fountain question. plzz help
 

hey everyone,, just joined... i have a question, and b4 i ask,, i want to say im not new to boating, however, i am new to fountain>>>. ive wanted one since 200 when i bought my 1st boat,, it was a nice 21ft rinker captiva, with a litll v6.. it was perfect for me at the time, however as time wore on , ive went bigger and a litlle faster.. foutain boats were just way out of my budget,, as im a blue collar guy, i work hard and long hours, but boating is so in my blood.. as luck would have it,, the marine corps finally paid me for a serious injury i suffered while in iraq,, so im able to purchase the boat i would like to have.. that bein said.. i have a question, a question some of you owners will laugh at, but i just cant find someone to give me the awnser.. would someone plz tell me the difference between a fever,,, a sport-cruiser, .. and a dominator??? i know the fever-dominator are more race ready,, but im not looking to race, im looking to go to my heaven and go fast, but have fun.. im currently looking at a 38sc.. but the dealer cannot awnser my questions as he is not a fountain dealer.. it is an older boat, but what i can afford.. its a 96 38sc with twin 502s (415hp).. plz advise,, sorry for the long post,, and i really am sorry for sounding silly to the pros that may read this and laugh.. be blessed..

Uhhhh....wow

My personal opinion not knowing your finances or anything but if you need a settlement to afford it, I don't see how you'll maintain or fuel it. Fountain is my dream also. I'm gonna get a 38 lightning just not there yet. I currently have a 27 formula with twin small blocks and 1 tank of fuel is in the 600 dollar range. A 38 sc which is a sport cruiser. Bigger heavier than other fountains will suck a lot more fuel and prolly have at least twice the tank I do. I do not know the exact burn rate or capacity but it will not be friendly. Always be prepared when buying an older boat to work on it. May get lucky and find a well maintained boat but I don't buy older without the expectation of a repower.

Don't know what you have now but crossing into go fast territory with twin big blocks is a whole new ball game. Nothing compared to 21 ft boats. That's why I haven't done it yet. I love boats been on em since I was a kid and dreamed of a fountain since I was 9. Diesnt even sound like you've done enough research to know what fountain you want. I would spend a lot more time researching repairs, maintenance, and looking at sea trailing different size model and power set ups to see what fits your needs or if it is affordable after boat purchase.

What fun is the boat if it has no fuel? Or doesn't run?

You need to know waht you can afford to buy, use, and maintain first. Once you have that in place shop ,compare and research. Now get a proffesional marine survey, make an offer, complete the deal and enjoy. Last but not least don't forget to break out another thousand.

I think you should look at a smaller boat maybe a 27 or 29 with a single engine and see if you like it first. Also, look at fuel, storage, insurance and maintenance costs and make sure you can swing it.

Thank you for your service and your immense sacrifice.

I have a 10 meter here for a steal. It was #12 built, it was completely de-rigged all wood removed and rebuilt with 5 bulkheads, built with composite materials, new fuel tanks, this was done as a sit-down version, newer dash layout, blueprinted bottom, with new gelcoat, it is a bare hull on a trailer. This boat is a project boat that can be finished to your liking.

I thank you also, for the sacrifice you have given for the freedom of our country. I myself gave service to my country for 4 yrs, but was fortunate enough to have missed conflicts of war.

Coronacross, I suggest you contact Scott Shogren at Pier 57 (one of the supporting vendors on this site). I bought my Fountain from him but not before picking his brain. He is a good dealer and you will not have any surprises. I flew back to his place of business to look at the boat before I made my purchase. It was everything he said it would be, actually nicer. Good luck and thank you for your service. PS AS others have mentioned, ownership is expensive (example: insurance over 1k per year - $500 fuel could disappear in a day).

a 38ft is a big commitment to hang your hat around. But if thats what you can afford go for it. But like others said you must look into not just buying it but maintaining it and to run it. A lot of people can scare people on here and rightfully so as there have lots of big eyes with small wallets float across these boards. But As others have said I would start with a 27-29 Fever in which most of these boats can be had for 20-30 for something 1990 or newer. Get your feet wet. Also with a 38ft boat do you have a diesel to pull it, where you going to store it or slip it? Might want to check insurance rates on different sizes and years first as well. Also where what are you boating on water wise?

But I dont know how you can put 600 bucks of fuel in a 27 Formula.

I had a couple of big cruisers like that that were about 4 years old. I worked on them all the time. It still cost me about 30K a year all in. and that was only a couple of thousand dollars for fuel.

Take your money and re-invest in your future. Search around for a small healthy business that is forsale, something you can grow and bring revenue for the rest of your life. Maybe rental property.

Take the income you earn with your investment and then buy a buy you can afford on a tax deductable loan :)

A 96 boat with twin engines is no place for a novice boater IMO. That style of boat may be the worst on gas vs all of them. There are about 100 things that cost $1000 to repair that are common on a boat of that age if you are paying to have the repair done.

The things that most of us learned on our single engine perforamance boats make boating enjoyable and affordable on our now bigger rides. I too agree that boat is too big, too old, and too expensive for someone on a limited budget. I've been boating for 3.5 weeks so far this season and have spent over $2000 in fuel.

One to thing to think about it as well and this goes with any boat, size, brand. Is do you want to be tied to this boat, with every extra dollar and hour spent to it. My wife and I do fairly well for ourselves and are only 30 and we could have gone up to something bigger which would mean more time and money consuming, and werent really willing to give up other things such as camping, vacations, eating out at will, etc. just to have a huge nice boat that we use 3-4 months out of the year. I know theres a lot of guys out on the water I have seen that I have seen around town and see what they live and their jobs and know dang well that they do nothing but work go to home to a small house and their boat, and thats it. I love boating more than anybody but I wouldnt want it to consume my life

Well said - need to have balance in life and the boat, although a dream needs to be put into perspective as just an accessory to overall enjoyment.

From afar, I would recommend a 27 or 29 Fever - a big step up from a V6 bowrider and gets you into solid performance and ride without initially going over the top.

To the guy who said you don't how I can put 600 in a 27 formula. 130 gallon tank and last time I got fuel it was 4.80 at the marina. You do the math!! I never put that much in it as I haven't emptied it all the way before refueling. Just a realization of what fuel costs these days!

Thats why I was asking didnt realize a 130 was put in a 27, either way I wouldnt be paying marina gas price which is adding a solid 130 bucks extra to your fill up. Either way your point in fuel is costly is valid.

thank you all for the replys,, and wow,, you are all correct.. i was just so excited about a long dream, i never gave it much thought.. decided to go with a 25-27ft single.. least this way ill not be tied to it as mentioned.. also with the cost of fuel, it just makes better sence.. thanks alot guys,, and ill take my time in searching.. be safe....semper fi

No problm. I have had boats forever and bought into performance 3 years ago, and my dreams were higher than I landed as well. I mean performance is one thing but once you combine that with a 40ft boat there is so many factors. A 40ft boat regardless if its performance or not is a heck of an investment. It can be done and is done. Good luck.

There are a lot of nice 27 fountains out there and thats the smallest you will find one in a fountain.

But if it were me brands that I would stick to first would be Formula and Fountain, from there I would go Powerquest, than checkmate or Baja.

I have a 27 fountains with 496HO. I have had it for 8 years and have not made any repairs. Just maintainance. A great boat.

No problem. Alot to be considered when making a big boat jump. My first jump was 8 ft and an extra motor. Next jump will be 11 ft and to big blocks. I hope whatever you choose you get to thoroughly enjoy.

myself,i would be looking for a 27-29 w/single engine.it may not seem like alot more boat than what you have now,but when i gave up my 22ft boat to get a 27ft is was like day and nite diffrence.cut your teeth on something that if you stratch the paint,or get a bad case of dock rash you wont be as mad as with a new/bigger boat.trust me,its going to be a learning curve.thanks for your service.freedom dont come cheap.you paid a price,and i think you.

I think he should look at a 42' with 1075's or 1550 Sterlings personally.....jus sayin.

????....Since no one answered your question. The "hulls" of the Fever, Lightning, Executioner, and SC models are basically the same, the decks are different. the fever has no gunnel to walk to the bow but is wider in the cockpit, all others have gunnel you can step onto from cockpit but is not as wide in cockpit, the SC has more headroom in the cabin. Fuel costs, that all depends on you, we had a 32 with 502's, we now have a 38 with 525's, both cost us about $100 a day in fuel but we travel about 40 miles round trip at 3000 rpm. VERY IMPORTANT... 502's or 496's are way less expensive to maintain. If you take care of them and don't abuse them, they will last a very long time.

Go with what works for you
 

I just picked up a 1991 38sc and it has been a great boat , Fuel cost is relivant to how you use it, I keep mine in a slip and use it all the time. Its like having a second home . If you plan on keeping it in a slip the extra room is def worth getting over a 27 or 29. I would also like to mention I am 26 and not a millionare, you need to know yourself around boat maintenance and yes have a big truck.