I was able to visit Layton Bay and sea trial the Backwater
16. I met Doug on a Saturday he was so gracious to meet me on his day off to allow me to check out the Backwater16. First impressions of the design and look, its a baby Layton Bay 22, it’s slick little Rig and should serve my purpose. I had a few requirements and this fit all of them, A week later the demo model was still available and after consideration of a new build . I wasn’t crazy about the sea foam green and the olive drab colored Hulls. If anything it was either white or a light gray . So I decided to get the demo. The demo had some nice upgrades like the 70 Zuk. The boat is being prepped and I added a few other options like a power-pole, bigger Garman and an atlas jack plate. Doug was so informative and explained everything. A pleasure to deal with as well as April in the office, always available to ask questions! Ok, back to the new ride, it rode awesome, almost like I was in a bigger boat so it definitely has a bigger boat feel . Very roomy for a 16ft with room to walk around . The bow platform is perfect size to fish off of when it’s nice and calm and when its choppy you can step off into the hull and you have room to fish in that area too. This boat had a feel of a flats skiff but you were not on top of the deck but inside with shin high freeboard it rode in 1 ft chop excellent, like there was no chop at all nice and smooth and I added trim tabs to make it even better when its worse conditions. Wish it was more snotty out to test it even more.
1) Had to fit in my Garage (added a trailer tongue Swing)
2) Needed to get shallow and take me into the bigger
bays(added a jack plate and a power-pole)
3) Option to fish out front on the ocean side when its a summer flat calm.
4) The ride quality was great, sharp bow entry with a shallow V to the transom at 12 deg
5) Upswept bow to deflect spray ( almost like a panga style bow)
6) Cost
7) Ease of trailering, at 2000lbs maybe 1800 is easy to tow with my Tacoma. My pair 21 was a heavy SOB and that boat needed a bigger truck.
Upgrades I added
1) Garmin 9″
2) Atlas bracket
3)Trim Tabs
4) Trailer swing Tongue
5)Custom seat cushion for the front little console
6)Power-pole
7)under the gunnel rod holders for fly rods) , this was not easy as their is no inner liner so Doug needed to use special adhesive to fasten the holders to the inside. I also purchased some sea sucker fly rod holders for the console.
Upgrades the demo had already
70HP Suzuki ( Ran awesome on that little 16)
Yeti Cooler under the leaning post
Bow fishing seat(I’ll never use this as I flyfish only)