# Action craft



## Flats Broke (Feb 7, 2017)

Rsw.84 said:


> Looking to see if someone can explain the difference between the 1802 and the 1820 hulls length, deck layout and if they perform differently Thanks


Generally speaking, the two boats perform nearly identically. The 1820 is a slightly higher end boat with more standard amenities. The main difference in layout is that the 1820 has more dry storage. Both boats have a large storage locker on the front deck. On both the 1820 and 1802 there is also a large storage locker immediately behind the fold down bench seat in the center of the rear deck with live wells on either side of that rear storage locker. They are independently plumbed and water can be run in one without running water in the other well, if you don't need two live wells in operation at once. However, on the 1820, behind the two live wells there are also two more dry storage compartments which do not exist on the 1802. This difference creates a larger rear deck surface on the 1820 and accounts for the smaller cockpit area of the 1820. The cockpit is 9 inches shorter on the 1820 than the 1802. I own the 1820 and love it. It is my second Action Craft. They are very smooth riding, dry running hulls that are also very stable with wide gunnels; and they pole well too. They aren't nearly as light as some microskiffs, but they still run shallow due to their hull design which includes a pocket drive design at the rear and a pad just ahead of that. They are also very fast. The design of the hull was done by the company's founder and original owner, Paul Guard, who was an offshore racer. Given their size and weight, the 18' models typically need at least 8-10 inches of water to pole with two people on board, a full fuel tank and multiple batteries. Mine is loaded with three batteries, lots of accessories including a Talon shallow water anchor in the rear, front-mounted trolling motor, large outboard, the dry storage lockers loaded with stuff, etc.; and it needs 11 inches to pole with two large men on board with the live wells full or 10 inches when my wife accompanies me instead of one of my fishing buddies. Hope this info helps.


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## Rsw.84 (Oct 6, 2016)

Thanks for the info looking into buying one soon any other pros and cons is helpful!


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## Flats Broke (Feb 7, 2017)

Rsw.84 said:


> Thanks for the info looking into buying one soon any other pros and cons is helpful!


All boats are tradeoffs. If you want an extremely dry, smooth riding, stable, fast boat, then you will love either of those two Action Crafts. If you need to be able to pole in four or five inches of water, then you will want a Chittum, Hells Bay, East Cape, Ankona, Lithium, etc. Each of those brands has models that are more dry, smooth and stable than others, but none are as dry, smooth, stable or as fast the Action Crafts, with one exception. The East Cape Vantage is not a microskiff but a flats boat with a longer LOA than the two Action Crafts you inquired about, and it is rated for up to 175HP. From transom to bow tip it is actually about the same length as the Action Crafts. The Vantage has sponsons that make its LOA 19'2". It is a rocket ship with that much power. The Action Crafts are rated for 150 HP, and you can legally carry a half dozen people. The most you can legally carry in the Vantage is four people, and most of the microskiffs have a three or four person limit. I have ridden in an EC Vantage with a 150 Suzuki, and it was a dry running boat that was also quite stable at rest, even though it is five inches narrower than the Action Crafts. I didn't find it to be as smooth as my Action Craft in a rough chop, but it was screaming fast in slick water. The reason the two Action Crafts are smoother riding is that they have a sharp V hull at the front and 17 degrees of dead rise at the rear compared to zero to four degrees in the microskiffs. That's also partly why they won't pole in four or five inches of water. Neither will the Vantage which needs as much water to draft as the Action Crafts. The other reason the Action Crafts need 8-11 inches is that they weigh quite a bit more than the microskiffs. That's not because they use inferior construction materials or methods, but rather because they're wider and have more freeboard and thus more glass and foam in them than the significantly narrower and lower profile microskiffs. I would love to have a microskiff, given where I now live. There are plenty of places where I can't pole my flats boat in the back country around Edgewater, FL; but I would only want one in addition to and not in place of my Action Craft. If I'm going to run from one end to the other in the Mosquito Lagoon or Pine Island Sound, I'd much rather be in my Action Craft; especially if a summer storm is brewing nearby. If you end up getting an Action Craft, here's my one word of caution. They will run lots of places they won't pole. So don't shut down unless you are sure you're in at least 8-10 inches of water. That was an early lesson in my first Action Craft back in the 1980s. The good news is, when you and your fishing buddy get out to push, the boat will float almost anywhere. Just ask my wife


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

My 1820 year 1995


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## Rsw.84 (Oct 6, 2016)

Flats Broke said:


> All boats are tradeoffs. If you want an extremely dry, smooth riding, stable, fast boat, then you will love either of those two Action Crafts. If you need to be able to pole in four or five inches of water, then you will want a Chittum, Hells Bay, East Cape, Ankona, Lithium, etc. Each of those brands has models that are more dry, smooth and stable than others, but none are as dry, smooth, stable or as fast the Action Crafts, with one exception. The East Cape Vantage is not a microskiff but a flats boat with a longer LOA than the two Action Crafts you inquired about, and it is rated for up to 175HP. From transom to bow tip it is actually about the same length as the Action Crafts. The Vantage has sponsons that make its LOA 19'2". It is a rocket ship with that much power. The Action Crafts are rated for 150 HP, and you can legally carry a half dozen people. The most you can legally carry in the Vantage is four people, and most of the microskiffs have a three or four person limit. I have ridden in an EC Vantage with a 150 Suzuki, and it was a dry running boat that was also quite stable at rest, even though it is five inches narrower than the Action Crafts. I didn't find it to be as smooth as my Action Craft in a rough chop, but it was screaming fast in slick water. The reason the two Action Crafts are smoother riding is that they have a sharp V hull at the front and 17 degrees of dead rise at the rear compared to zero to four degrees in the microskiffs. That's also partly why they won't pole in four or five inches of water. Neither will the Vantage which needs as much water to draft as the Action Crafts. The other reason the Action Crafts need 8-11 inches is that they weigh quite a bit more than the microskiffs. That's not because they use inferior construction materials or methods, but rather because they're wider and have more freeboard and thus more glass and foam in them than the significantly narrower and lower profile microskiffs. I would love to have a microskiff, given where I now live. There are plenty of places where I can't pole my flats boat in the back country around Edgewater, FL; but I would only want one in addition to and not in place of my Action Craft. If I'm going to run from one end to the other in the Mosquito Lagoon or Pine Island Sound, I'd much rather be in my Action Craft; especially if a summer storm is brewing nearby. If you end up getting an Action Craft, here's my one word of caution. They will run lots of places they won't pole. So don't shut down unless you are sure you're in at least 8-10 inches of water. That was an early lesson in my first Action Craft back in the 1980s. The good news is, when you and your fishing buddy get out to push, the boat will float almost anywhere. Just ask my wife


Thanks for the info I really appreciate it! Now I just need to find a good buy. Thanks


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## ReelEstate (Aug 20, 2015)

I've got an Action Craft 2002 1720 Flyfisher. It's a great boat and you can find them at decent prices.


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## Rsw.84 (Oct 6, 2016)

ReelEstate said:


> I've got an Action Craft 2002 1720 Flyfisher. It's a great boat and you can find them at decent prices.
> 
> View attachment 11246
> View attachment 11247
> ...


Nice looking boat! Thanks for the pics


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