Considering a smaller Baja
 

I'm considering on getting a smaller Baja. I would like to be able to save more money and go out traveling. Lesser in maintenance and storage cost. Have easier time towing, launching, and retrieving boat by myself. Seeing that I mostly solo boat. I'm looking to stop boating on the Illinois Chain. Instead boat at the Three lakes Chain where it's way less choppier. The Baja 200ss with an I/O. I really like its looks with the metalflake and low profile windshield. What are your opinions of that model?
Quality and comfort?
Top speed?

No one ever goes smaller. Time to find a first mate to assist in launching/retrieving ;)

It will feel very small. Depending on where you boat you may hate it if it gets rough.

I doubt you will spend less on maintenance. Its a boat and an older one at that.

Just a few things to consider.

25ol is a great size. I launch my 33ol with ease all the time.

If you consider, you will have to do the same process with a smaller boat as you are currently doing.

my process with 25 and now the 33ol.

-Back down ramp til tilting back to get out any water that may have been in it.. Put plug in!
-unstrap and disconnect front tiebar. (boat just sitting on trailer.
-back up boat to just submerge transom but above exhaust and just before it would float. (prevent reversion, been there)
-get out crank, back up and dock.
-move truck.
ENJOY!

Now if you are more worried about saving money... get an smaller outboard boat... Jet ski... ?

I would keep the 25ol especially if your buy yourself... pickup more skanks than with smaller boat :-)

Nalit, you are a brave man! I would never take the strap off the bow eye before having the boat in the water. Of course your ramps in LA are probably pretty shallow and ours here are pretty steep.

Now, how do you get the boat back on by yourself? Do you power off and then use the winch alone to pull the boat on the trailer?

Captain Nick - You've got something. A big boat is fun on the water, but a pain everywhere else. A big boat at home on the trailer vs a smaller one you actually use is not much of a choice. I would love a 33OL, but for us it is just not practical from either a cost or logistics perspective. Perhaps that will change some day (and I'm working toward it), but for now...

Dan

late last summer I sold my 212 Rinker 350mag to my buddy. I had the Rinker and my H2X 24 all last summer and used the Rinker to tow around to different lakes while I kept the H2X in a slip. Frankly I did not like the Rinker all that much compared to the H2X. Running around in the 60mph 212 was fun but I always preferred my bigger 630hp H2X. Now I have bought a Searay 300 w twin 350mags and have to say this new floating condo is pretty nice/ I was going to tow the Baja as a dinghy but that is not working out to well so I have decided to sell my Hotrod H2X. I want $27,500 and yes I know that is a lot for a 98 but it is worth it and I got way more than that in it.

I think the money you will save will be negligible.
Maintenance will be same.
Fuel costs will be slightly less.
Storage costs will be proportionately less.

Solo boating is not a big deal. For the most part, even with help, I do the majority of the work when loading/unloading anyhow. You just need to practice and get a routine.

When launching alone, I back the boat in to where I lower the drive and start it, but it's still attached to the bow stand, and also solid on the trailer. Then go tie two lines to the boat, fore and aft; with enough slack that you can back the truck up another 2-4 feet. Walk up, undo the bow stand winch, and then go back the truck in a hair further. The boat will gently float off, and you can walk back down the pier, snag the slack tied lines, and walk the boat back to the dock to tie it snugly. It can be done with no pier at the launch ramp too. Back the trailer in deep enough that the only thing keeping you attached to the trailer is the bow/stand/winch. Get on the boat, lay prone on the tip of the bow, and disconnect the winch. Then sashay over the cockpit and go drive the boat to where you want to put it while you park the truck.

Retrieving, just walk the boat on the trailer and use the winch. No need to be all gung-ho and drive it on.
If no pier at the ramp, then back the trailer in as such that the bunks will allow you to "land" the boat on the trailer (like beaching it.) Then go up, attach and snug up the winch cable/strap; and back the trailer in a bit more so you can winch it the rest of the way on.

If I can do this with a 37, you can do this with a 25.

The boat isnt floating when I back it down, I also power off and power on. Its funny you say that actually, I have read a lot of threads about complaints about power loading/unloading but I have always done it.
Putting back on, I back down until front bunk has front tip exposed so I can see it, then power load to eye or close enough that I can winch up the rest with a engines in fwd with a little throttle to hold boat.

Nailit.....you have no concerns of tearing up props while power loading?

I would say 90% of the ramps in my area have some sort of sand, rocks, or mud where the stern of the boat is.

I dont bury the drives, they ar prob just above neutral. I dont have to go but maybe 1/2 throttle at most to get it up, the way I have the trailer set up, I have to keep a lil thrust to hold it while I go latch the eye and lock or it will slide back off.

Then as I drive the truck up slooooooooowwwly until the stern sit on the bunks.

Thank you there everyone. Up at the Three Lakes chain the biggest chop you might see is 1'. Overall the lakes are pretty smooth. There at least a mile long. The biggest one is 3 miles long. The average size boat is 18'. It would be nice to keep the boat at my parents lake house on a lift. It would be nice taking it on the Eagle River side. The have a lift that picks your boat up and over land and lowers it down into the water The lift can only hold 6,000lbs. This is another reason why I'm considering the 200ss.

A 25 OL can most definitely be kept on a lift and it does weighs less than 5000 lbs so a 6000lb lift should have no problems. But I do understand the small lake closing in on you in a bigger boat. There is a lake in the mountains of PA near my parent's vacation home that is 14 miles long and it seems to small when I take my boat up there.

Keep the 25!! Dry weight of 4700 so even with 96 gallons of fuel and some gear, your under 6k.. Barely but under!

You will be the BIG dog on the lake!

It would be like having a 36OL among a lot of 25OLs in bigger water!! More skanks to fit in the stabbin cabin too!!

Hey, your single, we have to live vicariously through you!! lol

Hard to answer for you (mentally) but i've been on several lakes like this and anything over 20ft would feel weird.

Anyhow, I downsized to a 20ft right before getting married (I know, usually other way around) and even though on a lake that , at times, you really need a larger boat, it has worked out wonderfully.

It laughs at gas. My snowmobile uses way more.

Super easy to launch. I'm a one man team. I'm so close to the ramp, my family walks down to it. I have a dock at my parents house less than a 1/4 mile away, but it's so easy to launch/pick up....I do so everytime. Keeps boat way cleaner of course vs staying in the water.

I access more shallow swimming spots, I get the better spots in the shallows, etc,etc.

Much more +'s than I thought when i got it.

However, since my lake is a decent size, there are times I can't access certain spots since the waves are so damn big. LOL.

Don't let people talk you out of a smaller boat if you think it would better for you to have.

BTW: I don't drop my small boat in the smaller lakes anymore because it can cover ground a little to quickly. LOL. Hard to resist a smash the throttle thru the dasboard run when on calm water.

LMAOF.

I would normally agree that it is hard to go smaller but if you are talking about the 3 lakes and eagle river chains in Wisconsin I would agree that your 25 is a bit big for those lakes. I haven't been there in years now but in the past I took my18 wellcraft Jet boat there and never needed anything bigger. I have been over the lift several times... I thought it was pretty cool at the time.

If I am thinking of the wrong chain disregard...

Thank you there everyone I'll have to do some serious thinking there. Dukedonzi, you're correct the 3 Lakes and Eagle River Chain. I enjoy boating up there. I did take my boat up there a year ago. It did fine going through thoroughfares. It just seemed I would run out of lake quite quickly. If I do end up selling my boat I'll buy the boat lift and boat with that money.

So are you done boating on the Chain? still a part of NIOC group? have not seen you at any meetings in a while now.

boatnt, I'm not quite done with the chain yet. I've got some serious thinking to do about my boat whether to still keep it. I'm still a part of the NIOC group just haven't had the time to go to the meetings. Next month I'll go to the meeting.

I decided I'm keeping the boat. I would be afraid of regretting by selling my boat. Anyways it's such a blast to drive. It's pretty easy to dock. I'm keeping the boat in the long run. Yes it's pretty cool boating on the Three Lakes chain with it. I wouldn't want anything bigger for up there. Also ideal for the Illinois chain where I currently boat at. My boat is indeed the big dog up there. The next biggest boat is a 22' Donzi. People up on the Three Lakes chain enjoyed seeing my boat and talking to me about it. Some of the people on the water had there jaw dropped to the floor when they saw my boat. Ultimately I do want a boat lift at my parents lake house and keep it up there in the summer time.

Boatnt, I couldn't make last wed. meeting I've been getting over a nasty cold.