Solo Skiff Questions
 

Anyone owned a solo skiff? If so how are they? What are the pros and cons?


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Solo Skiff
 

Difficult to give you a quick answer...

I've owned one since mid-summer and yes, there ARE pros and cons. If you would narrow your questions down a bit I might be able to help...

JB

+1
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I've used it for a few hours and did land a monster rooster on it. Here's few quick thoughts on this...
Pros:
Speed
range
horizontal rod storage
big bow hatch

Cons:
motor maintenance
gas
inability to troll silently, or move without starting motor or stand up paddling
sketchy in following seas
deck has an open back so you can't leave anything on deck as it might slide out when running
No built in fishfinder system

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Beside the Cons listed.. how’s the stability, how is it compare to the PA’s especially in open ocean water.


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Stability is comparable. I'd say you're going to have a better seat in a PA and like a said the skiff feels sketchy in a following sea so I would be very careful in those conditions.

Questions
 

Launching is a big issue with the added weight compared to any of the 10 hobies I have previously owned.

I can stand up in the open ocean where it's a bit choppy more comfortably than I can with my PA 12, especially since its lower bowline gives it a lower center of gravity.

My 6 hp tohatsu is super quiet.

I find more advantages to my solo on the water than disadvantages when on the water.

Being able to cruise at +13 miles per hour with just a flick of the wrist oaded with gear and covering +20 miles on less than a gallon of fuel is a game changer.

I have hopped in and out of Hobies like yesterday's news.

This Solo is a keeper..

Solo
 

Pix

Solo
 

The solo is sold bare bones, around $1850, so apart from any disadvantages or advantages from its orignal hull design, you can equip the solo for the way you want to fish.

6 hp motor=+60 lbs, increased speed and range.
Electric trolling motor =quiet, inexpensive, but slow
Torqueedo =speed, quiet, but expensive

Or in its simplest form, just equip a paddle and cruise around like a paddleboard

I love mine - not getting rid of it.

Another pro - for a power boat transports just like my PA14. Can put it on roof racks if you don't have a weak back. With the Boondox landing gear and the sand wheels it will roll over the softest sand making beach launches easy.

Took off from Makoville and fished the cliffs all the way down to Gonzaga Bay once, if the wind didn't pick up I would have actually fished in the bay, but made a hasty retreat. Huge headwinds that would have stranded me in a kayak were easily overcome - although I was wet.

And I agree - any following swell over a foot can get sketchy, if not downright scary. Had a two footer come up behind me and the chine dug in causing a snap turn that nearly threw me out of the boat. You don't get that problem if you move at idle though, and idle is kayak speed so it isn't that bad.

Mako-Ville 4/7/2014 trip.

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Any mechanical unit can go bad. In this case it was bad fuel, if memory serves.


The angler had to be towed by good Samaritan to camp. There is always a balance.
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