Maiden Voyage
Twin Vee 26' Express


Twin Vee Catamarans of Fort Pierce, Florida, is the wold's largest
manufacturer of power catamarans. The company offers a wide range of
models between 10 and 36-feet, most of which are configured to support
active maritime recreation lifestyles. We visited Sharp Yachts Sales &
Service in Everett to check out the 2006 Twin Vee 26' Express, where
we not only got a good look at a nice boat but also met an excited
family taking delivery of their new vessel. We were even invited to tag
along on the maiden voyage. What a splendid afternoon!

Meet the 26 Express

With corporate roots in Florida, it isn't entirely surprising that
the majority of the Twin Vee power cat designs are open deck, center
console vessels. There are 10 and 14-foot tenders, and a series of
center console fishing boats ranging from 17 to 36-feet. Many of the
center console series can be equipped with biminis, hard tops, or small
pilothouses to afford some protection from the Florida sun (or Pacific
North-wet rain showers). Boats larger than 22-feet incorporate enclosed
heads that permit more hassle-free hours away from the dock with the
entire family.

The 26' Express appears at a point in the product line where Twin Vee
begins adding covered foredecks to some of the boats, and equips them
for realistic overnight or weekend use. A serious fisherman will be
excited about the spacious cockpit, the four stainless rod holders in
the gunwale, the standard aluminum half tower with sport top, the
fishable foredeck, and the optional 32-gallon live bait well. The
portside seat incorporates a 162-qt Igloo (tm) cooler to keep the
day's catch fresh and refreshments chilled. In certain regions, many
fishermen would also opt for the available 15-foot outriggers.

When the bite is off or a more generalized family activities weekend is
in order, the Twin Vee 26' Express will sleep at least three with a
generously proportioned queen berth and an additional single berth in
the starboard hull. A marine head is standard in the cabin, and can be
upgraded to a fully plumbed version with "Y" valve to facilitate
overboard discharge where legal. Four portlights and a foredeck hatch
allow an abundance of light and air below deck. A sink with pressurized
water and pull out hand shower is concealed in the gunwale, and two
optional cockpit cooler/seats are available that will add another 108
quarts of cold storage space for groceries and beverages. While there
is no provision for a galley stove, it would be easy to imagine stowing
aboard a small camp cooker and or portable propane BBQ and serving
scrambled eggs or sizzling steaks while circling 'round an anchor in
the fresh salt environment of a wilderness cove. (Mmm, mmm, good. Is it
summer, yet?)

On those rare days in the Pacific Northwest when the air isn't
perfectly balmy and dry, the optional 3-sided console enclosure (with a
pullout awning that doubles as an aft canvas for the hardtop) will keep
the helmsman protected from any natural elements the Chamber of
Commerce might be hesitant to publicize.

The Twin Vee 26' Express utilizes a pair of semi-displacement hulls,
with a steep entry forward that eases to a broader and flatter profile
aft. Space between the outer hull and the inner liner is filled with
closed cell foam core, placing Twin Vee in that category of boats
commonly referred to as "unsinkable."

The major dimensions a

LOA: 25' 7"
Beam: 8'6"
Dry weight: 3,200 lb.
Fuel: 120 USG
Max. HP: 350
Approx draft: 12"

Cory Gracey, owner of Sharp Yachts Sales & Services in Everett and the
Twin Vee dealer for the Pacific NW summarized the Twin Vee design
philosophy and the 26' Express fairly specifically with his comment,
"Power catamarans are becoming more popular every year. There are a
number of good boats to choose from, and some of them are built right
here in the NW. The difference between the 26' Express and some of
the competition might be that some of our competitors are building
boats that emphasize cruising but still provide for fishing, while Twin
Vee emphasizes fishing but also equips their boats to do some
cruising."


Meet the Happy New Owners!

We met Cory Gracey at his office on Marine Drive in Everett. Before we
relocated to the Everett Marina duel dock to examine the 26-Express,
Cory showed us one of Twin Vee's larger models being rigged for
shipment to Alaska. The boat had been ordered by a towing service, so
the hull was finished in a bright yellow. To fill the order for his
customer in Alaska, Cory had to drive to Florida and tow the boat back
to Everett. His adventures en route included losing one of the two
axles from under the trailer and being forced to purchase a replacement
for his diesel pickup when halfway across the country on the return
leg. (Did somebody say the boat business was "easy"?)

We traveled down to the fuel dock, where a couple with two girls had
just finished fueling up their new boat. We met Bob Hoth and Glenda
Lackie, as well as teenaged sisters Kallie and Amie Lackie. Bob and
Glenda shared an interesting story about their boat shopping experience
and just how they decided on the Twin Vee 26 Express.

"We looked at several boats during the January Boat Show, and we
decided that our next boat was going to be a catamaran. Some of the
catamarans were out of our comfort zone, price wise, but we felt that
if we could get enough for our previous boat on trade that we just
might be able to swing the Twin Vee 26' Express. When the show was
over, the only dealer that even bothered to call us back was Cory, and
he invited us to go out on a sea trial on a weekend in February."

When Bob and Glenda arrived for their test ride, 40-kt winds were
whipping up 5-6 foot chop on the sound. As the waves piled up, the wind
would snatch the tops away in a torrent of driving spray. The weather
radio was proclaiming "gale warnings," and the water was devoid of
nearly all pleasure traffic. Bob and Glenda wanted to test the boat in
spite of the conditions. Bob uses his boats for some offshore fishing
up north of Vancouver Island each summer. "I looked at the sound that
day and thought that if the Twin Vee could deal with those steep and
choppy waves, I probably wouldn't encounter anything much worse
during any of my fishing trips."

Glenda had been released from the hospital, following stomach surgery,
only a day prior to their sea trial in gale force winds. Cory later
remarked, "I would never under any circumstance have taken anybody
out in those conditions who had just been released from surgery!" Bob
and Glenda confessed that they deliberately kept her condition a secret
when they signed the liability waiver. "We felt that if the Twin Vee
was as smooth as we had heard it was going to be, there wouldn't be
any serious problem even in those nasty conditions, and it turned out
that we were right."

While Bob says it was the quality of the ride and the fishing friendly
layout that sold them on the Twin Vee, Kallie Lackie reported that she
particularly liked the boat because it would be able to "go fast".
Amie Lackie remarked that she was looking forward to doing some
wakeboarding this summer. Glenda Lackie said, "It was also the
customer service. We really enjoyed buying a boat from Cory."


Maiden Voyage

As I stood at the dock taking notes about the 26'Express and meeting
everybody involved in the purchase, I kept glancing across Jetty Island
into Port Gardner Bay. While the sun was shining, this late March day
was not particularly inviting. Sustained winds of about 20 knots
prevailed, with some higher gusts. A few large sailboats were out, but
we only noticed one other powerboat that had ventured into the tempest.
I was thinking that it was one of those days that I'd think twice
about going out in my own 36-foot trawler when I asked a question about
the weight of the Twin Vee 26' Express.

"The light weight was one of the things we liked the most," said
Bob. "This boat, with two 140-HP outboards, only weighs 4400 pounds.
We didn't have to buy a 1-ton diesel dually to tow the boat with."

"Oh, great!" I thought. "Howling winds, a bunch of grumpy looking
3-4 foot chop to plow through, and a lightweight hull. Why do I think
this isn't going to be much fun?"
It would turn out that I was wrong, and the Twin Vee 26' Express is
one of those cases where advanced design can serve as a "replacement
for displacement".

Even though we were on the windward side of the fuel dock, Bob managed
to get the stern out and back away safely. Not bad, for his very first
experience at the controls of his new boat. We motored down the
Snohomish to Port Gardner Bay, where Neptune spread a seemingly endless
swath of frothing whitecaps and frosty arctic blasts to receive us. Bob
throttled up and headed into the waves.

There were a couple of times that the ride got rough, but just barely,
and consistent with previous catamaran experiences there was a
wonderful disconnect between the conditions observed on the water and
the relatively smooth ride, at speed, through the slop. We sped past
the other powerboat on the bay, a traditional monohull boat of about
the same LOA.
As one would expect, the monohull was slowed to about 7 or 8 knots,
with the bow heaving and splashing as it encountered each wave. I
watched the GPS SOG reading climb to 30, but didn't look closely
enough at the screen to pick up an important distinction.

"I would have never thought we'd be going 30 MPH through these
conditions," I said.

"We're aren't," said Cory. "That particular GPS is calibrated
in knots."

Bob and Glenda's new Twin Vee 26' Express is rigged with the
standard engines, 140 HP Suzuki 4-strokes. There are 150-HP as well as
170-HP engine upgrades available, (the hull is rated for up to a pair
of 175-HP engines) but one almost has to wonder why. The 140-HP Suzukis
proved more than sufficient for the task.

Bob took the 26' Express through its paces as if he had been born
behind the wheel. We came off the top of a couple of waves completely
"airborne" early in the experience, but Cory offered Bob a few tips
about subtle adjustments of engine trim that made major differences in
the quality of the ride and Bob's competent technique became even
more professional during our test ride. Glenda and Kallie sat in the
cockpit, laughing, smiling, whooping, and hollering throughout the
experience. Amie was a bit more reserved, but appeared to be having a
lot of fun as well. I took notes and photos underway, and observed that
despite the wicked chop and slop the foredeck remained bone dry.

We made run in the relatively protected river waters just east of Jetty
Island and managed to run the GPS up to about 38 knots. (It was a
downstream run not long after slack tide, so deduct a couple of knots
for the current).

I was trying to think of a polite way to inquire about the cost of a
Twin Vee 26' Express, (particularly with the new owners aboard), when
Cory volunteered the information.
"By the way, this boat sells for about $84,000."

I was thinking, "That's not a bad value for a boat like this,
especially if it includes the engines," when Cory continued.

"And oh, by the way, that $84,000 includes a seat console with cold
storage that we still have to install. And the trailer. And a complete
electronics package."

Just about the time I was becoming extremely impressed with the overall
value, Cory concluded with, "And, oh, yes- that $84,000 is the
out-the-door price, it includes sales tax and state registration."
One might say that the Twin Vee 26' Express offers a lot of bang for
the buck, except that even in some reasonably miserable conditions its
tough to experience any notable amount of "banging" at all.

Pacific NW'ers shopping for a family friendly, fishing catamaran
should put the Twin Vee 26' Express on the list of boats to check out
and compare. For additional information, please call Sharp Yacht Sales
and Service at 425-252-5984 or visit the web site www.sharpyachts.com

On 27 Mar 2006 14:34:38 -0800, wrote:

"I would have never thought we'd be going 30 MPH through these
conditions," I said.

"We're aren't," said Cory. "That particular GPS is calibrated
in knots."

Woooo Hoooo !

And three cheers. It's good to know there are still dealers out there
who know the difference between a boat and a car.

Good review and interesting boat. I'd like to take a spin in one and
see how Mrs B's delicate disks react to it. Unfortunately we'd
probably have to rebuild the boat lift. :-(

wrote in message
oups.com...
Maiden Voyage
Twin Vee 26' Express


Twin Vee Catamarans of Fort Pierce, Florida, is the wold's largest
manufacturer of power catamarans. The company offers a wide range of
models between 10 and 36-feet, most of which are configured to support
active maritime recreation lifestyles. We visited Sharp Yachts Sales &
Service in Everett to check out the 2006 Twin Vee 26' Express, where
we not only got a good look at a nice boat but also met an excited
family taking delivery of their new vessel. We were even invited to tag
along on the maiden voyage. What a splendid afternoon!

Meet the 26 Express

With corporate roots in Florida, it isn't entirely surprising that
the majority of the Twin Vee power cat designs are open deck, center
console vessels. There are 10 and 14-foot tenders, and a series of
center console fishing boats ranging from 17 to 36-feet. Many of the
center console series can be equipped with biminis, hard tops, or small
pilothouses to afford some protection from the Florida sun (or Pacific
North-wet rain showers). Boats larger than 22-feet incorporate enclosed
heads that permit more hassle-free hours away from the dock with the
entire family.

The 26' Express appears at a point in the product line where Twin Vee
begins adding covered foredecks to some of the boats, and equips them
for realistic overnight or weekend use. A serious fisherman will be
excited about the spacious cockpit, the four stainless rod holders in
the gunwale, the standard aluminum half tower with sport top, the
fishable foredeck, and the optional 32-gallon live bait well. The
portside seat incorporates a 162-qt Igloo (tm) cooler to keep the
day's catch fresh and refreshments chilled. In certain regions, many
fishermen would also opt for the available 15-foot outriggers.

When the bite is off or a more generalized family activities weekend is
in order, the Twin Vee 26' Express will sleep at least three with a
generously proportioned queen berth and an additional single berth in
the starboard hull. A marine head is standard in the cabin, and can be
upgraded to a fully plumbed version with "Y" valve to facilitate
overboard discharge where legal. Four portlights and a foredeck hatch
allow an abundance of light and air below deck. A sink with pressurized
water and pull out hand shower is concealed in the gunwale, and two
optional cockpit cooler/seats are available that will add another 108
quarts of cold storage space for groceries and beverages. While there
is no provision for a galley stove, it would be easy to imagine stowing
aboard a small camp cooker and or portable propane BBQ and serving
scrambled eggs or sizzling steaks while circling 'round an anchor in
the fresh salt environment of a wilderness cove. (Mmm, mmm, good. Is it
summer, yet?)

On those rare days in the Pacific Northwest when the air isn't
perfectly balmy and dry, the optional 3-sided console enclosure (with a
pullout awning that doubles as an aft canvas for the hardtop) will keep
the helmsman protected from any natural elements the Chamber of
Commerce might be hesitant to publicize.

The Twin Vee 26' Express utilizes a pair of semi-displacement hulls,
with a steep entry forward that eases to a broader and flatter profile
aft. Space between the outer hull and the inner liner is filled with
closed cell foam core, placing Twin Vee in that category of boats
commonly referred to as "unsinkable."

The major dimensions a

LOA: 25' 7"
Beam: 8'6"
Dry weight: 3,200 lb.
Fuel: 120 USG
Max. HP: 350
Approx draft: 12"

Cory Gracey, owner of Sharp Yachts Sales & Services in Everett and the
Twin Vee dealer for the Pacific NW summarized the Twin Vee design
philosophy and the 26' Express fairly specifically with his comment,
"Power catamarans are becoming more popular every year. There are a
number of good boats to choose from, and some of them are built right
here in the NW. The difference between the 26' Express and some of
the competition might be that some of our competitors are building
boats that emphasize cruising but still provide for fishing, while Twin
Vee emphasizes fishing but also equips their boats to do some
cruising."


Meet the Happy New Owners!

We met Cory Gracey at his office on Marine Drive in Everett. Before we
relocated to the Everett Marina duel dock to examine the 26-Express,
Cory showed us one of Twin Vee's larger models being rigged for
shipment to Alaska. The boat had been ordered by a towing service, so
the hull was finished in a bright yellow. To fill the order for his
customer in Alaska, Cory had to drive to Florida and tow the boat back
to Everett. His adventures en route included losing one of the two
axles from under the trailer and being forced to purchase a replacement
for his diesel pickup when halfway across the country on the return
leg. (Did somebody say the boat business was "easy"?)

We traveled down to the fuel dock, where a couple with two girls had
just finished fueling up their new boat. We met Bob Hoth and Glenda
Lackie, as well as teenaged sisters Kallie and Amie Lackie. Bob and
Glenda shared an interesting story about their boat shopping experience
and just how they decided on the Twin Vee 26 Express.

"We looked at several boats during the January Boat Show, and we
decided that our next boat was going to be a catamaran. Some of the
catamarans were out of our comfort zone, price wise, but we felt that
if we could get enough for our previous boat on trade that we just
might be able to swing the Twin Vee 26' Express. When the show was
over, the only dealer that even bothered to call us back was Cory, and
he invited us to go out on a sea trial on a weekend in February."

When Bob and Glenda arrived for their test ride, 40-kt winds were
whipping up 5-6 foot chop on the sound. As the waves piled up, the wind
would snatch the tops away in a torrent of driving spray. The weather
radio was proclaiming "gale warnings," and the water was devoid of
nearly all pleasure traffic. Bob and Glenda wanted to test the boat in
spite of the conditions. Bob uses his boats for some offshore fishing
up north of Vancouver Island each summer. "I looked at the sound that
day and thought that if the Twin Vee could deal with those steep and
choppy waves, I probably wouldn't encounter anything much worse
during any of my fishing trips."

Glenda had been released from the hospital, following stomach surgery,
only a day prior to their sea trial in gale force winds. Cory later
remarked, "I would never under any circumstance have taken anybody
out in those conditions who had just been released from surgery!" Bob
and Glenda confessed that they deliberately kept her condition a secret
when they signed the liability waiver. "We felt that if the Twin Vee
was as smooth as we had heard it was going to be, there wouldn't be
any serious problem even in those nasty conditions, and it turned out
that we were right."

While Bob says it was the quality of the ride and the fishing friendly
layout that sold them on the Twin Vee, Kallie Lackie reported that she
particularly liked the boat because it would be able to "go fast".
Amie Lackie remarked that she was looking forward to doing some
wakeboarding this summer. Glenda Lackie said, "It was also the
customer service. We really enjoyed buying a boat from Cory."


Maiden Voyage

As I stood at the dock taking notes about the 26'Express and meeting
everybody involved in the purchase, I kept glancing across Jetty Island
into Port Gardner Bay. While the sun was shining, this late March day
was not particularly inviting. Sustained winds of about 20 knots
prevailed, with some higher gusts. A few large sailboats were out, but
we only noticed one other powerboat that had ventured into the tempest.
I was thinking that it was one of those days that I'd think twice
about going out in my own 36-foot trawler when I asked a question about
the weight of the Twin Vee 26' Express.

"The light weight was one of the things we liked the most," said
Bob. "This boat, with two 140-HP outboards, only weighs 4400 pounds.
We didn't have to buy a 1-ton diesel dually to tow the boat with."

"Oh, great!" I thought. "Howling winds, a bunch of grumpy looking
3-4 foot chop to plow through, and a lightweight hull. Why do I think
this isn't going to be much fun?"
It would turn out that I was wrong, and the Twin Vee 26' Express is
one of those cases where advanced design can serve as a "replacement
for displacement".

Even though we were on the windward side of the fuel dock, Bob managed
to get the stern out and back away safely. Not bad, for his very first
experience at the controls of his new boat. We motored down the
Snohomish to Port Gardner Bay, where Neptune spread a seemingly endless
swath of frothing whitecaps and frosty arctic blasts to receive us. Bob
throttled up and headed into the waves.

There were a couple of times that the ride got rough, but just barely,
and consistent with previous catamaran experiences there was a
wonderful disconnect between the conditions observed on the water and
the relatively smooth ride, at speed, through the slop. We sped past
the other powerboat on the bay, a traditional monohull boat of about
the same LOA.
As one would expect, the monohull was slowed to about 7 or 8 knots,
with the bow heaving and splashing as it encountered each wave. I
watched the GPS SOG reading climb to 30, but didn't look closely
enough at the screen to pick up an important distinction.

"I would have never thought we'd be going 30 MPH through these
conditions," I said.

"We're aren't," said Cory. "That particular GPS is calibrated
in knots."

Bob and Glenda's new Twin Vee 26' Express is rigged with the
standard engines, 140 HP Suzuki 4-strokes. There are 150-HP as well as
170-HP engine upgrades available, (the hull is rated for up to a pair
of 175-HP engines) but one almost has to wonder why. The 140-HP Suzukis
proved more than sufficient for the task.

Bob took the 26' Express through its paces as if he had been born
behind the wheel. We came off the top of a couple of waves completely
"airborne" early in the experience, but Cory offered Bob a few tips
about subtle adjustments of engine trim that made major differences in
the quality of the ride and Bob's competent technique became even
more professional during our test ride. Glenda and Kallie sat in the
cockpit, laughing, smiling, whooping, and hollering throughout the
experience. Amie was a bit more reserved, but appeared to be having a
lot of fun as well. I took notes and photos underway, and observed that
despite the wicked chop and slop the foredeck remained bone dry.

We made run in the relatively protected river waters just east of Jetty
Island and managed to run the GPS up to about 38 knots. (It was a
downstream run not long after slack tide, so deduct a couple of knots
for the current).

I was trying to think of a polite way to inquire about the cost of a
Twin Vee 26' Express, (particularly with the new owners aboard), when
Cory volunteered the information.
"By the way, this boat sells for about $84,000."

I was thinking, "That's not a bad value for a boat like this,
especially if it includes the engines," when Cory continued.

"And oh, by the way, that $84,000 includes a seat console with cold
storage that we still have to install. And the trailer. And a complete
electronics package."

Just about the time I was becoming extremely impressed with the overall
value, Cory concluded with, "And, oh, yes- that $84,000 is the
out-the-door price, it includes sales tax and state registration."
One might say that the Twin Vee 26' Express offers a lot of bang for
the buck, except that even in some reasonably miserable conditions its
tough to experience any notable amount of "banging" at all.

Pacific NW'ers shopping for a family friendly, fishing catamaran
should put the Twin Vee 26' Express on the list of boats to check out
and compare. For additional information, please call Sharp Yacht Sales
and Service at 425-252-5984 or visit the web site www.sharpyachts.com


Not my cup of tea but nice review and a pretty decent price for what you
get. How is the resale value of this boat?

BTW: You have a great job Chuck. ;-)

JimH wrote:


Not my cup of tea but nice review and a pretty decent price for what you
get. How is the resale value of this boat?

This is a new model that debuted last November, so it's too soon to
tell about resale.
As far as Twin-Vee boat resale overall, the line is just catching on in
this corner of the country and it would be hard to say what the overall
resale will be. Given the relatively competitive cost of a new boat,
one would think that the inevitable depreciation wouldn't have to be
too dramatic. Resale pricing depends upon how a boat compares to a) the
same or similar model brand new and b) similar used vessels of other
brands. One could probably check one of the websites to see what used
Twin Vees are bringing, but it's important to know what they sold for
when new to get a proper perspective on resale.

BTW: You have a great job Chuck. ;-)

Life's way too short to suffer. :-)

wrote in message
oups.com...
Maiden Voyage
Twin Vee 26' Express


"And oh, by the way, that $84,000 includes a seat console with cold
storage that we still have to install. And the trailer. And a complete
electronics package."

Just about the time I was becoming extremely impressed with the overall
value, Cory concluded with, "And, oh, yes- that $84,000 is the
out-the-door price, it includes sales tax and state registration."
One might say that the Twin Vee 26' Express offers a lot of bang for
the buck, except that even in some reasonably miserable conditions its
tough to experience any notable amount of "banging" at all.

Pacific NW'ers shopping for a family friendly, fishing catamaran
should put the Twin Vee 26' Express on the list of boats to check out
and compare. For additional information, please call Sharp Yacht Sales
and Service at 425-252-5984 or visit the web site www.sharpyachts.com


That is a good value when you consider that the C-Dory Tomcat is 100k w/o
trailer. Five years from now, I hope to own a 26-32' cat and take her up
the Alaska Inland Passage. By then, there should be a significant used
market. Even more important, hopefully somebody will design a cruising cat
vs. a fishing cat. The twin-Vee is definitely fishing orientated, which is
a 2nd fiddle priority for me.

Good review Chuck. You've tested 3-4 cats so far. Which is your favorite?

-Greg

Dene wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Maiden Voyage
Twin Vee 26' Express


"And oh, by the way, that $84,000 includes a seat console with cold
storage that we still have to install. And the trailer. And a complete
electronics package."

Just about the time I was becoming extremely impressed with the overall
value, Cory concluded with, "And, oh, yes- that $84,000 is the
out-the-door price, it includes sales tax and state registration."
One might say that the Twin Vee 26' Express offers a lot of bang for
the buck, except that even in some reasonably miserable conditions its
tough to experience any notable amount of "banging" at all.

Pacific NW'ers shopping for a family friendly, fishing catamaran
should put the Twin Vee 26' Express on the list of boats to check out
and compare. For additional information, please call Sharp Yacht Sales
and Service at 425-252-5984 or visit the web site www.sharpyachts.com


That is a good value when you consider that the C-Dory Tomcat is 100k w/o
trailer. Five years from now, I hope to own a 26-32' cat and take her up
the Alaska Inland Passage. By then, there should be a significant used
market. Even more important, hopefully somebody will design a cruising cat
vs. a fishing cat. The twin-Vee is definitely fishing orientated, which is
a 2nd fiddle priority for me.

Good review Chuck. You've tested 3-4 cats so far. Which is your favorite?

-Greg

The boats have been different enough that it is tough to pick a
favorite on anything except a purely subjective basis. I don't
personally fish much, so from my perspective I prefer a boat that
features a few more cruising amenities and puts less emphasis on
angling. That doesn't mean that some of the boats that are more fishing
oriented are not very well done boats, and people more into fishing
probably would disagree with my personal feelings. I guess my
subjective favorite so far has been the largest (and most expensive)
vessel tested- the Glacier Bay. However, if somebody said "Here's
$XXXXX(X), you can't spend a dime more and you have to pick out a
boat," (which is closer to the real world boat picking situation for
most floks), I'd have to try to find that happy place where my budget
and expectations more or less arrived at a workable compromise. :-) I
think that in a case where somebody was somewhat more interested in
fishing than cruising and wanted to stay within a (relatively) modest
budget it would make sense to consider the Twin Vee.

I'll be taking a ride on another cat before too many more months go by,
the ZETA that's built up in Bellingham. Very much a boat that is more
cruising oriented, but also far more $$$ than the Twin Vee or the
TomCat.

It's easy to see why boat buying is better approached as a process
rather than an event.