# Hells Bay devil ray



## Willy T (May 1, 2016)

has anyone fished devil ray how is it


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

I own one - it's one of the best skiffs HB has ever made.


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## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

There have been a couple of 15' HBs that pop up every so often on CL, and at prices far more reasonable than ever seen on other HB Models of the same vintage. 

I thought it odd that they weren't instantly snapped up. I did a bunch of reading to try and determine why, but never found anything that gave much clarity - aside from that the original purpose of the model was as a yacht tender that could pull double duty for fishing. 

Neither says "Devil Ray," but commenters identified them, as such. 

I assume fit and finish were as impeccable as on other HBs. I've never seen one in person, but they look amazing. Perhaps Dillusion can provide some clarity on the matter. I'm very interested in hearing how they fish.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

Speaking of Devilray's what ever happened to MattyVac?


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I thought dillusion was mattyvac


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## Barbs_deep (Jul 4, 2010)

Small skiff, 2 person max. Designed to be a tender that will fish. 

Fit and finish is HB quality but there are certain things that are a lot different than most HBs. Like the rear bulkhead being open and just about every one I've ever seen has lifting hardware on it.


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## Skiff Junky (Oct 6, 2015)

As stated above, great skiff for it's intended use, a tender that will fish. 

That said, simply ask yourself why the 16 Whipray/Waterman exponentially out sold the Devilray.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

Lots of misinformation in this thread.

The Devilray was not MEANT to be a tender but was marketed as one since it fit the bill.

The Devilray was made to the liking of Steve Huff from the Whipray mold when he went to HB with a requirement of a smaller skiff that performed nearly identical - but allowed him to navigate sharp turns and mangrove tunnels in the Everglades backcountry and also float with two anglers in nearly nothing on low tides in the back.

The open rear layout and simple concept is due partly for weight savings and the technical nature of the skiff along with the obvious removal of features from the skiff when cutting down the whipray molds.

It performs identical to the Whipray which ultimately was the Devilray's downfall since not many people needed a tender or to navigate small creeks in the everglades to get to fish so it was removed from the production line up.

I have some screenshots and documentation from Steve Huff and Chris Morejon on the history of the skiff.

....and there may be one for sale in the near future.


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## Pole Position (Apr 3, 2016)

Dillusion....could you shed some light on the HBBW Skate , and what may have led to its discontinuation? I always thought it may have had a place in their lineup.....


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## Bluwave (Nov 3, 2014)

Dillusion said:


> Lots of misinformation in this thread.
> 
> The Devilray was not MEANT to be a tender but was marketed as one since it fit the bill.
> 
> ...


The Whipray and Devilray do not perform the same. The Devilray's are only 14ft long and made for yachts. They may have originated for another reason but they were sold as yacht tenders. 

Devilray: Length 14'8" with a 67" beam

Whipray Classic: Length 16'4" with a 70" beam 

Waterman 16: Length 16' 2" with a 72" beam


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

Dillusion said:


> Lots of misinformation in this thread.
> 
> The Devilray was not MEANT to be a tender but was marketed as one since it fit the bill.
> 
> ...


This sounds about right. I think John Donnell told me he had one when I called him about my Challenger. It seems both the Devilray and the Skate were ahead of their time in some way. Dragonfly's Marsh Hen seems to be doing ok and they just started making a 15' "starter" boat. Love the Devilray, though; maybe they'll bring it back at some point for an encore. With the size of sporties these days, it's too small for a tender.


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## FMH (Aug 24, 2015)

Blue Zone said:


> This sounds about right. I think John Donnell told me he had one when I called him about my Challenger. It seems both the Devilray and the Skate were ahead of their time in some way. Dragonfly's Marsh Hen seems to be doing ok and they just started making a 15' "starter" boat. Love the Devilray, though; maybe they'll bring it back at some point for an encore. With the size of sporties these days, it's too small for a tender.


I have owned a Devilray. I had it built as yacht tender and it was an excellent little skiff. It was simply laid out with a small side console and a 25 Merc 2 stroke. It is strickly a 2 person skiff and it is much more tippy than a 16 Whipray . That being said I'd love to find another one and refurbish it with a small center coolerbox/grab bar set up like I did on my most recent Waterman. I sold it when I realized that the 16 Whipray or Waterman would do everything the Devilray did and more.I still believe that. I think that's why they were not as popular as the Whipray or Waterman. We got a larger yacht and space wasn't as much of an issue on the bow deck so I upsized. The Devilray rides surprisingly well for its size and of course poles very easily . As mentioned in previous posts the aft bulkhead was open so I put items in Tupperware containers for dry storage. The 25 Merc was a little sluggish getting me (200lbs) and another 200lb buddy on plane but was adequate. If I was powering one today I would put a 30 hp Tohatsu on the transom. Overall it was a great little skiff that was a blast to fish. Hope that was helpful.


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## Blatattack (Aug 23, 2012)

IT IS A TENDER!

"Best boat HB ever made" so they only made a few?


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

Blatattack said:


> IT IS A TENDER!
> 
> "Best boat HB ever made" so they only made a few?


Was not initially meant to be a tender.

Just because something may be good for an end-user does not make it a good business decision.

And to clarify for you - the post you're referring to said "[...] _one of the best_ [...]" which means there are more than one 'best'.


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