Hell’s Bay Boatworks has built ultra-fine flats skiffs for the past decade under the helmsmanship of company president Chris Peterson. So it was with some fanfare late last year that Hell’s Bay unveiled to the public its first bay boat — the Estero 24 Bay.
“After a lot of years of soul searching, we decided that Hell’s Bay will build a bay boat, but it’s going to be built the Hell’s Bay way,” Peterson says. “Our skiffs are built to our standards and really no one else’s…. The boats are a work of art, and the bay boat will fit the same DNA.”
The Estero’s silent hull design includes walkable gunwales, higher freeboard (than most bay boats) and lockable rod storage in compartments deep enough to hold a bucket. The Estero comes with a rigging station, 105-quart cooler on a slide and a 53-gallon livewell with a sea chest.
Peterson says the boat tops out in the upper 50 mph range and can accommodate a single 400 hp outboard. The Estero carries 80 gallons of fuel.
Specifications
LOA: 24 ft. 10 in.
Beam: 8 ft. 6 in.
Dry Weight: 3,100 lb. (w/ engine)
Draft: 1 ft. 1 in.
Transom Deadrise: 15 deg.
MSRP: $110,000 (base boat w/ 300 hp outboard and trailer)
