Caiman (Caiman crocodiles) is a crocodilian reptile found in much of Central and South America. It lives in a range of lowland; wetland and riverine habitat types and can tolerate salt water as well as fresh.

Caimen (Caimen Skiffs) is a shallow water skiff found in much of Central and South Florida. Silent stalking ability and big water handling aptitude make it adept in most salt and fresh water zones. Caimen have also been known to frequent the Gulf coast from the Florida Panhandle to the Texas flats. A few have been seen as far as the Bahamas and the Carolina’s.

East Cape Canoes released to production their newest skiff a year ago and it’s been a fantastic hit. With an aggressive entry to cut-through chop and a price that does not cut deeply into the budget, the East Cape Caimen is a well-balanced boat from price to performance.

Building on their deep pool of experience and knowledge with the Lostman and Glademan, East Cape went back to the drawing board to create the Caimen. Customers made several requests and East Cape listened. The skiff incorporates the variable dead rise design with deep chine for maximum comfort in a chop. The chine fades away towards the stern to reduce the chances of hull slap for maximum stealth when stalking wary trophy fish.

The East Cape Caimen is 17’- 10” long skiff with a waterline beam of 49” and a maximum top deck beam of 61”.  The fore deck is 6’ large and the aft is 4’ to give anglers ample space. A 14.5” tall freeboard keeps a low profile in those crosswind poling situations.

The Caimen does not have top deck hatches but uses bulkhead openings with optional locking doors to keep the decks uncluttered and free of hatch squeaks. I would suggest opting for front and rear hatch doors as the openings are exposed to the elements.

Power ranges from 25hp to 50hp with all ranges of horsepower options and manufactures in between. To keep things simple, a tiller is the best option but a side console model is available at the time of order or later down the road for the same price.

Build quality is just as good as their larger Lostman model. East Cape builds their standard Caimen without many of the finishing touches that can cover production blemishes like drop in liners. Don’t be offended by this. The savings in production and the added attention to detail it requires produces a very nice looking inner hull. Plus, in many cases the customer will cover the inner liner with Sea Dek or similar products. East Cape also offers custom decking options.

Wet tests are always a great perk for me with reviews and the Caimen did not disappoint. The weather could not have been better. Wind blowing 20-25 knots and the Indian River Lagoon whipped into a sloppy chop. This is going to be fun.

First order of the day was to get our photos done. Kevin Fenn, in his Tunnel model, and shop assistant Greg Dini, in his standard model with a tiller, were all too happy to put the Caimen through its paces in front of the lens. The Caimen, like many narrow beamed skiffs, likes to ride the rail in sharp turns. It also lists stern or port with the relatively small course corrections. The roll is predictable and easy to settle back flat quickly, but it was a little more than some skiffs.

Ride comfort in the Caimen is said to be the best of East Cape’s current product line. The Indian River Lagoon was all too happy to offer up several opportunities to test this out. Running the tiller version at every angle of chop the Caimen made easy work of said offending waves. The key is to ride nose down, apply a little tab and be judicious with the throttle. The Caimen responds very well to minor adjustments and won’t buck you off if you decide to get radical. Like with many skiffs, it’s the squishy bit behind the wheel or tiller that can make or break a comfortable ride.

Unfortunately due to high water I was unable to get a proper measure for draft. Based on the numbers supplied I would have to agree that the non-tunnel model is 5” plus and the Tunnel is about 7”. Like with all small skiffs, load and distribution of that load can greatly affect these numbers.

Fishing from the nose of the Caimen the angler is afforded a large clean deck. There is plenty of room to maneuver and cast. I felt a little unstable on the Tunnel model due to the custom wrap on the top deck. It was almost as slick as the back seat of an Oldsmobile Toronado. Once I hopped over to Greg’s Caimen with nonskid not covered by a wrap, my confidence to walk the gunnels and such went way up. The Caimen has more overhang than some skiffs. A 49” beam at the water line but 61” at the top deck creates several inches of top deck extension past the hull. This can make the Caimen feel tippier when you are at the extreme edge of the deck. Take half a step back and this mostly goes away.

East Cape does a great job of offering their customers the best product at the best possible price. Each Caimen leaves the factory floor riding on a fitted Ram-Line trailer. The trailer makes launching and retrieving the skiff a breeze. Components used in the build are quality and well thought out. New to the full line is the ability to add an optional Coffin Box for additional storage, cooler or plumbed bait well.

The East Cape Caimen is a clean simple skiff with well-rounded manners. It should make it on the short list of skiffs to check out.

Cheers
Capt. Jan

East Cape Canoes
4854 Distribution Court, Unit 8
Orlando, Florida 32822

phone: 407.658.7933
fax: 407.658.7934

web site: www.eastcapecanoes.com
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

SPECIFICATIONS AS SUPPLIED BY MANUFACTURER

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Specs:
LOA 17' 10"
Waterline Beam 49"
Overall Beam 61"
Freeboard 14.5"
Deadrise Variable
FWD Casting Deck Dimensions 6' 10"
REAR Deck Dimensions 4'
Cockpit Dimensions
Overall Finished boat weight Ready to fish. 580 without motor
Fuel Capacity 6 portable, and the 8,10,12 optional built-in
Draft with two average 190 lb. 5.25 bouncing and 6"-7" with tunnel

Standard Features for Caimen

- Foam Cored Hull & Deck
- Vinyl-Ester Resins
- Completely Hand-Laid & Vacuum Bagged Hull & Deck
- Quad Axial Matting & Double Bi-Axial Glass
- Coast Guard Approved Flotation In Fore/Aft Bulkheads
- All Parts Bonded/Sealed For A One-Piece Construction
- Backing Plates Installed On Every Facet Of Attachment
- Stainless Steel Hardware (Bow & Stern Eyes, Drain, Nuts & Bolts)
- One Piece Heavy Duty Rubrail
- Navigation Lights (Flip-Up In Stern & Shark Eyes Up Front)
- Automatic Bilge Pump
- Lenco 12x9 Trim Tabs w/Switch
- Odyessey Brand Cranking Battery & Tray
- Easy To Launch And Load Ram-Lin Trailer
- Six Under Gunnel Rod Holders (Able To Hold Up To 9’6” In Rod Length)
- Four Hull Color Choices To Choose From (Soft White, Fighting Lady Yellow, Guide Skiff Green, Pastel Blue)
- Portable 6 Gallon Fuel Cell Located Up Front
- Custom Poling Platform

MSRP: $12,500.00 without Power

Prices As Tested $24,00.00 - Side Console Tunnel

Prices As Tested $22,00.00 - Tiller W/ 40HP Yamaha Kevlar, Two Tone Paint,

 

Boat Photos

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