# Dolphin 18 Backcountry Pro



## dcwillette (Sep 16, 2014)

I've been lurking this website for about 6 months and there is very little discussion of the Dolphin skiffs, and in paticular the Dolphin 18 Backcountry.

I am seriosuly considering buying one that I found. I'm looking for something to fit in the garage, provide a little more room than the average skiff, and take a chop a little better than most flats boats.

So what is the consenus on these boats?


----------



## ethan.weber (Apr 26, 2011)

I have a backcountry 16 (they no longer make this size) and it is absolutely awesome. It is one of the best riding and driest boats I have been in, better than some boats up to 20ft. The hull has large planing strakes so the hull jumps up on plane and turns like it is on rails. However these strakes, at least on my older hull, make the hull a little noisy but still not too bad.


----------



## dcwillette (Sep 16, 2014)

Specs: 
Length: 17'10 
Beam: 91" beam is the widest I've seen on a 18ft boat.  
Deadrise: 20 degrees
Draft: 10"

It probably wont pole like a more narrow skiff but that's not really what I'm looking for. Storage isn't that great on it. It's supposed to ride great.

I would really like an Egret 189 or Egret Moccasin 190 but try finding one of those used for a good price.


----------



## acraft1720 (Jul 31, 2012)

V hull boat, great ride but not great to pole. If you don't pole much but want a comfortable and stable fishing platform you'd like it but if you're looking to sight fish in shallow water there are much better hulls for that.


----------



## kbkeys1 (Aug 11, 2014)

I've owned 96 Backcountry since it was built by Mike Courtney and crew. Powered now by an F115. We've caught bonefish to sailfish on her. True,she is quite a load to pole. But she's definitely the one you want to be on when that FL Bay chop kicks up...smooths it out like corduroy!


----------



## dcwillette (Sep 16, 2014)

Kenb,

What does she cruise and top out at with the 115? The one I'm looking at has a 115.

I've never heard anything but positive opinions of the boat in a chop. I'm just a little nervous about the overall space and floating out on the reef. I imagine she sits so low in the rear it would be easy to take in water while drifting out there, and if I'm not mistaken it's not a self-bailing cockpit.


----------



## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

The Dolphin 18 and the Shipoke 18 are basically the same hulls, not a micro skiff. It is a 10" draft skiff, my shipoke with a 150 Merc EFI 2.5 runs low 60 gps. I use a 80# trolling motor to fish shallow ponds/reds. Best riding flats skiff currently built, 20 degree deadrise.


----------



## BugDopeforENP (May 29, 2013)

> The Dolphin 18 and the Shipoke 18 are basically the same hulls, not a micro skiff. It is a 10" draft skiff, my shipoke with a 150 Merc EFI 2.5 runs low 60 gps. I use a 80# trolling motor to fish shallow ponds/reds. Best riding flats skiff currently built, 20 degree deadrise.


http://skiffrepublic.com/interviews/skiff-republic-interview-steve-huff/

This is a great piece of skiff history.


----------



## dcwillette (Sep 16, 2014)

Good read. Its interesting to hear the history of skiffs down here. I think Dolphin could do a better job of marketing their boats these days.

If I was living at my house in TX then I could park it in the garage but here in FL I don't think it's going to work. I measured my garage today and it's 19'2" and doesn't have a lot of extra width for angling it. I could make a Dolphin 18 fit (17'10" plus motor) but it would really piss the wife off if she could never park in the garage when it's raining, or had to maneuver everything around the bow of the boat in the garage. I may just go with a 21-22' since I have to store it somewhere.


----------



## kbkeys1 (Aug 11, 2014)

TX, Cruise at 31/32, 4400 rpm, 37 at 5600. It is not self bailing, and there are situations where water can slap over transom, motor well usually drains that out quickly. How many skiffs are there where you can walk a fish around the whole boat on the gunwales? It's about as stable a platform( with sponsons) you can get in a skiff that size. Love mine, it' s my bay boat now.


----------



## dcwillette (Sep 16, 2014)

Well, it may not have been the smartest move from a financial standpoint but I just ordered a new boat, so it doesn't look like I will going with that nice used Dolphin 18 I found.


----------



## kbkeys1 (Aug 11, 2014)

A new what? Whatever it is, hope you enjoy!


----------



## dcwillette (Sep 16, 2014)

Kenb, I'm getting an Egret Moccasin 210.

That Dolphin is in Key Largo and on boat trader for $28,900. It's a nice boat.  I went and looked at it during the first week of November and they didn't want to budge much (if at all) on the price.  

Being that it has depreciated from about $50K to $28,900 in 4-5 years, it would have been smarter financially speaking but I just didn't get the feel that it was quite large enough for my wife, daughter, dog, and me.


----------

