# Boatright vs Shoalwater



## boss11 (Nov 18, 2010)

I'm looking to purchase a new boat soon and am torn between the 2 choices I have it narrowed down to. I know I want something that will *run super skinny* but doesn't beat me up in the bay, something I can rig out if I want, has to be reliable, dependable, and take me where I want to go. I mostly fish the back lakes and marsh so I need something that can run and draft pretty shallow. I have come to the conclusion that either a Boatright or a Shoalwater are the 2 most well know boats that could fulfill my needs. *It would either be a Shoalwater 19ft Cat or a 20ft Boatright Scooter.*

My question to my fellow 2Coolers is: Which boat would you choose? And if not either one of these, what boat would you recomend based on what I'm looking for? Thank you in advance for your input and advice!!


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## Court (Jul 16, 2011)

I say Boatright


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## Charlie Brown (May 17, 2007)

Boatright for me too.


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

boat right is a over grown jon boat. Get the shoalwater cat.


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## BluewaterAg26 (Jan 12, 2009)

Boatright...


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## BluewaterAg26 (Jan 12, 2009)

The Boatright will have a better layout and run as shallow if not shallower than the cat boat. The 21 Shoalwater Cat would be more comparable to the 20 Boatright.


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## boss11 (Nov 18, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback. PLEASE keep the opinions and comments coming!!!


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## BluewaterAg26 (Jan 12, 2009)

I was over at Boatright a few days ago looking at some of GlennÂ´s boats. His work and attitude was first class. If you decide on a Boatright, go for the widest model you can. You will be glad you did.


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## netboy (Dec 12, 2006)

I've ridden on both but the Shoalwater cat had a much smoother ride in choppy water.


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## boss11 (Nov 18, 2010)

BluewaterAg26 said:


> I was over at Boatright a few days ago looking at some of GlennÂ´s boats. His work and attitude was first class. If you decide on a Boatright, go for the widest model you can. You will be glad you did.


Yeah my dad knows him well and Glenn is pretty dang awesome! I've wanted a Boatright for a couple of years now. Do you know if they can make you a Catamaran hull if you wanted one?


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## Logan (Aug 7, 2009)

Consider and aluminium flats cat it you want a cat hull....as far as beating you up. The 20 ft mod v br I run is pretty rough but its narrow. 

I used to run 2 different br's at oa place I worked. A 20 ft that was wide...awesome boat and would run crazy skinny and drafted almost nothing. A 24 that was a champ. It got pretty skinny and was long/ heavy enough it handled the chop incredibly well.

I've never run shoal cats but as far as skinny water and last a life time. Boatright hands down...welding is a lot cheaper than glass if you're running shallow


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## Jlake (Jul 8, 2013)

Boatrights while not the smoothest riding boats are smoother than most would think. And if you want reliable the Tohatsus that Glen likes to put on his boats are as relaible as they get. At 20 ft you wouldnt be that fast(maybe mid 30's) but the 115 Tohatsu would be economical and reliable. And if you like to run skinny as someone else stated aluminum is the better choice over fiberglass. I bought my boatright a couple years ago and havent regreted anything. Also, wider while heavier will draft shallower, go with the 78 inch beam.


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## kja88 (Jan 26, 2013)

If you plan on running shallow in oyster bed areas get the Boatright. If you do anything else get the Shoalwater.. Im a little bias, I have a 19 Cat ( awesome Boat)


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## mmcclure9 (Dec 19, 2011)

kja88 said:


> If you plan on running shallow in oyster bed areas get the Boatright. If you do anything else get the Shoalwater.. Im a little bias, I have a 19 Cat ( awesome Boat)


remember the retarded friend i said dont listen to? meet kris:rotfl:


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## kkersh (Apr 5, 2012)

I'm getting a 21 ft Laguna Tiger built right now from Duckmaster boats in lufkin. Cat hull made out of aluminum. Egbert (the owner) has been a stand up guy to deal with. Even with all my request on how I wanted it. It should be ready in 3-4 weeks. PM me if you have any questions.


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## Logan (Aug 7, 2009)

*really...*



kkersh said:


> I'm getting a 21 ft Laguna Tiger built right now from Duckmaster boats in lufkin. Cat hull made out of aluminum. Egbert (the owner) has been a stand up guy to deal with. Even with all my request on how I wanted it. It should be ready in 3-4 weeks. PM me if you have any questions.


I thought they were under copyright infrengements with that design. Cool looking boat forure. Keep us posted on the performance you get out of it.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Tran or Hannie will beat both the above out.


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## Logan (Aug 7, 2009)

Deal. Take your tran or haynie and follow me sometime....then stop where I stop and get up again....blows me away


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## Jlake (Jul 8, 2013)

JimD said:


> Tran or Hannie will beat both the above out.


Different strokes for different folks. If he wanted to know about either he would have asked. Not trying to be an a-hole but why does everyone of these turn into a "my favorite boat" thread as opposed to giving the op info about the boats he wants. Tran and Haynie are both great boats but when i was doing my boat shopping both seemed to be quite a bit more expensive as well. Lastly, im not sure if OP is a first time boat owner but i think there is nothing better than an aluminum boat, in this case a BR, for first time boat owners. A haynie or tran may run skinny and do it better than a BR but hit a oyster reef then come talk to me. A BR would easily drive away from that, a fiberglass boat maybe, maybe not. Lots of room for error with aluminum boats that do not go all that fast. A rookie with a fiberglass boat doing 50+ is what keeps the coast guard in business.


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## manwitaplan (Dec 9, 2005)

Jlake said:


> Different strokes for different folks. If he wanted to know about either he would have asked. Not trying to be an a-hole but why does everyone of these turn into a "my favorite boat" thread as opposed to giving the op info about the boats he wants. Tran and Haynie are both great boats but when i was doing my boat shopping both seemed to be quite a bit more expensive as well. Lastly, im not sure if OP is a first time boat owner but i think there is nothing better than an aluminum boat, in this case a BR, for first time boat owners. A haynie or tran may run skinny and do it better than a BR but hit a oyster reef then come talk to me. A BR would easily drive away from that, a fiberglass boat maybe, maybe not. Lots of room for error with aluminum boats that do not go all that fast. A rookie with a fiberglass boat doing 50+ is what keeps the coast guard in business.


Well said my friend!


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## Duke (Dec 27, 2007)

Boatright, no gel-coat to cry over.....


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## stingray1 (Jun 17, 2009)

Boatright with tohatsu:
1. as dependable as the sun rising
2. buy once, run forever
3. good resale value


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## boss11 (Nov 18, 2010)

This post is getting pretty awesome. Lots of different perspectives and opinions. C'mon lets keep it going!!!


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## boltmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

Seems like the issue most have here is durability. If slamming into shell and oyster reefs in 3-4 inches of water is your thing then an aluminum hull is defiantly the better choice. But if the over all performance of the rig is the desire the shoalwater would be the better boat.

Personally if you are worried about hitting reefs all the time then in my opinion you are doing it wrong and or are running where you shouldn't be running and need a yak and wading gear.

To each his own...and good luck


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## Walter (Dec 28, 2012)

Shoalwater holds water in the hull better. lol awwww!


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## SaltyCowboy (Feb 25, 2012)

I have never owned a Boatright but I have owned 2 different Heavy Duty / Welded Aluminum Boats. Both were great boats for river and calm water fishing but neither boat held up to rough water pounding of the bays. Over time aluminum gets brittle and tends to crack when exposed to this type of stress. Just my previous experiance and 2 bits. I'd definitely consider the type of sea conditions that you plan to run in before buying aluminum. Oh, and just because its metal doesn't mean that shell wont scratch and peal it.


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## Logan (Aug 7, 2009)

*....*



SaltyCowboy said:


> I have never owned a Boatright but I have owned 2 different Heavy Duty / Welded Aluminum Boats. Both were great boats for river and calm water fishing but neither boat held up to rough water pounding of the bays. Over time aluminum gets brittle and tends to crack when exposed to this type of stress. Just my previous experiance and 2 bits. I'd definitely consider the type of sea conditions that you plan to run in before buying aluminum. Oh, and just because its metal doesn't mean that shell wont scratch and peal it.


Not a shot at your old boats at all so don't take this the wrong way.

Br is built much heavier. The flush deck models have even more support and thick thick bottoms. The br I run was my fathers built in 92 and been through 2 motors
Just now starting to get small cracks that are cheap to patch. ...20 years later and it hasn't been babied. Rode hard and put up wet.

Welding cost me 100 about a year ago to patch minor cracks on a front rib...and that was my fault...they don't do well on dry ground.

I don't think durability from the bay beating is an issue. I'm pretty sure bink is running one in gorda now if you wanted a good look at a newer one and hear pros and cons from someone who has run a lot of different boata


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## Beretta (Jul 27, 2012)

BOSS,

I have been having the same dilemma in choosing between the two boats mentioned. I know it is difficult to find a used Boatright, which should tell you something. I have a Polar 2310 that works well for my near-shore and long range bay trips, but I need something skinny for ducks and back bay fishing. Personally, I am leaning towards the Boatright. I have been researching the BR for a couple of years and can't seem to find much negative publicity on these boats. I plan to purchase a new one next year...good luck.


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## boss11 (Nov 18, 2010)

Beretta,

Thats one thing about the Boatright that I love. I have not heard much, if any, negative things about them. They are durable, sturdy, clean, nice, well-built, great all-around boats. I still would like to fish off one before I buy one though. The Shoalwater is super nice as well. The only advantage the Boatright has over the Shoalwater in my opinion, is that I think you could risk going shallower without paying the price of possible damagw to the fiberglass. What do you think?


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## raysmith (Mar 4, 2012)

*Laguna*



kkersh said:


> i'm getting a 21 ft laguna tiger built right now from duckmaster boats in lufkin. Cat hull made out of aluminum. Egbert (the owner) has been a stand up guy to deal with. Even with all my request on how i wanted it. It should be ready in 3-4 weeks. Pm me if you have any questions.


i would love to see a build thread and performance numbers on one of these
what are you powering with?


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## C.DEPUTY (Aug 19, 2011)

A 21' Boatright with a 150 hp and a 19" 4-blade prop with good cupping will run a gps speed of 31 mph to 35 mph at 4500 rpm depending on weight and wind direction.

A 19' Boatright with a 140 hp and a 14" 4-blade prop will run approximately 28 mph to 31 mph at 4500 rpm.

This is what I have found when driving the two boats above. 

But don't buy the Boatright....I don't want you to be able to get where I am. We fish where others dare to go...LOL


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## boss11 (Nov 18, 2010)

How much heavier is the Boatright than the Shoalwater?


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## blow up (Dec 31, 2011)

If you are wanting shallow water performance why not an illusion or RFL?


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## Jaysand247 (Aug 19, 2012)

I have a 19' 66" boatwright with 140 . It runs about 35 at 5200 Rpm. with a 4 blade cff prop . It's not fast but I fish where I want too.


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## Captain Stansel (Jul 8, 2008)

I've been on both boats extensively and I do like them both, but for me it would be the Cat. It's a dryer ride and more importantly less hull slap fishing shallow water. The boatright is a great boat, but man does it make some noise when fishing shallow water and that noise carries a long ways. We always spooked fish with that boat. Good luck.


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## Kastaway (Apr 17, 2008)

Boatright!!! on my second one. And wish Id have kept the first one!


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

I am Boatright less now..But had 18 tx scoot ..Loved it..Glen is good people.Wider is gooder but it takes HP!


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## Majekster (May 13, 2008)

blow up said:


> If you are wanting shallow water performance why not an illusion or RFL?


X2

I agree....this is apples vs. oranges thread. If you're wanting to compare something to a Boatright, it should be a Redfish Line....I'd say that's a good Granny Smith vs. a Honeycrisp comparison.

I've seen plenty of boatrights with cracks & electrolysis holes on bottom, but all of which were either mistreated or parked in high-grass for extended timeframes. Boatrights are very well built & not even comparable to cheap aluminum boats....they use much thicker plate & attention to detail. Only thing I don't like about them is a "built-in" gas tank.....if you get one, I'd get a poly tank.

and for the repair costs of alum vs. fiberglass, I'd choose fiberglass all day long....much easier to repair...aluminum is very finicky to weld/repair & each time you weld on it, it will keep getting more brittle.

All that aside, I'd go for the redfish line if you're going to fish out of it....if you want a flounder boat, get the boatright, it's easier to rig up a bunch of hoopla on the rails. :dance:


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## redfish555 (Feb 25, 2012)

I have an 18 ft br and I love it it has a 90 hp Suzuki and gets great fuel economy.
At 4100 rims I go about 29 mph. It handles chop really well for an 18 ft boat and not very wet if it's rough and your by the console also it runs super shallow it is a 96 and has no cracks or damage anywhere yet


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## gone red fishing (May 26, 2006)

I have a 22'x78 Boatright with 200hp yam 
It runs 42 mph with a custom 4 blade prop 15p. 
I can run as shallow as I want and also have taking it offshore a few time (not more than 15-20miles) but it will handle everything the bay fine at time it will be a wet ride. I run to the jetty all the time in it and it will handle great even with slight chops. I never had any issue with the boat and I have own it for 5 years now.

Sounds like this a Boatright is what you need!


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## letsgofishbro (Feb 8, 2012)

JimD said:


> Tran or Hannie will beat both the above out.


Hahaha. Bring that Haynie or tran and come play follow the leader with my 23 Shoalwater cat. Few have tried and all have failed. Only cat that run as shallow if not shallower is a SCB recon. Also the OP didn't ask about those boats so don't come in here thread stealing. Now on the subject. I used to work for glen and he builds a dang nice boat. But the problem is your comparing it too the 19' cat which isn't shoalwaters pride and joy. It doesn't perform near as well as the 23 but neither does the 21. It's still a great boat I just love the 23'. The Boatright is deffinately a wetter ride and a tougher ride. All boats scratch that's just life. Good luck with your choice.


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## C.DEPUTY (Aug 19, 2011)

Just to keep this thread going: a few that have replied to this post have stated that the Boat Right is a rough and wet ride. Maybe? Its like any other boat, if the bay is rough, the ride won't be smooth. If the wind is blowing the wrong direction, the splash will blow back on you. I once owned a 22' Pathfinder (claimed to be one of the smoothest and driest rides available). It has been my experience that the 22' Boat Right that I run now is a more enjoyable ride than the Pathfinder was. Not bashing the Pathfinder, great boat just wouldn't get me where I wanted to go.The longer Boat Rights will ride on top of the waves (21' or longer) and they are a very comfortable and stable ride. On the other hand, the shorter Boat Rights have a tendency to spear a wave or two or three. 
So, tie your gear down. I'm proud of all the Texas Boat Builders out there. They all build great products. And as a buyer, there are many options to choose from. Whatever boat you choose, remember, none of them come with wheels. So learn the water, no where you can go and cannot go, and take a kid fishing.


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## Shugster2 (May 10, 2012)

Well put sir!


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## MIKE S. (Apr 8, 2007)

The Boatrights have an awesome ride for an aluminum boat. They dont have the loud hull slap like almost every other aluminum hull does and they handle chop extremely well for a flat bottom. I run a 24xlr8 and a 18'66" boatright scooter. The scooter is my go to boat unless im making long runs. You cant compare these boats to your SeaArk, Alumaweld, lowe, etc.. They are way above in quality, ride, and durability.


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## speckledslammer151 (Jul 30, 2013)

C.DEPUTY said:


> Just to keep this thread going: a few that have replied to this post have stated that the Boat Right is a rough and wet ride. Maybe? Its like any other boat, if the bay is rough, the ride won't be smooth. If the wind is blowing the wrong direction, the splash will blow back on you. I once owned a 22' Pathfinder (claimed to be one of the smoothest and driest rides available). It has been my experience that the 22' Boat Right that I run now is a more enjoyable ride than the Pathfinder was. Not bashing the Pathfinder, great boat just wouldn't get me where I wanted to go.The longer Boat Rights will ride on top of the waves (21' or longer) and they are a very comfortable and stable ride. On the other hand, the shorter Boat Rights have a tendency to spear a wave or two or three.
> So, tie your gear down. I'm proud of all the Texas Boat Builders out there. They all build great products. And as a buyer, there are many options to choose from. Whatever boat you choose, remember, none of them come with wheels. So learn the water, no where you can go and cannot go, and take a kid fishing.


 Right on show me a pefect boat and ill show you whats wrong with it.


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## Rancher86 (Nov 15, 2012)

x2 above. no boat is perfect. And comparing a cat with a BR is a strange comparison. Kind of like comparing football and baseball or some weird comparison. Both excel at certain things, and both have downfalls in certain areas. And don't listen to the guys about the haynies or scb's or whatever, (bye the way, a scb with a 12" draft won't run skinny for ****, only 90 mph, but I've never seen one jump up real skinny or run skinny SLOW like you are supposed to, especially with 600 pounds hanging off the back). When talking skinny, we mean RFL with a TRP skinny. Not 8" of water) if you like the cat your looking at, get it. You just gotta decide what kind of water your gonna be fishing, what your goals are, cost, reputation, and your overall likeability of the product in question. Both are badddd A boats in my opinion. Wish I had one, but I'll stick with my flats cat 21' w/ 150 TRP. Another cat to look at. Not pretty though, and not as fancy. But I'll run where a boatright or trans or whatever will any day of the week. They're alot cheaper as well. But just ride both and pick what you like best for your needs! Good luck friend!


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## boss11 (Nov 18, 2010)

Thanks a lot fellas! I think I have decided on the Shoalwater Cat. Thank yall very much for all the input, opinions, and advice!!!


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