# Beavertail/Sabine Skiffs:



## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

Looking to purchase first skiff for coastal marsh and creeks around north central Florida coast. Will be meeting Liz this week with Beavertail skiffs to look at the BT micro and BT mosquito as possible options. Looking for simplistic setup, tiller with grab bar or side-console.


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## timogleason (Jul 27, 2013)

Lot more options with Mosquito. More $s though but I think worth it.


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

Reason considering BT micro, probably majority of fishing solo or one other person. Tiller option on Mosquito?? or would console be a better option on the larger mosquito?


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

FLAggie, trying to send you a PM, but unable to. Not sure if it's your preferences or small number of posts. I shared my input with another forum member who is considering the same two models. I owned a Micro prior to my existing 2017 Mosquito.

If you don't mind sharing an email address, I can contact you that way if you'd like. Or try starting a conversation with me to see if that works?


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

[email protected]....Thank you, any input would be appreciated.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Your PM came through and I replied to that.


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

Any owners of Sabine Skiff here on Gulf Coast of Florida. Interesting Aluminum Skiff, might be a great option as well for areas I fish, lots of Oyster, Steinhatchee, Cedar Key, and Crystal River Areas.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

Sa


FLAggie said:


> Any owners of Sabine Skiff here on Gulf Coast of Florida. Interesting Aluminum Skiff, might be a great option as well for areas I fish, lots of Oyster, Steinhatchee, Cedar Key, and Crystal River Areas.


Sabine’s are super cool boats. Infinitely customizable and easy to fix up when they get dinged. I fished with my brother in the Crystal River /Ozello area and think a Sabine would be great around there. I’ve known Brian Little Of Sabine a long time and he’s a great dude.


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## TX_Brad (Jun 8, 2018)

redchaser said:


> Sa
> 
> Sabine’s are super cool boats. Infinitely customizable and easy to fix up when they get dinged. I fished with my brother in the Crystal River /Ozello area and think a Sabine would be great around there. I’ve known Brian Little Of Sabine a long time and he’s a great dude.


+1 for this. Sweet boats and great guy, really stands behind his work. I'll have a micro one day.


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## Tautog166 (Jul 7, 2018)

I think Sabine skiffs are badass little boats.


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

redchaser said:


> Sa
> 
> Sabine’s are super cool boats. Infinitely customizable and easy to fix up when they get dinged. I fished with my brother in the Crystal River /Ozello area and think a Sabine would be great around there. I’ve known Brian Little Of Sabine a long time and he’s a great dude.


Going to be traveling to Texas next week, spoke with Brian about possibly scheduling a day when I am driving through Houston to make a stop and check out the micro and versatile skiffs.


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## Scott (Aug 24, 2015)

The 


FLAggie said:


> Going to be traveling to Texas next week, spoke with Brian about possibly scheduling a day when I am driving through Houston to make a stop and check out the micro and versatile skiffs.


Sabine website doesn’t load right on my iPad, the pictures overlap the text. Does this happen with anyone else?


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

Scott said:


> The
> 
> Sabine website doesn’t load right on my iPad, the pictures overlap the text. Does this happen with anyone else?


Try a different browser


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

I was looking at Sabine and Spear skiffs at the same time. Just happened to have a Spear pop up available locally so I snagged it. Heard lots of good things about Sabine. Only negative was the feedback that as an aluminum boat it wasn't as quiet on the pole as a glass skiff...but that it was still pretty quiet. 

After taking my Spear up to Ozello, Wacassassa, and other areas with that treacherous limestone bottom I might have leaned harder towards the Sabine. But my home waters in Tampa aren't that bad...so I am happy with the boat I got.

If you are looking to fish solo or two up, especially if you want a tiller / tunnel hull...looking at Spear may be worth your time.

https://www.spearboatworks.com/products-3


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## Scott (Aug 24, 2015)

CKEAT said:


> Try a different browser


Tried it with Chrome, Firefox, & Duck Duck Go. Happens with all of them. I’ll try on my desktop later, I’ll have to dust it off.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

I fish in my buddy's Sabine Versatile often. Besides being a great looking boat, you'd be hard pressed to find a quality skiff that runs that shallow and is that tough. He's got the side console version so there is a lot of room to move around the boat. The Versatile poles really nice and even though it is aluminum, it really is a quiet boat. @FLAggie hit me up when you are driving through. I usually have his Versatile at my house near Galveston you could come look at.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

redchaser said:


> Sa
> 
> Sabine’s are super cool boats. Infinitely customizable and easy to fix up when they get dinged. I fished with my brother in the Crystal River /Ozello area and think a Sabine would be great around there. I’ve known Brian Little Of Sabine a long time and he’s a great dude.


Are you sure they are easier to repair? There's a fiberglass guy in any city of any size. Finding a welder that can cut out a patch, tab and weld a new piece in without messing something up? I dunno, maybe I'm wrong. I like the Sabines, had him quote me before going the build my own skiff route.


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## scissorhands (Apr 8, 2012)

If you go on a test ride with Brian, you will buy the skiff.


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

That is the plan, a test ride, thanks for heads up, will leave check book at home.


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## Scott (Aug 24, 2015)

Sublime said:


> Are you sure they are easier to repair? There's a fiberglass guy in any city of any size. Finding a welder that can cut out a patch, tab and weld a new piece in without messing something up? I dunno, maybe I'm wrong. I like the Sabines, had him quote me before going the build my own skiff route.


At least in Florida, there are tones of places to have aluminum welded up. It’s really a much easier repair than fiberglass.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Scott said:


> At least in Florida, there are tones of places to have aluminum welded up. It’s really a much easier repair than fiberglass.


Here too, but most are tubing guys. Plate is a little different. Tubing you have exposed welds. With plate you have to grind the welds down and be careful not to warp the surrounding area. But I could be overthinking it.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

takes a lot to actually put a hole in decent aluminum plate.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

devrep said:


> takes a lot to actually put a hole in decent aluminum plate.


No doubt. My old neighbor had a Custom Flat. It is a popular all welded boat here in Texas and built like a tank. He had to have a piece cut out of the bottom and replaced and he never hit a thing. Electrolysis.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

Sublime said:


> No doubt. My old neighbor had a Custom Flat. It is a popular all welded boat here in Texas and built like a tank. He had to have a piece cut out of the bottom and replaced and he never hit a thing. Electrolysis.


yep. and have to avoid any copper being left around, esp the little clippings from snipping wire. get that stuff down under the deck and you can have trouble down the line. seems like it would be a good idea to coat all the under deck areas. my dad's old feathercraft was a tank but 45 years after he bought it new he was getting tiny pinholes thru the bottom in the bilge at the transom.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

Sublime said:


> Are you sure they are easier to repair? There's a fiberglass guy in any city of any size. Finding a welder that can cut out a patch, tab and weld a new piece in without messing something up? I dunno, maybe I'm wrong. I like the Sabines, had him quote me before going the build my own skiff route.


Granted my perspective is from living in Louisiana where we have competent welders on almost every corner thanks to the oil industry. About the only thing we have more of than welders are drive through daiquiri and drive through boiled crawfish shops


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## Pro wader (Mar 26, 2018)

Now I'm an old, fat guy and I love my Sabine Micro. This skiff has EXCEEDED all of my expectations.
Usually when I buy a big ticket item, I find some little flaw and go over it over and over... Until i go into to buyers remorse. Not with this skiff. Brian has really thought out the design and construction of this skiff. Brian is an engineer so you know he went over his design.

Mine has a tunnel without a jack plate and I can get on plane in less than a foot of water.
It takes chop well and a dry ride.

I am not new to boats but I am new to poling. That being said, my Micro poles well and is very quiet.

My Micro is probably the last skiff I'll ever buy.

To be honest, I do not have any negative comments on the either the MICRO or Versatile.
(my son has the Versatile)

Brian is a good guy to deal with and I think you get a lot of value


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

Looking forward to meeting Brian next week during my travel to Texas and checking out his skiffs. Unfortunately, will only have a Versatile to show, no Micro, leaning toward a Micro for my needs.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

FLAggie said:


> Looking forward to meeting Brian next week during my travel to Texas and checking out his skiffs. Unfortunately, will only have a Versatile to show, no Micro, leaning toward a Micro for my needs.


Brian should be able to get you a list of guys with Micros. I'm not sure if Owen Gaylor (Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift) ever sold his but he's on FB and Instagram so contact him. He had a new Versatile built early this year and put his Micro up for sale. He's a fishy dude and guides out of Seadrift so he might be able to take you out fishing, especially if you hire him on a weekday.
All the best,


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

Been researching discussions regarding tunnel vs no tunnel on skiffs, general takeaway, depends on fishery and area you will spend most of your time, tunnel good in specific situations when running distance on plane in shallow areas. Some references like having four wheel drive. Also,some question the efficiency of the tunnel without a jack plate. For my purpose, nature coast of Florida, lots of limestone and shell in the coastal creeks and marshes where I fish, but also will be spending allot of time around the Tampa area, less rock and shell. Ideally, want to keep the weight of the skiff to a minimum, with that being said, like to not go to a jack plate option, especially if I go the Sabine Micro model. At times the more I read regarding Tunnel vs No Tunnel, more confusing it gets, ask 100 people their input/opinion get 50 that would not buy a skiff w/o a tunnel and the other 50 that say it advantages are not worth the additional cost, then again it depends on who you are asking Floridians or Texans.


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## Pro wader (Mar 26, 2018)

FLAggie said:


> Looking forward to meeting Brian next week during my travel to Texas and checking out his skiffs. Unfortunately, will only have a Versatile to show, no Micro, leaning toward a Micro for my needs.


I'm off the 10th through the 16th.
You're more than welcome to jump in with me.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

FLAggie said:


> Been researching discussions regarding tunnel vs no tunnel on skiffs, general takeaway, depends on fishery and area you will spend most of your time, tunnel good in specific situations when running distance on plane in shallow areas. Some references like having four wheel drive. Also,some question the efficiency of the tunnel without a jack plate. For my purpose, nature coast of Florida, lots of limestone and shell in the coastal creeks and marshes where I fish, but also will be spending allot of time around the Tampa area, less rock and shell. Ideally, want to keep the weight of the skiff to a minimum, with that being said, like to not go to a jack plate option, especially if I go the Sabine Micro model. At times the more I read regarding Tunnel vs No Tunnel, more confusing it gets, ask 100 people their input/opinion get 50 that would not buy a skiff w/o a tunnel and the other 50 that say it advantages are not worth the additional cost, then again it depends on who you are asking Floridians or Texans.


Ah the age-old tunnel argument. For Texas, especially the middle to lower southmost coast, a tunnel is arguably necessary. Peeps make way too much noise about how much draft they cost due to lost displacement. While it is true that the tunnels found on shallow sports, majeks, etc. are huge and do impart issues with hydrodynamics and draft, look critically at the tunnels that are found on most skiffs. They are so tiny, in length-width-depth, that they could effectively almost not even be there. Loss of draft from these micro-tunnels is negligible. What is really more important than a tunnel, is light weight. That is really the game-changer. For the record, I did order a tunnel on my skiff, after much agonizing self-debate. And that little stunt cost me $3500 too. Kinda like, the old saying "rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it". Because where I will run the boat, I will need it almost every day that I go. At least that has been my experience for many years fishing everywhere I fish. 

For most of Florida, (I have never fished there) I understand that a tunnel is just not necessary at all. Except for the limestone bottom areas, no need for a tunnel. So the FL and the TX fisheries are actually like night and day. Bottom line: Probably the majority of FL a skiff would not need a tunnel (I understand from visiting with a few guys from there). Texas: dependent on where is fished 90% of the time. For the guys upper middle coast up to Louisiana, no tunnel needed at all. Middle coast to south of Corpus Christi, upper Laguna Madre, having a tunnel is a benefit, but not an absolute necessity, Lower Laguna Madre, tunnel is just about a necessity. JUST ABOUT. Personally I think a tunnel is mandatory for any boat that actively fishes 90% of the time in the LLM. There are guys who will deny that. Everyone has an opinion. For a Floridian, I just don't see any need realistically for a tunnel hull in most of the waters there, of course I have never fished there, so take that for what it is worth, prolly not much. AND, with light enough weight, for ANYWHERE including TX LLM, a non-tunnel hull will likely get it done just fine. Assuming having a jackplate and ultra-light weight though.

In fact, the older I get, the more a good light-weight 12* deadrise hull seems to make sense. And I mulled that one over too. But for TX LLM, that might be asking an awful lot of that hull to perform well in waters that are typically in the 8" to 4" depth range. If I was a Floridian, I would have a nice light 12* hull with no tunnel for best access to more deeper water venues for tarpon etc. So the argument then becomes more about need for a jackplate than a tunnel. And that is probably a much better argument or discussion to have really, assuming adequate hull design and weight parameters to deal with.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Would like to see a discussion about jackplates on non-tunnel hulls, vs amount of set-back of the JP, and hull weights etc. Having seen the mind-blowing performance of an ultra-light hull non-tunnel, with a jackplate, definitely changed my mind about considering a non-tunnel hull for fishing areas that I previously thought must have a tunnel. So a jackplate, not a tunnel, is actually the technical variable that should be discussed, along with rocker in the bottom contour etc. AND light weight. Gotta have that to make it all work. How much rocker is too much for poling efficiency?


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

commtrd said:


> Would like to see a discussion about jackplates on non-tunnel hulls, vs amount of set-back of the JP, and hull weights etc. Having seen the mind-blowing performance of an ultra-light hull non-tunnel, with a jackplate, definitely changed my mind about considering a non-tunnel hull for fishing areas that I previously thought must have a tunnel. So a jackplate, not a tunnel, is actually the technical variable that should be discussed, along with rocker in the bottom contour etc. AND light weight. Gotta have that to make it all work. How much rocker is too much for poling efficiency?



Which skiff are you referring to with the jack plate and no tunnel?


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

FLAggie said:


> For my purpose, nature coast of Florida, lots of limestone and shell in the coastal creeks and marshes where I fish, but also will be spending allot of time around the Tampa area, less rock and shell. Ideally, want to keep the weight of the skiff to a minimum, with that being said, like to not go to a jack plate option, especially if I go the Sabine Micro model. At times the more I read regarding Tunnel vs No Tunnel, more confusing it gets, ask 100 people their input/opinion get 50 that would not buy a skiff w/o a tunnel and the other 50 that say it advantages are not worth the additional cost, then again it depends on who you are asking Floridians or Texans.


I live in Tampa area and have a tunnel skiff and a non tunnel. Both have jackplates. Florida has 1300 miles of coastline. There is no general rule. It all depends what YOU do and where YOU go. I would never have a skiff with a bunch of deadrise where I go. I couldn't get to anywhere I fish. You could get there by poling in/out with a flat bottom but a JP makes is faster to jack up and idle out. If I lived in Biscayne, I would get rid of both my skiffs and get something that can safely cross the bay all the time. If you chuck bait in 3+' all the time, none of what I've said matters at all to you. Get a bay boat.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Sublime said:


> Which skiff are you referring to with the jack plate and no tunnel?


Specifically Stephen Ford's LM2 Chittum with no tunnel. Running around and getting on plane in areas I never would have thought a non-tunnel could deal with at all.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

commtrd said:


> Specifically Stephen Ford's LM2 Chittum with no tunnel. Running around and getting on plane in areas I never would have thought a non-tunnel could deal with at all.


that’s been my experience with the identical hull.


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## Shallows (Mar 29, 2020)

Scott said:


> At least in Florida, there are tones of places to have aluminum welded up. It’s really a much easier repair than fiberglass.


Welding thin aluminum under .10 is actually pretty challenging. Sabine doesn't seem to list the aluminum thickness on their website - but it can't be that thick as its a lightweight skiff. Going from .08 to .10 aluminum for example can easily add 100 pounds of weight.


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## zmgsvt (Jun 5, 2009)

Not sure what the standard is but you can upgrade to 3/16" for $400.


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## Rustyrat (Feb 11, 2020)

FLAggie said:


> Looking to purchase first skiff for coastal marsh and creeks around north central Florida coast. Will be meeting Liz this week with Beavertail skiffs to look at the BT micro and BT mosquito as possible options. Looking for simplistic setup, tiller with grab bar or side-console.


I just bought a BT Micro in May. Great boat, small and easy to handle. Keep in mind the max engine is a 30. With the mosquito you can go higher. I’m just getting out of my break in period and running at around 22mph with a full tank and two of us on board. Should gain a few more once I can run full out. They did a great job on the build and I really like the boat. You’d be pleased with either one. My neighbors just ordered a BT vengeance and I think the current delivery dates are late September.


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## TX_Brad (Jun 8, 2018)

zmgsvt said:


> Not sure what the standard is but you can upgrade to 3/16" for $400.


1/8”


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

Currently in San Antonio visiting family, any chance a Sabine Skiff owner in the area to show off there Versatile or Micro? I think someone mentioned Brian has a list of owners he could possibly share.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Looks like an aluminum or glass discussion. Just me but glass is quieter


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## Pro wader (Mar 26, 2018)

permitchaser said:


> Looks like an aluminum or glass discussion. Just me but glass is quieter


The Sabine is pretty quiet. No splash. 
Have you seen one in person or are you comparing it to the standard Jon boat? When most people see it, they swear it’s a glass skiff .


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## Pro wader (Mar 26, 2018)

FLAggie said:


> Currently in San Antonio visiting family, any chance a Sabine Skiff owner in the area to show off there Versatile or Micro? I think someone mentioned Brian has a list of owners he could possibly share.


If you ever get around Houston, hit me up.


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## FLAggie (Sep 5, 2016)

Pro wader said:


> If you ever get around Houston, hit me up.


Thank you, will let you know when I am in the area, probably mid August.


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