Best All Around 38 Footer
03-05-2017, 01:53 PM
#22
Registered
Thread Starter
What are your performance expectations? 70mph, 80mph, 90mph +? What about handling?
Do you want a boat that porpoises like a dolphin at cruise speed? One that flys with the bow pointing at the sky off of waves?
Do you mind chine walking at top speed?
How about bilge room? Do you do your own maintainance? Do you mind working in a bilge that has only enough room for a 6 year old Asian boy?
How about cabin size? do you want to stand up in the cabin, and flip pancakes in the morning, and put on a crock pot of chili for the day? Or are you looking for a place for you and your life partner to crash after a night of drinking chardonnay?
Do you prefer a vessel with a decent windshield to keep your wig in place during a poker run, or a race style fairing that will require you to wear speedy gonzales type goggles and race intercoms while heading to the sandbar?
What kind of engine package do you prefer? Some station wagon style big blocks, that remind you of a 1984 suburban with a hole in the muffler, or some all out race engines, that sound like a top fuel dragster at the launch ramp, and generally will leave you with broken drives and an empty wallet?
Drive package? Do you mind driving and working the throttles as if the sticks are made from flourescent light tubes, or do you want to drive like Bob Saccenti in the Miami to bimini offshore challenge working those things over like your using a plastic butterknife to saw thru a chunk of stainless steel?
We need details man.
Do you want a boat that porpoises like a dolphin at cruise speed? One that flys with the bow pointing at the sky off of waves?
Do you mind chine walking at top speed?
How about bilge room? Do you do your own maintainance? Do you mind working in a bilge that has only enough room for a 6 year old Asian boy?
How about cabin size? do you want to stand up in the cabin, and flip pancakes in the morning, and put on a crock pot of chili for the day? Or are you looking for a place for you and your life partner to crash after a night of drinking chardonnay?
Do you prefer a vessel with a decent windshield to keep your wig in place during a poker run, or a race style fairing that will require you to wear speedy gonzales type goggles and race intercoms while heading to the sandbar?
What kind of engine package do you prefer? Some station wagon style big blocks, that remind you of a 1984 suburban with a hole in the muffler, or some all out race engines, that sound like a top fuel dragster at the launch ramp, and generally will leave you with broken drives and an empty wallet?
Drive package? Do you mind driving and working the throttles as if the sticks are made from flourescent light tubes, or do you want to drive like Bob Saccenti in the Miami to bimini offshore challenge working those things over like your using a plastic butterknife to saw thru a chunk of stainless steel?
We need details man.
Speed: 70 Plus
Engines: Merc Standard EFI or Blue EFI No Blowers
Drives: Bravo 1 or XRs
Windshield: Yes
Cabin: Just enough room to lay down in for a night. Thats about as long as the wife can go without room service
Bilge: Enough room to check the oil levels. Turned wrenches for 15 years, prefer to pay someone else now.
Ride and Handling: Stable and Durable
Platinum Member
03-05-2017, 04:38 PM
#25
OK,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Speed: 70 Plus
Engines: Merc Standard EFI or Blue EFI No Blowers
Drives: Bravo 1 or XRs
Windshield: Yes
Cabin: Just enough room to lay down in for a night. Thats about as long as the wife can go without room service
Bilge: Enough room to check the oil levels. Turned wrenches for 15 years, prefer to pay someone else now.
Ride and Handling: Stable and Durable
Speed: 70 Plus
Engines: Merc Standard EFI or Blue EFI No Blowers
Drives: Bravo 1 or XRs
Windshield: Yes
Cabin: Just enough room to lay down in for a night. Thats about as long as the wife can go without room service
Bilge: Enough room to check the oil levels. Turned wrenches for 15 years, prefer to pay someone else now.
Ride and Handling: Stable and Durable
03-05-2017, 05:01 PM
#27
Registered
03-06-2017, 07:25 AM
#29
Registered
Damn Eric! First 700hp in the bowrider, now this! I'm only going to support this if I can catch a ride in one of these new boats you are interested in. Everyone that has made a suggestion so far has more knowledge and experience than me, and I think they have you going in the right direction. For me, budget aside, a 38 top gun is a bucket list boat for me. I really doubt you would regret a 38 or 42 lighting with staggered 525s. Easy to tow with your power stroke, never ending good looks, fast efficient hull and staggered engines will pay dividends when doing maintenance. The lighting will hold its own in a poker run, but I would still be happy showing up last and docking a top gun at the last stop.
03-06-2017, 07:49 AM
#30
Registered
37 Outerlimits for sure. Fast , strong , stable and a full size cabin. 80 ish with 500 hp's. I had one for 16 years and it was an amazing boat. Mine was a Triple 500 that would run over 90.
