02’ 292 vs. 91 311
 

This will be my first offshore boat and have narrowed down some options too two boats.

1. 02’ fastech 6.2’s 480 hrs stock motors. Interior looks great except headrest on the back end look deflated/deformed. Cabin interior looks spotless. Sits on tandem axle aluminum Myco asking 45k.

2. 91’ 311 sr1 502’s bored out to 509 with work done roughly 575hp/motor. Xr drives. Fresh interior, needs a full dash
upgrade/refresh. Cabin looks to be in a condition that should be expected of a well taken care of boat from that era. Sits on a triaxle Myco trailer. Asking 32k.

How much bigger is the 311 vs. a 292 fastech. What difference will there be in ride as Lake Erie can build pretty quick.

Am I correct in saying the fastech is an all fiberglass boat, where the sr1 is wood?

Performance: what should I be looking at between the two boats? The 311 has much more power but is heavier, and straight hull. From my research on here looks like a 292 w/ 6.2’s is a 70-72 mph boat?

cabin size: will most likely be spending a night or two in the cabin here and there. Is this where the 311 shows it’s size?

Resale: seems like the market has pretty much leveled off for the sr1’s as going through old ads from 3-4 years ago prices remain about the same.

Any input would be more than helpful. Just trying to get the boat that will be the best for me to have a hassle free boating season.

If you want a hassle free boat, the 292 fastech is best choice hands down. That 509/575hp motor is going to have a much shorter life between rebuilds and be harder on drives. The 6.2's with bravos is pretty bullet proof and not near as thirsty. The 292 will have less ownership cost, be cheaper and more reliable to run, and overall will allow for more time on the water dollar for dollar. You will be wrenching on the 311 more than you will be boating and that really sucks. Also, sometimes its hard to get insurance coverage on an older boat - they might only cover liability.

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Everything he said^^^^

How about a 312 Fastech?

I would definitely consider one, seem to be a pretty uncommon boat as I haven’t seen many on the market.

I have a 2002 FORMULA 292 Fastech 377's for sale in classified section

I'd get in both and feel them. The 311 isn't a little bit bigger, it's not in the same zip code as a 292. I do agree with everything said about the 292 likely being the better choice here, but comparing these two boats is not even a close apples to apples comparison. The 292 has an integrated platform so the size of the boat includes it. The 311 is measured without the platform. So just in length we aren't talking 2 feet, we are talking a pretty solid 5 feet. And the freeboard of the 311 is significantly higher, i.e. you sit more 'in' the boat than 'on' the boat.

IMO the 272 SR1 is a bigger boat than the 292 as well just to give you another comparison point. None of this makes the 292 bad by any means, it's just a whole lot different.

on the other note; if you are a righty. Cash in left pocket and .380 in the right. :violent-smiley-021:

Ride will be better on the 312 over the 292 IMO. The boat is much bigger than the 292, more space all around. Down side is the 312 is an older hull from a technology standpoint. Single step. You will likely be going the same speeds in the 312 with a pair of big blocks as you would in the 292 with small blocks meaning you will burn a lot more fuel. The 312 is in a class of boat they moved away from... it's big enough to make you want to get into bigger seas but not big enough to handle big waves well. That's my guess on the negative ride remarks... people are likely comparing the ride from a 35 or 38, not from the 29

If you're up to $50K, your also in the ball park of a 353 - much better ride than both.

I started with a search for a 292 or 312, ended up with a 353. Never thought I could get a 353 in the price range of a 312, but was able to find one. If you can go bigger, I would highly suggest it.

If new technology is not that important to you, and you want a big water boat with comfy overnighting in the cabin, I'd suggest you continue to look for 311's or even a 357 (that's a big boat) with stock engines. You can upgrade the engines if you want, but buying an older boat with stock engines suggests it was run by a guy who didn't want to be the fastest, and likely drove it easy. In the newer boats, I'd try to swing a 353. The 312 really is not that big, and get smaller when overnighting on it.

Remember what was said above, some Formulas don't include the swim platform in the length, and some do. If the platform was bolted on, it isn't included (even if the platform looks like it was molded in). If the platform was in the hull mold like the latest ones, than it's included in the measurements. So the 353 is only 2 feet longer than the 311, but the 311 feels like a bigger boat.

The the 311 SR1 is a much larger boat. It will be a lot better riding boat. That being said newer is always nice and an 02 Fastech is a beautiful boat. You really can't go wrong with either one.