5 Reasons Why A Key West Boat Is The Best (For Your Family)
5 Reasons Why A Key West Boat Is The Best (For Your Family)
1. Performance of a Boston Whaler®, Grady White®, etc. Without the Price Tag
Key West makes a variety of models under 36ft, but with a Key West, you don’t have to sacrifice the luxury of a larger vessel (or performance) to save money or stay on budget.
While St. Augustine Marina focuses on models that are considered bay boats or skiffs / nearshore fishing boats under 25ft, Key West really does have a model that can perform offshore, nearshore, and inshore – all at a competitive price point and that has been commended for its dependable construction and overall performance in the water.
All Key West models are at an affordable price point compared to the manufacturers and models that they are often compared to – Boston Whaler®, Grady White®, Edgewater®.
and are often considered or commended for their ease of navigation – partially due to BayStar Hydraulic / Tilt steering – and their insulated fiberglass construction, which makes them ideal for us here in Florida, with the intercoastal waters that can be a problem as the tide goes out or the many inshore channels and inlets that we like to fish in.
We talk more about their construction and craftsmanship overall in our next reason why a Key West is perfect for you…
3.Luxurious Standard Features, Beautiful Aesthetic Designs and Color Selection
Truthfully, most of us could care less about the way our fishing boat looks as long as it performs and functions the way that we expect and need it to, but, if you’re looking for something aesthetically pleasing that everyone will acknowledge, every Key West boat stands out among the competition for its tropical / nautical themed color selection from the manufacturer, shimmering stainless steel steering and accents, molded center consoles on many models, non-skid lining, vinyl upholstery, and additional molding seen on models with swim platforms, center console cockpits, and casting platforms.
All of these things are included as standard features – none of what we mentioned above is an upgrade or customization by our dealership. The Key West features many standard features that easily go above and beyond what most comparable manufacturers offer for the same price point, while also having many options that can be added on for further customization.
The vinyl upholstered seats aren’t the only feature that will keep family and friends comfortable – with ample space, cup holders, rod holders with drainage, tons of storage and stowaway compartments for your gear, live wells, and built in fuel cells or tanks – and that doesn’t go so far as to mention the features like console plugs and hookups that ensure the kids remain happy and connected as well.
5. We Appreciate No Depreciation
Some of us like to have the newest and greatest things available – from cellphones to computers to cars and boats. Owners of Key Wests will tell you, these boats stand up to several hours of enjoyment on the water and still retain trade in and resell value.
Purchasing a boat is quite a big life decision, just like buying a house or car. We know that you don’t make that purchase with just a handful of notes and reasons in mind and that making the commitment to an investment like this can be a big risk if you choose a manufacturer or model that isn’t known for their overall value and lack of depreciation.
As we have research from both external sources like The Hull Truth Forum and our our customers to gather a good sample of the overall opinion regarding Key Wests, we can tell you with confidence that this purchase is a better investment than a larger model or even a more expensive one. Owners frequently mention that the exterior gel coating doesn’t visibly crack to pieces as one would expect after a decade of wear and other costly issues that you may have to address with other models tend to elude a well taken care of Key West, helping you retain the value of your investment and allowing you and your family to create memories for decades more to come.
Construction can be compared to other models in the same vein as mentioned above with a middle of the road price range for most models available with standard features.
The Perfect Boat For Your Family (And You)
When it comes to fishing, the adapatable and resourceful fishermen among us are more than happy to get creative with how they pursue their passion, using whatever they can slap together or take advantage of on the spot to snag the catch of the season.
We could fish from a Little Tykes® plastic tug boat if it had a decent outboard on it to give it some power on the water and didn’t have holes in the hull (check out this angler who did just that – and others).
When it comes to selecting a boat for bringing the kids, wife, and some friends along for a day of fishing and cruising, it is understandable that you might struggle. After all, now you have to balance creature comforts, performance, and the fishing features that you would love to have with your budget and everyone elses’ opinions.
That’s why we wanted to help narrow your decisions down to what we think will be the most afforable fishing boats that can accomodate virtually everyone’s needs and preferences without sacrificing on performance and dependability.
That is a Key West boat.
Full disclosure, we are an authorized dealership with Key West. While our recommendations may be a tad biased, we weighed the pros and cons of a Key West against the other choices you may have considered that we don’t sell in addition to the ones that we do sell in order to create this recommendation for you.
2. Solid Construction That's Built To Last
The durability and dependability of Key West Boats is one of their most talked about features.
Key West offers a 10 year extended hull protection warranty on all of their models, regardless of series, but we don’t think you will be making any warranty claims any time soon.
All Key West boats are manufactured with insulated fiberglass all-composite construction – 24 ounce woven roving, biaxial fiberglass in high stress areas to ensure that your boat stands up to the beating of the churn, and high density foam combined with Klegecell is used for coring and to provide more stiffness in the deck.
Most models also include many molded features, as seen in our Key West line up for Center Console bay boats and skiffs. This, paired with stainless steel accents and layered molding on larger vessels makes for a boat that will stand up to the test of time (with regular maintenance, of course.)
4. Truly Unsinkable Design, For Your Peace of Mind
We understand that this technically falls under the construction headline, we thought it was worth mentioning if you were in the market for a Key West model over 20ft.
The manufacturer fills these models with foam to ensure they remain above the water, performance testing before shipping out to the dealership to ensure that they remain afloat.
Now, we have all heard of the Titanic, so we don’t support or encourage you to test their durability by steering your Key West into the shoreline or sea wall during your test drive, but this is just one of those things that can help you and your partner rest easy when navigating the rougher conditions with your family.
