I went to Travis Boating Center on my lunch hour today to check out an Aquasport 205 Osprey. I got a chance to look it over, but the salesman was really pushing this Fishmaster 212 hard. Overall, it seems like a nice package & seems well built. There were some details that showed the Aquasport to be a better built boat, but to my untrained eye, it only seemed better by a small margin.<br /><br />What is making me consider the Fishmaster is its size & its hull shape. Although both are listed as 22' boats, the Aquasport counts the bow pulpit as part of its LOA whereas the Fishmaster does not. It's obvious that the Fishmaster is a larger boat. Also, the Fishmaster has a much deeper hull with a sharper angled V. For me, this is the biggest selling point as this boat will see some offshore use, & Galveston Bay can get quite choppy. I haven't sea trialed either boat, but it looks like the Fishmaster can handle rough seas better. A side benefit of the Fishmaster is that with a 225 Suzuki, it costs about $4000 less than the Aquasport with a 150 Yamaha.<br /><br />Here are my concerns about the Fishmaster. It is unknown to me, & I cannot find any information on it other than what the dealer has provided. The salesman said that they are built by a company called Polar Craft. It seems like these are proprietary boats built exclusively for this dealership. To me, this relationship between manufacturer & dealership is a little too cozy.<br /><br />Anyone have any information on these boats? Direct experience would be great. As much as I prefer the design, I'll probably go with the Aquasport unless I can get independent verification that the Fishmaster is a worthwhile product.<br /><br />Thanks,
