Tarpon Bay 19 Boat Review

The combined love of fishing and a background in building top performing sailing yachts for America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race competitors steered owner Andy Lowe to his newest venture- building this very edgy looking inshore fishing platform. Borrowing design elements from his sailing background and merging them with more traditional designed shallow water skiffs resulted in his newest design, the Tarpon Bay 19.

The most obvious element taken from Lowe's sailing background is the nearly vertical plumb line at the stem on this model. Where this feature is utilized to extend waterline length for added speed on sailboats, it works differently on a powerboat like the Tarpon Bay 19. The finer entry at the stem parts oncoming water better at slow speeds when most of the hull surface is in contact with the water. When speed is applied, the added buoyancy in the bow gives immediate lift and the vertical stem surface rises well above the waterline.  This dynamic force transfers rearward to the four lifting strakes and downward angled chines resulting in a very stable and dry ride over nasty chop. For the full review and additional photos, see here: https://www.floridasportsman.com/editorial/tarpon-bay-19-review/456184