For a die-hard boater without quite enough time for a fishing trip on a rainy, lazy Sunday, it’s hard to beat an hour or two of clicking and scrolling through Boat Trader’s listings, looking for dreamboats to drool over. For this month’s Expert’s Choice listings we came up with a classic Downeast North Carolina center-console fishing boat, a robust and capable passagemaking trawler, and one of the most iconic sportfishing boats ever built. Curious? Read on.
Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman 20 LTE
Built to handle the unpredictable and sometimes dangerous waters off North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the center-console fishing machines made by Jones Brothers Marine in Morehead City, NC, have a legendary reputation for their ride, build quality, and fishability. They’re so popular in the area, in fact, that you’d be hard pressed not to encounter one of these boats during the fall false albacore run off Cape Lookout—probably 60 to 70 percent of professional fishing guides in the area run some sort of Jones Brothers boat.
In case you’re wondering, “LTE” stands for Light Tackle Edition, and it gets you a load of fishing-friendly features such as pop-up navigation lights, pop-up cleats, cockpit lighting, and a console rod rack. There’s also under-gunwale rod stowage, flush-mounted deck rod holders, and more.
This nice-looking light blue model has a Yamaha 150-horsepower F150 four-stroke outboard bellied up to the stern. Expect a top-end in the mid 40s, and an efficient cruise in the mid 20s. If our experiences in the ocean off Cape Lookout are any measure, you’ll enjoy a great ride at most any speed.
See Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman 20 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Beneteau Swift Trawler 34
Beneteau was a relative unknown in the United States powerboat scene when the Swift Trawler 34 was first built. That’s because it wasn’t until around 2010 when Beneteau started introducing a number of different powerboat models to the U.S. market, including this excellent coastal passagemaking vessel. Fast, and amazingly well set up for cruising, this boat is well equipped and ready for adventures. Seeing the listing had us dreaming about a cruise down the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway this fall towards tropical climes.
The “Swift” designation in the Swift Trawler 34’s name reflects this boats uniquely designed hull. Instead of being full displacement, the Swift Trawler 34 has a semi-displacement hull, allowing it to partially ride on top of the water’s surface instead of pushing through it. With a single 425-horsepower, six-cylinder Cummins turbo diesel you’re talking a 22-knot top-end and a 16-knot cruise. That’s an awfully nice feather to have in your hat, at least when you’re trying to put lots of miles under your keel.
With a robust, shippy-looking design, the Swift Trawler has just about everything needed for extended passagemaking or a long weekend exploration of your home waters. The master stateroom is situated all the way forward in the bow, while a smaller guest stateroom is located just aft of it, to port. An enclosed shower and head are located on the same level. Up in the main saloon are a galley, the helm, and an expansive dining area that can be turned into a sleeping berth. Large expanses of glass make the area feel open and well–lighted. A large aft cockpit is great for hanging out and relaxing, and a teak-capped swim platform makes getting in and out of the water easy. Above is a large flybridge deck with commanding views and comfy seating.
See Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
Bertram 31 Flybridge
You could easily say that the Bertram 31 was legendary naval architect C. Raymond Hunt’s masterpiece—a true work of art. Its deep-V hull, sleek lines, rugged construction, and amazing sea-keeping abilities have lifted it almost to cult status. The design is so popular, in fact, that a good number of the 1,800 original hulls are still around, having been extensively refitted and repowered, keeping the design alive. The Bertram brand has even been reborn because of this design—a new 35-footer based on the original 31 is on the water today.
Though the Bertram 31 typically came equipped as a flybridge, this model also sometimes comes with a tuna tower and additional helm station. If you can’t find and catch fish with this boat, you may want to take up another hobby. Just saying.
Inside, the Bertram’s accommodations are fairly Bohemian, though there’s plenty of comfy seating and additional room for stowing gear and fishing tackle safely out of the weather. There’s a V-berth stateroom situated in the bow for casual overnighting—or daytime siestas—as needed.
See Bertram 31 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
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