lawyer?

It is bigger and has higher gunnels.

Being a newer boat it has better features than the 16 ft. I can give my wife a million reasons for buying another wonderful boat. As a golfer she just does not understand. I think that this will be the most expensive boat that I will ever buy ..... I hear rumblings about "her indoors" joining a certain exclusive golf club locally!!!!

Unless you have a jeep I would think you unwise to buy the 18ft. It is a heavy boat.

My advice for buying a boat is to take several out for a spin. I tried the Seajeep, Warriors and Raiders and the latter was my choice. Consider how many of you will fish on an outing. I often launched the Raider 16 on my own but the 18ft is too big. However, I have a mooring and am getting to an age where one good fishing area will suit me. I do not want to drive all around the country.

I do not recommend anybody to buy a new boat. They devalue too much. However, a good secondhand boat will generally keep its value if you take care of it. Many new boats have problems. Usually if you buy a secondhand boat these will have been resolved by the previous owners.

There are more boats for sale from March onwards and you may have a better choice.

Finally, if you wish to try out either boat I would be happy to bring you out for a spin.


For anyone interested the Raider 16ft will be up for sale in March.

I would'nt think it was the best boat but it is certainly a good one. I think overall the Warrior 175 is a better boat for a few reasons. But what makes the Raider great is the performance you get coupled with the fuel economy. For all out bad weather performance and attention to detail the Warrior is best offering performance that is expected from the likes of the Trophy but without the hiked up fuel consumption of the heavier American boats. 175's also hold their price tag very well over the years. On the downside they are €10,000 more expensive than the Raider and more expensive to run and are very heavy to tow. I think the Raider is a decent alternative to the person who can't afford to shell out €30,000+ for a new 175.

I understand the sentiment - in fact the reason I bought that first Trophy was for that very fact - "because if the weather turns nasty while you're out, you know you've got a boat that can handle it and keep you safe".

However, my personal comfort factor while fishing is a lot less than what I'd go out in, or expect to be out in even if it turned for the worse. The other side of the coin is that while the 175 (or Trophy) are very solidly built boats, I'm not sure if that translates to greater safety in poor conditions. I certainly feel very safe in the Raider.

I love my boat too...except the engine nevers starts and it takes on water!!! :shock: