27' details and experience requested....
 

Im going to be in the market for a 27' very soon. Im wondering if you all could share your knowledge on the boat and tell me about the differences to this platform throughout the years. Which years had pros or cons over others etc.....

Ive been reading a ton of info hear, just looking for more please. I plan on using it on Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.

Thanks for any help or advice!

I have had a 2005' 27for 7 years. Most reliable and trouble free boat I have had. I use mine on a big fresh water lake. If you can afford it I would probably buy a 29. I pull mine with an '11 escalade without problems.

Remember that the 27 is not a really big boat. Without the beak and 2' platform, it's about 24½'. Not trying to start anything, just sayin'. Besides, a 29 is actually faster with the same power and will hold its value better.

You're saying that as if the 29' would be a cruise ship... :lolhit:
The only difference really worth considering is the tank, which is very small in the 27'.
Depending on boating habits, that can be a pita.

Haha, yeah.:lolhit: I know the 29 is not the biggets boat either, but it still has a bit more cockpit and cabin room than a 27. What I consider the biggest advantage of the 29 is the fact that it is better balanced, runs faster and handles better than a 27. And as you point out, it has a larger tank with better range. Weight wise, they are very close as well.

Buy the 29 now. That way, when you end up with a 35 or 38, you won't need to buy a 29 in between the 27 and 35/38 :D. We had 4 different 29's over the years (a 500EFI, 575SCi, twin 6.2's - I would skip that one, if I were doing that again ... but just my opinion, and a 525EFI). They are my favorite performance "trailer boat" ... not too big, not too small. If not for changing boating "needs" (kids that want to tube, ski and fish), I would still have the 525EFI 29.

Skip the 27 and go for a 29. Bigger tank, beter balanced. Find a single with a 525 or 575.

I had a 27 for 5 years and it's a nice boat. But, the 29 is one of the best single engine boats you can buy. If you can find a clean one with the 525EFI Id lean towards that. The 27 is gonna be much cheaper with a 496ho....I'd say 20k cheaper.

buy what you can afford.imo theres not that much diffrence worth writing home about.

Classic! I sure wish I would have taken this approach with many things ive purchased! LOL!




Thank you all for the comments......it all helps!

this is the best advice so far^^

Indeed! By no means am I a wealthy man! Otherwise there would be a 52' Nor-tech in my drive....and a fountain for a tender!!!!:thankyouthankyou:

Well put.......

I have a 27' and love it. Would I like to have a 29, sure, but the space i have to store the boat won't fit. My next boat won't be the 29 it will be the 35 but that is a few years from now.

Basically it all comes down to budget, space and being comfortable. Not knocking the comment, but the guy who said its basically a 24' boat. There is a world of differenece b/w a 24 Outlaw or SC and a 27 Fountain. I will say around docks and in tight spaces a twin 29 will be way easier to maneuver. That is one of the biggest downfalls of a singe 27. OR any single drive boat over 21'. My buddy has a 292 fastec twin that turns on a dime in close qtrs. Mine is a bit of a struggle. But on the otherhand you don't have to deal with two of everything. I'm not sure how far you plan on traveling but I haven't had any issues with fuel (other than the day I bought it, which is a completly different yet funny story). Finding a single 29 boat can sometimes be a bit of a problem as well. The people that have them, tend to hang on to them. One other thing I will throw out there is if you have never driven a twin screw, it's not worlds different but I would ride/drive with someone who is experience with two drives to show you a few things before you just haul off into the wild blue yonder. Personally, I am comfortable with a single or twin but I would not pull away from a dock in a triple. I could probably make it work but you see where I am going with this.

Thats just my .02

Feel free to send me a private message.

Good info sir! Yeah twins would be nice but my budget says different at the moment.....I think. Time will tell.

As far as driving them, I drive 2, 3 and 4 engined boats for a living so if anything the single will be the greater challenge....LOL!

Love my 29, as someone else mentioned, finding one with a single engine for a decent price wasn't easy. I/my wallet didn't like the idea of 2x everything is why I bought the biggest single Fountain I could. Look at 1995+ models so you will have the stepped hull.

I moved from a 260 Chris Craft Stinger 26' and a few inches to a 29' Fever with twin 6.2s. Space on the inside of the boat is about the same. What you gain is the anchor locker which is really nice. I don't miss climbing into the bilge to drag out the anchor. I'm not sure if the 27 has the small sink you get in the 29 or the ice chest. Down below is tight on the 29. I can sit and I fit but I'm 5'9". I've never been below deck on the 27'. The twins are nice for docking and plane easier but the single 525 is about 5 m.p.h. faster. Good luck with your decision.

No knocking taken:)
If you park a 27 Fever next to a 24 or 25 OL stern to stern, there is not much difference. That is why I think it's more of a 24½' boat. Again as with you, this is just how I see it. I like Fountains, have for a long time, so it's not to bash it, just opinion.

Carry on.:drink:

Here is my .02 on this deal..he asked about the 27...not the 29...he didn't say please compare the 27 to the 29....I had a 27 it was a great boat 502 MPI did everything I asked it to do at that time mine was a 1998 after time you will love the left handed sticks....what years where you looking at???

Not knocking the 27 (I have had 2 of them, a 1996 with an HP500 and a 2004 with a 496HO). Just speaking from 14 years of fooling around with quite a few Fountains'. IF he can afford it, and IF he has the space to put it, in my opinion, the new style 29 single (the one's with built in swim ladder and anchor locker) is a more satisfying package, overall. The 67 gallon gas tank on a 27 has its limitations, depending on where you boat; the 110 -119 gallon tank in the 29 gives you more "flexibility". The 29 has 1' longer cockpit, which seems much larger than that, when you jump out of a 27, and into the 29 - the difference is between the back seat and the back's of the front seats, and it is immediately noticable, and more "comfortable". The ride is marginally to not really noticably different, unless you start to get up in horsepower .... the stepped hull 27 will chine walk a lot quicker (been there too many times in higher hp 27s' ;) ). The ammenities in the cuddy are a mute point in my opinion. The 29 gives you a built in cooler and a pressurized fresh water sink (that we never used in any of the 4 29's we had), but you sacrifice the port side bench seat for that - other than that, the cuddies are "the same". Again, I know he asked about a 27, and I'm not knocking the 27 - they are fun boats, just sayin' that I think the 29 is a choice to consider ... if it works for him :D.

It will not turn Right when you back up. So you will have to swing it in a left direction going forward and drop it in reverse. It makes you a better navigator i think. :D A lot of work to dock a single 27 or 29. It is a fun challenge in my book. You have to wait for things to happen somethimes. Step Hulls are faster but the boat will look smaller on the trailer. Just a thought. I loved my 27 and a 29 would have been cool too. but i was happy w the 27. Chad

Funny how this always happens. If you go for a 29, go for the 32 instead, but then go for the 35. Might as well get the 38, but then.... :)

My 27 did that too. Dang thing would spin with in itself in the 1 direction in reverse. But the other direction, it'd just crab walk backwards. A real PITA sometimes, especially when next to a dock, or something that doesn't move.

Left hand sticks will be an adjustment for sure!

Great info!

I have had boats like this in the past.....and then theres jet boats too......forget about low speed stuff!

Actually, it's often the opposite, since many 27' left the factory with a l/h prop.
Not that this makes much difference, what you're saying is correct in principle - either way.
The trick if you wish to make the boat reverse wherever the prop walk works against you (to stbd with a r/h prop, to port with a l/h prop) is to use trim tabs (fully lowering the stbd one or the port one respectively).
Makes the maneuver even more interesting, particularly with some crosswind...!

I have a 27 Fever and boat on St Clair. I love it. I have had a 26ft Baja and other bigger/smaller boats as well. The 27 is handles great on St Clair. Draft is shallow enough to stay out of trouble in the most of the bays. Haven't had an issue with fuel range but watch your level when around a 1/4 tank. The fuel guage will show more than you have when off plane. Docking is fine, I find I only have have an issue when my drive is not in/down most of the way. Great boat. Buy one and have fun.

thats really the only thing that bugs me about my 27.everybody tell me that my 10meter w/twins will be easer.

I have a 2000 27' Fountain 502 and for the most part it is an awesome boat . At the time I bought it , it was a huge step up from a 24' Campion . I only wish it had more power . mid 60's is is a tad slow for my liking . I have contemplated repowering it , but it would cost more than the boat is worth . I figured I'd leave it as is and enjoy . That is prettty much my only complaint on the boat . I would have loved a 29' but at the time I purchase ... boats were still worth something . 29's were selling in the mid 70's & up . That was beyond what I could afford back then . It's easy to bash the smaller boats when you are a little further up the food chain in terms of income and size of boat . No matter which one you go with you will still have an awesome boat !

Well put....Thanks!

I agree your not talking night day. and 29 puts your right on the edge of needing a diesel to pull it. Get what fits you best. personally I have a 29 and after having it would be a fine with a 27.