You want a new boat but can’t afford some frou frou flats boat rigged out for the casual fisher where you then have to rip everything off to rig it for your line of work. Take a look at Clearwater Skiff.

From the bottom up they are an excellent workboat with full flotation integrated into the hull. The floatation in these hulls is based around a COOSA transom and the rest is composite foam and fiberglass – much in the spirit of a Carolina Skiff or a Boston Whaler they are unsinkable yet Clearwater takes those extra steps.

Look at the rub rails and you can see they are reinforced so they should still have nice edges in a few years. They took an extra step again in turning down and in with the side rub rails so they are stronger and less likely to break and crinkle when left rubbing against the docks or dragging nets up – heck, they look and feel solid enough to handle crab traps and lobster pots for a good many years.

This boat has a wonderful center console with the controls located where you can run it all day without getting fatigued. That seat behind the center console is actually a livewell for those tropicals and seahorses you get with the rest of your catch – or use it as a baitwell for rigging your long lines. The fore and aft compartments/decks are not some flimsy material like a lot of other skiffs on the market – these are good, solid fiberglass composite that can take a beating. At the same time those compartments serve to reinforce the boat, making for one very solid skiff.

In the deck space arena this is one of the roomier skiffs out there and Clearwater Skiffs did not skimp on the deck surface. It is good, thick and can take it well when you goof and set the corner of your crab trap into it. This is one sweet, thick deck surface that must have been thought out by someone who has spent a lot of time on workboats and did not like patching fiberglass. They did a good job and picked some excellent resin when they laid the glass on this deck.

Economy-wise a flat bottom boat is hard to beat. Decades of service have proven this. Here in Florida we have a lot of grass flats, shoals and shallows that make a flat bottom skiff desirable. Not just for the working person but also for the person who just needs something that floats, has an engine, won’t sink and will get them out to their favorite spots and back. The beauty is that the Clearwater Skiff 210DL costs less new for next year’s model (2010) than most used bay boats and if treated properly will last just as long. Since there is a lot less stuff to go wrong, a lot less will go wrong. That makes good economical sense for those who might come down South only for the winter and just want to get out on the water and don't need all the frills. They can just add a couple of rod holders and go fishing their favorite flats.

All in all these new Clearwater Skiffs are solid, practical workboats that can carry a load well and are based around the standard of generations of fishers, workers and folks who just need a good, economical tender vessel that won’t rob them when they buy it or are at the pumps.

Here are some of the features: Full Fiberglass/Foam Composite Construction

Full Foam Flotation

Center Console with Forward Seat

Windshield and Grab Rail

Switch Panel and Instrument Panel

Bow Casting Deck with Storage

Stern Deck with Aerated Livewell (High Speed Pickup and Pump)

Stainless Cleats (4)

Stainless Bow and Stern Eyes

No Feedback Mechanical Steering

Automatic Bilge Pump

Navigation Lights

Heavy Duty Rub Rail

Center Console

18 Gal. Fuel Tank

Flip Back Cooler Seat