G_Force

Hi all –

Newbie here with newbie questions. Well, not completely new. I registered on OSO at the end of last summer, but have not posted yet until now.
For a little background, I’ve been boating on and off for most of my life, but have never had a go-fast.

The wife and I do not have a go-fast / performance boat yet. We currently have a cuddy style cruiser type boat that cruises at about 32 mph and tops out at about 48 mph. So, compared to you guys, we are in the “slow lane”.

We’d both like more speed, and for a year or so, we have been toying with the idea of getting a go-fast. So, we were told that OSO is the place to be! Great site!

There is lots of great info here, but I have a few questions.
Where is a good place to look at lots of different types of go-fasts all in one area? You see very few (if any) at boat shows. We’d most likely buy used. Most marinas have only a few at most.
It seems that the most you see at one time are at poker runs.
Is it okay for non-participants to walk the docks and talk to poker run participants about their boats, or is the area generally closed off and reserved only for those with the wrist bands who are in the poker run? I figure it would be a great opportunity to talk with a few participants about what they like / don’t like about their boats, plus be able to actually see several go-fasts in one place. What do you think? A lot of participants seem to open their engine hatches, so it’s easy to see some of the hardware while standing on the dock. Talking to the owners, too, would be great.

There is the Thunder on the Bay poker run this Saturday, and all the boats will be at the Nauti Goose on late Saturday afternoon. It would be a great opportunity to talk to a few people and drool over boats.

That’s it for now. I’ll have a lot more newbie questions in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
Thanks and I look forward to learning a lot, and meeting up with some more of you. Maybe see some of you at Nauti Goose. ?

Glenn

WARPARTY36

Poker run docks are open for all to roam. Most participants are like minded people who love boating. Most people don't mind SENSIBLE questions, and some actually enjoy them. There are obviously many different boat styles, and a broad price range.

Happy hunting and welcome to OSO

G_Force

Thanks daredevil. For budget, we're thinking in the low 100s, but that could change. I work in Real Estate, and as you know, it's shakey right now, but could turn for the better in a big way, as it seems to be starting to do here in northern VA.
Size might be determined by what I can tow and store. My truck is a Dodge Ram 2500 with Cummins Diesel. GCVW is 20,000#. That's everything....truck, gear, trailer, boat, etc. That would let me tow something up to about a 382 Fastech or Donzi 38ZR. There seems to be Formula 382s and others in that size range, that are in the low 100s range if they are about 1999-2002 model years with 500 EFIs.
Of course, for all I know, those boats could be beat to hell, and that's where I'll probably have lots of questions down the road. Another option is going smaller but newer. Nothing set in stone at this point.

Thanks for the reply.

Glenn

G_Force

Thanks Warparty36. That's what I thought, but wanted to make sure that poker runs didn't have separate "rules". A lot of them pay good money for the event, and I wanted to make sure others don't think Im crashing it. Of course, I wouldn't be inviting myself to the food, etc., but wasn't sure if the whole area gets closed off to outsiders.

Thanks.

Audiofn

I would think what you are talking about doing would be a great way to see what is out there. What size is your current boat? Single or twin engines? Your price range puts you in some very nice boats in this market.

G_Force

Current boat is a 25 foot cuddy cabin (Four Winns) with a single I/O. 26' 9" LOA. 5.7 Liter (350 chev block). Volvo Penta I/O. 280 h.p.

Glenn

OkieTunnel

Those are asking prices. Often there is quite a gap between that and what they actually sell for. This is a GREAT time to buy.

G_Force

<<...."This is a GREAT time to buy.".....>>

I agree, biut it's also a dicey time for business..... at least for me. I'm kind of in a "wait and see" holding pattern for now.... But, we're still enjoying our (slow) cuddy for now this season. I'll likely spend this season checking out boats and asking lots of questions. If the economy doesn't totally hit the dumper next year, we'll probably step on over to the fast side.

Griff

A good friend of mine has a 2002 Formula 353 Fastech for sale that is pristine. Always a fresh water boat. It is as near perfect as it gets.
http://midwestboatparty.com/bd/formula.htm

I would say LOTO has huge selection performance boats that you could look at. You could look at the dealers and brokers and then also wander the docks over a weekend at local restaurants and bars.

Audiofn

If you are waiting and want to see new boats then there is no better then the Miami Boat Show in Feb.