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Couldn't find what I wanted so I made my own.

All new model, not a reintroduction of anything from the past. The running surface (hull bottom) might look somewhat familiar to some of you old timers. Skip

was looking at my galleries for a specific pic and ran across these...a few minutes of the outdoors during the times of place and shelter....enjoy

The first run video copied from Facebook: RF21_first_run.mp4

Got her last Friday.... kept it real simple and clean. Ran it 4 hours Sunday.... man she is unbelievable! Getting elecs etc installed right now will post pics when thats done.

I finally threw some wax at my sled, I’ve been using the boat a good bit and haven’t had time

Sad to hear your dads boat is going to its final launching, but I'm glad you had such great family memories with it. I too came from a family of siblings. 3 girls and 2 boys. We grew up boating and skiing in Biscayne Bay and at our camp on the Kissimmee River. My Dad always had boats and always tinkered on outboards. All of our boats were either aluminum or wood when I was young. I even had a 9' APBA wooden hydro with a 9.9 Chrysler when I was 7 years old! I got to get my parents to dig up pics of that thing! One of my favorite boats growing up was one of our smallest. 1979 14.6 DuraCraft Jon boat. We spent countless weekends and hours in the backcountry of the glades and all thru the canal systems of Dade County. We literally wore out tiller engines on the back of that boat. When we got older we moved on to fiberglass and moved into flats boats. My Dads DuraCraft was left to sit in the yard under trees for years and years. A few years back I pulled it out of my parents yard and took it home to assess what needed to be done to get it going again. It was used so much in salt water that 90 precent of the aircraft grade rivets were rotted away or loose. I ended up fully restoring the boat for my Dad (All new bucked rivets, new marine ply transom, backyard spray booth painted and replicated original decals and FL's) One pic shows the boat when I first completed it. The other is a pic of my old man and my oldest daughter a few years ago cruising the oxe bows of the ol Kissimmee.

Gitcha some of this... PERFORMANCE RPM MPH GPH MPG 1000 5.4 1.2 4.50 1500 7.5 2.1 3.57 2000 9.9 3.6 2.75 2500 19.9 4.9 4.06 3000 27.0 6.2 4.35 3500 33.4 8.3 4.02 4000 39.4 11.4 3.46 4500 44.2 15.7 2.82 5000 50.2 19.9 2.52 5500 55.1 24.8 2.22 6000 63.3 26.3 2.41 ACCELERATON TIME TO PLANE 3.32 0 ~ 20 MPH 4.58

https://galleries.maverickboatgroup.com/Galleries/Hewes-Redfisher-21/i-RZnShmr/A Skip

OK then, I ain't going nuts. But, the add sold me twice. Good reply there Skip. Makes sense from the marketing side.. Thanks for the clarification as it makes potential buyers of the product when doing comparisons a little more knowledgeable. I seriously wrote this new boat off with the published weight comparing it to what I own. I will also add that the trailer under the new Hewes will by law require brakes on all axles. It ain't coming in under 3K on weight on any trailer, dual or single axle. I suspect at this point the new boat weighs wet very close to what I fished yesterday.🤔

Found another good pic of the New Hewes Redfisher 21 on the first run:

Nothing like watching the sunrise in the backcountry of ENP!

Well done...those were the size of the reds we saw on the flats....but, no love for us..... I"m addicted to the front.....COTO says until I loose 50 lbs, no more poling my fat ARSE around for him.... On the diet this AM. dc

General run for me: 1) If you are taking anything over the bow, it's too rough to troll 2.) If you are taking anything over the stern, it's time to go in 3.) If you exit the inlet and see the elephants walking - turn around I've been in some bad stuff off the keys that fired up....yes, not comfortable and I made it back...could I fish in it ? No The boat will take a pounding and she rides well in the bad stuff...the problem is you very little bow rise and because they are light you tend to pitch pole forward on close waves (e.g. coming into an inlet be careful). It's not about the size of the waves, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, etc...it's about your skills, the conditions of the boat and what you are fishing for on the ocean... Out trolling you can easily spend the day in 3-4"s if they are rollers....but, remember, there are always the 3-5 that will be part of that pack. Anchoring in anything more than 2-3 is not FUN !!!....they are light and tend to bounce on top of the waves.....but, with that comes alot of movement in the cockpit. Pic your days....you'll begin to know your limits and what you are comfortable fishing in.... DC

They forgot the front livewell! Am I the only one who wants a boat with a front livewell?

I own one and can sure answer that question and take a stab at the OP questions too. So will give my .02 to ya both...as best I can. Im an old guy and owned a pile of two brands and one Rhodan. I was in a position for many years to buy MK or MG at a steeply discounted rate and changed them every year. Once or twice I actually made a year without one going in the shop but usually they all had a trip to the shop or 2 or 3 under warranty. Had 3 Ulterra's and MK replaced one under warranty. All saw the shop too often. So much so I had to keep a spare ipilot to used while they were in the shop. But...I use them. Hard. Way more hours on my trollers than my outboards. So...if Lowrance Ghost troller had hit the market with salt version I would of likely tried it too as I was fed up with MK and mostly MK customer service. They have none really for motors in or out of warranty. Remote went bad and they would not let repair center give me one . Nope. Had to wait a couple weeks on them to ship it. Dropped one of the newer ones over and they sink like a brick. Why... Minn Kota why...do you make a remote that dangles from a rope to be used on a boat and won't float 🤷‍♂️. I digress...They were out of stock so 4 weeks to get a new one second go round. Only comes with one so had to keep spares. Maybe power pole service has me spoiled 😁 All things considered the Rhodan is actually less than the MK. The Rhodan retails for like 100 bucks more than MK and its worth every penny more to me if all things were even. But they are not. The Rhodan is built for the salt and built local to us in Florida. As such every motor is bed liner coated on the foot. Thats huge for those of us dragging over oysters and fishing...well...where the fish are here. 🤷‍♂️🤣 Rhodan also comes pre mounted to a quick release and they include the puck. As well as a Ram mount for extra stability. I think MK quick release is like 75 bucks and I had a quote to have my MK foot bedlinered and it was like a hundred bucks. So...all things considered just on those items alone they include, it evens things out to me. The Rhodan clearly has heavier wiring and maybe I had a bad batch of MKs but my Rhodan is stronger, quieter and uses less battery than the MK. It absolutely holds the spot lock on the spot and with much less hunting and spinning than any MK or MG I ever owned. The MG spot lock is superior to to the MK though. Buddy runs MG and it holds better than MK but that Rhodan is much tighter holding pattern. Much much tighter with milder ramp up. I have 15 months on my Rhodan and have never needed customer service other than ordering new props (see oyster bar comment above 😒) every 3-4 months but they are similar to PP's customer service from my calls to them. The motor has performed for me exceedingly well. I run a 24v 80 pounder so I can''t speak to the 36v question but the 24 is strong. Rhodan can tell you why its stronger than competitors. Something to do with how the motor is wound akin to HP being measured at the hub vs on the dyno in theory I guess. Their new motors will have Lowrance connectivity but they don't yet. Not sure if plus or neg but the Rhodan remote is about size of my power pole remote and I have come to enjoy it that size. And it floats 🤣 You do give up the screen and lots of extra buttons and functions. I don't store a pile of routes and the Rhodan 12 memory positions are more than I use. I mostly use the lock, cruise control, steer and power so the simplicity has grown on me. Others will chime in with more I am sure but here in Florida the Rhodan has become a lot more common sight on decks. Maybe other places too as they seem to be modeling power poles service for motors out of Florida that may have an issue. Apparently they are proficient at trouble shooting over phone and getting the part you need out asap. With all that said...I drive a GMC truck, but have owned all kinds of trucks Ford, Dodge, Toyo and each served a purpose and each has had their time to shine same as the trollers.

Another stellar day in the ENP yesterday. Mike (InTheSlot12) ran his 18 HPX though the dark, moonless morning. Low tide at Chokoloskee was at about 0600 and boy was it low! We ran the Lopez into the backcountry and it was very shallow leaving Chokoloskee Bay into the mouth of the river. Fishing in a couple of the bays in the backcountry around mangrove islands, oyster bars and mouths of pinch points when the tide slacked, we whacked the snook--over 30 for the day including two very nice ones (28" and 30") that Mike brought to the boat. We also had a few trout, mangrove snapper and jacks and a husky jewfish. And, the second sawfish in two weeks--what's up with that?? Most of the fish were caught on MriroLure Catch 2000 (Mike's new favorite bait) or 2000 Jr. and soft plastics on jigs. White or white/red seemed to be the color of the day. Small white bait everywhere, so I think anything that matches that profile would probably work. Here are a few pictures from the day. 887C2F4E-F3A2-40D9-8ECB-6E33631A13A6.heic

Kickin azz n takin names ! 🇺🇸🏴‍☠️

Yup ! Epic indeed . The snook bite has been on fire , the last several weeks . Many over slots were lost because I am using. 1000 series reel . Oh well , trying to make it interesting . Seven weeks in a row , in the swamp . Off for mothers day . Permit season will be coming right up . Feel sorry for the ramp monsters ...not ! 🇺🇸🏴‍☠️

Lurem What lake in SC. I remember many a summer day on lake Murray at my grandparents. In the mornings we cut grass planted bushes and did anything my grandfather needed done. All so we could go skiing in the afternoon... many memories but as my brother and I look back my grandfather won out with cheap labor.

My grandparents live on a lake in SC and this was there boat. We went there every summer and the whole family could water ski. This is a picture of it and what I learned to water ski behind when I was 8 YO. It had a 35 HP motor and the hull was aluminum. Something happened to the 35 hp and the next summer I went they had a 33HP outboard. Lots of memories for sure.

Well she’s done for now. Two toned, new nonskid, new rubrail and decals. Needs new Nav lights to finish her up for summer. She looks good for 16 yrs. old

Yes, please remember. And, teach your children. We are not entitled to happiness. We are entitled to THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Brave souls gave their precious lives for us to have the freedom to pursue it. Have a great Memorial Day everyone!

I just put one of these in my Pathfinder. Pretty amazing product, great deal. I am not affiliated in any way; just passing on a bargain. I does come with the Active Imaging 3 in 1 transducer, even though the photo is of another. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lowrance-HDS-12-Carbon-With-Active-Imaging-3-in-1-Transom-Mount-Transducer-LOWRA/373001483758?epid=3037960544&hash=item56d89ef5ee:g:SQEAAOSw5B9ex~8i

I disagree, BDSnook and I fish together and alternate boats, mine is a 16 RF and his is a 21 MA. The 21 MA is definitely a live bait boat with live wells in the front and back. his boat rides like a greyhound through the water in smooth and rough water, mine is more like a jack Russell terrier bouncing along in any kind of water. We use the front live well on his boat exclusively. It has a large lid opening, seals around the edge and holds a ton of bait. Now, when it gets dicey on the water and it is full some small amounts of water will splash out. Other than that it is a great option for me, a live bait kind of guy. On the other hand when we get into my boat and use the live well the lid opening is WAY to small, it feels like the size of a shoe box lid after being on Dave's boat. It is also in the rear and we fish off the bow using the trolling motor or power poled up. we have to go to the back of the boat every time we need a bait. IMO, this new boat could use a step and front live well.

Tore out my wet sounds sub and added a 12 inch jl sub, check out the difference! New amp goes in today to power the sub, went with a jl m600/1 for the sub, and then a wet sounds sdx6 to power the 8 jl speakers. Should be able to stun the fish to the surface without the need of a fishing rod lol!

They sure have. That is why I made the comment. I bought right in the time boat companies were laying off. Skip worked with me to get several options that MBG didn't offer any longer. To include the color, the rope insert rub rail and custom live well plumbing. Family boating center helped with the rest as I bought the, power pole, electronics trailer and engine myself through my sponsors. FBC did the rigging and Curtis and his group did a good job. Skip said folks should be happy with the price point. Rather than guess I think I will just ask the dealer. Cause that is who is gonna sell it to ya. I wish Skip would tell us just how similar the running bottom is to the 21 MA. I think the ride of the 21 was it best selling feature.

Finally got the opportunity to get out on COTO's HPX-V 17.... He's got the skiff tuned perfectly for shallow water fishing of Flamingo. It had been years since I've been out on the flats of Flamingo...I've fished the canals and some of the areas out front. Years ago Coto fished all the islands and flats of Flamingo.... We decided to go yesterday, wheels up at 0330 from FLL and at the dock by 0545 along with about a doz boats..... We decided to head out to and begin our day on the flats of Jimmy Lake and had a few shots, but, no love....we moved of this flat as about another 1/2 dozen boats began to to come up on the flat and things were getting a bit busy....we moved to another and more boats....ugggh...by now, we counted at least 20-25 boats within sight...not good. So, we decided to make a move to the outer flats and some of the big islands out front.... We stopped in some of the canals and found some reds for dinner..... COTO was up on the tower most of the day and his eyes are much better than mine....he would say, Dino, 1 O'clock, 20 yards, redfish - CAST !!!! I'm like where, where He was snipping the reds off the tower with precision casting....of course, I had to take them off the jigs when they arrived boat side We decided to make a run to another of COTO's old spots and ran across the skinny tot he back side of an island.... Pole and troll in effect, we dropped off plane and were making our way into the island. COTO sees a set of bubbles and some push...he nails the cast and then it's game on.... We were only in about 18" of water and the big girl was ripping line and running straight off into the flats...we couldn't figure out what it was as we had seen some jacks and small sharks....no head shake, no jump...just pure power...drag screaming....COTO says, I think we are going to need the net finally, the big girl gave us a profile view. And, almost on cue, we both shout out......it's a snook... I'm fumbling trying to get the stow way net out of the hatch - note to COTO, let's keep the net out So I can grab it easily... After a nice fight....she come aboard for a few pics and then swims off to get ready for the breeding season.... A few pics of the day...these were shot with my Iphone11 and I processed using Lightroom...next trip I'll take long my Nikon gear...it's been too long since I've shot... Overall...1/2 dozen reds...two home for dinner with COTO...i had a few mid size snooks and a nice mid slot reds...cant' wait to get out front again !!!! Saw Big Dave and Mike...I"m sure their report will be forth coming....great to see you guys..... COTO ON THE TOWER OUR BIG GIRL FOR THE DAY.......we forgot to measure the big girl as we wanted to get her back in the water quickly and in good health as we saw quite a few bull sharks crusing around......but, as perspective the front of the hatch is 32"...he has a ruler in the sea-deck....we think she was 35-37"...but, a big girl in any book

You can add waxing/sanding agent to the gel-coat. The waxing/sanding agent is wax suspended in styrene which floats to the surface of curing gel-coat, allowing it to cure to a sandable finish. It is available at most fiberglass supply stores. I've had mixed results with this stuff. The wax tends to separate from the styrene while sitting in the container. For best results, you need to let the agent warm to at least 80 degrees and then mix it thoroughly by shaking the container. Because I am generally mixing small batches of gel-coat, getting the proper ratios of sanding agent and MEKP can be a little tricky. I tend to go a bit higher on my MEKP ratio in order to get the gelcoat to cure to a harder, more sandable finish. If you can, work in direct sunlight, on warmer days, with as little humidity as your locale allows. Do not do any glass work in the last 3 hours of the day. Falling temperatures and dew will ruin your work. Also, do not do any glass work if there is any risk of rain. Even if your work is protected from the rainfall, the boosted humidity and falling temperatures associated with the rain will also ruin your work.

Hey Ralph, Do you remember this one? I took this pic as you were towing my butt back to the ramp.

Garage envy! GLWS.

I am in the same boat as you, I am not on facebook, Instagram or any social media. Hopefully it will show up somewhere we can access it for the old timers in the group.

i think you will be very surprised and happy with the pricing! Our dealers have current pricing and can price one out for you. Skip

Absolutely, please post video of initial sea trial! Just saw the video... she appears to run up on the pad pretty good!

Fishmanjj, I agree I think that three is a market not me but a big market for bay/ flats boats that are 23-25 foot range . I know that on this forum it sounds like there is a big market for the 18 and 21 Mavericks and 21 RF but I see a lot of brand new bigger bay boats around . I can’t see MBC making another 21 Hewes . I may be wrong but I think if it was a top seller they would not of stopped making them . Like I said I may be wrong this is just what I think .

Found a few more pics of the new model being built. Looks like a wide beam:

or just fill it up and hit reset.

At pushing 72 in same boat as you. Getting old s...... But has its benefits to. With age comes experience and wisdom. LOL 😀⚓️🙏 fin

I just wanted to say thank you to everybody that gave me insight on my boats current need. The guys at gemlux we’re great. I placed my order and literally the next day the rod holders arrived at my house. They where looking sharp and packaged extremely well! thx again.

I compounded boat a couple weeks ago just bc I thought it was time. As far as wax application, literally wiped on and then using a clean microfiber rag wiped it off. No buffing required. The blue part of my boat is awlgrip paint so I use awlcare on that

3 years old guys...

So after much consideration, I have landed on the MA 18!! Super excited about it and THANK YOU ALL for assisting with you knowledge and experience!

Things are looking up... 146 and a wakeup...

Very cool. My best memories are spending the summers at my uncles cottage at the jersey shore where I learned to fish and boat from the age of three. Started to run boats from age 4. From skiffs to a 25 Chris Craft. Due to that I have owned boats from 12 to 37 feet. Also led me to become a yacht broker in my older years. Now my entire family has the love of fishing and boats. My son at the age of 9 could back down a 37’ sportfish into a slip. It was amazing to watch. Could not imagine life without it. 😀⚓️🙏 fin

Finally I have couple fishes to show from Southern Ga.

I wonder if they can quit putting ethanol into our fuel and start using it to make the hand sanitizer instead. Two birds with one stone.