Starter Boat
 

Can someone tell me what classify's a starter boat ???

To me it would be something that is safe, stable, moderately powered and allows mistakes. My 26 Nova II with twin 260's to me was the perfect boat for me to enter the offshore powerboat world with. It did all of this for me, and in this market would be very affordable to purchase for someone. I'm sure there are many factors I'm missing here, but for me those were the basics.

Starter boat
 

Sounds like a nice boat .....that was my thoughts ...thanks for the feedback !! Wellcraft /Scarab to me is the boat of choice !!!!

I would agree with Spaz. Something that is relatively inexpensive, moderate power, and small enough to notice small changes with the trim and tabs. If you plan on stepping up into a larger boat with twins, might help to start with a smaller one that also has twins. This is just my opinion.

I was given this advice for that reason too, and it worked out for me.
When first starting out it felt like a 29 with twins was a lot of boat, but now running a 35 is no big deal.

Its more challenging at first but forces you to respect everything and everyone from day one. That was good for me.

Great advice from Cousineau181 IMO.

there are two ways to look at it...boat perspective and afforability perspective

boat perspective:
probably want a smaller boat that is manageable (docking, manuevering). something with descent power to give you a sense for a go-fast style boat. something semi safe that YOU feel comfortable driving. twins would probably be best if you decide to step up and go bigger later on...as someone mentioned earlier, a boat where you can learn how to trim and plane etc...

cost perspective:
probably want a boat you feel comfortable affording. a boat you dont mind filling up every weekend. something that is reliable. little maintenance. a lot of new boat owners dont realize the costs associated with boating. a list which includes: fuel, insurance, mainetenance, opening/closing, repairs, marina stay/slip, etc...remember the higher end boats with merc racing type motors cost a lot more than your typical boat with OEM bb's or sb's (engine refreshes, fuel consumption, insurance, repairs, etc)

My buddy is having a good experience with a single BB 29 Fountain. It has been maintenance free with stock Merc power, is trailerable, and runs good. I think a good starter boat is something under 30 fee that fits the criteria above - trailerable, reliable, INSUREABLE, affordable to run and forgiving of mistakes.

Outboards vs I/O, single vs twin and BB vs SB are all personal choices that only you can make.

Agree with what others said - don't underestimate the TRUE cost of boat ownership.

Get something RELIABLE so that you enjoy your first experience.

Starter boat is one that you can really afford.

Price range makes a difference, I would say 25' er single engine under 20 Gs, make your mistakes with the first one then start moving on up and get out your wallet, two of everything cost twice as much.

But it's worth it, you only go around once, you might as well enjoy yourself.

I had a Donzi Z-25 with a single 454. It was a great starter boat. It had a nice little cabin, handled the water nicely and looked good. Also, it was a boat that gave you pride of ownership.