Is an Arima a good family boat ?
Topic: Is an Arima a good family boat ?
I'm looking for a first boat, and since I really want a small cuddy 17-19', ( while in my friend's 19' Seaswirl, my 11 year old and his friend like to escape me and his dad in the cuddy ), Arimas seem to be a good fit. But, I keep hearing they are designed for fishing and not much else, or that they "pound" badly in waves. My use would be primarily in colder weather ( summers are jet ski time ) on the SF delta ( minimal waves, just wakes) but also some jaunts on the SF Bay where waves can get to 5 feet or so. Since these are designed for the Pacific Northwest, I would think it would handle these conditions well enough. Passengers would be 4 adults max. Mostly touring. Maybe someday fishing and some skiing. Do these uses sound right ? I keep hearing the flat, non-deep V design makes them handle roughly on waves.
Re: Is an Arima a good family boat ?
I have owned a few boats with various hull designs, some with a deep vee and others with a not so deep vee. The Arima hull design is unique and Arima owns patent on the design. It has a "not so deep vee" with "sponsons" extending beyond the transom which adds "side to side" stability and helps with additional flotation and lift for quick planing with a smaller HP Motor ( better fuel economy) Arimas do "slap" short interval waves, but that is the trade off for a boat that will not list over when you walk from side to side. Boston Whalers and other tri-hulls are stable side to side, but slap much worse than the Arima (IMO). Arimas have a very high freeboard which I like because my granddaughters go fishing with me occasionally and they can't easily fall out.
My Arima is very seaworthy. I use it regularly in seas with mixed waves of 3' to 5'. You wont be sorry you bought an Arima.
Re: riding roughly in waves - the simple answer is basically yes that is true. But as usual there is a trade off and in this case what you give up in ride you gain back in fuel economy and stability. So with Arima's you'll often see smaller engines and better mpg then on a comparable deep V.
If I primarily wanted to occasionally tour ride with four adults in 5' swells in comfort an Arima wouldnt be my first choice. A 21' boat will better riding across 5' waves then the 17!
Brook Stockton - My Boat: Mighty Molly - The Fish Monger - Arima SeaChaser 16 - Soft SkipTower and "The Rack"
If you want a safe, economocal, well built, boat that looks great then Yes !!!! an Arima is a great family boat !
What's a tri hull ?
I boat a 19' Sea Ranger on the San Francisco Bay year around, mostly for fishing but also to give tours to friends and relatives. The boat will handle almost anything that the bay can dish out. I always feel safe in the boat and know that even those passengers who don't boat frequently feel safe also. With the jump seats in the back I have had 4 people on the boat in comfort. Even in the rough stuff the guys in the back are riding in comfort because the back of the boat is the softest riding part of the boat, where all the weight is. Any boat is a compromise, what the Arima does is give a safe ride in rough conditions and the ride is controlled by speed and trim. In the rough stuff I slow down and trim the bow down, letting the bow cleave the waves. Because of the relatively flat (12º deadrise) transom, the boat does not rock back and forth like a deep V does, which is actually safer because passengers are not being thrown around as much. It also makes the boat much more stable when two or more are on one side, like netting a fish. I have a friend who has a 26 foot deep V and I prefer my boat on the ocean because it doesn't rock as much as his boat. When the seas kick up I trim the engine down, lower the trim tabs a notch and slow down to 12 mph or so, no problems and minimal pounding. The economical operation is also a big plus, I usually get 5 to 6 mpg running the 115 Mercury at cruising speed, around 22 to 25 mph. It is a rare day that I burn more than 10 gallons of gas. An Arima would be a good choice in the Bay Area.
Strokersquid...you've got a pretty good summary of the pluses from others here. I ditto Packman as I have a 19 Sea Ranger Skip Tower and am often on SF Bay. Bigger is better for what you want to do. One needs to recognize that there is no perfect boat but an Arima of anysize is the best compromise and has the most bang for the buck. If I still had kids at home, I would be dragging them around on tubes and water toys behind any of the Arimas...just not in the bay (duh).
Strokersquid....PS check out Russian Hooks post to Caston re a 19. He doesn't talk much but when he does he says a lot. good man!
We Fish, We Boat and so We Live!
Arima's are great fishing boats and wonderfully seaworthy but they were never built for speed. An Arima was never designed with skiing in mind. If you want to water ski, you really need to look for a different boat. If you just want to pull the kids around on a tube... no problem.
(Reel Delight) a 2001 Sea Ranger 19, 2003 Honda 90, 2010 Yamaha T8 w/power tilt, Panther T4 steering system, Hummingbird electronics, & Scotty 1116 electric downriggers.
Where does everyone get this idea that Arimas are a rough riding boat???
I think my Arima is a provides me an EXCELLENT ride! How many of you have ever ridden (or fished from) a C-Dory? To me that was a far rougher ride.
I have had my SC out in some very, VERY nasty stuff (on purpose I might add), I've even submarined the bow a couple of times and this is one of the smoothest rides I've ever experienced .
I've compared it to a Trophy, Thompson, C-Dory, Various metal hulls, and even a SeaSwirl. For me...Arima provides the best ride.
For a Family boat...I'd prefer a larger 21-22'er especially for cruising.
I'd be happy to take you for a spin on the lower Columbia when the afternoon winds kick up 2-4' wind waves. Under those conditions, I struggle to stay on plane in my 17' without beating everyone on board up pretty bad. A boat designed to ride smoothly in the big stuff (Grady White, Whaler, Sea Sport, etc...) can go much faster.
Of course, they would burn 2-3 times the fuel I do!
I agree Arima's are an excellent family fishing boat. The 16' and 17' are a great all-around boat... very safe, very economical to run, very tough, and very forgiving in their handling. They are not fast, but they were not designed to be. They are not going to let you run at high speed in rough water, but they are not supposed to. Slow down and they will handle some incredibly big water with confidence and safety.
Most of the Arima ride complaints tend to come in regards to the shorter (17' and under) hulls, and from folks who want to go fast (25-30 mph). If you are ok going 15-20 mph in the rough stuff, they are great and much safer than a tippy, non-foam filled hull.
I found that a set of trim tabs help immensely with the ride.
My Arima is not my first boat but I think my 11th or 12th boat that I have owned. But my Arima is the first boat that my wife has really enjoyed! It is the first boat that she helps me wash and polish. It is the very first boat that she has not complained about in rough water conditions and the first boat that she has never said slow down and take me to shore when water conditions become rough. My Arima is the first boat that I have owned that my wife goes aboard often or when I ask her to go with me; all my other boats she avoided often.
Now I will admit that my wife and I were fantastically happy after I installed the Attwood Centric SAS seats because our ride became super comfortable in rough water conditions. She really appreciates the Centric seats because she is no longer complaining about the "bouncing" if you know what I mean.
Yes Arima's are family boats. My wife use to go aboard my boats once or twice during the season and now she is aboard the Arima a couple times per month. She is even doing some fishing!!!
Stroker...just a thought. I live in Elk Grove/Sac area and there are numerous models of arimas around here that I can show you in a couple of hours. Lunch is on me. Just PM me or send me your email and I will confirm back.
Is an Arima a good family boat? YES!
99 19' Arima Sea Ranger HT, Honda BF130/BF8.
That picture belongs in an Arima commercial.
I would like to do that. Anyplace there are waves there ( lived in Sac 20 years ago but was not a boater then ) ?
I know it is not a ski boat, but how fast would you expect to go with a 115 HP on a 17 foot ?Of course, they would burn 2-3 times the fuel I do!
i know it is not a fast boat, but what kind of speed on glass would you expect with a 115 on a 17 foot ?
It's easier to have a lot of pleasure on a fishing boat than to do a lot of fishing on a pleasure boat.
35-40 mph, depending on the prop. Drop down to a 90 and you can expect 30-35 mph, depending on prop.
I'd be happy to take you for a spin on the lower Columbia when the afternoon winds kick up 2-4' wind waves. Under those conditions, I struggle to stay on plane in my 17' without beating everyone on board up pretty bad.
These two comments got my attention as I've been looking at 17'ers to use primarily in the Columbia. I'm not looking to win any races but I may have trouble getting the family exited about a day on the river if they're getting beat up that bad. With the trim tabs can you cruise in these conditions in relative comfort? I'm fine with keeping it under 25mph but would hope at minimum to maintain planing speed.
The cuddy cabin is a God send for those days fishing is slow and the kids get bored! IMO, the whole "rough ride" thing goes out the window with a pair of hydraulic trim tabs. I have taken mine 55 mile out into the Pacific and have never felt unsafe.