Long Island is an incredible place to own a boat—but it also asks a lot from one.
One weekend you're cruising the Great South Bay with the family. The next you're fishing Long Island Sound, running across to Connecticut, heading through an inlet, pulling up to a Fire Island dock, or spending the afternoon anchored at a sandbar.
That's why choosing the right boat for Long Island isn't just about picking a boat that looks good at the dock.
You need a boat that can do a little bit of everything.
And that's exactly why we believe Key West Boats are such a great fit for Long Island boaters.
At American Marine, we've been serving Long Island's boating community since 1972, and Key West has become our primary boat line for a simple reason: their boats match the way our customers actually use them.
One Boat for Fishing AND the Family
One of the biggest challenges when buying a boat is deciding what kind of boat you actually want.
A serious fishing boat?
A family boat?
Something for cruising?
Something for watersports?
With a Key West, you don't necessarily have to choose.
Models like the FS — Family Sportsman — series are designed around exactly this idea.
Livewells, rod storage and fishing-friendly layouts are there when you want to fish, but so are comfortable seating, bow lounges, cup holders, storage and family-friendly features when the fishing rods stay home.
That versatility makes a lot of sense on Long Island.
You can fish early Saturday morning and have the family aboard for an afternoon cruise without feeling like you bought the wrong boat for either trip.
Built for the Different Waters Around Long Island
There isn't really one type of "Long Island boating."
The Great South Bay can be relatively protected, but conditions can change quickly.
Long Island Sound can develop a tight chop that makes the ride home very different from the ride out.
And if your boating takes you through Jones, Fire Island, Shinnecock or Moriches Inlet—or farther offshore—the capability of your boat becomes even more important.
Key West offers a wide range of center console and dual console boats that give Long Island boaters the ability to choose a size and layout appropriate for how and where they boat.
That's important because the right boat isn't necessarily the biggest boat.
It's the boat that fits your Long Island boating.
Unsinkable Construction Is More Than a Marketing Line
One of the features we particularly appreciate about Key West is its focus on flotation and construction.
Key West builds its boats using 100% composite construction, eliminating wood from the structural components of the boat.
They are also built with positive flotation.
For a boater who may be crossing Long Island Sound, traveling between the North and South Forks, or venturing offshore, construction and safety aren't features you should only think about after you've left the dock.
They're part of choosing the boat in the first place.
They're Designed to Be Used
Some boats look fantastic at a boat show but become less impressive once you actually start living with them.
Key West Boats are designed around practical boating.
There's usable storage.
There's room to move around.
Fishing equipment has a place.
Family gear has a place.
The layouts make sense.
And depending on the model, you can get the seating and comfort your family wants without giving up the cockpit space and functionality you want for fishing.
That's an important distinction.
A good Long Island boat needs to work just as well loaded with rods, tackle and bait as it does loaded with kids, coolers, towels and beach bags.
Center Console or Dual Console? Key West Gives You Both
Long Island boaters also have very different preferences when it comes to layout.
For the fisherman who also wants family comfort, Key West's Family Sportsman center consoles offer an excellent balance.
For families who want additional seating, wind protection and a more traditional runabout-style layout while retaining fishing capability, the DFS dual-console series deserves a serious look.
Neither approach is necessarily better.
It comes down to how you plan to use the boat.
That's one of the reasons we like having multiple Key West models available for customers to compare side by side.
Sometimes ten minutes sitting in two different boats tells you more than an hour looking at specifications online.
There's a Key West for Almost Every Kind of Long Island Boater
Another advantage is the range.
You don't have to jump immediately into a huge center console to get a capable boat.
A smaller Key West can make an excellent boat for protected waters, bays, harbors and fishing close to home.
Move into the larger Family Sportsman models and you gain more space, capacity and capability for longer runs and bigger water.
At the upper end of the range, models like the Key West 291FS offer serious offshore capability while still maintaining the family-friendly features that make the boat enjoyable when fishing isn't on the agenda.
That allows someone to stay within the Key West family as their boating needs change.
The Right Boat Isn't Just About the Boat
There's another part of buying a boat that doesn't get talked about enough:
What happens after you buy it?
A great boat isn't much fun if it's sitting unusable during July waiting for service.
That's especially important on Long Island, where our boating season is valuable and nobody wants to lose several weekends in the middle of summer.
American Marine isn't simply a boat sales operation.
We've been servicing boats on Long Island since 1972, and our service department is a major part of our business.
When we sell you a Key West, our goal is to support the boat for years afterward—from routine maintenance and winterization to electronics, upgrades, repairs and eventually even repowering.
We want to be the dealership you bought the boat from and the dealership you can depend on after the sale.
Why Do We Sell Key West Boats?
We could have chosen from a lot of boat manufacturers.
We chose Key West because we believe they represent an excellent combination of:
- Quality construction
- Safety
- Performance
- Fishability
- Family comfort
- Practical layouts
- Value
- A broad model range
Most importantly, they fit the way people boat on Long Island.
They're not exclusively fishing boats.
They're not exclusively family cruisers.
They're boats you can actually use for everything that makes boating around Long Island so special.
Come See the Difference for Yourself
Specifications and pictures are helpful, but there's no substitute for climbing aboard.
Sit at the helm.
Walk around the console.
Open the storage compartments.
Sit in the bow.
Stand in the cockpit and imagine fishing with a couple of friends.
Then imagine the same boat with your family aboard heading across the bay for the afternoon.
That's when you'll understand why we've made Key West Boats such an important part of American Marine.
Find Your Key West
If you're considering a new boat, stop by American Marine in Commack and let us help you find the Key West that fits the way you boat.
Whether your weekends mean fishing Long Island Sound, cruising the Great South Bay, heading to Fire Island, or doing a little bit of everything, there's a good chance there's a Key West built for it.
American Marine
Serving Long Island Boaters Since 1972
2161 Jericho Turnpike
Commack, NY 11725
Call: 631-543-6433
Text: 631-533-2796
Email: keith@americanmarineny.com