Choosing a boat | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Choosing a boat

Discussion in 'Motorcycles & Boats' started by I.T. Guy, Jun 7, 2020.

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  1. LARRYH

    LARRYH F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2011
    9,142
    virginia usa
    I also have owned boats all my life.... Things I can tell you is buy the best boat you can and maintain it well nothing worse than being broken down away from the dock.... I am a big fan of Boston Whalers having owned 7 of them over the years but own 3 right now 2.. 35 outrages and a 23 dauntless.. They ride much better than others of a similar type I think a good way to describe it is they ride like a larger boat than they are ...
    I also like Searays and Formulas they are both good boats and well known ... I have owned several of each over the years
    regarding a performance boat well they can also be a blast I have owned 3 of these over the years we used to have a 42 ft with 3 500/454 engines we would take it on 150 mile trips and stay in a hotel or e even in the small cabin /... that boat topped out at about 90mph my wife and daughters loved it really did ...
    then came the cruisers which I have had a couple but now am entering the market for a 65 Searay flybridge .....
    my reason for saying all of this is boats are a tremendous amount of fun just make sure you know the safety aspects and the family will love it ....
     
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  2. Ianjoub

    Ianjoub Formula Junior

    Dec 22, 2019
    899
    Homosassa, FL USA
    Full Name:
    Ian Joubert
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  3. max930

    max930 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  4. JoeZaff

    JoeZaff F1 Veteran
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    Aug 5, 2007
    5,459
    Philly suburbs
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    I am sure you have already looked into the efficacy of it, but I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention my concerns. I don't know much about this particular boat, but I am concerned about putting that much weight over the bow of a boat not specifically designed to handle it--assuming it isn't. Especially on a boat with pontoon like characteristics. It would seem to me that it would become quite easy to stuff the bow into a wave or another boat's wake. I would also be concerned that it would upset the boat's general handling characteristics The boat has a stated weight capacity of approx 24oo lbs, and you are going to be putting roughly 800lbs plus the weight of the bunks on the forward most portion of the bow.... I am even more concerned that a lot of that weight will be positioned in front of the forward portion of the actual hull, which will only drive it further into the water and make it more difficult for the bow to recover when striking a wave or wake.... I'm sure you know what you are doing, but I would just check with the manufacturer that this is a good idea.
     
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  5. Ianjoub

    Ianjoub Formula Junior

    Dec 22, 2019
    899
    Homosassa, FL USA
    Full Name:
    Ian Joubert

    Thanks for your input. I did some research and think I will be fine. I live on the gulf coast of FL, so will never be in any heavy surf. Also, this model boat is flat deck with deck scuppers. There is no 'swamping it' per se as there is no 'inside the boat' to fill with water. If a wave comes over the bow, it will wash straight through off the back and *should* retain its buoyancy.

    That being said, with a 2400# capacity, having 1/3rd on the front is not ideal, but we will likely never get over 2/3rds capacity total. I feel going in, this is a viable proposition. If reality doesn't match up with predictions, plans will be altered. I am sure I can get a plan together to have one on the front and one on the back. I'll keep y'all updated. It is likely to be 8+ weeks before I see either still.
     
  6. BoulderFCar

    BoulderFCar F1 World Champ
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    Dec 16, 2004
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    I think the issue you'll see is that the bow "stuffs" and the back can elevate to the point of the motors coming out of the water. I've seen it a bunch of times when people leave for their day on the water in a pontoon. Everyone is on the front of the boat with their coolers and the next thing the coolers are in the water.

    Regarding the hoist or davit, they are dangerous as can be. It would need to be gusseted all the way through to the hull. A cable breaking or a ski coming loose is a dangerous as can be with the cable whipping around. I don't let anyone on the front of my boat when I'm running the davit.

    Lastly, there are waves and there are boat wakes. A sport fish rolling by will put out a big enough wake to go over the front of the boat.

    No trying to be a buzzkill but there are issues to think through with what you're trying to do. I'd tow the skis.
     
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  7. MWHC4S

    MWHC4S Karting

    Jun 30, 2004
    82
    Brainerd, MN
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    Mark
    Stuffing in the bow of a pontoon is not just putting some water over the "front." The added weight of the water quickly leads to exacerbating the dynamic moment (further lowering the bow, when the opposite needs to happen). The propulsion (motors) offers minimal, to no help, to power out of the situation, because they are no longer in the proper orientation to be affective. I have seen this scenario (more than once) and the pontoon comes to a complete stop, displacing (sometimes dangerously) people and gear in a massive forward ejection.
    Short of this setup running on a 1000 acre lake or less, I would say this is a concerning setup.
     
  8. darth550

    darth550 Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 14, 2003
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    You have to really anticipate what you want to do with it and go from there. Like more shower time means larger water reserve and more length = more $$
     
  9. I.T. Guy

    I.T. Guy F1 World Champ
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  10. Arvin Grajau

    Arvin Grajau Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    For us its always been about resale value.
     
  11. I.T. Guy

    I.T. Guy F1 World Champ
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    Well
    These things (the ones I want) are way more expensive to purchase and operate then I imagined. It's not my time. Maybe some PWC while I dream a bit more.

    Thank you everyone. One day!
     
  12. F456 V12

    F456 V12 F1 Rookie
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    Mar 13, 2004
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    So I just got my Boston Whaler 2007 270 Outrage back from nearly 8 weeks of repairs and upgrades. As most rehab projects go, you spend much longer to finished the work (boats are hot commodities and parts har hard to get) and more money than planned, but better to do it right than half-ass, especially if you plan to go offshore. This weekend we had the inaugural cruise on Saturday, found out a number of items that were not identified by the surveyor, most annoying were the state of the drain plugs for the fish boxes, about 30 minutes out trying to figure out why there was a slight list to the left...drain plug failed, the rubber was shot and the brass was about done, a smaller issue was the starboard navigation light did not work, the fixture was highly corroded and should have been replaced years ago. The lessoned learned, probably goes for any boat you are considering, pull the boat out of the water, don't take the word of the owner, broker and surveyor. Everything looks much different out of the water than it does all polished up in the slip or in glossy photos. Anyways, I have no regrets.

    As for the 270 Outrage, I cannot be more impressed. One the second cruise we went to Catalina, averaged 28 knots and almost 2 miles per gallon. The boat is extremely dry and very solid. We were in 3 to 5 foot conditions with 15 mph NNE winds, going over more about big rollers, coming back peak to peak much closer. We dialed the boat in about 4K RPM's and literally skipped waves, got airborne a few times, but the boat just handled it well and softly landed. I guess it is fair to say, you pay a premium for a Boston Whaler, and now I know why.

    MB
     
  13. F456 V12

    F456 V12 F1 Rookie
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    One other comment, when I purchased the boat, I thought a pair of Mercury 225 V6's might be a bit underpowered, perhaps 250's or maybe 275's might be better. After one weekend and experiencing So Cal conditions, it will be a rare day when I can max the boat out at ~ 55 Mph. My advice, match the engines to the weather/wave conditions otherwise you are just wasting money on fuel costs. It might get you bragging rights (maybe important), but that is about it.

    My two cents,

    MB
     
  14. max930

    max930 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  15. EastMemphis

    EastMemphis Formula 3
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    May 25, 2019
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    The best boat is someone else's boat!
     
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