CBR

You need to tell us if you will be chasing Ogopogo or whatever that B.C. lake monster is,

http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start...ogo.htm&e=9797

or bouncing off deadheads in the gulf islands. Do you intend to fish or strictly cruise?

drmayer

Plan to use the boat mainly for cruising. Most of the time spent in Lake Washington, with trips into Puget Sound and the Pacific. If I can come up with spare time, I'd be happy to be part of the Ogopogo hunting party! I hear it's best fried served with a nice Chianti.

CBR

Cool, I attended this one Lake Washington Miss Budwiser race on a 90 foot yacht, right on the log barrier.....only remember the first half of the race, then something about the race having to be briefly stopped because a guy and a chick were floating in a rubber dinghy, seemed to involve me and a girl off the boat, ohhh my head the next day. <gg>

I hate to say it, but I really think your trailerable best bet would be a hardtop Searay or Bayliner 2452 classic or something like that, because the typical performance boat just is not practical in the rainy and cold NW. You want something with a good sized cabin and big windows to sit out the showers and cold summers in. You will have a problem selling a performance boat if you find it is not suitable as I suspect. No demand up there.

Do you have a wife? Kids? If so, go for the Bayliner/Searay whatever, preferably with hard enclosure and windows. If not, you might want to try a custom pop up cover for a 26 sonic which has a big cabin for a performance boat.

Also, in the big seas/deadheads you are going to get in the gulf islands, I'd rather be driving a 30 foot Sonic or something bigger with twin engines. Seen way too many deadhead busted outdrives etc. At least with two you might get home after breaking one of them. A big cabin in my view is mandatory to wait out rain showers, and Sonic has about the biggest for performance boats. Problem... any canvas top is going to leak given enough rain, hard to see out of plastic windows unless fitted with a heated and wiper glass "porthole" hence a hardtop cruiser is really more practical.

Seen many performance boats out there? Nope, the above are the reasons.

With 50K I'd be tempted to go for a 28 - 34 foot Tollycraft or Uniflight, heavy boats suitable for bouncing off deadheads while visiting waterfront logging camps. <gg> But, they are going to have to be moored somewhere.

Here is a nice tolly for you:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...73&slim=quick&

Notice the rain on the windows? Now imagine boating in a gofast in a rain storm because you have to get home. Been there done that, and it ain't fun! Once you get home everything is soaked, so when you seal it up, it stays soaked until you use the boat again, and mold starts growing.

I am from the PNW but likely would not bring my gofast there were I to return.

Good luck!

drmayer

Thanks CBR. I really got the boating bug after spending a few years at Seafair on friends boats. There is not a large amount of performance boats in the NW, that's why I'm searching out a little farther. I know with my budget I won't be heading out in to huge water, just looking to have a little summer fun.

I don't have wife/kids so I'm not looking for an all weather cruiser. They are nice, but a bit of speed is a must.

Do you have pics from the race you attended or did you destroy all the evidence? Maybe I'll post some pics from the past when I upgrade my membership. Thanks for your input.

CBR

Ok, I think the Sonics gofasts are likely are the best bet for you, as they have the biggest cabins in the bunch, and one of the toughest hulls for bouncing off deadheads. I'd go for a used 26/30/31SS if I were you, should be able to get an older one for $50K. They have been making the same boats for twenty years, so it will still look new. Works for me. <gg>

Nope, no pictures of my youthful events out there....used to see how long it would take me to get from Seattle to Vancouver, and back again in my 69 GTO, customs guys used to know me and wave me through. Ah the old days!

Seafair was great, a million people on the beaches at 9AM, and the races did not start until noon or something. Yep, looking forward to any pictures you may have of the hydros on the lake! There used to be a 45 Sonic with triples and a checked pattern on it running around Lake Washington.

Vinny P

Hi Chris,
Havent talked to you all winter. Its getting close again, I can feel the need coming on bad. Are you planning on being at Grovers again this season? I talked to JohnnyD, he made arrangments to keep his boat at Grovers also.

Vinny

CAP071

I bought my first boat a checkmate from Grover's

Dean Ferry

Welcome to the board.

I have a 1996 Velocity 280, HP500, trailer all the goodies for sale. Check the boat trader on line, or pm me and I'll give you all the details.
Dean

docmanrich37

The first decision is are you with SBRT or with E-DOCK crew.

Ratickle

I lived in Portland, Oregon 37 years before moving to Michigan. Used to run up to the San Juan's every year with my boats. One thing in the Sound, the boat doesn't have to handle rough water like here in Lake Michigan unless you go out into the straights. The best Go-Fast offshore for the Northwest, in my opionion, is one of the Velocity's. With the back radar arch it makes a perfect support for canvas and you can leave it attached so it goes up in a hurry. They still have a fairly large cabin and perform at decent speeds without steps. Also, in all of the years I ran around the islands, I only got rained on twice up there. Now Seattle and Portland were different stories.....