19' sheelin equiv sea boat

[dublin13]

Hi folks I am new to this forum and I would like some advise re what boat to buy for coastal
fishing, I have a 19' Sheelin Lake boat which I use for Trout fishing which can handle some pretty bad weather conditions in a lake ie 5' waves no prob in corrib mask melvin , but is totally unsuitable for sea use, been there done it and got scared,
I have been looking at 19' orkneys but maybe I have a blinkered view,
what I am looking for is a boat that can deal with a bit of weather and get me home ,
I am looking for a boat that is safe in a blow even though it may take a few splashes on board
dont mind getting wet! my experience of boats with cuddys is that they get blown around in circles. Can anybody recomend anything

[JimC]

Dub,
It has been said before that all boats are a compromise, it depends what you want it for! Boats with cuddies will drift normally. Some will catch more wind than others and may give them an offset angle of drift but most are well behaved. Guys who do a bit with the fly from the boat tend to prefer open boats.
The Orkney is a grand boat but struggles at speed in the chop because of its semi-displacement design. That said it will plug through the rough all day long at slow speed. Both the 16 and the 19 hulls are similar. It will depend what you are looking for in terms of performance as well.
Have a look anywhere small boats are operating you will soon see what boats are the most popular: Warrior, Sea Hog, Orkney, Raider. They all have their pros and cons. You will get plenty of advice here when you begin to lean towards a particular make and model.

[nialler]

got an orkney longliner 16 meself this year mate, with a cuddy, drifts fine, as jim said it aint built for speed but she takes a serious wave for the size of it.. obviously every boat has its limits but in a choopy swell shes solid as a rock.