I have spent the last year wrestling and searching for info to make a decision on what kind and size of boat I should get for my upcoming retirement. I live about and hour from Yankeetown, Fl, and I want to be able to go out a few miles and spend a night or two every so often and fish with my mate, and/or just be out there--but we definately want to make it a couple nights at a time. Budget is a problem, I don't want to/can't spend 10K on this. I have considered cuddys as well, but I find myself debating on buy a nice 20'+ sailboat rather than a big engine cuddy, since I don't really want to go all over the place, or 80 miles out. But I would like to get a few miles out and feel isolated. I was thinking that around Cedar key/Yankeetown, the traffic from commercial ships, etc, would be minimal in the shallower waters (correct?) but on the other hand, I don't want to hear airboats all night. Before i take the time to learn how to sail (which I am neutral about in itself) I'd like to know if anyone else does this in this area, and what they consider minimal, and if it's a worthwhile pursuit--basically right now, I take my 16' alum fishing boat with a 25hp Yamaha about 2 miles out slightly off the channel at Yankeetown quite often, spend the day fishing, but wanting to go out a few miles farther (past the channel markers) and spend the night-has anyone done this/do this and with what? thanks!!
