If you ask 100 sailors what they value in a vessel you will get 100 different answers. Does it have enough living space? Will it go 50kts? Will it make all my friends like me? But when you sort through all these different reasons there is one that everyone agrees upon. "Does this vessel fulfill my love for the water?"
The modern word "vessel" stems from Latin, then French, and finally to English. All referring to a container of sorts. However, the word "vessel" to someone who loves the sea is more closely aligned with the biblical use of the term, "an implement or utensil".
That is what I ask myself when I step onto a boat. "Will this work as an implement for my love for the water?"
The 1988 Post 43 gets a resounding YES!
Post Marine started in 1957 in New Jersey and is still producing boats to this day. Their claim to fame is that after 65 years they still manufacture the interior of the vessel out of wood instead of using common modular components. Every bulkhead, cabinet and wall is hand built and secured. This detail produces a boat that is not only strong, but tactilely, and visually pleasing.
This Post 43 clearly benefits from that level of craftsmanship. No plastic, no creaking, just sturdy wood. It gives the vessel a level of comfort and a romance that is difficult to find in the modern boating market.
Below the interior sits the fiberglass constructed hull shaped into a Carolina bow flared design. While not as deeply flared as some sport fishing boats it was built on the New Jersey coast line where the owner Russell Post hand tested all the earlier vessels they produced.
Sitting midship under the salon are twin Detroit Diesel 692s that produce about 550hp each. These engines will push the Post to a cruising speed of 20kts and a top speed of close to 30kts. The props are directly driven by the engines in a straight shaft configuration.
Forward inside the bow the vessel has room for 4 guests. A master V berth, bunk room with two twin beds and a single head and shower for the boat. Sitting behind the V berth and across from the bunk room there is a sizable galley with a stove, oven and full sized fridge.
Up top on the bow is room for a 12 foot tender and a crane. Behind the bow is a fully enclosed flybridge with room to hangout when underway. At the stern, an open deck built to maximum the boat's sport fishing potential.
Impressive accessaries of this vessel include an awning that folds out to extend shade over the stern. A sizable livewell for bait and a beautifully constructed teak cabinet system next to the main salon door for lures and tackle. Additionally there is the hidden stern throttle controls on the port stern. A great option to improve docking. However not always necessary to use because the helm chair above is expertly placed towards the rear of the flybridge to allow for a complete view of the vessels stern.
All of these components not only provide an excellent fishing platform but also an incredible boating experience. When on the Post you can feel the history involved in boat building. You get to experience the romance of wood constructed boats and enjoy the comfort that accompanies them. A romance that I find lacking in a lot of modern boat design. Today the world is focused on efficiency, lightness, plastics. Sailors don't want to own a boat where the synthetic cabinet falls off after 2 years. And with this Post, you don't have to worry about that.
It is due to this outstanding construction that I redefine the term "vessel" and say that this Post is an excellent "implement" for your love for the sea.
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