Boat shopping help
#41
Charter Member # 55
Charter Member
The decks are all the same, but cabin layouts can vary depending on the year and what the person who had it built wanted. BTW, the freeboard on my 32 is as deep as Top Gun. I have 5 & 8 year olds, so I understand what you're talking about with regard to feeling safe.
Last edited by Griff; 10-21-2009 at 03:50 PM.
#43
Registered
FYI
Baja's.. light, relatively fast,, economical "Chevy's " of the water. Won't take the pounding on the Big Pond too long.
Fountains.. Ditto. A bit better built.. but too many out there. A dime a Doz. (sort of speak) and just forget about the beak. Just reduce about 2' from "claimed" size. Many has stringer and delamination issues.
Donzi... Good boats. Depands on the year.. jelcoat and fiber glass issues. Same with Scarabs.
Formula.. a bit heavy but great huls and boat. Need lots of HP to get them going.
AT.. Cultic.. good boats...Single step.. Depands on year step varies. Can get a bit tricky to hande.
Sonic... Great hull.. Deep "V" good rough water.. not the fastest hull around.
Hustlers.. well built boats.. Slingshot is pretty dafe to upper 90's. OK headroom.. Good choise.
Cigs.. Northtecs. OL's etc.. great hulls.. good boats.. Planty of $'s too.
Velocities,.. OK bot no headroom.. a bit strange deck design.
Powerquest,... OK hull.. heavy... good headroom... a bit slow for the HP's.Steps are worthless.
Power play.. OK boats.. over rated,, due to limited production...
Nordic... Pretty decent overall stuff.
And a bunch of other are hit and miss.
Now you got the boat market 101 , have fun shopping.. just remember... every one will tell you what THEY like. Select what YOU like, for YOUR use.
(I'm ready for the chit I will get after this. but it seems that every time there is a "boat buyer" inquery.. no one is being objective.)
Last edited by PARADOX; 10-21-2009 at 06:57 PM.
#44
Registered
LOL I did.
FYI
Baja's.. light, relatively fast,, economical "Chevy's " of the water. Won't take the pounding on the Big Pond too long.
Fountains.. Ditto. A bit better built.. but too many out there. A dime a Doz. (sort of speak) and just forget about the beak. Just reduce about 2' from "claimed" size. Many has stringer and delamination issues.
Donzi... Good boats. Depands on the year.. jelcoat and fiber glass issues. Same with Scarabs.
Formula.. a bit heavy but great huls and boat. Need lots of HP to get them going.
AT.. Cultic.. good boats...Single step.. Depands on year step varies. Can get a bit tricky to hande.
Sonic... Great hull.. Deep "V" good rough water.. not the fastest hull around.
Hustlers.. well built boats.. Slingshot is pretty dafe to upper 90's. OK headroom.. Good choise.
Cigs.. Northtecs. OL's etc.. great hulls.. good boats.. Planty of $'s too.
Velocities,.. OK bot no headroom.. a bit strange deck design.
Powerquest,... OK hull.. heavy... good headroom... a bit slow for the HP's.Steps are worthless.
Power play.. OK boats.. over rated,, due to limited production...
Nordic... Pretty decent overall stuff.
And a bunch of other are hit and miss.
Now you got the boat market 101 , have fun shopping.. just remember... every one will tell you what THEY like. Select what YOU like, for YOUR use.
(I'm ready for the chit I will get after this. but it seems that every time there is a "boat buyer" inquery.. no one is being objective.)
FYI
Baja's.. light, relatively fast,, economical "Chevy's " of the water. Won't take the pounding on the Big Pond too long.
Fountains.. Ditto. A bit better built.. but too many out there. A dime a Doz. (sort of speak) and just forget about the beak. Just reduce about 2' from "claimed" size. Many has stringer and delamination issues.
Donzi... Good boats. Depands on the year.. jelcoat and fiber glass issues. Same with Scarabs.
Formula.. a bit heavy but great huls and boat. Need lots of HP to get them going.
AT.. Cultic.. good boats...Single step.. Depands on year step varies. Can get a bit tricky to hande.
Sonic... Great hull.. Deep "V" good rough water.. not the fastest hull around.
Hustlers.. well built boats.. Slingshot is pretty dafe to upper 90's. OK headroom.. Good choise.
Cigs.. Northtecs. OL's etc.. great hulls.. good boats.. Planty of $'s too.
Velocities,.. OK bot no headroom.. a bit strange deck design.
Powerquest,... OK hull.. heavy... good headroom... a bit slow for the HP's.Steps are worthless.
Power play.. OK boats.. over rated,, due to limited production...
Nordic... Pretty decent overall stuff.
And a bunch of other are hit and miss.
Now you got the boat market 101 , have fun shopping.. just remember... every one will tell you what THEY like. Select what YOU like, for YOUR use.
(I'm ready for the chit I will get after this. but it seems that every time there is a "boat buyer" inquery.. no one is being objective.)
"AT.. Cultic.. good boats...Single step.. Depands on year step varies. Can get a bit tricky to hande."
Tricky to handle??? Couldn't be farther from the truth.
Have you driven all these boats?
#46
Registered
#47
Registered
As far as the AT's my comment stands. I have driven them before and I know Pat personnaly as well as Harry who designed the step/hull. I drove AT's back before Pat ever got the wind of the AT's in Chicago (North Subberb actually)
The step hull is a decendent of the Challanger Offshore hull designed for the Black Hawks. (originaly ownd by John Simpson, in MI) We tested the hull in lake "X" with twin 502 Black Hawks, and I drove hull no. 1 in the Pier 33 Poker Run in 1995, (With John) Later the AT hulls were pretty similar in design. (By Harry S) Later years the step decreased to make the hull better handling. (I think it's 4.5" now, but not 100%) Did not drove the new reduced step AT yet. Most step bottoms needs special care with driving. Due to the AT's as single step.. it's a bit more squirmy then double or tripple steps. Nothing wrong with it, good hull, but most people. (probobly like you) don't really know the charachteristics. If you REALLY know about the hulls, you would have said. "you right.. it is a bit tricky, but one can get use to it and the additinal lift and speed it's worth the learning curve".. And I would agree with you. AT's have a real nice free board design, but that adds weight. There is NO perfect boat for all boating needs. PERIOD.
Any more questions?
#48
Charter Member # 55
Charter Member
None of the 32 AT's have/had a step.
The 37 stepped hull(DDC) did not even get produced until 1998 or 1999. The standard step is 4". There is more info in the AT forum from Pat on the step height and what subtle changes do.
The 37 stepped hull(DDC) did not even get produced until 1998 or 1999. The standard step is 4". There is more info in the AT forum from Pat on the step height and what subtle changes do.
#49
Registered
Great example of why I posted my summary. And yes. I drove most of them. I have not driven a Nordic to date.
As far as the AT's my comment stands. I have driven them before and I know Pat personnaly as well as Harry who designed the step/hull. I drove AT's back before Pat ever got the wind of the AT's in Chicago (North Subberb actually)
The step hull is a decendent of the Challanger Offshore hull designed for the Black Hawks. (originaly ownd by John Simpson, in MI) We tested the hull in lake "X" with twin 502 Black Hawks, and I drove hull no. 1 in the Pier 33 Poker Run in 1995, (With John) Later the AT hulls were pretty similar in design. (By Harry S) Later years the step decreased to make the hull better handling. (I think it's 4.5" now, but not 100%) Did not drove the new reduced step AT yet. Most step bottoms needs special care with driving. Due to the AT's as single step.. it's a bit more squirmy then double or tripple steps. Nothing wrong with it, good hull, but most people. (probobly like you) don't really know the charachteristics. If you REALLY know about the hulls, you would have said. "you right.. it is a bit tricky, but one can get use to it and the additinal lift and speed it's worth the learning curve".. And I would agree with you. AT's have a real nice free board design, but that adds weight. There is NO perfect boat for all boating needs. PERIOD.
Any more questions?
As far as the AT's my comment stands. I have driven them before and I know Pat personnaly as well as Harry who designed the step/hull. I drove AT's back before Pat ever got the wind of the AT's in Chicago (North Subberb actually)
The step hull is a decendent of the Challanger Offshore hull designed for the Black Hawks. (originaly ownd by John Simpson, in MI) We tested the hull in lake "X" with twin 502 Black Hawks, and I drove hull no. 1 in the Pier 33 Poker Run in 1995, (With John) Later the AT hulls were pretty similar in design. (By Harry S) Later years the step decreased to make the hull better handling. (I think it's 4.5" now, but not 100%) Did not drove the new reduced step AT yet. Most step bottoms needs special care with driving. Due to the AT's as single step.. it's a bit more squirmy then double or tripple steps. Nothing wrong with it, good hull, but most people. (probobly like you) don't really know the charachteristics. If you REALLY know about the hulls, you would have said. "you right.. it is a bit tricky, but one can get use to it and the additinal lift and speed it's worth the learning curve".. And I would agree with you. AT's have a real nice free board design, but that adds weight. There is NO perfect boat for all boating needs. PERIOD.
Any more questions?
Not sure why you would state that "most people. (probably like you) don't really know the charachteristics."
I owned the first 33 AT with the DDC hull for 4 years and have been in many 37 AT's with the DDC hull. I REALLY do know this hull and it is not tricky, nor does it take any getting used to. In fact, it is the complete opposite.
Steve
#50
Registered
Steve. I'm not knocking AT's or any other boat.
In fact see post no. 25.
Glad that you know your hull. (Not knowng you and based on your post why I said "probably" like you)
But for a first tme boatowner or some one stepping up to more performance, stepped hulls need different attention.
"Tricky" by no mans it's bad.
I would hate to see some one jumping in a single stepped hull (Specially a 7+") want to make a sharp turn,.. tuck in the drives and spins the boat, (not knowing anything about "pivot points")
That's all.
In fact see post no. 25.
Glad that you know your hull. (Not knowng you and based on your post why I said "probably" like you)
But for a first tme boatowner or some one stepping up to more performance, stepped hulls need different attention.
"Tricky" by no mans it's bad.
I would hate to see some one jumping in a single stepped hull (Specially a 7+") want to make a sharp turn,.. tuck in the drives and spins the boat, (not knowing anything about "pivot points")
That's all.