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Author Topic:   Are Gulf Coast Boats related to Whalers?

Tom2697 posted 05-27-2003 09:54 AM ET (US)
Does anyone have any knowledge about Gulf Coast Boats? They are fairly common down here in South Texas. They have a smirk similar to a Whaler's. They have the low freeboard of the earlier Outrages. They come in the CPD gray. Their logo even looks similar to the Boston Whaler logo (they have a fish hook instead of the hull outline). These are shallow water boats with a tunnel hull that can also handle light offshore duty. I am just curious.....
hooter posted 05-27-2003 10:27 AM ET (US)
Gulf Coast and TranSport both hale from Texas and sell "low profile" flats boats with hulls that were originally splashed from a 1970s vintage outrage 21'. The guy at TranSport freely admitted it to me on the telephone couple years back and referred t'Gulf Coast as another example o' the practice. The Whaler-sim'lar appearance is no coincidence. Don't pull the plug on either rig, though, unless your gear floats and you like t' swim.
Tom2697 posted 05-27-2003 01:57 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the info!
It seems that almost all of the boats made in Texas are knockoffs of other boats. The people buy an old mold and then modify it to include a tunnel. Some work quite well while others are downright scary.
As for pulling the plug, I must assume that neither of these boats are made in the Whaler fashion...
hooter posted 05-27-2003 02:13 PM ET (US)
You are correct in sev'ral ways: no foam sandwich hull construction; minimal floatation anywhere in the hull; low-end hardware and gen'rally utilitarian fit and finish. The tunnel is a damn good feature. Actually not from an old "mold", per say. Rather, an old Whaler O/R 21' was actually used as the form for producin' a new set of molds from which all the new sinkable Whaler knockoffs derived. Ah've seen a number o'both brands under wildlife, police and other agency dudes out of Corpus and in Galveston Bay. So both manufacturers must have both overcome some hurdles to get so far.
bsmotril posted 05-27-2003 10:38 PM ET (US)
Gulf coast is actually a knockoff of an old boy in Louisiana that would by up old Whaler hulls and modify them. He would cut off the top cap, then add a new top deck made for fishing the shallow bays around the TX and LA border. Ol' Micky Gilley saw the commercial potential and started building Gulf Coast Boats. I don't know if the family still is the current owner though. Compared to the Shallow Sports and Majeks, they give similar shallow water performance, but keep you a lot drier and comfortable crossing a choppy bay. I see a lot of them around Port O'Connor, and have fished as a guest on a Gulf Coast 20a High Side several times. If I were in the market for a utilitarian shallow water fishing boat, they would be high on my short list. With a Yamaha TRP,Nedski foil, and hydraulic jack plate, the shallow water performance is awesome.
BillS
jimh posted 05-27-2003 11:18 PM ET (US)
I don't think Boston Whaler sells old molds. These Texans probably used an old hull as a plug and made their own mold.
TRIDENT posted 05-28-2003 10:33 AM ET (US)
Here's a link to their site, for those interested. Gulf Coast does make good shallow water boats, albeit without the high quality finish we have come to expect in our Whalers. Texas has many miles of very shallow saltwater flats teeming with big speckled trout and redfish. Whalers are unable to safely traverse these flats, so these tunnel hull Whaler copies may be the next best thing. Maybe someday I will get one to add to the fleet...
http://www.gulfcoastboats.net/
vdbgroup posted 05-31-2003 11:18 AM ET (US)
The Transport and Gulf Coast were splashed off of the old Whaler 21' Outrage hull w/ some slight modifications. They offer a dry, stable ride and feature a tunnel hull to run in about 10". They need a little more water to get out of the hole. Some have keyhole slot transom. They all have fiberglass stringers, no wood, foam filled hulls (not up the sides), and are laid w/ as much if not more fiberglass than the CPD boats. Gulf Coast also makes a shallow water version of the Classic 25 Outrage.
I am very familiar w/ Transport and Gulf Coast boats, know the owner's, seen their plants and production of hulls. They are quality boats and work well in any shallow water venue where you also need to cross into open water.
TRIDENT posted 06-02-2003 09:01 AM ET (US)
vdbfroup, in your opinion which is the better of the two, Transport or Gulf Coast?
TRIDENT posted 06-02-2003 09:02 AM ET (US)
vdbgroup, please forgive my typing error.
vdbgroup posted 06-02-2003 10:06 PM ET (US)
The Gulf Coast is better on trim/fit/finish, The TranSport is heavier duty a little less pretty. TranSport will customize your rig and sells direct. Gulf Coast sells through dealers. TranSport more competitive on price.
Resale on Both is very good in Texas as they are in high demand. I think performance wise there is probably no difference.
TRIDENT posted 06-03-2003 09:36 AM ET (US)
That's what I thought. I was going to stop at the Transport shop last time I was going through Palacious, but fishing was the priority then (as always) and I still had 50 miles to get to Seadrift. Happy Whalin'

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Author	Topic: Are Gulf Coast Boats related to Whalers?
Tom2697	posted 05-27-2003 09:54 AM ET (US) Does anyone have any knowledge about Gulf Coast Boats? They are fairly common down here in South Texas. They have a smirk similar to a Whaler's. They have the low freeboard of the earlier Outrages. They come in the CPD gray. Their logo even looks similar to the Boston Whaler logo (they have a fish hook instead of the hull outline). These are shallow water boats with a tunnel hull that can also handle light offshore duty. I am just curious.....
hooter	posted 05-27-2003 10:27 AM ET (US) Gulf Coast and TranSport both hale from Texas and sell "low profile" flats boats with hulls that were originally splashed from a 1970s vintage outrage 21'. The guy at TranSport freely admitted it to me on the telephone couple years back and referred t'Gulf Coast as another example o' the practice. The Whaler-sim'lar appearance is no coincidence. Don't pull the plug on either rig, though, unless your gear floats and you like t' swim.
Tom2697	posted 05-27-2003 01:57 PM ET (US) Thanks for the info! It seems that almost all of the boats made in Texas are knockoffs of other boats. The people buy an old mold and then modify it to include a tunnel. Some work quite well while others are downright scary. As for pulling the plug, I must assume that neither of these boats are made in the Whaler fashion...
hooter	posted 05-27-2003 02:13 PM ET (US) You are correct in sev'ral ways: no foam sandwich hull construction; minimal floatation anywhere in the hull; low-end hardware and gen'rally utilitarian fit and finish. The tunnel is a damn good feature. Actually not from an old "mold", per say. Rather, an old Whaler O/R 21' was actually used as the form for producin' a new set of molds from which all the new sinkable Whaler knockoffs derived. Ah've seen a number o'both brands under wildlife, police and other agency dudes out of Corpus and in Galveston Bay. So both manufacturers must have both overcome some hurdles to get so far.
bsmotril	posted 05-27-2003 10:38 PM ET (US) Gulf coast is actually a knockoff of an old boy in Louisiana that would by up old Whaler hulls and modify them. He would cut off the top cap, then add a new top deck made for fishing the shallow bays around the TX and LA border. Ol' Micky Gilley saw the commercial potential and started building Gulf Coast Boats. I don't know if the family still is the current owner though. Compared to the Shallow Sports and Majeks, they give similar shallow water performance, but keep you a lot drier and comfortable crossing a choppy bay. I see a lot of them around Port O'Connor, and have fished as a guest on a Gulf Coast 20a High Side several times. If I were in the market for a utilitarian shallow water fishing boat, they would be high on my short list. With a Yamaha TRP,Nedski foil, and hydraulic jack plate, the shallow water performance is awesome. BillS
jimh	posted 05-27-2003 11:18 PM ET (US) I don't think Boston Whaler sells old molds. These Texans probably used an old hull as a plug and made their own mold.
TRIDENT	posted 05-28-2003 10:33 AM ET (US) Here's a link to their site, for those interested. Gulf Coast does make good shallow water boats, albeit without the high quality finish we have come to expect in our Whalers. Texas has many miles of very shallow saltwater flats teeming with big speckled trout and redfish. Whalers are unable to safely traverse these flats, so these tunnel hull Whaler copies may be the next best thing. Maybe someday I will get one to add to the fleet... http://www.gulfcoastboats.net/
vdbgroup	posted 05-31-2003 11:18 AM ET (US) The Transport and Gulf Coast were splashed off of the old Whaler 21' Outrage hull w/ some slight modifications. They offer a dry, stable ride and feature a tunnel hull to run in about 10". They need a little more water to get out of the hole. Some have keyhole slot transom. They all have fiberglass stringers, no wood, foam filled hulls (not up the sides), and are laid w/ as much if not more fiberglass than the CPD boats. Gulf Coast also makes a shallow water version of the Classic 25 Outrage. I am very familiar w/ Transport and Gulf Coast boats, know the owner's, seen their plants and production of hulls. They are quality boats and work well in any shallow water venue where you also need to cross into open water.
TRIDENT	posted 06-02-2003 09:01 AM ET (US) vdbfroup, in your opinion which is the better of the two, Transport or Gulf Coast?
TRIDENT	posted 06-02-2003 09:02 AM ET (US) vdbgroup, please forgive my typing error.
vdbgroup	posted 06-02-2003 10:06 PM ET (US) The Gulf Coast is better on trim/fit/finish, The TranSport is heavier duty a little less pretty. TranSport will customize your rig and sells direct. Gulf Coast sells through dealers. TranSport more competitive on price. Resale on Both is very good in Texas as they are in high demand. I think performance wise there is probably no difference.
TRIDENT	posted 06-03-2003 09:36 AM ET (US) That's what I thought. I was going to stop at the Transport shop last time I was going through Palacious, but fishing was the priority then (as always) and I still had 50 miles to get to Seadrift. Happy Whalin'