First big boat recomendations??
 

I finally have the truck, house and everything else sorted and figure it's time for a decent sized boat! I've been playing around with little ski boats and figure it's time to start running with the offshore guys! Or at least as much as my paycheck will allow for...

I was wondering if I should go for a bigger old boat (early '80s 29' Scarab with 454s that could use quite a bit of work) or something quite a bit smaller but new? Oh and my driveway is only 10' wide so a cat is sadly out of the question at the moment.

I'm fairly good around fiberglass and electronics. I've built a few custom sport bikes so I sorta know what I'm getting into with an old boat but transom and stringer replacement sounds a little scary. Any help would be great, thanks. Oh and I'm out in Southern California where finding a decent boat is damn near impossible! A road trip to FL is sounding better and better...

Get ya something in the 24-28' range, stock power, and as little maintenance as possible. Even if the boat is "perfect" you'll get plenty of work out of it..........it's a boat afterall. After you've owned it for while you'll feel more comfortable taking on some of the bigger projects (glasswork, engine mods, paint, etc.)

You'll be happier to have something that is turn key, and if you're coming out of a ski boat, or no boat, it will almost surely be fast enough for you to be satisfied and get comfortable with the speed and ride of the go-fasts. Then, once you get 2-foot-itis and 2-mph-itis (both of which are inevitable) you can decide what to do next. My 2 cents.

Also, a 10' width does not eliminate the cat idea, as many of the shorter cats are well within 10' width. Although, I might suggest a vee-bottom, perhaps a Fountain 27 Fever??? :ernaehrung004: I love mine......

price range would be helpful , if your looking at early 80's scarabs with 454's , you'll probably be selling in a couple of seasons anyway because fuel is expensive , 2 big blocks in an old heavy boat are gonna burn like 40 gallons an hour at full throttle and 20 gallons an hour (10 each) if your cruising at a steady speed not higher then 3000 rpm's , either way its expensive compared to a little newer single engine 26-28 footer that weighs half what the scarab does and does the same things performance wise on half the fuel
just my .02 , but mid 90's sonics / velocity's / baja's / checkmates are always for sale in the mid-20's to low 30's price range , and alot easier on the wallet to run

Take a look at the 26 Hustler,26 sonic,and the 25 Active thunder. Buy something turnkey. Projects are fun IF you have an open check book.

Well, I was a no-boat for years, and was looking to do exactly the same thing. I was really tempted to buy as big a boat as I could - looked at older boats in the 30+ foot range...even with twins...but then decided on an older (almost mint) '87 Formula 242ls (26' LOA) with a single 454. It's also about the largest boat I can confidently tow with my Dodge Durango--never having towed before, either.

I am really glad I exercised some self-control and went smaller. The Formula is really all the boat I can handle right now - hell, the thing seems huge to me just getting around the docks (an adventure, but practice is paying off) and I can't imagine how it would be in a 30+ boat. With a single engine, I can actually afford to run it, and it really didn't need any work. It's good that you have some knowledge with fiberglass and electronics--but save it for a project boat - not one you actually want to USE and enjoy right away.

Bsirk makes some good points, and Enforcer24, too. There are some nice boats in the 24-28' range. In a perfect world, I guess I would have liked to have started with a 20' boat and gradually moved up to a bigger one. But I'm about to turn 50 and frankly I don't have time for that. Right now, I know may look like a beginner...but only for a little while. The good advice and knowledge you will find here on OSO can help make you a better and wiser offshore owner...and get you there a little faster, too.

Good Luck! :drink:

Hey thanks for all the help and info! I'll have $25,000 to $30,000 in the boat fund as soon as one of my bikes sells. I've been tempted to pick up the Lambo v12's from the classifieds and get those working and drop them in something but I'm sure there will always be a better/bigger deal somewhere! And I hadn't even considered the upkeep on 2 engines in the budget. Thanks again!

With the market the way it is you should be able to get a decent larger boat. Be sure you decide what kind of boating you want to do. If you are sure you want an offshore performance boat, be certain you want to do day boating and don't want to stay on it on weekends. The cabins are tiny until you get to the really big ones. Also, don't forget they kill you on insurance compared to other types of boats and a lot of people forget to figure that in.

I would start w/single engine big block @ 25'-27' range. Also I would look for a boat w/fresh water history. Most any boat from Fl. is salt water, exposed to a lot of sun. If your going to go on any road trip, it's hard to ignore boats from the great lakes, LOTO's, etc.

28 Pantera

I would definately not get the Lambos. Where would you get parts????

25 to 30k can buy a decent early to mid 90's 26 footer.

I would get a single engine with your budget.

i agree

I'd leave at least $5k in the budget for repairs/upgrades/incidentials after the purchase. There is always something to spend money on after you buy no matter how carefully you survey the boat.

I agree with the single BBC in the 23-28' range as a good starting point.

ECeptor is right, dont forget that once you buy a boat for X dollars, you will have to buy everything need to just legally have it in the water, plus repairs, maint, sterero, etc....$5k goes real quick when you have to get everything if you havent had a boat before. Twin engines are nice, but its double the headache, money, fuel, etc.... Good luck bro.

thats what i have for my first go-fast boat is a single bbc in a 23 foot scarab. its solid and has plenty of power and was in that 25-30 thousand range.





:cool:

Wow' Lambo v-12s huh. Sounds like a man who wants to commit suicide and just hasn't had enough bad luck and depression to to justify it. Buy a 10 year old twin engine- anything and that should do the trick.

My first offshore was a 24 python. A 24/7(beam) boat, was a little small for me. Second was the 28 apache......not sure I'll ever have a third. If your looking in the 28 range I'd recommend apache, pantera, and saber. Don't be scared by twins vs singles in those boats. I don't burn much more gas in the 28 than I do in the 24. Anything above 28 will be a more forgiving boat and easier to drive.

Did you mean early 90's 29 scarab's? Not a bad choice, but a narrow boat. Buy something turn key. I would also buy something that will hold its value. If you do decide to go with an old boat I would find something rare and collectible. Something thats worth putting money into and something that you hope you'll be able to recoup the money spent........within reason. Analyze old boat value vs old restored boat value.

A 27 Magnum or a 28 Pantera, If you can find a Pantera in that price range.
I prefer twin smallblocks in those ..others maybe a single bigblock.
+1 with Texacomas choices too.

A running Lambo will set you back with a 30-50K$ bill....if you can find parts or Victory team decides to sell to you.

I sold my 1998 Powerquest 260 XL with a trailer for 31K in April 2007. It had the 502, weekend package and was VERY clean. Given todays market, especially in Michigan, you should be able to get a lot of 24 to 26 foot boat for the money you want to spend and a whole lot newer.

"Boat" A hole in the water which one pours money into.
But it's great to own one.

BOAT = BorrOw Another Thousand!

Haha thanks for the insight. If you think v12's in a boat are bad, you should see some of the bikes I've had and the R1 powered go-kart for runs down Kanan. I'm back to looking for 24' ish single engine something or others now...

i've always know it to be "Break Out Another Thousand"
but i guess with the amount of crap i put onto credit cards your way works just as well :ernaehrung004:

Nova Spyder
 

I Have A Turn Key 1985 Totally Refurbished, (new)
Nova Spyder 26' For Sale, Make Offer Must Go New Boat Here.
Steal It
973-432-2807

Fresh water boat the only way to go !!!!!!!!! Completly stock no back yard BS. and you will spend a lot more time boating & less time fixing , just my 2 cents Good luck Jeff :drink:

ive got a nice starter boat ,a 1979/2008 35' cig mistress with 454 inj engs and #3 ssm drives for sale cheap

My Sunsation is my first boat. At 32' , it's been a steep learning curve. Twins have also added to operating costs significantly. I have a partner in it to share costs and learn from which has been a big help. Since we bought it, we've put about 10K in repairs and outfitting. Be sure to leave plenty of room in the budget for that stuff. If I were doing it all on my own, I would have definately stuck with one of their older 288 Intimidator's or 25' Aggressor's. Can't go wrong with a single, stock bbc and a Bravo drive.