Looking for combo Cruise-Sleep-Ski boat

[jessdewet]

I need guidance in finding the "right" boat for our family. We would like a cruiser boat with at LEAST a portable potty and a place to sleep or to get out of bad weather or out of the sun. IDEALLY, we'd like to have the option to sleep up to 3 people and have cooking ability and a self-pumping "private" potty.

The conflict is that the boat must ALSO have enough power and manuveurability to pull up skiiers without creating too deep a wake. We will be using this boat often in crowded choppy fresh water lakes and rivers, so the boat must be stable enough to withstand the wake and waves.

We are looking only at used boats. Here are the boats I have seen:

2005 Bayliner 210 Classic, Merc5.0L w alpha drive
2004 Bayliner 245 , merc5.0L

2000 Chaparral Sunesta 233, merc5.0 efi
2004 Chaparral 230 OR 235 SSI, merc5.7L

2002 Ebbtide Mystique 2300 Sport Cuddy, merc 5.7L
2002 Ebbtide 210 Fun Cruiser, 5.0L V8

2004 Maxum 2400 Sport Deck, V8

2004 monterey 248LS Montura Cuddy, merc5.0 mpi Bravo3

2004 Regal 2120 Destiny, merc 5.0

2006 Rinker 246 Captiva Cuddy, merc350Mag 300
OR merc496MAG mpi Bravo3 drive


1999 Stingray 240 CS 5.7 300 OR 5.0 260

I need to narrow down my options and don't know where to start.

I would really appreciate it if you would comment on why certain ones would not work given my criteria. Also please give any feedback (very positive or very negative) regarding any of them.

Thanks a bunch.

[Frosty]

It depends on what is most imortant to you. If it is skiing then those big boats will be hard work for the driver and skier, not to mention fuel consumption.

[charmc]

Every boat is a compromise, and some of your criteria will be in conflict. You will need to prioritize them, and select the boat best suited to the qualities most important to you. You mentioned pulling skiers without creating "too deep a wake". Professional ski boats have a flat bottom for that purpose. You want the boat to handle choppy waters and wakes, however. That usually means a vee bottom, the deeper the better. As jack frost pointed out, a roomy cabin means a bigger boat, but that won't be as nimble as a real ski boat, which will commonly be 16-19', and will use more fuel to get all that mass up to skiing speeds.

So you'll have to determine which qualities are most important to you and your family, seek out boats strong in those areas, and accept compromise in the others. More importantly, since you are looking only at used boats, the individual boat must be evaluated. A model that received rave reviews from boat magazines but has not been well maintained over the past 2-3 years would not be a good choice. If you don't have the experience, seek out someone experienced whom you trust or consider paying a surveyor to inspect the boat before finalizing a purchase. Test drive any boat you consider, with the family aboard, lay down in the bunks, imagine how crowded or roomy it will be when closed up for a few days.

There are some web sites with reviews by owners which might give you some ideas. Search the boat brand name and add the word "reviews". Just remember that you don't know the level of experience the reviewers have, take everything with a grain of salt.

The makes and models you list are all well known manufacturers of production boats. Again, in used boats the condition of the individual boat is the most important element. Given the price of fuel, you might want to eliminate the larger engines. It sounds like you'll be in crowded waters much of the time, so won't be able to run wide open. 25 -30 knots is plenty of speed, and a 5.0 liter engine in the 200 hp range should provide plenty of power reserve for the size boats you are considering. Good luck in your search.

[KCook]

Well, some of those on your list are bowriders, some cuddys, and some deckboats. So you've got me confused!

Kelly Cook

[jessdewet]

"Confused" is just the right word - that's why I'm seeking any help I can get to eliminate options and choose the boat most suited for our needs. I do realize there will be compromise - flat boat better for skiing, "V" hull better for choppy crowded waters.

[KCook]

Well ...

Bowrider - Potti compartment likely very tight, sleeping very limited (rear bench seat), bad weather protection will be cramped convertible top, no real cooking - but good choice for rough water and best choice for skiing.

Cruiser - Worst choice for skiing - best choice for potti, sleeping, weather, cooking, and rough water.

Deckboat - Potti compartment likely very tight, with camper canvas fair for sleeping, rain protection will be camper canvas (boat stationary), cooking will be small camper equipment, rough water not bad but not great - pretty good for skiing, excellent sun protection with bimini top.

Try to get demo rides with each type.

Kelly

[Frosty]

Seriously I think you might be better off buying 2 boats here. You would probably pay for it by saving fuel on skiing days.

[timgoz]

I agree with Jack.

Compromise is rarely good, especially when boats are concerned.

Tim

[jessdewet]

Thanks for all your input. Skiing will be a very small portion of how we will use the boat but I wanted to "have the option" if someone does want to ski. We would do a lot of cruising, but it would be rare if we ran it over 40mph. I am leaning towards a cuddy 25' boat with a modified v-hull, 5.0mercruiser MAG engine, 300 hp at this point.

[KCook]

Just no way I would go with only a 5L in a boat that big ...

[Frosty]

I think Mr cook is joking.

However, have you had a boat before ,, theres someting not quite right here.

A very strange choice of boat thats not much good for anything really.

Do you understand how much fuel you will use.

Mind you you Americans dont seem to care about that much.

A petrol engine uses 7 gall per 100hp per hour.

300HP mean that at full throttle you will use 21 gall per hour.

a mere 5 hour blast would be 100 gallons. Ok you may not do that.

A small ski boat will use a fraction of that all day.

Take a tent?

To be honest you have niether a ski boat or accomodation or a power boat.

[TerryKing]

Originally Posted by jessdewet

Thanks for all your input. Skiing will be a very small portion of how we will use the boat but I wanted to "have the option" if someone does want to ski. We would do a lot of cruising, but it would be rare if we ran it over 40mph. I am leaning towards a cuddy 25' boat with a modified v-hull, 5.0mercruiser MAG engine, 300 hp at this point.

That sounds like a good direction. There's a reason you see so many boats on the water of that type: it's a reasonable compromise.

If you want mostly cruising with 4 or more people you need a bigger boat. If you do short-range overnights and sometimes camp onshore and sleep two or two and a small child, the cuddy cabin will be OK.

I have a 21 foot cuddy with a 4.7(350CuIn) GM V8 that is cramped but fine for two people used to "camping out". It has plenty of power to get two skiiers out of the water. Even then you don't need quite full throttle. I cruise at 2500 rpm and about 100HP, which is where almost all the hours are. I have run the same engine for the last 25 years, which is one I rebuilt with high quality pistons and bearings, and high-output oil pump. (Photo in my sig).

I'm for running a big engine at less than 2500 rpm cruise.

If I had to choose right now I'd go for the 25 to 27 foot size boat, even if it has a little less top speed. As I approach 70 (years, me, not the boat speed ) I probably won't try skiing barefoot any more anyway, in spite of some magazine ad I saw...

Today I'll be getting mine ready for another season on Lake Champlain, and maybe a cruise up to Montreal or Quebec City.

You'll be glad you thought this through when you're on the water!

[TerryKing]

Originally Posted by Frosty

A petrol engine uses 7 gall per 100hp per hour.

Frosty that's exactly my experience. I run a 350 Cu In GM V8 at 2500 RPM and about 100 HP at cruise. I burn about 7 gallons per hour and go 25 miles. I have about 100 mile range with my two 15 gallon stainless steel beer kegs as fuel tanks..

[timgoz]

Trust me Frosty, us lower income Americans (US) care alot about fuel costs.
Thats why my dream boat is a 24-28 ft. displacement hull with a 10-20hp inboard diesel.

Tim

[jessdewet]

Sorry - I mistyped the engine size AND boat size that I said I'm going with in my previous email. The engine is a 5.7 mercruiser 350 MAG mpi w/BRAVO 3 drive and the boat is a 24-foot cuddy. With 3 adults and a child, the boat cruised at 52mph. Since water skiing will be a MINOR part of its use, this fits our needs as far as cruising on choppy lakes with the ability to get out of the sun and/or bad weather.