Re: Family of 5 on a 17' boat ?
Some like those fancy lake boats; however, for my money a 17' Arima works best. Throw in a four stroke outboard, and you can fish the sound, ski the lake, crab the bay, cruise the canal, or ???? and use little fuil while doing it. Seating can be tricky, because these boats are desinged to offer a large, deep deck area with the standing fisherman in mind but Arima offers numerous seating options or you can buz up to Boaters World and pick up a couple sets of back-to-back seats. We have a family of six and this boat works fine, with five she works better. The gunwales are tall so the little ones have trouble tipping over the sides, the beam is wide so she's not tippy to start with, and the bow is enclosed for extra storage or a place for the kids to knap. With an open bow, one big wave over (possible swamp) and your wife may never let you take the family out again. I've owned many boats (21' Bayliner Trophy Hardtop, 16' Glaspar, 14' Olympian, 12' - 16' Whalers, etc.) and they served many purposes, but the Arima is my favorite all around boat. Kids favorite was the Trophy, but that thing was a money pit, took up to much room and had a taste for petro.
