Are Parker's Mainly a Northeast Coast Boat??

[In Agreement]

Sorry for my ignorance, but most of these boats seem to be located from North Carolina to points North.

I'm already suffering from the stigma of owning a Trophy, that according to the THT masses, is the armpit of boats. Funny though, I haven't had the boat sink or fall apart around me as some would lead you to believe, and I've enjoyed my time on the water.

Anywho,,,, I'm looking to step up in size to the 2310 WA from the 21 WA Trophy. I will be boating around Charleston, SC and beginning my saltwater adventure there, as I have yet to venture out into the big pond, which has been drawing me the last few years. I mainly fish for the big cats in Santee-Cooper and want to use the saltwater fishing as a backup in case the cats don't cooperate and I don't waste my precious vacation time.

The main boat I see down there is the Grady, which is also on my list as a replacement, but the functionality of the Parker is unmistakable with the cockpit size and also the cuddy is more user friendly to my 7' cat rods.

So I guess what I'm asking is why do you not see more Parker's South of NC? Is it the wrong style boat for this area, I know the cabin boats are probably wrong due to the heat down South, but what about the WA style.

Just need some insight on this.

Thanks

 

[esfishdoc]

The "heat" question comes up all the time....

When the sun is high and it is 100 degrees and there is no breeze you will find comfort in the cabin..... add a small 12 volt fan and life is good. With opening front windows and the door and side windows the heat is not a problem.

Consider the 2520 since you are already in a 21ft. boat. Either will be great....

I see a lot of guys with Trophy boats and they are having the same fun as everyone else......

Richard

 

[Outta Here]

There are several Parker dealers in Florida. Large Parker dealer in Marathon (The Boat House) recently closed...sold for condos. Lots of Parker pilothouses in Keys. The pilot houses are cooler (temp wise) than cc's.

The Grady dealer in Georgetown SC (just above Charlestown) is also the Parker dealer. Grady is very popular everywhere. They had the very first, and many consider the best, walk-around.

Will you be trailering your next boat? That 23' Parker WA is pretty heavy.

 

[wflgator]

As metioned earlier, there are several Parker dealers in FL and I see Parkers all over the gulf coast, both CC and Pilothouse models. There is a guide out of Cedar Key who also charters in a pilothouse.
There are also alot of Parker oweners/operators on the west coast. The durability of the hull and the quality of the construction and the price point for the Parkers is, IMHO, an unbeatable combination. I have a 2001 21SE, not a single gel coat crack or spiderweb, no rust, etc. And this includes trailering the boat from FL to WA and back in the last two years.

Of course, the GW's are great boats too.

 

[In Agreement]

Will you be trailering your next boat? That 23' Parker WA is pretty heavy.

Yes, I will be trailering. I pull with a F250 Crewcab diesel 4x4 so the weight issue is not a concern.

 

[Wild Bill]

IA-

You have the vehicle to pull the 23 Parker WA with ease. Frequency and distance come into play anyway while trailering. I have a friend with a 32' Seacraft with twin 250 E-Tecs. He bought a tow vehicle rated to tow the rig. We tow all up and down the east from Mass to Cape Lookout NC. It is just a plain chore towing a big rig long distances on a regular basis. Even though his 32 would do better in some of the waters we fish, we take my 23 SE because the big boat is just a big chore to handle in traffic, towns, parking lots, etc.

If you tow short distances and infrequently, I agree, you certainly got it covered with you Ford 250 diesel.

 

[Megabyte]

Interesting question...

The pilothouse SC models do seem to be quite popular the further north you move, which I would suspect has to do with cold weather and windblown spray protection.
If you look at the Parker model line-up...
http://www.parkerboats.net/pages/06_boat_lineup.jsp

... you'll see that the company makes 8 different CC configurations, only 3 walkaround models, and 8 sport cabin models of various sizes.

Going by the number of models in the line-up, the CC's and SC's will probably outnumber the WA's on the water, simply because of the production numbers.

I have to agree with Richard that the perception of higher cabin temperatures in the SC models is a myth. Open the door, the side windows, the front windows, the cabin portholes, and the Bowmar hatch and you'll have a wind tunnel in the cabin that will get too cool quickly even in the heat of the summer.
The people who actually own the boats will tell you straight away that the 'heat myth' is one advanced by people who don't own a SC model.

We don't seem to have too many Florida owners signed into ClassicParker just yet, but that might be because they are out fishing while we 'northerners' are still preparing our boats for the season.

Welcome aboard In Agreement! One thing you won't see here is brand bashing. We don't tolerate that on ClassicParker. :wink:
Hope you enjoy your stay with us.

 

[delidon]

I live in Marathon Fl in the heart of the Florida Keys. Just bought a 2520xl Parker . Hurricane Wilma took my 24 Robalo cc . After owing 2 deep v center con in the past five years, I deceided to try the Pilothouse since I have been looking at them for some time. I have used the pilothouse all winter here and it is proving to be the best boat I have ever owned. I hve it fully equipped and both troll offshore and anchor on the reef. I have had it out in all weather and as everyone knows, you have to slow down in the bad stuff but most of the time it is the greatest. Anchored , even in other than a flat sea, it is a very stable fishing platform, not nearly as rocky as my center con. were. Would highly suggest anyone in the market consider this boat. P.S. The Boat HOuse is out of business, and is selling off its inventory at big discounts.

 

[Neckbone]

When my wife saw the 25' sport cabin that her best friends dad has, she said that will be our next boat. If for no other reason than to get out of the wind and sun at the end of the day. I would like to convince her that we need it sooner. I sure would love to be shopping for a 25' SC next winter.

 

[DaleH]

I would like to convince her that we need it sooner ...

Make sure to take her out on rainy and windy days ... or better yet, days that start out nice but are sure to turn for the worst !