Re: Center Console Family Boat
Wow!! I disagree with all the above comments. I have had 2 center console boats and believe them to be wonderful for families! True, they tend to have less seating than others, however, they also tend to have less maintenance. I do not have carpet on my boats, therefore to clean is a simple washdown. The seating needs to be looked at, but you count noses and check seats, pretty simple. The openness of the design has made this a favorite with my family and my kids. As with everything, it depends on your needs. If you have wives and daughters that do little but want to lay on the back sunpad or front bow area, then you need those, and a bowrider is your ticket. If, however, you are into recreational water skiing (read "non tournament"), tubing, SCUBA diving, and swimming as well as fishing, I have found a center console to be excellent!
There are several types of center consoles on the market, some set up for offshore (deep vee) and some set up for bays (shallow running) and some set up for VERY shallow running (these are very specialized boats), so look around. I currently have a BW Montauk, and had, in the past, a Promaster 21. I had a friend for had a Dargel Fisherman (great boat!). These can be rigged with additional seating, are good skiing platforms, and, I think, great family boats.......YMMV
