Photographer and artist Adrian Gray wrote us to tell us just why he choose Inshore Power Boats as his new flats skiff. Thanks Adrian we are very happy to have you on board!
Straight out of college, my first big purchase was a Carolina Skiff J16. It turned out to be the best purchase of my life. Price was my biggest concern. I needed a boat that was economical and would not throw me into debt right out of school. I also did not want to wait 10 years to save the money a high-end skiff would cost just to get out to the backcountry to fish. The J16 fit the bill and got me where I needed to go. That budget purchase provided me with lots of great fishing memories.
Ten years later, budgeting is even more important than it was to me back then. As a blue collar worker in these rough economic times, it is harder and harder to pay all the bills. I still managed to put away money here and there for the last five years for the day when I could upgrade to a stable skiff I can pole in shallow water, get me to those sweet spots faster, carry more gear but still be a good, economical purchase.
In the spring of 2009, I happened upon a small advertisement in a fishing magazine for a boat called the “Inshore 16.” The boat looked to be a simple, clean, modular skiff that can be “made-to-order” with multiple options. I was interested and visited the website and decided to keep this thought in the back of my mind.
In October 2009, fate would have me fish with a friend on his newly-purchased Inshore Power Boat 16 (IPB 16). It was the same boat I was interested in! His was an all-white tiller version with a Honda 50. Besides looking like a boat that was much more expensive, the boat ran exceptionally well. It was well-built, nicely finished, fast, dry in medium winds and chop, and spacious. When I heard how much he paid for it, I honestly could not believe the value the IPB 16 provided for the dollar, especially when I learned that it was fully vacuum-infused and foam filled the way high- priced skiffs are. As soon as we got back on land, I went back to the website www.inshorepowerboats.com and realized that it allowed me to virtually pre-construct a boat that was customizable to fit my needs. I wanted a simple, spacious skiff that would carry my camera gear and fishing gear. I always wanted a black-hull skiff and a black Mercury 50 tiller looked like a perfect fit, too. The tiller would allow the room I needed for a Yeti coffin cooler and my camera gear.
I called Inshore Power Boats and spoke to owner Brad Ball, who did a great job working with me on pre-constructing the boat. He worked up varied prices based on optional equipment and worked with me to refine my IPB 16 to fit my needs and budget. He was honest and truthful and did not try to sell me every option in the book.
Today, I’m the proud owner of an all black IPB 16 with gray interior and a Mercury 50 with a 4-stroke tiller. The boat is perfectly stable, which is a necessity for my heavy photography applications. It poles quietly in an honest 6 inches of water with me on the poling platform and an angler on the bow even with the upgraded 17 gallon fuel tank up front and extra gear. With an angler and I, in light chop, my IPB 16 will go 36-39 mph. You’ll be surprised to know that even with the finished gel-coat and quality custom components, my IPB 16 is still surprisingly close in price to what I paid for my Carolina Skiff so long ago. In the coming months, I will upgrade my front-deck to a longer front-deck gunnel platform, which Brad and the guys and Inshore Power Boats are developing now. I find the upgrade potential and ease of changing options to be a great plus for possible future reconfiguration of the boat. Above all, I’ve learned when it comes to choosing a flats boat, there is no perfect boat that does it all. My IPB cannot be beat. I truly am proud to fish it and still be able to keep some money in the bank!
Adrian Gray, Buying a new boat, IPB Boat | admin | 
April 29, 2010 2:12 pm | 
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