Wife and I are in the process of researching cruisers.
I'm on my 4th boat. 3 of which have been inboard ski boats with either PCM or Indmar V-8's. The last has a V-drive with Hurth transmission. Others were direct Velvet drive.
Being into tournament skiing we run these boats hard and have to do quite a bit of maintainence and repair ourselves. So replacing gauges, impellers, prop shafts, strut bearings, steering cables, fuel pumps, sending units and stuff like that is easy. Overhauled a few engines and trans along the way as well, but limited hull repairs. My ski club now supplies a new boat every two years so mine is getting very little use so I'm considering letter her go.
Our family in my younger days had a 32 foot wood single screw cruiser, 272 Y block Ford, I forget the brand but a mid 50's vintage. I rebuilt the engine and trans and we ran it a few years until the aluminum (bad design) manifolds burned out and wrecked the engine again. Ended up junking the boat as back then you couldn't give the things away.
I'm laying this groundwork so you'll know my experience, or lack there-of for cruisers.
I have access to our family dock which is big enough to park a 35-40' cruiser along side in an inland lake. The goal would be to have a cruiser kept there and used weekends until retirement rolls around and moving it to the ICW for loop cruising.
The problem we're having is cost vs return. A mid 80's Carver or simliar can be had in the 30-50K range but I'm not real crazy about the designs with that Winnabago look. Sea Ray offers some good sleek looking choices but I'm into a more traditional looking cruiser such as the older Chris Craft. To get a traditional look in a newer crusier gets you into very high end boats. Some Trojans and a few other brands offer some decent designs in the 70's and 80's.
Personally I was thinking of a 1960's Woodie CC and give her a major overhaul for the living quarters, use the drive train until it rags out and retro fit it with diesel power when it's time to take her to the ICW in about 10 years. Other options are to go with a newer 80's glass boat but after checking prices it would have to be a pretty ragged out vessel requiring extensive refurbishing. The Woodie would have about 25K invested while a glassy could top 50K easily even though both would still have the older gas engines. I just don't think gas for that size boat is the way to go anymore. $$$
I like the idea of a glass hull but woodies have been around for hundreds of years and a retro fit of diesels would put her in line with the glassy cost wise. I also like V or direct drive rather than stern drives.
It's a tough call for me so I'm asking those of you that have experience in either to share some insight into these choices.
Or any other valuable insights you have.
Thanks in advance.
I'm on my 4th boat. 3 of which have been inboard ski boats with either PCM or Indmar V-8's. The last has a V-drive with Hurth transmission. Others were direct Velvet drive.
Being into tournament skiing we run these boats hard and have to do quite a bit of maintainence and repair ourselves. So replacing gauges, impellers, prop shafts, strut bearings, steering cables, fuel pumps, sending units and stuff like that is easy. Overhauled a few engines and trans along the way as well, but limited hull repairs. My ski club now supplies a new boat every two years so mine is getting very little use so I'm considering letter her go.
Our family in my younger days had a 32 foot wood single screw cruiser, 272 Y block Ford, I forget the brand but a mid 50's vintage. I rebuilt the engine and trans and we ran it a few years until the aluminum (bad design) manifolds burned out and wrecked the engine again. Ended up junking the boat as back then you couldn't give the things away.
I'm laying this groundwork so you'll know my experience, or lack there-of for cruisers.
I have access to our family dock which is big enough to park a 35-40' cruiser along side in an inland lake. The goal would be to have a cruiser kept there and used weekends until retirement rolls around and moving it to the ICW for loop cruising.
The problem we're having is cost vs return. A mid 80's Carver or simliar can be had in the 30-50K range but I'm not real crazy about the designs with that Winnabago look. Sea Ray offers some good sleek looking choices but I'm into a more traditional looking cruiser such as the older Chris Craft. To get a traditional look in a newer crusier gets you into very high end boats. Some Trojans and a few other brands offer some decent designs in the 70's and 80's.
Personally I was thinking of a 1960's Woodie CC and give her a major overhaul for the living quarters, use the drive train until it rags out and retro fit it with diesel power when it's time to take her to the ICW in about 10 years. Other options are to go with a newer 80's glass boat but after checking prices it would have to be a pretty ragged out vessel requiring extensive refurbishing. The Woodie would have about 25K invested while a glassy could top 50K easily even though both would still have the older gas engines. I just don't think gas for that size boat is the way to go anymore. $$$
I like the idea of a glass hull but woodies have been around for hundreds of years and a retro fit of diesels would put her in line with the glassy cost wise. I also like V or direct drive rather than stern drives.
It's a tough call for me so I'm asking those of you that have experience in either to share some insight into these choices.
Or any other valuable insights you have.
Thanks in advance.
I knew that you had the same disdain for houseboats that I used to have. I always liked the way cruisers looked and felt they were real boats. What I couldn't figure though is why all the good parties were always on the house boat and few gravitated to my cruiser. When I approached it with an open mind is when it changed. First off I wasn't talking pontoon boats. I am talking fast house boats that make great cruisers. Just think about a 42 ft gibson with twin 7.4s and Vdrives. Semi V and mid to upper thirties top speed. Cruising speeds in upper twenties. Most cruiser have a deep V. They draw more water, are slower and use much more fuel. Then you have the crew aspect. Picture an aft cabine style. When you go down below you feel trapped. A cruising houseboat is all open inside creating a lovely atmosphere to interact with guests. These cruising houseboats will take a three or four foot chop easily as well. Now if you regularly encounter 8 ft seas then a cruiser is a better option. If your on a lake there is no contest. The only reason to choose a cruiser is a built in opinion that house boats are not real boats and since you are a real captain you can not own a boat that isn't a real boat 
