All-Around Perfection
Introducing the Carolina-Built Badfish 18 Skiff
All-Around Perfection
Introducing the Carolina-Built Badfish 18 Skiff
The Ultimate Do-It-All Skiff
The thing about highly specialized boats is that they’re usually great for that one application and marginal for the rest. That’s the case with today’s technical poling skiffs; they’re perfect for stalking fish in shin-deep water, but not much good for taking the family to the sandbar, pulling tubes, hunting ducks, or chasing cobia or mackerel along the beaches.
So we set out to design a highly versatile 18-foot skiff that could float as skinny as most tech skiffs and still do lots of other things well too. The vacuum-infused Badfish 18 is feather-light and draws just 6” of water with a 60 hp four-stroke. But she also boasts a true self-bailing hull, considerable freeboard, a deeper cockpit, and an open layout aft, making her both more comfortable and more capable than specialized skiffs.
Rigged with a Tohatsu 60, she delivers WOT speeds in the mid- to high 30s with two adults and gear and cruises at around 10mpg. She also delivers exceptional value, with an introductory boat-motor-trailer price of $36,900. Give us a call to spec out your semi-custom Badfish!
Specs + Performance
18'1"
LENGTH
82"
BEAM (at flare)
73"
BEAM (at transom)
22"
TRANSOM HEIGHT
14"
COCKPIT DEPTH
08˚
DEADRISE
750LBS
WEIGHT (w/ 60hp)
12/20G
FUEL CAPACITY
115HP
MAX POWER
4PERSONS
RATED CAPACITY
36MPH
WOT W/ 60hp + 2 ADULTS
10MPG
CRUISE W/ 60HP + 2 ADULTS
$36,900
WATER-READY W/ TOHATSU 60HP, ALUMINUM TRAILER, STANDARD RIGGING + ELECTRICAL PACKAGE
Hybrid Flats/Bay Layout
Forward of the console, the Badfish 18 is laid out like any flats skiff. Aft, it features a more open, bay boat-style layout. There’s still a raised casting deck and room for a poling platform, but there’s also room to move around in the cockpit. The fiberglass seating pod fits two adults and serves as dry storage or an optional 17-gallon livewell. For extra seating, removable folding seats or a backrest can be added to the aft deck.
Ample Freeboard + Self-Bailing
Although the Badfish 18 boasts a 6” static draft that’s competitive with specialized poling skiffs, her ample freeboard and true self-bailing cockpit with direct drainage through transom scuppers provide a margin of comfort and safety technical skiffs can’t. A generous 14” cockpit depth throughout makes her feel like a boat your ride in instead of on — great for children.
Hand-Tuned Running Surface
The Badfish 18 was designed the traditional way — with a hand-built prototype and careful refinement through extensive testing. Her 8˚ deadrise splits the difference between the more common 12˚ and 2˚ flats skiff bottoms to find the right balance between ride quality and draft. A wide reverse chine adds stability and keeps the ride dry but stays below waterline at rest for quiet poling. Lifting strakes and a large delta pad provide lift and improve efficiency, while a wide, graceful flare forward highlights her Carolina heritage.
Modern Materials, Traditional Craftmanship
Built for both light weight and longevity, the Badfish 18 is constructed with 100% composite materials including Divinycell closed cell foam coring, Coosa composite board, and vinylester resin throughout. The hull is vacuum infused for optimal glass-to-resin ratio, and the stringer grid is bonded to the hull and deck with epoxy. State-of-the-art materials, though, aren’t the whole story; each boat is individually hand-built and rigged by craftsmen steeped in Carolina’s boatbuilding traditions.
Standards + Options
Although we offer a water-ready, boat, motor, and trailer package with a simple out-the-door price, the Badfish 18 is a semi-custom, built-to-order skiff. Every boat we build is handcrafted one-at-a-time to your exact specifications. Because Davis Custom Boatworks has extensive experience in rigging, restoration, and repairs on everything skiffs to sportfishers, we can do essentially anything you want, from high-end audio and electronics to poling and casting platforms to hanging your power of choice. If you don’t see something on the upgrades list below, just give us a call.
Turn-Key BMT Package
100% composite construction
Choice of gelcoat color
Standard center console
Leaning post box seat with backrest
Large dry storage under forward deck
Cushion package
35-qt Yeti cooler seat with cushion set and tiedown kit
Standard rigging package
Heavy duty rub rail
Hydraulic steering
Stainless steel 3-spoke wheel
800 GPH automatic bilge pump
Fuel filter/water separator
Through-hull fittings
316 stainless steel deck hardware
Console access door
Standard electrical package
Marine starting battery
Battery switch
Waterproof switch panel
Fuse panel
Busbars
Power posts
Navigation lights
Anchor light
Marine-grade tinned wire and heat-shrink terminals throughout
Tohatsu 60hp four-stroke
Premium aluminum trailer
Popular Upgrades
Hull + Deck
Molded fiberglass bow storage hatch with deep gutters
Larger console upgrade
Electronics + Audio
Wet Sounds stereo system
Wet Sounds sub and amp
Garmin 74sv chartplotter/fishfinder w/ transducer and NMEA 2000 link to engine gauges
Electrical + Mechanical
Upgraded engine
Hydraulic jackplate
Power-Pole shallow water anchor
SeaBlaze underwater lighting
Under-gunwale courtesy lights
Fishing
Box seat plumbed as livewell
Minn Kota or Power-Pole trolling motor system
Poling platform
Bow casting platform
Push pole w/ push pole holders
Comfort
SeaDek/AquaTraction
Cup holders, rod holders, grab bars
Misc
Swing tongue trailer
Badfish on Instagram
About Davis Custom Boatworks
The Badfish 18 is a project of Davis Custom Boatworks, LLC, which rigs, refits, repairs, and rebuilds a wide variety of boats, as well as building custom one-off center consoles. See extensive photo albums of the company’s recent full restoration of a 1988 Privateer 24 plus other projects and builds on Facebook.
Prior to DCB, founder and owner Preston Davis spent roughly 15 years with some of Eastern North Carolina’s top sportfish builders, including Jarrett Bay Boatworks and Lightning Yachts. His real passion, though, was always smaller center consoles and skiffs like the boats he grew up on. So when he saw an opportunity to apply what he’d learned to building and rebuilding the boats he loved, he took it, opening DCB in 2021.
The Badfish 18 is the first in a planned lineup of several semi-custom Badfish models. All will be based on original hand-drawn and fully tested designs, feature lightweight all-composite construction, and emphasize function, versatility, and value.
We’re still scheduling new projects from simple installs to full rebuilds. Give us a call about yours!
Privateer 24 Rebuild - After
Learn More ABout Badfish!
Want more details about the Badfish 18 or Davis Custom Boatworks’ service? Contact Preston during normal business hours at (252) 269-0106, email daviscustomboatworks@gmail.com, or fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you promptly.