Carolina Skiff

[Woodie14]

I am thinking about buying a 198 DLV Carolina Skiff. What are y'all's opinions about this boat? I will be fishing Lake Tillery with it. Thanks for the input!!

[huntinslabs]

I was looking at them and very interested until I started looking at some that were less than 2 years old with numerous spider cracks on interior floors. Many boats out in that price range. Sea Fox, Sportsman, Tidewater etc. Lots of info on the on thehulltruth and carolinaskiffowners forums. The latter being very biased.

[Woodie14]

Yea I heard they were having trouble with the floors at one time. I also heard they were a little rough riding.

[CliffordN]

I have one, and can tell you that flat front end will get you very wet in a chop, or when crossing wakes from other boats at speed. Boat is very stable, and mine is about twenty years old and holding up very well. It's not going to sink. I bought used. Like the idea of being able to custom build it...

[howl]

It's a fiberglass mod-v john boat that will ride a little softer than aluminum. Make sure it floats fairly level. If it's overly saturated it won't sit level. You install garboard drains to let the water out.

[CliffordN]

My bad.. Mine is a DLX, which has the flat bottom hull...

[jigflip]

IMO my friends boat with the round smooth bow is like a dixie cup blowing around on the water,also miserable to load if in wind or current you asked

[CliffordN]

I'm used to aluminum, so this boat is not nearly as likely to blow around as they were. Besides, with all of the gear, and two fishermen aboard the weight gets up there in a hurry. Loading in wind and waves would be a beast, without loading guides on the trailer. But, once the nose is in there, the boat has to go on straight.

[wannabe fisherman]

I'm used to aluminum, so this boat is not nearly as likely to blow around as they were. Besides, with all of the gear, and two fishermen aboard the weight gets up there in a hurry. Loading in wind and waves would be a beast, without loading guides on the trailer. But, once the nose is in there, the boat has to go on straight.

don't bet on it I have guides and a 17.5" glass boat and just as I was loading with the nose just past the guides a gust of wind came up and turned the nose to the right and I got hung up on the right bunk almost sideways luckily I got off but thought I was going to have to get in the water to push it off, not fun. 2nd attempt I gave it a little more power and made it on OK

[CliffordN]

Sounds like you need some better guides...