I have been a boat owner for 11 years and currently own 2, so this is not my first purchase, trust me I know all about the cost of boat ownership. And it wouldn't be a few hundred dollars extra each year, it would be a few hundred dollars extra every weekend or two.

I was hoping to hear that the 311 would burn maybe 50% more fuel than the 271, but it sounds like its more like 100% more so that i cancells that thought. At current fuel prices it would be possible, but not if next summer was $5 a gallon. I don't want to be like others that bought their boats when fuel was <$2 gallon and now can't use them like they would like.

So it sounds like a 271 is for me and I am okay with that. Trust me, I will be happy with it for years to come, I think the "bigger is always better" attitude has helped in the demise of this sport. Many of the big beautiful boats that used to rip up the lake every weekend now sit silently on their lifts or in their boat storage, thats not my kind of boating.

You got it under control and I'm sure the 271 will be great boat for you, when you buy one give us a yell and see some pics of it. Good luck finding which one you want.

I found a nice looking 271 on Birmingham Craigslist, but am still waiting on photos promised over a week ago, must not want to sell.

[QUOTE=Bathtub;3474297] The joy of owning a powerboat is DRIVING a powerboat.QUOTE]

For me the joy of boating is just being on my boat. Doesn't matter if I'm driving it or just lying on the sunpad. I love anchoring in a cove and just waxing the top deck or scrubing the vinyl. It's personal preference. I don't need to run my boat and put $100 in the tank every weekend.

I'll get 3-4 weekends from 40 gallons. Doesn't mean I'm enjoying my boat any less. If anything I'd say that I'm enjoying it more because I'm not worrying that I just put $100 in 5-7 days ago and I need to fill up again.

well I don't measure mile to the gallon, then I shouldn't be boating, or I should be running a small v8, the 271 is agreat boat, me and the wife love it, but i have a 11 yr old and we are outgrown it so either I'm gonna get a camper top made or rule out extend a weekends in the future which I love, so probally a camper top, but now and then I still think about that next step so you never know, I would like to find a 303 with the same graphics/colors or move into a newer 292 or 312, go shopping, and enjoy! Keep us posted I will be glad to help and I know these boats well, my 271 also came from Alabama

Some track it, some don't. I always reset the GPS odometer everytime I filled the boat up to get a feel for what my 382 was burning. Not that it changed the way I used it (ran nearly 2,500 miles the last summer I had it). I needed to know cause I traveled pretty good distances, over 300 miles each way 4 day weekends and sometimes 80-90 miles each way day trips.....I simply wanted to know exactly how far I could travel without running out of fuel!!!!

gotcha, i guess in that aspect i know where a 1/4 tank will get me lol

My 271 with 502 EFI and Bravo 3 is very efficent.

I don't measure mpg, just dollars per day.
At close to $5 gallon in Canada and typical use for me,
some cruising, some wot some rafting, I am at
$60-70 per day.
I spent more than that for a waterfront snack for 2 on Sunday.
If I moved up in size I would go to a 353, and get a proper
head, and not much more fuel than smaller twins.

90% of our boating is on LOTO so we don't have the problem of worrying about running out of fuel, it's everywhere.
87 is around 4 bucks now and I burn through about 40-50 gals a normal weekend, but if we go on a fun or poker run all bets are off and I've got to break out the wallet, could be a 100 gal day.

Thanks nsformula. I figure with my use I would be around $100 day in fuel which is fine with me, just don't want it to be double that, which it sounds like with a 311 would be.

I notice yours has a Bravo 3 drive, how much more efficient is it than a Bravo 1 at cruising speeds?