Arima Boats

Arima makes several models from 15ft to 22 ft. With or without hardtops. There are designed and built by local fisherman for our waters here in the Pacific Northwest. The factory produces less that 300 boats a year. Turnover of the employees is very low. These people like what they are doing. If you are looking for an economical to operate and easy to tow fishing platform, An Arima has to be on your short list. It is a popular boat with a high resale value. Owners are never in a hurry to part with these.

 The hull design is a v entry with a rounded bottom aft. This gives you incredible stability and great fuel economy. The trade off in this hull design is it is a cork. In really rough water it will throw the spray and pound. But if you keep it slow, no problem. It will bring you home. We have found ourselves 50 miles off shore in my 22 Sea Legend when mother nature had a fit and it was a long ride home in 5 ft wind waves. We just took it slow (about 12-15 knots) and rode it out. Never once thought the conditions exceeded the abilities of the boat. 

 I have owned the 22ft Sea Legend for a few years now. We use it almost exclusively on the Columbia River and off the coast of Washington out to about 50 miles. We fish for whatever is in season or happens to be biting. Salmon, tuna. sturgeon, bottom fish. The boat is a real good platform for all of these types of fishing. You really appreciate the stability of these boats when bottom fishing and everyone is standing on the same side of the boat. It is not even an issue.

 I spent a couple years shopping for the perfect boat for my uses. I needed a boat that I could trailer, but also go 50 miles out for tuna. Fuel capacity was a major concern. Along with a water wash down and a deck that drained to sea and not the bilge. The 22SL fit the bill. With 106 gallons of gas and the economical hull, tuna are easily within my range. On a typical trip running out 50 miles and trolling around all day and than back 50 miles, we burn a little less that 50 gallons. Our expenses are low as compared to any other  boat in the same length range. Any kind of fishing gets real messy. The water wash down and the drains to sea are a real blessing. 

My Arima is set up with two 10 gallon insulated bait tanks aft. We usually use these for coolers for the food. The fish boxes are large and will hold 5-6 tuna in ice just fine in each one. I also had the factory expand the anchor locked as we use the anchor, chain and floating ball system on the Columbia while sturgeon fishing. The extra locker space easily holds  the anchor and several hundred feet of rope,

 The factory is less than an hour from my home. Many times I would show up unannounced while my boat was being built and I was graciously allowed to climb all over my unfinished boat in all stages of construction. I took lots of pictures. More than once I have brought my boat to the factory and me and the factory manager did a few minor modifications to my boat. Just to improve fishability and adapt the boat to how I was using it.  They take a lot of pride in their boats and welcome customer input.

 The 22 has a whole lot of room. Maybe more than any other 22 on the market. It is not uncommon for us to fish 5 comfortably, or to load eight or nine crab pots on board and drop them on our way to fishing. I will take 4 people for tuna, up to 5 for salmon and we have gone sturgeon fishing with as many as 6. Sturgeon fishing is mostly a park and wait fishery so 6 people can find enough room. The little cabin upfront has a porta potty and storage. The wife and I have spent the night in the boat and the cabin is just right for the two of us.

 Put Arima's on your short list. They are a versatile and quality built boat.