Parker Buyer's Survey

[Outta Here]

Can't find where this has been done already.

What did you shop your first Parker against?

If you're a repeat Parker buyer, did you shop any other boat? What?

If you bought something else, what "Tipped the scales"?


For me, I shopped Parker, MayCraft and Grady White in 18's, after the 18 Parker, no more shopping.

 

[rangerdog]

Can't find where this has been done already.
What did you shop your first Parker against?

May Craft, CHawk, Steiger Craft, Albin :roll:, Grady White. I actually "shopped" every major brand and style for what I wanted until I decided on a Pilothouse, then narrowed it to Parker, May Craft, and Steiger. Then narrowed to Parker and Steiger, then Parker. It took me a year after that to find my 2320. I drug my beautiful bride all up and down the east coast to almost every show, marina, and dealer and we finally found the Puddleduck right in our own back yard :lol:

 

[Uncle Matt]

I Half assed looked at Hydra sports, Steiger, and Sailfish. I drooled over the Grady's but I knew I couldn't afford one of those. I was pretty familiar with Parker Boats prior to the boat show and I went there with the intention to buy one.

 

[grouperjim]

I've always liked the idea of owning a boat that is not mass produced by one of the big conglomerate boat companies.

My first boat was a Cape Horn 19CC. A great boat....really bullet proof. Next, a Cape Horn 27CC w/twin F225s. A badly designed boat that will kill you in seas more than 3 feet. The bow was soooooo heavy that it plowed through waves worse than a WWII Navy destroyer. No one would go fishing with me. It had to go. I am still friends with the guy I sold it to. He knew what he was getting. The ride was so bad that it actually fractured one of his cervical vertebraes. He sold it to a Miami attorney (a real ass at closing) so I feel better now. Cape Horn discontinued that model. They lost me as a customer.

My fishing buddies (that refused to go on the Cape Horn) had 24 Grady CC and 23 Parker DVCC. Two beautiful NC classic wood boats. The Grady actually had a slightly smoother ride. It had the Sea Vee 2 hull design and also I believe 24 degree deadrise. But, it also had a few stress cracks here and there. And also that huge monthly payment. The Parker actually felt more solid, rode almost as smooth and was as dry a ride. Smaller payments. Never any stress cracks. Also love the off white color. I bought a 2004 left over Parker 23DVCC. The best boat to date.

Then skin cancer became a big issue due to my history in the Navy. Now of course I have the 23 PH and have never been burnt. The PH is the coolest place on the boat. That rod holder can sure catch some fish...and never complains.

jim

 

[dcunniff]

At the time back in '97 I was looking at a 25 foot aft cabin cruiser. Came across a one year leftover 2530 a guy bought and traded in about 2 months as he didn't like docking it and maybe other reasons.

Was a timing thing, and I ended up buying the 2530. Came down to not bothering with camper tops and not having to find buried plumbing and other components. Also at the time I was between women! and I didn't need the comfort of an aft cruiser.

Dana

 

[B-Faithful]

We were looking for a boat that we could trailer on occassion for maintainence and using the boat outside of the bay. The boat must have a large cockpit for fishing and inviting guests out day tripping with my family of five, offer a good deal of protection from the elements, have a cabin for storage, kids naps and a potty for the girls. It must be economical to run and be adequately powered by a single on a bracket (full transom a must with little ones and drifing in the ripps). We narrowed our choices down to a new Parker 23SL, very slightly used Parker 25MV, Judge 27, and Maycraft 2550xl. When rigged with electronics and some options, the Maycraft and the Parkers were almost identical in cost (keep in mind that it was the first year for the 23SL and it I had a quote under 50k with cockpit steering station, Lowrance electronics, bottom paint, rocket lauchers, tabs, etc.). Unfortunately the newly redesigned Judge 27 was going to be at least 15k more and I would probaby have to order one so I was forced to rule it out fairly early. It probably would have been my first choice if it wasn’t for cost and build time. However, the boat really wasnt much bigger than the Maycraft with a hull LOA of 26'4" compared to the Maycraft 25'6" and laid out and designed very similarly. The Judge and Parker are finished a lot nicer than the Maycraft but the Maycraft is a rock solid boat none-the-less. When comparing the layout of the parkers to the maycraft we decided that the open back, extended hard top, and level deck to the helm was more to our liking personally. The Maycraft would provide more protection from the sun and weather with the enclosable extended hardtop and give the privicy of an enclosed v berth (Parkers offered only a curtain seperating the berths from the helm area). The 25 Parker also causes trailering problems for me because of its beam and weight (I only have 1/2 ton trucks). The Maycraft has an 8'6" beam and the hull weighs in at a listed 3600#. So after looking around and debating, my wife and I came to the conclusion that the Maycraft was what we wanted. We have been very happy with our decision.

(besides I had my choice of Yam or Merc power )

 

[Megabyte]

I was the happy owner of a beautiful Dusky center console that loved to do 'creek crawls' through all of the not well visited waters of the Chesapeake.

During that time, I came to photograph boats that appealed to me, and those boats were Chesapeake Bay deadrises, and their smaller cousins, the Steigers, Parkers, Judges, Maycrafts, and C-Hawks that I discovered.

A buddy of mine knew that I had an appreciation for pilothouse boats, and he had a buddy who had decided (on short notice) to sell his Parker... in November.

I got the call from my buddy, and on a cold and grey day, I reluctantly went to see this Parker... and I'm glad that I did.
As I walked from the bow to the stern, I noticed that this boat had the rare open-back pilothouse option with drop curtains.
Exactly what I wanted!

I made my deal with the owner that weekend, and on Monday morning, his ad hit The Fisherman magazine. After writing down the first 20 names (in case I backed out), the former owner stopped writing and considered the deal done.

She was in pretty rough shape when I got her, but she is strak now. :wink:

BTW - After making the deal, I was on the boat pulling half-frozen oil soaked crap from the bilge when a guy showed up at the marina and introduced himself. That guy would be our own Porkchunker, who welcomed me to the Parker family.

It doesn't get much better than that. :wink:

 

[Themis]

I had always been a Whaler guy (still am). I had a 19' Whaler that was nice ride, but I wanted something bigger to go into the ocean with. I saw this thread on THT called "Show Us Your Parkers", and really got smitten with Parkers. In summer 2005 I was turned on to a Steiger 25 Chesapeake that the marina was "giving" away, and it was beautiful. I test drove it and almost let emotion have me buy her that day.

I waited a few months, and looked at Parkers, Maycrafts, again that particular Steiger, and even some larger Whalers. I waited for my Parker.

It has been a great boat. Last year I have been out fluking many times, and discovered I am more prone to ocean sea sickness than I'd like to be. Also had a bout with skin cancer as well. I was hoping I'd have more time and chances to learn fishing, and get me some of those cows I see all you CBBT guys get on board here, but kids sports keep me busy spring and fall. Maybe one day it will change.

If I had my druthers I'd have 3 boats: my Parker, our 11' Whaler, and maybe an 18'Outrage, Montauk, Parker1801, or Maritime 1890 to round it out. Boats are definitely a sickness.

 

[dave-j]

I had an Eastern 22 which was great for fly fishing around the rocks on boston's north shore. However, it was incredibly wet and had low freeboard, so not very family friendly. Went out fishing with a buddy on his Edgewater 225 on Memorial Day 2006 with my boys and realized that was the kind of a boat I needed.

Then I looked at Edgewaters, Everglades, Jones Brothers, Steigers, and North Coast. I would have looked at Regulators, but didn't want to spend that much. I also just don't think Gradys are worth it and don't like their lines. Sorry to the Grady lovers out there!

I quickly narrowed the search to Steiger, Jones Bros and Parker. They each had a workman like approach to their boats. No frills (which will always break over time). The Steigers in my area were hard to come by, and the Jones Bros were too austere even for me. I saw a Parker 23DVCC and fell in love with it. Haven' looked back!

 

[johnsw]

My first new boat was a 19' 1991 Larson cuddy crusier. 2004 decided it was time to trade up and move to a fishing platform. Was on the fence between 23' SeaSwirl and Key West walk arounds. The size I was looking for and within the budget, but nothing making either one a 'got to have it'. Looking through the local boat trader magazine, saw an ad for the Parker 2120 and a local dealer. They didn't have one in inventory, but let us look over one that had been sold. Stepped into the pilot house and even the wife agreed this was a better layout than what we had been looking at. I gave up 2 feet in advertized length (we all know how that goes), but the open cockpit and interior room and comfort of the pilot house over the cuddy in the WA's made it a no brainer. Pricewise, about the same as what we were looking at. It's been solid with the only issues non-Parker related (Lowrance, Yamaha, dealer, etc.)

John

 

[RandMadeRods]

I first started looking at a the walk arounds (Parker, Grady and Striper) then decided I'd be better off with the PH. I always kept the Parker in mind but looked seriously at Shamrock, Osprey, Davis and Farallon. There were some things that I liked on the others and some things I didn't but the Parker had EVERYTHING that I wanted (and more). I just couldn't find anything bad on the Parker. I also wanted OB's which narrowed down the search even more. Even now when I see the other boats at the ramp/dock, I know I made the right decision for me. I really love my Parker and would have been very sorry had I bought something else. Randy.

 

[BlueSky]

I looked at these before I bought my 2530:

Steiger 23' & 25'
Privateer 24'
Osmond Beals 27', 29' & 31'
BHM 28'
Duffy 35'
Maincoaster 35'
RP Marine 31'
Shamrock 26'

What really sold me was the layout and the 6' 5" headroom. What I didn't expect was the way it handles a rough ocean.

 

[TimC2520]

BlueSky

What did you think of that 28' BHM ? That looks like one sweet rig.

 

[BlueSky]

The 28' BHM is a great boat. One of the guys in our club was a naval architect and knows a good deal about hull design. He always said it was better than almost all downeast boats up to 32'.

I had an chance to buy one in 1996 for 70k with a brand new 420hp Cat. It was a great deal because I knew seller. My problem was head room, only about 6' and I am 6' 5".

 

[TimC2520]

Ahhh, ok, I'm 6'2" so that'd be a problem for me also. I've seen the photos on line and she looks a heck of alot bigger than 28' though I have not seen on up close.

 

[rangerdog]

I really, really, wanted a Grady White until I fished a couple. Not that they didn't fish good, I was afraid I would tear up or not use the luxury items. I also felt that the cockpit was crowded by the euro transome. I still love the Grady's, and one may be in my future, who can tell? This is the one (well a 2004 23 footer) I had targeted until I realized that I needed a pilot house for comfort.

 

[CCparker]

I didn't shop any other boats against my Parker. I am fortunate to work on and fish on many boats, so I recognized the quality and value in the Parkers. When finally I was in a position to buy, I went straight to the Parker Dealer and bought my first one (21SE) for my Finance and I in lieu of taking a honeymoon. After 6 faithful years, I traded up (the boat, not the wife) Again, no shopping around. Was happy with the 21, the dealer, the service and the yamaha, so sticking with the Parkers was a given. I look forward to moving up to another one in a few years. Probably a 25SE, or maybe the 28.

 

[Aquinnah]

My wife and I looked at the Parker sportcabins about 5 years ago. She couldn't get past the utilitarian looks (i.e. commercial lobster boat) so we focused instead on more traditional walkarounds. We looked at Grady, then more affordable Aquasports, Wellcrafts and Hydrasports. Eventually settled on a gently used Sportcraft 232 Fisherman with low hours on a Suzuki 225. We liked the closed transom and bracket. It served us well for several years but eventually started causing trouble with a cracked hose to the waste holding tank (blue water in bilge - not fun) and faulty zippers and snaps on the canvas enclosure. By then my wife was back on board with 'utilitarian' and we got a new 2520XL. That gave us the coveted closed transom and solid doors/windows. We stuck with a porta-potti that can be removed if it even thinks of giving us any trouble. Life is good again. Best of all, my neighbor is now enjoying my old Sportcraft after repairing its few flaws.