Best 38' hull for 4' seas?
 

Hi all,

I live in the Channel Islands, off the coast of France. I want to buy an offshore powerboat, around 38ft in length.

The water round here is usually quite choppy, 4ft on a standard day - rarely flat.

I am thinking Cigarette, but would somthing like a Fountain be a better bet?

I'd like to have a boat that will do 85mph on a good day? What engines and drives should I be looking for?

Can this be done for $100k? I'm new to all this, but keen to learn. Have had a 21ft Sea Ray V8 waterski boat for years, but mving on and up.

Thanks in advance for all your knowledge! :grinser010:

I sended you a PM!

Top Gun hands down.

37 Outerlimits with twin bravos and 500s

Bravos in 3-5s every day? Seriously??

Everything can be broken, but if you drive with in reason yes it can, and remember for under 100k

Agreed.

42 Fountain Lightning

38 Twin Step Top Gun w/525's

certainly. I have standard HP Bravos (which is a std Bravo drive with a heavier gimbal) on a 12K pound Donzi a have had nine years with no trouble. Boat runs 80 and i dont baby it but i do know how to run it. Prop selection is important and staying ahead of the boat in rough seas.

42 Lightning does qualify for the 38 fooot class because of the beak and platform. I would also say a 38 Top Gun for sure.

Older 38 Magnum with shaft drives

Sutphen 34 or 39 and use the extra money for motor upgrades.

26 degree deadrise and a fast hull with classic lines.

2001 or 2002 Top Gun TS

will ride the best and just shy of your 85 mph at around 83 with 500 efis and should be avail at 110k no trailer plus shipping

phil lipschultz has a nice 35 playboy TS

The problem with most of the Cigarettes I've seen over the past many years is they have lots of things in the cockpit that will bruise passengers when running in a seaway: those billet handles look nice in a boat show, but don't feel nice when you get thrown against them.

Simple is better, as rough seas at speed will causes most things to break loose and/or simply break. Windshields, TV, refrigerator, head, pressure water pumps, generators, air conditioning, ... That stuff won't stand up.

Staggered engines or you really want a much fatter wallet: any of a thousand maintenance items is $$$ unless its staggered. So skip the 38 cigs for the 39s.

So a 39 cig without all that silly S&M billet bling, or a simple 42 fountain would be great.

A 38 or 42 Fountain hands down will ride the best in 4's...anyone says different has not rode in one.

A real four foot average (3-7' waves) all the time is going to beat the crap out of any brand boat and eat Bravo drives like no one's business.

At $100K, you are going to have to sacrafice at least two of the following; age, speed, handling of 4' sees or reliability. If you really intend to boat in that kind of water consistantly, I would not sacrafice handling or reliability. The last thing you want to do is break down or worse, so you are going to have to either spend more or settle for an older / slower boat.

If it was me, I would try to get the longest boat possible, non-stepped, naturally aspirated power, with speedmasters, a covergirl type cabin for reduced weight and less cabin breakage.

You would be better off coughing up a few more bucks and spring for a 41 Apache or a 42 Tiger.

What he said...

To get a 38 foot Fountain you should look at a 42 Fountain. :D

38 Top Gun , No step

What's wrong with the in some eyes fugly FB design Sunseeker built XS2000 that is indigenous of your shores, they have been companied with great success in 4' seas and no doubt easier to come across than a 42 Fountain
http://features.boats.com/boat-conte...-records-5187/

and currently UK's team 25 led the CTC in his XS2000 until a breakdown forced retirement
http://www.team25racing.com/team%20news.html

Yeah that's def. a rough water boat. Yanmars and Trimax drives are a great combination. :drink:

This boat will suit your bill of requirements perfectly.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o23739-en.html

I have hundreds of hours in these boats and I would put them up against any similar sized boat in rough water. This boat ran 88mph when new with no gear on it and still turns low-mid 80s with age and fully loaded up.

This Top Gun would run good and the drives will stay together. :drink: http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o30929-en.html
Check out the videos in the Cigarette forum.

36 Apache

38 Cig straight bottom with nice power

Of some the boat suggestion, such as a 36' Apache or 38' Cigarette, what is available for purchase in Europe? What would be the shipping cost of buying a boat in the US and having it transported to France from the East Coast of the US (Miami or New York) ? There are some great suggestions, and delivery can be accomplished, but how much more does that factor into your budget?

38 cig Konrad drives. You can run up to 800 horse per drive and still be bullet proof. A cigarette you're not gonna damage that hull.

Gentlemen, and with all due respect to the thread starter, he's coming out of a 21 SeaRay, I doubt he will know how to run/throttle a Bravo boat in bigger water for quite some time. He said thats always the water he has. The trial and error period he will go thru running one and blowing drives will turn him off, quick. My opinion.

My advice is an older Cigarette Top Gun with at least #3 drives.

It appears that he wants to keep it around 100G or so. You cant buy a 39 for anywhere near that.

[QUOTE=carcrash;2966778]
Simple is better, as rough seas at speed will causes most things to break loose and/or simply break. Windshields, TV, refrigerator, head, pressure water pumps, generators, air conditioning, ... That stuff won't stand up.
QUOTE]

Thanks for all your feedback guys - definitely agree with the above. I do not need TV, A/C, gens etc. Just a head and a fridge will do.

Seems like an older boat, with newish NA motors, strong drives and 75+mph as a more realistic target. I understand that the hull designs get tweaked over the years, but a '92 Cig isn't going to be a whole different ballgame to an '02 boat in terms of ride, right?

With regard to driving the thing, I have had a fair bit of experience in a 38SS Sea Ray and a 43 Sunseeker, both with 454s on Bravos with tabs and understand the theory. I realise a proper offshore boat is in a different league and will have to take it easy to begin with and learn to get the best out of it; gradually increase my limits and learn when to back off. I am looking forward to learning!

I also have a fairly strong degree of mechanical sensibility and will not be pushing the boat hard in bigger swells. I just need to know the hull can handle it if I get caught out and need to get home.

The XS would be a good decision, but it has a face only a mother could love. I mean it looks like a bulldog licking piss off an electric fence. :lolhit:

There are a few Cigs and Formulas for sale in Europe, but shipping from the States doesn't seem too expensive and there is no import duty here...

Keep it coming! :drink:

Best 38 ft boat
 

I know just the boat. 38 donzi zrc. Nothing t break in the cabin! Runs 90 plus, new stagered mercury 525's, new bravo xr's on mercury extension boxes, wolrd championship race proven hull. yes, it is 100k

I agree