bob_t

When Fountain first went to the bilge blower vent holes in the transom(around 1998, or so), they did not have the long extension tubes that they now have, nor did they have the stainless steel inserts, that they now have. They originally had very short extension tubes, about 6" long, and yes, those did take in water when a wave hit that area. Our 2000 29 Fever had the short extension tubes and there were many times when water entered them while we were anchored, ran down the bilge blower "dryer vent" flexible tubing, into the bilge, but never enough to even make the bilge pumps run. I replaced several bilge blower motors on that boat - in fact, the original one's from fountain had a cheap plastic "caplug" of the appropriate size glued over the "top" end of the blower motor to help keep it dry! The extension tubes on our 2001 Lightning were much longer, and the tubes on our 2002 29 Fever are of the longer variety. Fountain apparently learned from the early ones and instituted a change ... like they do to get speed with their hulls.

sommerfliesby

I've never taken a wave over the back...how slowly do you drive?

spilman

One post on here I read after I posted that said exactly that; a 32 sank in the ocean; took one over the back. I am just stating some of the issues I know others are concerned with.
I usually cruise @ 55and pr @ 70, but that's just me. Enjoy your boat...I know we love our AT,that's the important thing; safe boating.

RaggedEdge

Seems that all you guys that can't go fast just never pass up a chance to take a shot at those of us that can. A friend of mine had a 32 AT with 500's and I had the opportunity to run it, decent boat, but not a Fountain by a long shot, he switched to a 38 Lightning.

I'm on my second Fountain now, and I have always been able to see the gauges I needed to see, whenever I needed to see them. Some are a little obscure, but then who cares about fuel level and volts at 90 + mph, not real important at the time. But then at the speeds you run in your 28 AT it might keep you occupied to keep track of such chit.

As far as this 32 sinking chit goes,,, have 3 close friends that ran 32's for years and none of them went down. The only Fountain I've ever seen go down was a 29 with twin big blocks, and it was due to bad drive shaft housing boots, a case of really poor maintence on the owners part, not poor design.

B one

I don't think so!!!!

Outdrive1

I'm really shocked you've had cruiser wakes that couldn't get over your engine hatch. I watched a wakeboard boat send a wave over the back seat of a 27 one day that I thought for sure was going to sink. As I was watching it happen I saw my buddy and his wife laying on the hatch of the Fountain get blurry (from the water) and then go into full panic.

That same Fountain will park in the channel in Havasu and have the rubrail under water. Of course it leaks so he almost sunk it parked at the beach.

I don't think I've ever seen a boat lower to the water in the back than a 27 Fountain.

Now about that leaky rubrail, I know it's problem he's never tackled, anybody else ever have this problem?

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

My 27 and my 32. Big difference.

Outdrive1

Wow, your 27 sits up way higher. His is an 02 and sits more like your other boat.

spilman

That's some funny chit! I have had fast boats; I just prefer the quality and the outstanding attention to detail, not to mention the ride is like nothing else. I'm sure you enjoy running 90's in your fountain...just be safe, they don't turn so well. Activeshack on here had a 35 fountain and now he has a 37AT, ask him to compare; he is an honest guy who knows boats. He has captained 100 ton vessels and owned many performance boats. Not much beats Active Thunder,..that is just a fact, becoming more well known all the time. Their are just so many fountain guys because reggie mass-produced them throughout the 80's-90's and they are cheaper than most. More and more guys are buying AT's, even some No-Techers and Cig guys are discovering the "cult".
BTW, there have been quite a few 29twins and 32's that experienced waves over the back, do a search.

RaggedEdge

Here we go again , now we are off on the Fountains can't turn deal. My single step 35 turned just fine, and from what little time I've had in the '06 twin step I just bought this fall I've seen nothing that makes me believe it's anything different. As with any step bottomed boat you need to have a little understanding of how the bottom reacts to a turn at any given speed. Properly set up, trim and tabs, they turn fine. Wrong set up can make them react in wierd ways. This is not brand specific, it pretty much holds across the board. Set one of your ATs up in a brain dead manner, crank it into a hard irresponsible turn and see where you end up. It's pretty much fact that the majority of all boating incidents are related to operator error, alcohol, or a combination of the two. Neither of which are the responsibility, nor within the control of the manufacturer.


Anything that floats could sink. If a "few" Fountains have sunk over a given period, I'm sure that other brands have had some sink as well. In that there are so many more Fountains out there to begin with, odds would dictate that more might end up in the odd situation that the freak wave causes a problem. Would you not agree that more Chevrolets are involved in freak accidents in a year than Nissans??? How could that not be the case, just based on sheer numbers out there, and odds / percentages being what they are. This mean all the Chevrolets are ill handling, dangerous vehicles?