hells bay marquesa

One might wonder why Hell’s Bay would go back to the drawing board on the Marquesa, the company’s most popular and best-selling skiff. According to Hell’s Bay, the reason is simple: “We listened to our current Marquesa owners and improved the performance of the boat even more,” says marketing director Todd Fuller. The demands of shallow-water anglers are on a never-ending incline, and to meet them boats have to be able to handle rough water and maintain stealth on the flats. The new and improved Marquesa set out to meet these needs and more.

Design and Construction

As is every Hell’s Bay skiff, the 2013 Marquesa is made from the finest material available in the boatbuilding industry. Armed with alcohol type concentrate (ATC) Corecell foam, Kevlar, carbon fiber and 100 percent vinylester resin, Hell’s Bay’s skilled craftsmen hand-lay each skiff and finish it to the customer’s specific requirements. The design of the Marquesa provides a smooth, dry ride for up to four passengers and also permits quiet, effortless poling on the shallows. The success of the Marquesa’s design stems from creating the perfect deadrise and combining it with an optimized surface area that comes in contact with the water. The end result is a boat that can handle bigger water but still floats in only seven inches of water. Another design tweak with the latest model is in the stern. It now has a distinct running pad, which has increased the hull speed and improved tracking and spinning the skiff while poling. The Marquesa has been known to have ample deck space, but Hell’s Bay sought even more, so it increased the deck by 3 inches in order to provide more forward casting space, which also enhances spray control while running. The rear-hatch design on the Marquesa has also been improved to allow for easy access both on the water and on the trailer. Finally, because of the growing popularity of catch-and-release practices, the Marquesa’s design now includes a larger live/release well.

Running and Fishability

Whether you are fly-fishing for big tarpon along the beach or chasing tailing redfish in skinny water, this skiff ­provides a stable and quiet platform for fly-anglers. The front casting decks are free of unnecessary line snags and have plenty of room for a casting platform and a stripping bucket, if you so choose. The biggest advantage for anglers is the silent signature the Marquesa hull design exhibits while poling. This really gives anglers the upper hand when it comes to closing the gap to make that perfect presentation.

With the Marquesa’s 28-gallon fuel capacity and today’s efficient outboards, this skiff has plenty of range to get you away from the crowds. The Marquesa’s new hull design has an improved top speed, greater fuel efficiency and a smoother ride than ever before. At the end of a great day on the water, the Marquesa will quickly deliver you back to the dock in style and comfort.

Specifications

LOA: 18′ 1″

BEAM: 6′ 7″

DRAFT: 7″

FUEL: 28 gallons

MAX HP: 130

WEIGHT: 695 lbs.

TOP SPEED (with 115 hp): 50 mph

PRICE: $48,800

Hell’s Bay Boatworks

Titusville, Florida

321-383-8223

Link: www.hellsbayboatworks.com

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The designers and craftsmen at Hell’s Bay Boatworks must never sleep. In addition to recently introducing two new models, the Skate and the Neptune, those at Hell’s Bay somehow found the time to merge the concepts of two popular models into a skiff that is sure to catch the eye of any shallow-water fishing enthusiast. The Ambush and the Glades Skiff, two vessels that have helped shape how fly-anglers go about fishing the backcountry, are both compact, spec-ialized crafts that typically run on small engines. “With companies eliminating portable two-stroke engines, it was necessary for us to come up with a boat that would be able to handle the extra heft of a four-stroke,” says Hell’s Bay owner, Chris Peterson. The result is the newly redesigned Glades Skiff. Hell’s Bay recognized a need and met the challenge by creating this lightweight fishing machine.

**Running and Fishing
**Fly-fishermen in the market for a boat that can weave in and out of the nar-rowest mangrove canals or stalk the flats in search of nervous shallow-water game fish will definitely want to take a hard look at the new and improved Glades Skiff. The updated design is a true technical poling skiff, and while the standard model doesn’t offer baitwells or any other fancy frills, it can easily be customized with a variety of options, including a built-in coffin box in the cockpit.

Maneuvering the boat from the poling platform is incredibly easy, and the craft is so stealthy you can practically glide right over top of a fish without it even knowing. Not only is the boat a great tool for stalking skinny-water species, but it also excels while running from spot to spot. With the new design, anglers can expect a smooth, dry ride even while running at speeds reaching 30 mph. Though the new Glades Skiff is somewhat small in stature (measuring just under 18 feet), it performs with the attitude and edge of a much larger boat.

**Design and Construction
**Just like all of the boats in the Hell’s Bay fleet, the redesigned Glades Skiff is constructed with a full Kevlar hull with hand-laid but vacuum-bagged Core Cell construction. Designing the hull in this manner is how Hell’s Bay is able to achieve maximum strength without compromising with extra weight. The new Glades Skiff is slightly larger than its predecessor, but it still drafts less than 4 inches of water.

In addition to compensating displacement in the aft of the boat, the team completely redesigned the skiff into an even more effective fishing tool. The hull has a tumble-home design, the size of the casting deck was increased favorably, there is more under-gunwale rod storage, and the amount of underdeck storage for various items, including foul-weather gear, maps, anchors and fly boxes, has increased. These are just a few of the features adding to the overall fishability of the boat, and once you take a ride for yourself, you will certainly find plenty of others.

Specifications

LOA……17’8″
BEAM……59″
Draft……4″ (loaded)
Weight……380 lbs.
Fuel……12 gals.
Max HP……30
MSRP……TBA

Hell’s Bay Boatworks / Titusville, Florida / 321-383-8223 / www.hellsbayboatworks.com

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In addition to releasing the largest flats boat it’s ever built, the Neptune, Hell’s Bay Boatworks recently unveiled its smallest skiff on record. With a hull length of just under 13 feet and a weight of 250 pounds, the Skate is a small-water specialty boat that will serve skinny-water fly-anglers well.

How shallow will this little craft go? Even with a full tank of gas and a small outboard mounted on the stern, the Skate will venture into 3½ inches of water, making it the ultimate technical boat for adventurous anglers looking to target game fish where most can’t go.

Design and Construction
The Skate may be small of stature, but it’s long on quality and attention to detail, typical of any Hell’s Bay. This starts in the hull, which features vinylester resins and vacuum-bagged Core-Cell construction throughout the entire structure. Crafted into the hull, under the fore and aft decks, are large storage areas with hatches sealed with rubber gaskets and spring-loaded Moonlite hardware.

The Skate is strictly a tiller boat and is ideally powered with a small outboard ranging from 9.9 to 15 hp. Rigged and wired to American Boat and Yacht Council standards, the skiff comes equipped with a six-gallon aluminum powder-coated gas tank. This may not lend itself to long-distance runs, but then again, the Skate was designed for the shallows and backcountry.

Measuring 12 feet 9 inches in length, the boat has a 3-foot-9-inch beam, and its gunwale edges are protected by heavy-duty rub rails. The package is completed with seat cushions for angler comfort and a custom aluminum trailer equipped with a spare tire – it’s a nifty outfit that’s just dying to be towed to the nearest boat ramp.

Running and Fishing
Of course, the Skate is decidedly not a boat you’ll want to take in rough waters. Nor is it a boat you’ll want to load up with all of your beer-drinking college buddies. Instead, it’s designed for the skilled angler who knows how to exercise some degree of caution and maneuver around deftly in a technical skiff. Given its small size and narrow beam, the Skate is best fished with no more than two occupants.

But, as all saltwater fly-anglers know, that’s all it takes. The Skate comes with Stiffy push-pole holders and an ano-dized poling platform featuring SeaDek coating on top for added traction and stability. Given the carpeted rod racks under the gunwales, up to four assembled fly rods can be safely stowed, and anglers will appreciate Hell’s Bay’s wide selection of hull colors, not to mention the company’s classic nonskid decks.

Simply put, the Skate is a cool little boat. And best of all, its small size translates to a fairly reasonable price tag, a nice option for those working under a tight budget. For $16,000, you get a complete outfit with a trailer – and a skiff that will venture where very few dare.

Specifications

LOA……12’9″
Beam……3’9″
Draft……3½” (w/ fuel and 15 hp OB)
Weight……250 lbs. (dry)
Fuel……6 gals.
Max HP……15
MSRP……$16,000
(w/ 15 hp two-stroke OB)

Hell’s Bay Boatworks / Titusville, Florida / 321-383-8223 / www.hellsbayboatworks.com

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While some boatbuilders have scaled back new-model introductions in recent months, Hell’s Bay Boatworks recently unveiled its latest creation, the Neptune. The skiff ranks as the largest built to date by Hell’s Bay, and it rounds out a full complement of 10 shallow-water offerings now available from the company.

The Neptune is a big-water flats boat designed for serious fishing. It stretches to 18 feet, 8 inches in length and has a 78-inch beam. Yet even with a 150-HO hp Evinrude E-Tech outboard and a full tank of gas, it draws only 10 inches of water on the flats.

Design and Construction
Hell’s Bay’s lead designer and sales director Tom Gordon has been working on the Neptune for 2½ years and says the boat should prove popular among a number of anglers, including hardcore tarpon fishermen and tournament anglers competing in the big redfish events. “It’s the first Hell’s Bay designed around speed,” Gordon says.

Indeed, this boat will move. Featuring vacuum-bagged Core-Cell construction, along with a carbon-fiber stringer system and vinylester resins, the Neptune’s hull checks in at only 795 pounds. When matched with either a 115 or 150 hp outboard, that means only one thing: serious mph.

Rigged and wired to ABYC standards, the Neptune is available in a wide variety of hull and deck colors and features carpeted sides, rod racks and Lenco trim tabs. Also standard is an easy-clean, nonskid deck, heavy-duty rub rails and a custom aluminum trailer with a spare tire, LED lights and a 12-inch-wide custom walk board.

Inside, the boat provides anglers tons of dry storage as well, with all hatches equipped with rubber gaskets and spring-loaded Moonlite springs.

Running and Fishing
But how does the boat run and fish? As with any Hell’s Bay, it’ll stack up well against any competitor. And with a 38-gallon aluminum-baffled powder-coated gas tank, it has the ability to take on large expanses of water.

The Neptune’s spray rails are incorporated directly into the hull, which helps generate a smooth ride even in rough conditions while being pushed at high levels of speed by the powerful outboard options. Yet maneuver this boat onto the flats, and it turns into a nimble fishing machine.

Equipped with Stiffy push-pole holders, the Neptune also features under-gunwale rod tubes capable of holding 10 fly rods. An anodized polling platform with SeaDek coating offers great traction and stability for slinking around in the shallows, and anglers on the bow will appreciate its wide beam and walkaround gunwales. The Neptune even has a 30-gallon livewell plumbed with two pumps that cycle 800 gallons of water per hour.

This boat is built for serious inshore anglers. It’s certainly big and fast – but it’s also quiet and discreet. That’s a tough combination to beat.

Specifications

LOA……18’8″
**Beam……6’8″
Draft……10″ (w/ fuel and 150 hp OB)
Weight……795 lbs. (dry)
Fuel……38 gals.
Max HP……150 hp OB
MSRP……$53,000
**(w/ Evinrude 150-HO E-Tech OB)

Hell’s Bay Boatworks / Titusville, Florida / 321-383-8223 / www.hellsbayboatworks.com

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There’s no question that Hell’s Bay Boatworks produces what many consider to be the finest flats skiffs on the planet. As you might also expect, they’re not cheap.

But a new Lodge Edition offered by the Titusville, Florida-based builder has made it more affordable than ever to get into the Hell’s Bay of your dreams. That could be music to the ears of a would-be boat owner sitting on the fence in a tough economy.

Hell’s Bay president and owner Chris Peterson didn’t develop the Lodge Edition specifically for that purpose. Instead, it was designed for fly-fishing lodges in remote parts of the world, where simplicity is Rule No. 1 for boats. As a custom builder, however, Peterson has decided to honor the same package for consumers who may be looking to save a few bucks.

The Lodge Edition basically comprises a stripped down Hell’s Bay – in any model, whether a Waterman, Guide or Boca Grande. The package starts with the basic hull of any of these renowned skiffs, but instead of incorporating a center or side console with a steering wheel and a throttle, a simple tiller outboard is used for power.

Tillers are especially nice in remote parts of the world because, as Peterson says, “if there’s anything wrong with the engine, it quickly unbolts, and you can put on a replacement or spare very quickly. With a lodge, there’s no downtime, especially if they have an extra engine on hand.”

In addition to the tiller, the Lodge Edition incorporates in the cockpit a spacious dry storage box that opens aft. Positioned conveniently on top of that box are two comfortable running seats, an ideal setup that allows a guide to easily chat with his clients while cruising to the fishing grounds.

Truth be told, it’s an attractive layout for anyone, period! And along with saving a couple thousand dollars through the elimination of wiring, materials and work involved with constructing a console, Lodge Editions conceivably will lighten a boat’s overall weight as well, making shallow water all the more accessible.

The package also comes with under-gunwale rod storage and a forward-deck leaning post that is easily removed and stowed. Lodge Editions incorporate a cavernous dry storage compartment on the forward deck and an insulated box for items that need to stay cold built into the rear deck.

But which model to choose? That depends on your fishery, of course. A more flat-bottomed Whipray might be an ideal choice for Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon, but a beefier Marquesa would serve an angler better in the larger, choppier waters often associated with Miami’s Biscayne Bay. Peterson says that Abaco Lodge, in the Bahamas, just bought four Lodge Editions in the Waterman model, since its modified tunnel hull was perfect for running their rocky marls.

Regardless, the beauty of the Lodge Edition is that you’re getting the classic Hell’s Bay hull – constructed of 100 percent vinylester resins, Kevlar, uni-directional carbon fiber and ATC Core-Cell structural foam.

While the bells and whistles are always nice and often make the boat, a Lodge Edition from Hell’s Bay will get you into one of the finest flats skiffs around – at a price you’ll find reasonable.

Model / LOA
Devilray / 14’8″
Whipray / 16’4″
Waterman / 18′
Professional / 17’8″
Marquesa / 17’11”
Guide / 18’4″
Glades Skiff / 18′
Boca Grande / 18’2″

_Hell’s Bay Boatworks / Titusville, Florida / 321-383-8223 / _www.hellsbayboatworks.com

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Hell’s Bay Cape Sable 21

You know the name and the reputation, but this boat is a serious departure for Hell’s Bay. Without anything like it in its current lineup of flats skiffs, the designers began creating this boat from the keel up with a single priority – building a fishing machine for not-so-skinny water.

Of course, the hull features the same construction techniques used in its smaller boats. They use vinylester resin to prevent water intrusion into the laminate, and Kevlar, S-Glass and carbon fiber materials are incorporated into the hull, deck and components to enclose the vacuum-bagged Core-cell composite for structural strength.

Designed by fishermen for fishing, no space goes to waste. The carpeted undergunwale rod racks will easily accommodate fly rods, and there is enough storage for even the most thorough fly-fishermen, with dry, quiet rubber-gasketed hatches featuring extra-deep gutters and spring-loaded Moonlite hatch stays. A 55-gallon in-floor baitwell, two 15-gallon baitwells in the transom, and a 165-gallon in-floor fish box in the forward cockpit sole that is plumbed and rigged with a macerator come standard on the Cape Sable. All lockers and baitwells feature LED courtesy lights as well.

High-speed electric trim tabs come standard, along with the Teleflex SeaStar hydraulic steering. Hell’s Bay even prewired the console for easy custom electronics installations. If you want, they can add a custom hard T-top. While the standard price may stop you at first, realize that it includes a custom tandem-axle aluminum trailer with a spare tire, aluminum wheels and disk brakes and a 150-hp Merc Optimax.

LOA: 20’8″
BEAM: 8’2″
DRAFT: 17″
WEIGHT: 1,950 pounds
FUEL: 85 gallons
POWER: 150-hp Mercury Optimax
BASE PRICE: $64,000 (including boat, motor and trailer)

Hell’s Bay Boatworks
321-383-8223
www.hellsbayboatworks.com

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