sonicator

you are going to have to take a ride in both ans see what you like better. i rode in several diferent and ended up with a sonic

BajaRunner

but the question was which one rides better. I think thats been answered. If the question were which one is faster, there is no question there.

sleeper_dave

All brunswick boats... just like baja.

http://www.brunswick.com/boats.html

I've seen old Baja's, and i've seen old Fountains. If you want a quality boat, don't buy a Baja. I've tied off to plenty of boats this summer, old and new. Keep your eyes open, and you can tell the difference between a quality boat and a ****ty boat. Baja's are ****ty boats.

I'd take my 15 year old Fountain over a new Baja any day of the week.

StillHaulin@63

Please be SPECIFIC in your analysis of what constitutes a bad quality boat, as you alluded to with the Baja.

95% of the components are identical in any new mid level offshore; motors, guages, throttles, bolsters, ect.

And yes, your Fountain is midlevel. No offense, but don't get carried away and think you are in the class of Skaters, MTI, OL, Howards, Hallets and the like. You're not even close

sleeper_dave

Strength of the hull.

As far as production boats go, Fountain and Cigarette are pretty good quality. No, you won't find the fit and finish of a OL, MTI, etc., but in a Fountain there are full-length stringers, the hull and deck are fiberglassed together, and the structure is designed in such a way that on most, you don't see stress cracks even when the boat is 20+ years old.

How many Cigarettes do you see from the 70's still running around? (a lot). How many show signs of flexing and stress in the fiberglass? (not many). How many Fountains from the 80's do you see? (a lot, again) How many have stress cracks? (damn near none). Now, how many mid-90's Baja's do you see running around with spider cracks in the gelcoat, or worse? (most of them...)

This summer I was tied off next to a (probably early 90's) Baja with no apparent impact damage, with a crack into the fiberglass, not just through the gelcoat, into the fiberglass. It was 8" long or so, on the deck, on the side of the boat, behind the windshield. Looks like it was caused by bending stress from pounding the waves in Lake St. Clair. On my similarly powered, similarly sized Fountain (okay, the beak makes it smaller) of approximately the same age, there was exactly one stress crack in the gelcoat. And it spent at least part of it's life pounding Lake Michigan with a blower motor.

Yes, the power is the same, most of the controls are the same, the gauges are often the same, but the hull is what counts. That's what's keeping you from swimming home.

If you have money to consider a big-dollar boat, then i guess you'd consider Fountain mid-level. But i'd certainly consider Fountain a long way ahead of Baja. Baja is entry-level at best. The bayliner of go-fasts. By quality of construction and company of manufacture.

thisistank

Well, I guess everyone's entitled to their opinions. But I'd take a new 36 Outlaw over a new 38 fountain any day.

The only difference I see in these two PRODUCTION boats is Fountain is laid up lighter for more speed. Again, simple math. More weight = Better ride. Less weight = worse ride in big water. The question was which one rides better. Baja is a heavier old school deep Vee boat that will ride better in big water. End of story.

sleeper_dave

Funny you say that. NADA says a 35 Fountian weighs 300 lbs more than the 36 Outlaw. I'm sure the Fountiain is laid up lighter in certain key areas, but considering the Fountain is in practice about 3' shorter, that amounts to a lot more structure in the Fountain.

http://www2.nadaguides.com//Values/V...28396&Letter=F

http://www2.nadaguides.com//Values/V...36515&Letter=B

38' Lightning clocking in another 350 lbs more than the 35'. Funny how the same size boat with a "lighter" hull still weighs 650 lbs more than the comparable Baja...

http://www2.nadaguides.com//Values/V...28401&Letter=F

thisistank

I know you're going to defend your Fountain to the death because 90% of the people on this thread say a Baja will ride better than a Fountain hurt your feelings but calling another brand boat a piece of sh!t that you have absolutely no first hand knowledge of except that you've seen this and that and tied up to people, etc. makes your opinion worthless. I've tied up to many (even newer) Fountains that looked like dog sh!t. I don't base my opinions on another boat manufactuerer on what someone elses boat looks like. I base it on what I know first hand i.e. driving, riding in.

BajaRunner

Smackdown

Sea-Dated

As a devote Fountain owner, I will have to say the Baja will probably ride better. It won't be as fast and probably won't last as long but it will ride better. At the same time, a Hyundai rides better than a Corvette. Does that make it a better boat?