282 sailfish vs 30 marlin interior space?

bft305

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Thinking about getting into a used 282 sailfish or 30 marlin. Though I would like to do some over nighting with the family. I am a big guy and don’t know if the v-birth will be long enough to sleep in. I am 6’5”. My kids are young now but are growing quickly. How long is the v-berth in each and what are the demensions of the aft berth? Can anyone who owns either model take some measurements and let me know. Thanks ahead of time to anyone who will help me out!
 

Tuna Man

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BFT, my boat is 60 miles away at the moment but I can offer some input. I'm 6'2" and my son is 6'5". He has no problem fitting in the aft berth of our 06 Marlin, as a matter of fact he and I prefer it as compared to the forward V berth. I would guess as long as your 6'8" or less you could comfortable fit in the aft birth. With regard to the forward V-birth, one side is good for a person roughly 5'10" or less and about 6'6" or less on the other side. Almost everyone that had ever slept in our cabin prefers the aft berth, it is especially comfortable as you can rest you body on the flat bed and rest your back against the rear wall.

As far as the Marlin vs. Sailfish cabin, I much prefer the Marlin. I feels like everything is a little bigger on the Marlin, the head, headroom, counter, berths, etc.
 

bft305

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Hey Tuna, thanks for the response! Online the pics of the aft berth do not make it look as big as you described. Is the aft berth big enough for me and my wife together width wise? You have me thinking Marlin is the choice now! Appreciate the help!
 

Lsquared

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only one person will be able to fit in the aft cabin of the 282. i looked at both models and the Marlin is generally more comfortable. I went with the 282 for trailering easier.
 

bft305

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Thanks for the reply! Will two be able to fit in the Marlin?
 

bft305

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Lsquared, is the aft bunk in the sailfish the same length as the Marlin? Is it over 6’5”? How about the v-berth according to tuna above?
 

Tuna Man

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BFT, I'm guessing the Marlin aft birth is wider than the Sailfish as the beam is also about a foot wider, but I'm not certain. As far as two adults fitting in the aft birth, it would be tight, good for a night or two a year, but not on a regular basis. In my mind the aft birth is halfway between a "twin" and a "full" bed. For me a Queen bed is fine for my wife and myself, full it too tight.

Forward V birth is certainly larger. I would certainly suggest you look at both in person if at all possible. Where are you located, maybe someone from this site (including myself) would certainly let you see their boat in person.

I think the cabins are basically the same layout that they were for the last twenty years or so. You could look at almost any year to determine the layout.
 

Lsquared

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Aft berth would be tight at 6'5", the forward berth is about 6'. The marlin definitely had more room in the cabin. Look at the 29 chesapeake, they are rare but the forward berth was much better
Also the 305 express has a larger forward berth
 
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bft305

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I am located in Maine, but actually at sea at the moment. I will definitely check it out in person but figured since I was boat shopping, would eliminate some possibilities by what you guys had to say. Thanks again for all the info. I have a feeling a 305 express would be out of my price range!
 

GradyChris

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We have a Sailfish 272 which I understand is exactly the same as the Sailfish 280 from a layout/space standpoint.
Grady changed from the 272 to the 280 to reflect the true 28' running hull length.

I have 2 little kids (6/3) and they are comfortable together in the aft cabin while my wife and I are in the v berth.
I've slept in the aft cabin once (with my 6 yr old) and it was cramped but I found the leg room to be more than the v berth actually.

So far this season I have 22 overnights on board the boat. Having a larger aft cabin would def be appealing as the kids get bigger!
 

bft305

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Thanks for the input, think I am going to take a look at the marlin in the future!
 

Fishtales

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6'5" on the starboard side only. I'm guessing 6''0" on the port. Will measure next time. 6'0" mid berth max as well (I think).
 

bft305

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Hi fishtales, if you would measure the berths that would be awesome! Thank you!
 

ocnslr

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An easy way to envision it is this - if you take off the top cap on a Marlin 300, you can put an entire Sailfish 282 inside the hull.