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Is there any wood used anywhere in your construction?

 

No. We only use high quality composites, resins, epoxies and closed cell core materials that allow us to offer the Towee lifetime guarantee to the original owner. There are no materials used that provide an opportunity for rot.

 

Why wont you build a center console for me?

 

Because of the small nature of technical skiffs, real estate is one of the most vital resources the waterman has at his or her disposal.  We know this because we’ve made our livings in small skiffs for years. The worst thing you could do would be to devote a large chunk of that resource to a console and steering wheel that not only burns up precious space but creates a barrier in the middle of the skiff.  If someone tries to sell you on a center console in a small skiff, it’s a sure sign that they don’t really understand how these boats are used. Run – don’t walk away.  Tiller steering is a superior approach for our application.

 

Why do I need a rowing frame, can’t you just add oar lock’s to the gunnels?

 

That’s a great question! In the early days we tried almost every configuration imaginable. Once we got the hull to the correct width, the oarlocks were too close to row well, if we widened the skiff, it no longer rowed as well. The answer was to create the SRO (Shallow River Operator) Rowing Frame. A light weight, removable frame fabricated from aircraft aluminum that quickly converts your skiff to a power drifter that can access shallow waters that a drift boat can only dream of. 

 

How does the Calusa perform so well with a jet, or run super shallow with a prop if it isn’t a tunnel hull?

 

We chased the tunnel hull fallacy for years – there are just too many inherent design flaws with that approach. The Calusa’s hull is flared – the bottom of the transom is not the bottom of the skiff. This does a couple of things for us; first, it allows us to get up quickly in shallow water, second it allows us to plane out heavy loads with smaller outboards ( ask Bob Clouser about his 9.8 hp Calusa) and last, provides a continuous source of clean water to a jet pump no matter which direction the intake is pointed – this created more horsepower.

 

Why is the Calusa only rated for 20hp when I’ve seen those little canoe – boat hybrids rated for a 25?

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Because we STRICTLY adhere to the USCG formula for HP rating without any fudging. We can do this because the Calusa features an extremely efficient hull that will see a solid 27 mph with a heavy load of anglers and gear with a 20 HP outboard and a stock 3 blade aluminum prop.We’ve heard stories of private owners using all sorts of power plants but the 20hp is the high performance choice.

 

We see a lot of duck hunters moving to Towees. Can I use a mud motor?

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Yes, our full width, heavy duty transom is great for both long tails and surface drives.

 

Can I pole the Calusa from the deck withoutout a platform?

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Yes, it performs quite well that way and even performs well poled backwards while standing on the bow cap. It weven poles well from a cooler on the aft casting deck for the occasional poler.

 

Why is your poling platform more expensive, Ive seen cheaper ones on other small skiffs?

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Because our poling platforms are designed to be used for years without squeaking , bending, sagging decks or the welds cracking.  You can save a couple hundred bucks on a cheap online platform but you wont use it very long – if you use it at all. We build the highest quality platforms that are properly positioned on the skiff

 

What length push pole do you recommend?

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19’ to 21’ is perfect.

 

What length oars do you recommend?

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The SRO Rowing Frame was designed for 9’ oars.

 

Do you offer a cheaper trailer option?

 

No we don’t. Traditional boat dealers and most small boat builders do a huge disservice to their customers by packaging their boats with a cheap “boat lot” grade trailer with small tires, thin steel and poor quality bearings, lights, wiring and rollers. These trailer just don’t last and we wont send one of our clients down the road on one just to make a sale.  We do realize that we have lost more than one sale because our trailers wee more expensive. On the other hand, we’ve put hundreds on the road with only 3 warranty issues in eight years.