Dave (MDG PERF) would know he has maintained this boat since Brian has owned it and knows it is put together RIGHT!!!

Well now that you have heard from a bunch of guys as to what they think here are some more to think about.
Think twice about buying a used salt water boat .I have preached this before a number of times .The salt creep gets into everything no matter how well you clean . and when it comes time to fix it may become a bear that my bite you on the ass.If you buy a fresh water boat you will know that you put it into salt and have no one else to blame.

Purchase a umbrella policy of at least $1 mill.To be on the safe side $1.5 mill

Keep in mind what I said about exotic power--- there is a real down side to that..

Again Good luck


Jim

I would spend the FIRST 5K on attending Tres school to learn a little more about what a handfull a boat in that price range is gonna be like, not trying to "step on toes", just a friendly suggestion :-}

What I have often done is asked myself : "what is your list of priorities" [in order] And then write them down. Maybe have the g/f there to get her input too?

Do you want the absolutely FASTEST boat? Your probably gonna want a cat?

Do you want something full of amenities? You might want to look at a Formula or a Donzi

Do you want to compromise? good amenities and speed, but, not the best of either? Well, tons of choices

I would look at some "lower end" Outerlimits and Nortechs, they are built really, really, well, and hold there resale value pretty well [in this economy NOTHING is gonna maintain GREAT resale]

You are DEFINATELY in the drivers seat, cash deal, crap ass economy, no trade, you are a salesmens dream! As others have said, you will do VERY well. It cant hurt to find a boat with an asking price of significantly MORE than you want to spend and try and make a deal, especially at a dealership who might not want to have 200K worth of boat sitting on the lot for [another] summer.

I have a small Baja now, and have been out in a few Sunsations 32ft ish, and the difference was incredible, so, going from your Hammer to a Top Gun, or 38 ZR will be unreal. Whatever you buy, be safe, take a course, ask lots of questions and remember, its YOUR money, take your time and find EXACTLY what you want.

Good Luck!
Michael

I started running big power back in the eighties . It was turbo's back then and they were a mess . My mechanic Dave at MDG got me to switch to superchargers in 91 or 92 . I have never owned a bravo boat , but seen a lot of them break when driven aggressively or when put behind large power . My experience has shown me that a speedmaster drive doesn't cost a whole lot more to fix . but it can take a lot more power and last longer beteween rebuilds . And the big power , again not that much more to rebuild or freshen up than a stock engine where I get my work done . The big difference for me is in performance and speed . I can run a big hp 6000rpm motor at 3000-4000rpm and have a 70-90mph cruise without working the motors hard . Making me be able to run in a poker run and cruise at nintey without beating up the equipment . In my opinion you can kill any engine with abuse , or make one live longer with proper care . I just took apart a pair of 900's to freshen up after 5 years and they were working well and looked great . I think you need to consider where you want your cruise speed to be and work backward from your top speed . Hope that makes sence and is a help . Just my experence and opinion .

I think you could narrow down the V vs Cat decision real quickly by calling any of the brokers here on the board and getting a quote for the Cat. I am not SURE but I bet most of them would NOT insure you at all.

He has already said he is fine with getting a new truck. Even if he doesn't do it before he buys a boat, the first time he hooks a 12-15k load up to that Escalade he will be browsing the Classifieds.

So, that being said - in MY OPINION the CIGS are an easy decision - decent speed in all water conditions with stock Merc power. There will always be some resale, and in a LOT of people's opinion the classic lines will always be popular.
The Cigs have a certain line to them that is indescribable, but beautiful, and their prowess in the rough has been proven.

My opinion is that 6's aren't for everybody. Even if I had the money for it I don't think there is anyone within 200 miles that service them if something ever did go wrong. The nice thing about Bravos (XR's) is that if you destroy one you can bolt another one on for a few thousand.

My $.02

You CANNOT tow an 8000+ lb boat with an Escalade. I just got rid of mine. Last year I had a Cig Bullet that ruined the air ride compressor in my Escalade. Too much weight for the compressor to lift. And that was just dumping the boat in and out of the water!! Plus not enough stopping power......

I cant believe $150k and budget was even used in the same sentence for those specifications. Buddy, you have an awesome opportunity at some pretty awesome rigs. You're gonna have a ball shopping for it. Enjoy.

I might as well throw in my 2ct's worth. First off you do not have a truck, it's an SUV. You will absolutely need a real truck. Over 32' I would go as far as say at least a 1 ton and possibly a dually if you ever plan on any long tows. Going from a 21' single to a 30' twin is a learning curve in itself, bigger than that, the bigger the curve. Stay away from any engine packages that are not stock, the 525's are a great choice and suggestion. Last thing you want while learning how to handle a twin and your new speed and power is having to think about engines. Survey is a must and your new ins. carrier will most likely require it. While I'm on ins. might as well talk about a cat. Probly won't even find an ins. carrier that will take you on as new without spending $6K a season. Then there's that learning curve. Worlds difference to a "V" hull. I would suggest riding in a cat before you even consider one. You may not like it at all. I would suggest that you find something around 30-32" for your next boat, 525's will give you the speeds your looking for 80+. Learn to handle a twin, stay with a "V". You can bank half of your $150K and stick with your SUV for towing. Go into this gradually then step up again if it's still not enough for your needs. Like I said it's only my 2ct's.

yeah you really have to narrow your search down if you want us to help you find something. right now you can go buy just about any type of boat for $150K, anywhere between a 160mph race boat or a 80mph boat with ac/gen, etc......

these two boats do it all. AC, generator, 80mph, big cockpit.........no offense to you cig guys but the 37AT is just as fast as a TG, has a bigger cockpit, and a much more usable cabin. The new cabins on the cigs mind as well be a bare storage compartment.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...7-AVH-97740338

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...xcess-96761881