nailit

What is the riding surface on a 29 fever?? My buddy had a 27 and it didn't ride as good as mine?? His hull was really about 24 w/o beak and platform.

Thanks for the comments from every one. Sounds as though twins wouldn't be that bad!

Baja_342

A 29 Fever is a 26' boat. I owned a '98 with a single 500. They're fast but you don't get the smooth ride or room of a real 29-30 boat. I'm not bashing. I like Fountains. I sold the Fountain and went to a Baja 302 when I had kids. On my third twin engine Baja now.

nailit

thanks... sounds like I need to get a 29-30 hull if I upgrade.. Hate to mess with the 25OL.. its been a pretty managable boat having to drag it around.

jswfl09

See, I have the exact opposite view of you. I do about 200-250 hrs of boating per year here and wouldn't ever, ever, ever run again without twins. Started with a single 23 and then a single 275. Great boats but more suited to a lake/bay or very near-shore boating on calm to 1 ft days. The ride between the 275 & the 30' is night and day! I'll take the twins any day (especially if they are easy to maintain motors like the 496s) - for both performance and reliability. Boating up and down the shore of the west coast here and there is one thing but if you are going out every weekend and also going to places like the Keys (via Naples straight across Florida Bay) or to the Bahamas I couldn't imagine relying on one motor. Plus, if you have ever been caught up in fronts or summer storms, you will appreciate the size of a bigger boat (especially if it is a true 29/30 ft boat) and the power of twins for getting you safely through the swells.

If you are going to a 29/30, I feel twins are a must. If you plan on being a calm-day, near-shore or bay boater, a smaller boat with a single will just fine. Another thing that will make a difference is how much you will be using it. If you go out just about every weekend and want to go to your destination regardless if the sea is flat or sharp 3-4's, a larger boat with twins will allow you to do so comfortably and safely.

At the end of the day, it comes down to money and use. If it works for you, step up to a larger twin-boat. If you don't think you will use the boat that much you may be better sticking with a smaller single-engine one.

roost3r

Thanks everyone for the replies. I learned a lot reading the posts and have decided on a 30 or 33 Outlaw or a 32 Sunsation. Im leaning towards the Baja because I have always loved the look. The Sunsation seems to be a lot more boat but comes with a lot more of a price tag.

My boat will be a crab island/gulf boat and the intercoastal brackish water.

Im assuming closed cooling is what I need to look for? Reason?

Drive shower? whats the purpose?

Anything else a salt water boat needs besides an aluminum trailer?

Thanks again!

phragle

iTrader: (3)

what hasnt been mentioned about maint costs... twins vs singles..think of it like this...

your pulling a wagon with a couple hundred pounds up hill, sure you can do it, but the rope eats into your hands and your backs getting a little sore plus your hungry enough after all that work to eat 4 big macs....

next day, two ropes on the wagon, you and your buddy pull it up the hill. Sure you can do it by yourself, but with your buddies help its a whole lot easier on your back, you and your buddy dont work up as much of an appetite because the work load is easier so you each have 2 big macs and niether of you is sore the next day.

less strain on the engine and drives when using twins provided you operating the boat at about the same demand.

baja25sst

Dude, I boat in Gulf Shores and Ft Walton Destin FL twice a month! I sometimes boat all the way from Gulf Shores AL down the intercoastal to Destin and back in the very same day!I trailer from the Gulf Coast of MS over there easily down I-10. I have a 25 Baja Outlaw and have NEVER been stranded or had any problems boating in the intercoastal. Other than the Emerald Coast poker run, nobody is really ever running out front in the Gulf (nothing out there to do and you can go just as fast in the intercoastal). You want the extra maintenance and upkeep? When it gets that rough, nobody is out there anyway or if they are, there are very few boats. I guarantee you will spend 90 percent of your time at Noriega accross from AJ.s, or at Crab Island, or at HelenBack, or at Scullys, or maybe once a year to Juanas or PCola beach for the air show. I have sea tow-125.00 a month with roadside assistance when trailering. Thinik about it long and hard before you spend that kind of moneyf or the next 10-20 years of your life given the current economy. I agree with that pulling the wagon post and strain on the motors, think about the strain on your back and wallet too when you are working on twins!

roost3r

Hey thanks for the reply. I wondered how much people were actually in the Gulf. And I do agree that all the places you mentioned is where I will most likely stay. I do want to go over for the air shows and may occasionally run in the Gulf. Its a big decision and I just want to make the right one from the start.

baja25sst

Shoot me an email man at [email protected]. Let's talk.

A.O. Razor

A very good way of looking at it.

The maint. is not that different, as others said.

Yes a 25 or 26 is a little less than the 30 or 33 to care for and handle, but it's also way less boat on the water. And cleaning or maintaning 5-8 feet of boat more is not a big deal, to say the least. Use your truck for logging it around, don't use your back for it.
You are not gonna get stuck with a 30-33 boat for 10-20 yrs. It's a very popular size of boat with reliable power. If you fiddle around with the engines and make your own upgrades, yes plan on keeping it for awhile. Leave well enough alone, or get engines from a reputable builder/manufac. if you wnat more power some day. Better yet, find a boat with more.

When it comes to the safety aspect of it, there is sea tow, but you'll have to wait for them to get to you. If you are in a storm ect. it's a rotten place to be with no power, If anyone is ill or injured, waiting is no fun either. Do you have major drive damage, or a bad rubber boot in the drive, you run the risk of sinking. I know these are worst case senarios, but worth considering. The safety of twins is not only about getting home, but mentaining control of the situation, where you are, and where you are going.