I'm new to Offshore Only and to these kinds of boat, although I've been around and owned boats for more than 20 years. Living near Lake Michigan (north of Holland) I want to get a boat that handles 2-4 foot waves nicely, has a cushy dry ride, and has good looks, quality and reliability. I posted the following on the Classic forum, and since I've narrowed down to Formula, I thought I might get additional readers and responses from this forum. Speaking about bottom designs, I observed that the fore and aft hull designs of the Formula 233 and 4-Winns Liberator 261 are very similar. Both have aggressive entry curves (maximizing hull in the water) and at the stern the hull is a fairly sharp "curve" at the bottom. The 233 angle might be ever so slightly steeper than the 261. Hulls on the 26 Nova and 272 Formula finish with a sharp vee at the transom, which I assume would translate to a softer ride with a reduction in speed due to more of the hull being in the water. I understand that there are other factors at work, but assuming that the bottom entry design is the biggest factor in the ride, I'm surprised that the 261 and 233 have such good reputations in big water. I've pretty much narrowed the search to the two Formulas at this point -- the Nova sits too low in the water and I don't want to risk being stuck without parts availability if one of the baby King Cobra drives has problems on the 261. So I would really like to hear from anyone who has driven or ridden on both the Formula 233 and 272 and get feedback as to how they differ in ride and handling in all lake conditions. I'd be looking at a 233 with single 350 and the 272 with twin 350s.

Bigger is better. I would consider the 242LS as well.

I dont know about the 233, but My 272 rides great, but is back heavy- especially with the twin big blocks. and it also REALLY likes gas. If economy is an issue- stay single; I'd look into the 242ls or sr1

I have seen a few 255 Formula Liberators for sale in your area occasionally. They come standard with 260's and make a great rough water boat.

I have one now and have had a 272...the 255 is almost identical in ride and handling to a small block 272.

I haven't found the extra 18" yet but I do know my 255 has about 10"~12" more free board than my 272 LS did.
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The 255 Formula Liberator and 272 LS with twin 260's are within 100LBs of each other.

I ran a 272 on lake erie for 7 years. I used it for 30mile runs to pelee island , all open water , never turned back due to big waves just had to slow down twin 260s got about 1 mile a gallon , was a great boat did everything I wanted and then some , big blocks would be too heavy in stearn for great lakes. I would also put k planes on huge differnce

I would also consider a 242ls, last weekend I was out on lake michigan in 3-5 footers and didnt have a problem, 260 merc 21 pitch prop 3000 rpm every thing tucked in turning 30mph with 3/4 tank of gas. Had a 10 mile trek back to the launch ramps. smooth as can be!!! didnt even spill my drink!!!

Mung, fuel economy is a factor and this is why I'm seriously considering the 233. We live 3 minutes from the Lake Michigan launch ramp, so my hope is to get out on the water quite a bit (I'll be trailering). I'll take a look at some 242 models. Sprink, I have seen photos of the 255 in ads and in the Formula brochures, and every time I see it I smile in amazement at the prodigous freeboard. It would take a storm of epic proportions to swamp that one. In contrast my 18ft runnerbottom has about six inches of freeboard in the back -- needless to say I'm careful how I anchor. I'm surprised that the 255 and 272 have similar rides, in light of how different their bottom designs are. The biggest difference seems to be at the back, where the 272 has a sharp vee, whereas the 255 is more rounded (like a 4-Winns Liberator 261 and Formula 233). I would assume that the 255 gets up on plane faster (plows less) because of this -- what do you think? I'm amazed that the weight difference between the 255 and 272 is only 100lbs, but I guess when you consider all of that freeboard on the 255, it makes sense. Both of them must be rock solid hulls. Which one is drier (less spray in the cockpit hitting big waves)? One thing I will say that makes the 233 different than the other two is it's "front end attack", which looks more like a large boat design. It appears to maximize the length of hull in the water, opposite from what I've seen on some Bajas that look like an arrow in the front and the bottom hits the water way behind the front (not good for big seas but good for speed). The 233 design appears to maximize the wetted surface, which in theory should keep the boat flatter and minimize nose diving in big seas. Oh6662b, thanks for sharing your 272 experiences -- it sounds like you had no regrets. 86242ls, I'm surprised that a 24 footer can handle that kind of wave action -- impressive!

I took these pics of my 255 so you can get an idead of the 24 deg dead rise and entry. I have replaced the tabs with 12" x 12" since these pics were taken...big difference.

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Your observations are correct with regard to the rounded off rear on the 255 as compared to the 272. Having owned both boats as well as a 242 I can tell you that on a typical 3~5 foot day here on the SE Coast of Florida the 255 and 272 are so close I would call it even. Running in the slop of a confused sea I would give the advantage to the 255 by a narrow margin. In a following sea it's a no brainer...advantage 255. In a staight head on sea given equal tab and load...slight advantage to the 272...if the 272 gets a 10...the 255 gets a 9.
Given equal power and load in a flat out top end run...slight advantage to 255 only because you can get more hull out of the water. I will say that the 272 is more nimble at speed (50+) than the 255 is mostly due to the rear keel shape.

In today's world you probably have a 4~5 times better chance of finding a 272 vs a 255 due to the fact that the last 255 Formula Liberator was built in '83. However...if you do run accross a good clean 255 for $10K or less give it a look because it's a lot of boat. I found mine for $3500 and spent another $3K bringing it back so for $6500 I have a lot of bang for the buck. I missed a '86 242 LS with twin 260's for $6500 on Craigs last week in Lake of the Ozarks....made me sick.

Another boat to consider seriously that is a real sleeper is the Formula 302 from '80~'86. It's not much more to trailer around and with twin 500 HP 502's on Bravos pushes low to mid 90's. I have a friend here that has one and it planes out and pulls with mine up to about 50...then it's "Asta la Vista...Baby"!!

Sprink, thanks for the great pics of your 255 and for sharing your detailed experiences with that one and the 272. Have you noticed that the Wellcraft Nova II and 272LS have very similar bottom designs (at least to my untrained eye)? I have never read a post that indicated either boat riding hard in heavy seas. The main difference that I see in those two is the freeboard and overal height of the boats -- the Nova has a lower profile (this is why I'm not pursuing them -- I want more freeboard). Do you have any experience with the 233? I'd love to know how it compares to the 255.

I looked at an 82 301 last night in Cleveland, and it was just too big. I will trailer every time, and with the limited area I have for maneuvering and storing the boat, it just doesn't make sense right now (not to mention the fuel it would burn). It is an impressive machine though.

Sides...the 233 is the standard...the original....the goal that is set to be met or exceeded by all that came after it.

Compared to the 255...it's just smaller with a less agressive entry. They ride great and handle great. There was, this past week, a '79 233 Intercepter, which is considered by many to be the BEST 233, on E-Bay with a single 260/Volvo. It was reasonably good for it's age...red and white. I stopped my chase at $2000 because it didn't have a trailer and it would have cost me $1500 to go get it in North Carolina. It went for $3500...I wanted it bad...but I already have my 255...which suits my needs better.

The 233 registry may be something to check out. The 233 has more of a cult following than any single boat model I know of.

If you don't need to go over 45~50 and can get by with the smaller platform...the 233 is hard to beat. It needs 400 horse power to run 60. A single 260/300 Mag will push one 50 with the right prop and run 35 all day sipping gas through a straw.

Again...you have about a 4~5 x better chance of finding a 242 vs a 233 because the last 233 Formula was built in 1983.

The 242 is an improved version of the 233 and is a great boat...very simalar all the way around...just newer construction techniques with less plywood and a one piece molded inner liner. I had one...a 242SS which had a BIG cockpit. It was a great boat but needs a Big Block to perform well. Mine with a single 260 on an Alpha I did well to break 40. If i were you I would strongly consider a 242 mostly due to availability. Insist on Big Block power with a Bravo drive in a 242 or you will be miserable. One exception to this is a 242SR1 with twin 260's. there is one for sale in St. Louis, I believe with one engine that has a isuue for $6000. You might want to check Craigs in St. Louis. I had a '86 242 with a single 260 and sold it within 6 months to buy my '86 272LS with twin 320 EFI Mercs on Alpha SS drives...70 mph boat.

Good luck with this...hope all this info enlightens you as to what to expect from each boat.

Stay with the "Birds" or our kindred brands...Donzi, Magnum and Cigarette. Ask yourself this...what other brands of boats are still out there kicking ass every weekend that are 30+ years old? Just ask anyone who Don Arronow was and how this whole thing got started...then you'll have your answer.