Offshoreonly.com - thoughts on fountain fever 29

Offshoreonly.com (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/)

- General Boating Discussion (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/general-boating-discussion-51/)

- - thoughts on fountain fever 29 (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/general-boating-discussion/211194-thoughts-fountain-fever-29-a.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselmatt1 (Post 2899993)

my desecion is in the air and my wife says no way.

Well there you go!:coolcowboy:

Sounds like you need to look at a larger Outlaw, 28AT, 288 Sunsation, 28 Pantera, 28 Powerplay...

If they wife said no your done.

I do think you need to decide if you want more speed or more comfort, that will make it much easier.

Do you want a twin or single? Donzi makes a twin SBC in the 28 foot.
Are you going to sleep on it ever?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselmatt1 (Post 2899993)

k for everone helping me out here is what i learned after a test ride..
i owned a 1998 baja 25 outlaw last year.- sold
took this 1998 fountain 29 with twin 454 105 hours on it.
my feelings on the fountain quality was top notch,
k planes, hyd, sterring, indicators, nice things my baja didnt have. but im 5'11 and sitting in the seat my knees where almost bashing the dash. the whole cabin and the v birth was alot smaller than my 25 outlaw, my wife did not like this boat at all- she said it was just way to small compared to the outlaw.
the boat was on plane within seconds. and drove nice alot nicer than the outlaw, but it was alot heavier.
my desecion is in the air and my wife says no way.

Have to agree with you on your comments Matt, I bought a 29 with 502's and it ran like a raped ape, very quick, low to mid 80's on the high end, got out of the hole fine but had a lot of bow lift. We did have people stop when we were anchored a few times to ask if we were OK because it sat so low in the back that it looked like we were sinking. It was quite heavy in the stern at high speeds so it would tend to fly a little nose high in rough waters. The wife hated the tight cockpit and the cuddy was very small and even tough to get into. Several friends have the 25 outlaw and the 29 outlaw and they just seem to have more freeboard and headroom down below. Figure out what you want the boat to do for you and then go choose the brand that meets those needs. Lots of great choices out there. BTW, make sure you have the motors plugged in to verify the 100 hours. That is very low for a boat with 454's which means probably pre-1999. Less than 10 hrs a year is not very many and those boats were way to easy to unhook the hour meter. It unfortunately is done a lot and can make a huge difference in the potential need for an engine rebuild. Good luck.
'

Its a tough decision to make. Ive been window shopping for a while now so I have a better idea on what boat to get once I sell my baja. I do like the fountains, but at 6' tall and 225lbs, they can be a little cramped. Basically, I couldnt go any smaller than the 35. The other boats on my list so far to look at are the 33 or 36 Outlaw, 32 Active Thunder, 31 Sonic SS, 35 or 38 Cig, 33 Donzi or Formula 382 Fastech. My basic needs is that I want a bigger boat with decent room in the cockpit and cuddy for me and friends and can hit 80 mph or near it. Take your time and climb through as many boats as possible. This will help you decide.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4mulafastech (Post 2898019)

Yep! By the way, AWESOME pics of your 29 Fountain! Looks like she flies real nice on that water.:Score-101010:

I do really like the way that my boat flies. These boats handle alot better then people like to admit or give them credit for. Thank you for the comment, I have a few more pics I can post if anybody's interested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roush97 (Post 2898069)

how does the boat handle 3 foot waves? I would be boating on Lake Erie and after spending most of my summers on growing up on 18-22 foot open bows and nothing sucks more then it being in July on a 90 degree day and knowing you can't go out since it is to windy.

My first boat was a 24' open bow and I would go to Havasu on the big weekends and get the crap beat out of me so I decided it was time to upgrade. I haven't had the boat in lake 3' chop but I have had it in a consistent 2' chop and that is hands down my favorite time to run the boat. You have to have the "I have to get on top of the water mentality" but once you're up there, it's bad a$$. I do most of my boating in Havasu, and love the roughest it has to throw at me. The choppier it is in Havasu the more fun I'm having; however, I know Lake Erie is 100x bigger then Havasu, so I don't want to comment on that water.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselmatt1 (Post 2899993)

Now see if you can find a 292 to test drive and see what your wife thinks about the interior.:drink:

One drawback may be finding one with hydraulic steering as it's not standard on a 292.

I didn't read the entire thread so this may have been said. if you can the only way to buy a 29 is with a single..preferably a blue motor. I had a 01 with a 500 EFI. Although it didn't jump out of the hole it would fly so well over the water it was a blast to drive. Also, it was a great boat to work on. If you had to change the plugs...no problem. You could get to everything. I could fit in the engine compartment...no problem. IMO the 29 with a single is a all around great boat. I just found a 2003 with a 525 in Boat trader for $44k at Boat Country in Cali. Looked pretty nice in the pics.

Don't get it...not worth the wife hassle. Get something you'll both be happy with and life will be much better. We dropped the Fountain for some of the same reasons you mention and were much happier with our other choice.

fountain signature

does any one know where a 32 fountain signature for sale is. i sold mine. BIG MISTAKE !

If I were in the market, I'd be looking for a 288 Sunsation - it's a single, but it will cost a lot less to run than a 29ish boat with twins.