# 2020 Santee 160 CC Review



## Moonpie (May 12, 2020)

After a lifetime of boating, mostly in large sail and power boats with six foot draft’s, I was in need of a shallow draft craft for our winter home in Coastal Georgia. Another factor was that I needed a craft light enough for my dock and boat lift, as well as the requirement to navigate the tidal creek from my dock to the nearby deep water.

After looking at a plethora of boats, I narrowed it down to a Santee 160 CC or a Gheenoe Low Tide 25. I talked with a few dealers that sell both boats as well as the technician’s that do the actual commissioning in order to determine which craft would best suit my needs and which had the best build quality. Thankfully they were honest and transparent which made my decision easy.

I decided on the Santee 160 CC which is made by Ralph and Matt Mitchell, a father and son team out of Greenville, South Carolina. I had a few conversations with Ralph Mitchell before I ordered the boat and was confident that the Santee 160 CC was exactly what I needed. The boat itself was ordered through Big Franks Outdoors out of Maryville Tennessee where it was fully commissioned to my specifications. Frank delivers almost anywhere and personally delivered the Santee to me in Coastal Georgia.

Having used the boat on a daily basis for the past few months only reinforced that I definitely made the right decision. It rides great, handles choppy seas better than I anticipated and has the stability I required. It’s a breeze to launch and retrieve from my boat lift with the remote control. The 20 hp four-stroke EFI Tohatsu with electric start and tilt has worked flawlessly, the electric tilt being essential as I navigate the often shallow creeks along the coast. Tohatsu, being the second largest manufacturer of outboard motors in the world, definitely did a great job in designing this fuel sipping gem. It burns considerably less fuel than my 20hp four-stroke Honda.

It has a prewired nose cap for a trolling motor and a large live bait well under the forward seat. Standing anywhere on the boat I experience nothing but stability. After breaking in the engine as per Tohatsu’s specifications, the 20hp will push the Santee to 23 knots at WOT.

Thanks for reading and if you need more information, check out:
www.bigfranksoutdoors.com where you can see several YouTube videos of the boats.

Below are a few pictures of the Santee160 CC being built and the final product.


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## Moonpie (May 12, 2020)

A few more pictures.


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## Back Country (Dec 30, 2017)

Sweet!


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## Haulinvols (Feb 25, 2019)

Nice review and write up. I have also been very happy with my Santee and the service Frank and his dealership has provided.


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## hollandbriscoe (Jul 28, 2015)

Great looking skiff. So what was the ball park price on this boat?


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Cool rig. Looks perfect for your needs/area! There are a lot of reds and trout in the GA marsh.


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## Moonpie (May 12, 2020)

hollandbriscoe said:


> Great looking skiff. So what was the ball park price on this boat?


The Santee’s are so customizable that the final price can vary depending on the buyers requirements. These boats can be ordered with just bench seats, side console or a center console like I ordered. Do you want a raised forward casting deck, live bait well, rod holders, GPS plotters with sonar, etc, etc. I wanted a seat so I chose one and they installed it where I needed it. 

Below is a link to the Santee section of Big Franks Outdoors. There you will see more pictures, videos and towards the bottom a price section where you can choose which options you would like to have. Personally, I found Franks prices and customer service to be excellent and the fact that he’ll deliver almost anywhere was a great bonus. 

I have been blessed to have many fine boats, and although the Santee is the smallest, I definitely put the fit and finish of this skinny water boat in that category. 

If you have any more questions please feel free to ask.

https://bigfranksoutdoors.com/boats/santee/


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## JET4 (Jul 14, 2014)

nice looking boat and review, thanks


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