255 Tomcat Differences by year?

Captain Starbucks · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2022 10:30 am Post subject: 255 Tomcat Differences by year?

Hi again,

I'm back in the hunt. We just sold our last boat expecting to move up in size to something not trailerable due to growing family but really all I need is sleeping for 4, two bigs and two littles.

I've almost bought a Tomcat the last two boats, but did not. Now I'm considering them once more.

Can someone please tell me what the year changes were? I'm reading about better flotation on some of the later models? If so, when did this occur and what was the difference? Family camping would be running fairly light, but I do tuna fish, and most of my salmon/halibut weekends are now 100% on the water due to the boat launch and campground chaos. Those trips are heavy.

san juanderer · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2022 11:23 am Post subject:

Hello Captain Starbucks,

I am interested to hear your own story of choices, likes and dislikes of your recent Ranger Tug 25 then the Shamrock 27.

Captain Starbucks · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2022 11:48 am Post subject:

gulfcoast john

thataway · Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:17 pm Post subject:

I agree with John that there is no change in floatation. My Tom Cat (2006) did not have any foam floatation, as required in smaller boats.

The changes were minimal, and mostly involved the interior cosmetics--such as the foam backed vinyl liner. I consider this a negative, in that in the South mold can grow in the foam, if it gets wet, modifications are more difficult, the foam and liner delaminate, and delimitation of the foam from the hull inner surface.

Sleeping for 4 is possible, and this would be accomplished by three different ways:
1, couple on forward "queen" size berth. 2 children on the table conversion.
2. wife and 2 children on the forward berth, and husband on the table.
3. Husband sleeping fore and aft on the far port side of the berth--with his head on an accessory cushion on the footwell of the forward facing "Navigator seat". The wife and two children sleeping athwart ships toward the Starboard side. I used this method, when my daughter and her two children (about 6 to age 12). If my wife had been with us, I would have slept on the table, and my wife slept fore and aft.

The Tom Cat is not really a 4 person sleeping boat.

The boat is a great fish slayer--there are a number of our members who do fish for Tuna, and other offshore pelagic species.

The Glacier Bay and Aspen Cats will ride better into chop--the Tom Cat better down seas and waves.

The Whaler will not have as good a ride into chop. The Aspen Proa or the Glacer Bay 3480/90 is a whole different level of boat (which are the Whalers at a number of levels.). The GB and Aspen Proa are different level of boats, and would serve you well....but trailering might be a push.

With the smaller Whaler, you are back into an express cruiser "Cave"--but in a "walk around fishing boat. It sounds as if you wife prefers the pilot house type of boat where she can have visuals much of the time.

Good luck with the search.

Captain Starbucks

Captain Starbucks

Bob,

Thank you for chiming in. I've read a lot of what you've written here and on THT for years and years regarding your Tomcat adventures as well as your previous open water adventures in other boats. The knowledge you share is priceless, thank you.

Yes, the wife prefers, in fact REQUIRES a full pilot house so we are limited on boats.

The sleeping arrangements you recommend would all work. My kids are little (4 and 7) and my wife and I are not big people so not worried about the sleeping with family, it would just be trying to accommodate my fishing buddies. In my Shamrock 270, my Special Forces buddy would sleep in the cockpit rain or shine. Have you ever tried sneaking past a guy like that in the middle of the night in a confined space? HARD PASS!!

Anyway, I'm not taking any of the other boats off my list, but will certainly be placing the TC 255 at or near the top.

Thank you all for your comments.

Rob

barrelroll · Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:48 pm Post subject:

If you are looking at cats look at the eastward horzion. People love them, they come out of an Australian developed mold with great handling characteristics. They are configured to each customer's specs, with no 2 boats the same layout/ price point. There's been a couple with pilot houses, some of which turned out not very appealing on the eyes though fitting the customer's budget and needs. Adding a 2 or 3 windshields instead of a single pane of glass, rounded instead of square corner windows, and angling the sides in 5 degrees would make for a good looking boat while still keeping them relatively budget friendly.