Hydra-Sports 180CC

[islerunner]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Dan:

The fit and finish of these boats tend to be poor. We used to call them Hydracrap. That being said, maybe lousy was too strong of a word. My point really was to try and get lakershaker to take advantage of a difficult market to get a good deal on a boat. I'd suggest a used Boston Whaler or Grady White. Another good choice would be the Wellcraft brand that he mentions in his original post. The other point I'd make here is if that boat is being purchased for Lake Winnipesaukee it is a mistake. It is too small and the openness of the boat will only be good for warm weather. He would be better off with a walkaround style (22 or 23 feet) if he wants a fishing boat.

I don't want to offend anyone but have noticed this post and it the facts are incorrect. Hydra-sports and Wellcraft are both owned by Genmar - in fact both lines shared the same manufacturing plant in Sarasota until last year.

Hydra-sports is generally considered the better of the two. Biased more towards fishing and has 100% composite build. The Vector series is the high-end of the Hydra line. The 180CC is their entry-level boat (formerly the Lighting series). To call them crap is just plain ignorant. The Vector line are built like tanks (Kevlar, etc.) and are offshore saltwater boats - doubt you would ever see them in a lake. The 180CC is a solid, mid-tier entry level boat which should give many years of service. A very good choice for protected inshore salt or a lake.

Hope this helps the OP make a more informed decision.

Cheers!