I think absolutely yes, the key is your "reasonable" qualification, of course. No boat would be a substitute for good judgement.

I run my 16' Arima out from Edmonds to PnP and beyond without any trouble, and I don't consider myself a big risk taker on the water. The key is getting the RIGHT boat...

As a fishing (trolling/mooching/jigging) boat, I don't think you can beat an Arima in the price range. Very stable/safe, very dry in the chop. Not the smoothest ride, but the stability (e.g, walk two guys to the stern corner and see how you feel) more than makes up for that. The gunnels are also nice and tall, so bringing the kids along is safer than many boat makes. Plus being 16 or 17' makes them very easy to tow with a normal car (e.g. SUV) as opposed to a heavy duty truck.

I've seen plenty of good craigslist deals on Arimas of late, some nice ones in the $8K range. Keep your eyes peeled.

If not Arima, maybe a C-Dory? Tiderunner?
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The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope. -John Buchan