Can you fly? I will soon!
 

:rolleyes: I came close to purchasing my new boat! Was on way down to make an offer on a 29 fountain. But on the way I stoped at a little West Coast builder named KACHINA on the way! WOW Talk about graphics AWESOME :D Now that my wife has seen an OPEN BOW I will be getting one.. :eek: I don't mind after seeing one in person and its growing on me.. :rolleyes: I would like your all's opinion on a 30 drone. Construction? 496? 525? Speeds? Think this boat could P-5? I am anxiously awaiting you'r infinite wisdom OSO gods? Please post away!! tx all :cool:

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

open bow....i think not

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

if you want an open bow, might as well buy a Bayliner.
Sorry, I'm "east coast Old school".

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

are kachinas built using the very best drywall screws like some of the other left coast builders :eek:

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Nordic has the 28-foot Heat that can be an open bow / mid cabin. It is very quick with a single engine.

http://nordicpowerboats.com/gallerie...s/photo202.jpg

http://nordicpowerboats.com/gallerie...s/photo204.jpg

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

I would strongly reconsider the open bow move. You will use it maybe a handfull of times and that's it. I had an open bow when I was younger and it didn't get used the last 2 years of having the boat. It's the worst seat in the boat. You will also own the boat forever. That may seem fine right now but someday you may want something else.

If you really want it, go for it! Just some things to consider.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Good advice

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

with 5 or so seats in the cockpit, and room for people to stand, its very doubtful you will ever need the open bow, and if you have that many people on your boat then it must be a party, and if its a party there must be liquor, and if there is liquor then you don't want people hanging out in the open bow of a boat at 60mph hitting waves :D

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

If you want Open bow that bad buy a 28 Sunsation. They can do awesome paint work as well if you want custom.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Buy what makes you happy.

I can see some downside to buying an open bow boat but what about buying a performance boat makes any sense?

Boat's aren't an investment, they're toys and you should buy the toy that puts the biggest smile on your face. ;)

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Looking thru Hotboat, seems like 95% of boats pictured are the open/mid cabin styles. Must be a regional typeof boating.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Buy the open bow! I have a Sunsation 32 Mid-Cabin and love it. The board is right you will never go 60 MPH with people up front but that extra space is priceless when in a no wake zone/ slow zone. I would check into Sunsation, they make a 288 and 32 Mid-Cabin. The other nice thing is that when running the cabin has a great breeze going through it out to the cockpit. I was at the Ft Lauderdale boat show last year looking at the 32 MCOB and the 35 Executioner. The Fountain was faster but looked way 1910 and was a me too boat. I have 130 hours on the boat and love it. As far as stuffing the bow, what boat is good at that? I figure what is the point of having 30+ feet of boat and only using 8 feet of cockpit. Resale is stronger on the MCOB's becasue they are rarer than the hardnose counterparts and are becomiing more popular. I did 8 Poker Runs this year and one trip to Bimini and the boat was great! My boat was the cover boat for Hot Boat (March 04) and they loved it too.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Every one gets excited about a new boat especially when the wife likes it, but I agree with TSG that you will own it forever. Make sure thats what you want and go for it.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

I've owned a 30' kachina and my present boat is a 34' drone, these are pleasure boats even though they can take the rough stuff fine. The biggest problem with Kachina is you need to get everything in writing including delivery date SERIOUSLY! they are slow as **** delivering your boat. Good value for the money but I am not buying another one.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Good big lake boat. No on P-5. Good luck.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

This thread brings up an intersting point.

I have researched West Coast builders, and there are only a handful that make 24 degree deadrise offshore hulls, most are lake boats. Cobra, Shockwave, Hawaiian PB, Commander, all have offshore hulls on their larger models, but not the smaller boats. Plus, NONE seem to have models with windshields (for the wife). It just seems like these guys are limiting their market to the Havasu crowd only, not a smart business decision to expand your business IMHO.

Plus I always hear about bad quality, why?

Chris

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

I would not ride in a open bow up front at 80 mph would you. We have a Cobalt open bow and it gives me a scary every once in a while and it runs 40 MPH :eek:

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

That would be good information to know !!!! :(


Me personally I wouldn't have a open bow .It would be like a pontoon boat to me .A party boat to spill beer in it :drink: But like Troutly and Trick said Its what you like and it doesn't matter what other people like. I would listen to there advice and think it thru!!!

There is no doubt that Kachina has one of the best gel coat graphics out there.

Rob :drink:

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

Why couldn't u run this boat in P-5 ? Why lake boat and not offshore? I can't tell the diffrence could some one help me out so I can make a informed decision. TX :confused: (Something could be fabricated to close the bow( would have to be heavy duty of course)...

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

I thought same thing when i saw pictures but after seeing them in person they look totally Awesome! :D

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

How are they built? He offers a killer hull warranty 7 years and P-5 racing will not void it unlike most manufacturers. Does anyone know if his hulls are good hulls? (fast , durable, safe) would appreciate any post u all TX :cool:

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

OPen bows can be great for slow cruising with a bunch of people.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

an open bow in a "performance" boat is like putting a ladder rack on a corvette.
Nuff Said

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

I would not own an openbow and we are in the calif delta, we go to the bay and do catalina (scope big cat poker runs etc) in snotty water i think an openbow would be dangerous, also i have been told by a manufacturer "the boats are offshore style boats" not intended to take the same pounding..
a friend of mine delaminated 2 hulls trying to race an offshore style boat,
i think as others say resale will be and issue too , folks are brand consious and even though i think Kachina makes a great boat for lakes rivers delta i wouldnt think it will hold value as well..
I would and have bought slightly used, let the 1st owner take the major depreciation beating.. with the amount of used inventory out there u can do really good,,
but either way whatever u get have fun be safe.

Re: Can you fly? I will soon!
 

The Sunsation boats have the same hulls as their closed bow counterparts so hull issues are moot. Also keep in mind that while running hard how many people get to use the sleeping area in the front of a closed bow boat? If you look at the boats from the waterline most good open bows cannot be distinguished from the closed bow counterparts. Buy what you like above all but the usable space of the open bow boats is a real plus for most.
Thought this looked/ performed good:
http://www.flpowerboat.com/new/photo.../05-11-087.cfm