Since the start of production in 1981 Arima Marine
International has been dedicated to building quality boats that tow easily,
require low horsepower for their size, and have an outstanding, and well
deserved, reputation for safety in the kinds of conditions experienced in
the Pacific Northwest, Western Canada, Alaska, and along the Pacific coast.
Of course, good news travels and the Arima boats migrated to all points in
the U.S. as they work well in almost every circumstance.
All Arima boats from the 15-foot Sea Hunter and Sea Sprinter
to the 22-foot Sea Legend share the same general hull shape and
characteristics. There are subtle differences, much like different
vintages of a fine wine, between the various lengths but they all share the
same easily driven, stable, and flat running characteristics that define the
line. And they're all (even the 21 and 22 footers) foam filled for
full floatation (and also for sound and temperature insulation).
What the Arima is not, is a deep-v hull. It's not
intended to go head-to-head with a deep-v hulled boat in rough conditions.
Instead, it's designed to allow the operator to slow down to a reasonable
planing speed and comfortably travel up and over each wave rather than
having to go through them. This results in much better visibility as
the hull runs quite flat, a more comfortable ride for all aboard as the
g-forces induced by high speed operation are much diminished, and requires
much less horsepower to run the boat efficiently (and hence, better fuel
economy).
You can argue back-and-forth until the cows come home about
what hull design is the "best" but it doesn't exist in a universal sense;
any given hull is only best if it meets the needs of the task at hand and
pleases the owner. Think of it this way...you can lay out an off-road
course through the mountains and the desert so that both stock Jeeps (or
other road-worthy 4x4s) can run it but they're never going to run with the
purpose-built racers with their huge suspension and gobs of power.
However, that racer isn't going to run on the highway to and from the event
either. And it's going to take a lot more concentration and energy to
keep the high speed racer on course all day than it is the relatively easy
drive a Jeep might have at much lower speeds.
The point is, it's "horses for courses". Choose what's
necessary to get the job done and to make it a pleasant experience
(operationally and financially). If you're running 15 miles to the
fishing grounds there's very little time difference between running there
with a 15-knot boat or a 25-knot boat but a world of difference in fuel burn
(and comfort depending on the day). If you're never going to run
except "with the guys" who all love fast boats and exhilarating rides a fast
deep-v is nothing but fun. But when you have folks aboard that you
know would feel much more comfortable if you slowed down just a bit it's
nice to have a boat that can do that without dropping it's transom into a
deep self-made hole; and your pocketbook will thank you at the end of the
day when you fill up.
A deep-v hull by design is a sports car; an Arima is a
minivan (or SUV or Crossover these days I suppose). Just be sure to
choose the one that's best for your application and don't be fooled into
thinking there's just one boat out there that "does it all"...it just
doesn't exist (and it would have to defy the laws of physics to do so).
Model Descriptions:
Sea Hunter 15
- This boat reminds me of a Boston
Terrier. It doesn't really know how small it is and it takes on
situations much bigger than it ought to and manages to make it work (you
should run it prudently; I'm not suggesting you become a daredevil!).
I've run around a lot with one of these little boats (all through the San
Juan Islands with the one we owned) with a Honda BF50 on the transom.
On on 80 mile trip I ended up putting 7 gallons of fuel in the boat when I
filled her up. This is a light boat and when it gets rough the boat
moves around but I've always been able to find a comfortable speed at which
to operate. There's not a lot of space in the boat (it's only 14' 7"
after all) but it will handle 3 or 4 adults if they don't all want to move
around at once; two is better. The Sea Sprinter 15 is the same
boat but with an open bow forward instead of the storage cuddy. The
open bow is great for places like the Columbia River and lakes and such
where being able to scramble of the bow to the shoreline is the norm.
It's also great for lake and river fishing.
Sea Chaser 16 - This boat is more than just
incrementally bigger than the Sea Hunter 15; it really much larger since
volume is a cubed function and the 16 is longer (by 16"), deeper, and wider
(by 4") than the 15. Interestingly enough it really doesn't need much
more power than the 15 to run; it's only 200 pounds heavier but it's got
more bottom to run on and is a better balanced boat. It's also a
"finer" boat (it's slimmer) so it cuts the water and rides a bit better than
the 15 does. This one can handle four adults but if that's the "norm"
I'd suggest an engine in the 75 to 90 hp range. For a couple of folks
for not-to-far away fishing, crabbing, shrimping, sightseeing, etc a 50hp
engine will work just fine. The Sea Explorer 16 is the same
hull but has a v-berth forward. Because of that it's really tight boat
from more than two. The v-berth is relatively small so for larger
folks this isn't the best choice. A lot of compromises are made to get
a v-berth, helm seating, a cockpit, and a motorwell in a 16' boat.
Still, there's nothing quite like it; it'll go just about anywhere you want
it to, you can sleep aboard, there a table over the outboard well for using
something like a Coleman stove on, it'll run on a small, economical engine,
and it'll darn near fit a the dinghy dock.. And...it fits in a typical
garage for storage and tows well behind a smaller vehicle.
Sea Chaser 17 - This is the first of the 8-foot wide
boats. Basically it's your linebacker; in polite terms it's "stocky"
(short and fat if you want it straight) but it's also the biggest
bang-for-the-buck in the Arima fleet. It's truly a "big little boat".
I've seen these guys out there popping halibut in the Straits of Juan De
Fuca when the next smallest boat was a 22-foot Sea Sport or Trophy (and the
Sea Chaser was more comfortable trolling or mooching). This is a boat
a big person can lean over the side of to grab a fish, grab a float, or to
rinse off hands and not feel like the whole boat is going over. The 19
and 21 (which followed later) were born of this hull. This boat takes
a little bit of understanding to run comfortably. Because it's pretty
"broad shouldered" and the transition from the sharp forefoot (bow entry) to
the flatter aft sections happens very quickly it's not comfortable to run
this boat with the bow up and the throttle down unless you're into pain.
The bow is so buoyant it's a bit difficult to keep it running flat when the
operator drops speed to make for a more comfortable ride. We've found
that adding trim tabs tabs to the stern and an operator at the helm that
understands the throttle goes two directions make a world of difference on
this hull. I've been able to take the SC17 out through Deception Pass
(where we're located) and stay comfortable in very ugly conditions
just by using the trim tabs to get the boat to run flat and the throttle to
find a good working speed. I've had folks that have run Sea Chaser
17's in the past and complained a bit about the "rough" ride (though never
about the room and stability) aboard under these conditions and they usually
ask when Arima redesigned the hull. I tell them it's all in the wrist!
Learn to use the trim tabs and the throttle and it's a great rough water
boat.
The Sea Ranger 17 is the same hull as the Sea Chaser
17 and is the 17-foot version of the Sea Explorer 16; it's got a
v-berth forward with a foredeck hatch and a 14-gallon water tank.
Again, since it's only 1 foot longer than the Sea Explorer the cockpit it
pretty tight for more than two. Compared to the 16 the v-berth area is
wider, a bit longer, and a bit taller. I really only recommend the 17
in the Ranger model if the 19 just won't fit the storage area or the budget;
otherwise the 19 really is the better choice if you want a v-berth (and
since the engine and trailer are essentially the same on the 17 and 19 the
cost difference is usually just the hull).
The Sea Pacer 17 is a unique boat with it's open bow
though it's far from a "bow rider". The bow, as on most Arima boats,
is quite tall and the open bow very deep so solid water over the bow is a
very (very) rare thing; spray yes, solid water no. I've been out with
the Arima 17s in some pretty ugly stuff and I've never been in a situation
where I would take the closed bow version (Chaser or Ranger) but wouldn't
take the open-bow Pacer (not saying it could never happen but...) and it
does come with a bow cover. With the open bow this model is good for
fishing large lakes and river (where the Sprinter 15 might be a bit small).
It also makes a great crab boat and fishing platform for the kids and
grandkids, since the bow area is so deep they can see out of the boat and
see what's going on, but you can still keep an eye on them.
The Sea Chaser 19 has a BIG cockpit! It's about
equivalent to most 21-footers because the SC19 has a storage cuddy forward
(that's *just* large enough for the standard portable toilet) and not a
v-berth so if you want the largest cockpit in the shortest boat this has
just about got to be it. This hull rides better and is more balanced
than the 17 foot hull from which it's derived. It's like having a
longer wheelbase on a vehicle; it just results in a better ride and comfort.
Of course, it also results in a higher price so there are still great
reasons for choosing an Arima 17 like available storage space and/or budget.
Or maybe you just like the 17 better; that's legit too!
The Sea Ranger 19 is smallest size (in my opinion) to
get if you want a v-berth and workable cockpit. It essentially takes
the Sea Ranger 17 V-berth and adds 2 feet worth of cockpit which makes a lot
of difference. My wife and I have cruised this boat so as long as you
understand you're "camp cruising" (still beats the heck out of sleeping on
rocks as far as I'm concerned) you could be quite happy on this boat for a
number of days (how many depends entirely on the participants).
There's still a large enough cockpit to crab, fish, shrimp, or just hang out
in and it's a very handy size boat to launch, retrieve, and tow. This
is also the first size Arima available with a hard top; the 17 is available
with a Skip Tower (a fiberglass hard top set on top of a stainless cage) but
not available as a hard top model. The 19 is also available with a
Skip Tower.
The Sea Ranger 21 continues the trend of stretching
out the original Arima 17; although retaining the width the 21 does get a
bit deeper. If Arima was only going to make one boat model and I had
to choose which one it would be it would be the Sea Ranger 21. I
honestly don't know how you'd improve on this boat (assuming its basic
operating parameters are what you're looking for). Oh, and of course,
lower the price to that of a 17 but we know that's not going to happen.
This is probably the best "sea boat" Arima builds; it's relatively slim and
low and it handles rough water beautifully. The cockpit level is right
at the waterline level so that makes it really easy to handle fish, grab
floats for carb and shrimp pots, or just rinse your hands after handling
bait or fish. You're low in the boat and close to the roll center so
it doesn't seem like you're getting tossed from one point on the boat to
another when it gets lumpy. This boat powered with the Honda BF150 is
a match made in boat heaven; it's a perfect balance of power and economy and
it's very quiet. You can troll, you can run at 25 knots (depending on
water conditions but it's comfortable for the engine), you can cruise, you
can ski, you can launch in small lakes, the river, the sound, or the ocean;
regardless the Sea Ranger 21 is great. It's a bit heavier than the Sea
Ranger 19 so it goes on a tandem axle trailer but when you look in your rear
view mirrors you can't tell whether you're towing the 19 or the 21 and the
21 is just as easy to launch and retrieve. Heck...it's only money!
As compared to the Arima 19 Sea Ranger the 21
Sea Ranger has a v-berth that's 6" longer (6' 10" long) and a cockpit that's
18" longer. Headroom under the hard top is about 5' 10" versus the 5'
4" of the SR19HT; the SR21HT also has a removable floor section that
provides additional headroom if needed (to about 6' 4") although this isn't
typically necessary unless it's the Explorer model as discussed below.
The Sea ranger 21 is available with a soft
top, a Skip Tower, or a hard top. The Arima 21 is available as a
regular Sea Ranger or as a Sea Ranger 21 Explorer which has a longer
house and a bit shorter cockpit. The Explorer is the "cruising" model
with additional interior arrangements available (such as dinette, galley,
and head compartment) and it available only with the hard top.
The Sea Legend 22
is just big. It's only 9" longer than the Sea Ranger 21 but it's
another 6" wider and much deeper so volumetrically (since that's a cubed
function) the boats are very different. So is the beam-to-length ratio
so the SL22 isn't quite as "fine" as the SR21 which results in a bit stiffer
boat but one that's not quite as easy-going in the rough stuff. That's
not to say the SL22 is very capable in rough conditions, only that the SR21
is a more comfortable ride. Partly due to the fact that you're much
closer to the motion center on the SR21; the SL22 has a self-bailing deck so
you're perched a bit higher in the boat. The reach to the water from
this cockpit for handling a fish, grabbing a pot buoy, or rinsing your hands
is below the level of your feet so it's a definite tail-over-teakettle
arrangement.
If you need room though this is the boat of
choice in the Arima line. It runs nicely on the same power as the SR21
but it has a longer house (than the standard Sea Ranger 21) that is much
wider; as is the cockpit. There's a healthy 106-gallon fuel tank under
the cockpit deck flanked by two under floor fish/storage boxes.
The Sea Legend 22 is available with a soft
top, a Skip Tower, or a hard top.
