46' Black Thunder, first performance boat?
 

Hello All,

I am a long time lurker and very occasional poster. I am looking for thoughts on buying a 46' Black Thunder as a first performance boat. For years, I have been set on either a Sonic 358 or an Active Thunder 37. I like their rough water capabilities and spacious/well appointed cabins. Lately though, I have been thinking about the room that the 46' BT affords...it would be much appreciated for overnighting and occasional use as a floating office.

I will be on Lake Michigan and am fully aware of how rough it can get out there. I have been around boats a long time and consider myself a very capable driver. I am fine with sacrificing a few mph for a bigger boat and thought that the 2002 and 2003 BT would be a viable option.

Although I do not want to buy a smaller boat for a couple years, only to want to quickly move up in size, I don't want to make a mistake in buying too much boat.

Thanks for any advice.

Jeff

Contact Steve David he can tell you all about BTs. You'll need a boat that big on that lake. I would strongly suggest you get a triple motor package of 700s and NXT drives. You never know when you'll have one go down and having 1400hp to get on plane with is a big safety factor on a lake that's known for big water.

Oh and you'll have 20,000lbs to tow so you'll need a medium duty truck.

You are making a major logistical commitment with a Black Thunder 43 or 46. It's a massive boat that requires the right equipment and planning to have fun while boating. It all depends on what you want to do with the boat. The BT's are great boats for what they are designed for--basically a condo on water with some performance thrown in to boot. I know several folks who love theirs. Keep your eyes open to a 42/45 Sonic as well.

Hope you got a big truck.

Lot's of them on LOTO. They ride good and are faster than people realize. They can be drive killers though.

I owned the monopoly 46 thunder for 5 years, ran flawlessly and would top out at 75 with 525's. I loved the boat and will own another one. I may know of a nice one. How much do you want to spend?

I sold my 43 because it was a MAJOR production to tow. I have a 06 3500 Duramax and it was the MINIMUM size to tow with.

another option to look at would be the 43 Nortech. The difference between the two would be in the cabin the BT has 6'10" vs 6'7" for the NT at its tallest point. The NT has an actual walk in head vs a step up on the BT. The BT has a nicer v-berth section and both boats are heavy and need a 1 ton dually min. for towing. Fit and finish is better on the NT, and when equipped with 700's it is also 5 mph faster. Next thing to look at is warranty..and who is in business. Ive been in both numerous times and have friends in both brands. Ive had 3 43's and would buy another. Good Luck in your search. Jeff

The 46' Cig is a wave crusher and can plow through the rough with a great speed. Check them out.
The classifieds can be your best friend when looking for a boat.
http://www.powerboatlistings.com/pow...m/5940/001.jpg

check the oso classified ads,their is a nice 45 sonic,john elway was the first owner.it has trip 575s,and the asking price is in range.

we like our 43' BT, personally I don't see the need for the 46'. To me having that extra row of bolster seats would get in the way of moving about the cockpit and if I am not mistaken some of the extra lenght is for a longer engine compartment to accomodate a staggered set up. With the 43' you don't need the extra expense of triple engines. We tow it everywhere with a one ton GMC dually. The reason we like it is because each time we take it out we spend one or more nights aboard. LOL at our age Ian and I appreciate the headroom and the large Vberth. Jeff's right the 43' Nortechs are very nice as well. The cig, while a great boat, will not give you the same the headroom. But before you buy you should check out several brands and think hard about how you plan to use it. Good luck with your searach

I bought my BT Brand New in 1998 I loved the boat and we ran it from Grand Haven to Milwaukee or Chicago at least 6 times a year
I bought it for the room and comfort (We traveled almost every weekend with the boat)
The reason for the change from 43 to 46 was to extend the swim platform over the drive area after they had first used extension boxes and liked it so they extended the back of the boat under the platforms on the 43 when they built the 46 they just moved the platform back out over the protruding drives
Funny thing the early 46 could not stay level and you had to work drives and tabs to get it to run level (I think this has been resolved now ) I ran the boat in seas no one should have been out in and was a great boat!
Unfortunately I think the owner of BT has lost his way The boat has really had no significant changes in many many years. The 46 and the 43 were really not allot different from one another If i were buying one today i would go looking for a 43

Nor Tech is a good alternative and has the best of the modern upgrades. Terry Sobo was the Sales Manager at BT when I bought my boat and has been running sales at Nor Tech for many years you will find no better guy to deal with

I do not have an upgraded acount here anymore but if you do a search here you will find pics of my past boat

By the way I looked at sonics back in the day and they do not compare to a BT or especially to a Nor Tech

Wow, you are smart to avoid the 2 foot itis disease. So many first time buyers start out small only to move up and loose $$$ in the process as it is very easy to dump $$$ in selling and buying boats! However, THAT is a HUGE boat as a first performance craft!! I say go for it but set aside some time and $$$ to be trained by someone that owns similar so that your first experience docking in the wind does not wind up on YouTube.

I sort of chickened out and went from an 18 foot single to a 29 foot twin, next is the 37 to 46 (depending upon what is available when I have money again, after this disasterious real estate market). I would not trade the training my 29 is giving me, big enough to cause some concern docking but still small when considering the next step.

Good point on the Nor-Tech Jeff and Marc. I don't usually compare a BT to a NT, as the NT is a bit higher end, and a bit sportier.

However, overall boat size characteristics definitely make sense.

Looking at your 2 comments, "overnighting and occasional floating office", you will not find a better package than the BT for that. My 46 has hot water heater, cable/phone/water/power connections, A/C-heat, microwave, nice bed, large sofas, excellent storage, tv, gen, macerator, nice shower, and the list goes on. The beam is also 9' 6 making for the largest cabin in it's class. I have spent many nights in mine anchored and at dock and does very well all the way around. The NT definitely compares in some areas, but back in the years you are looking at, the BT was very good for overnighting and floating office space. I will say that my bow thruster reeeeeally helps around the dock. There is also not a bad seat in the cockpit for guests. All can see outside the boat very well when running.

Thanks everyone for all the comments thus far. I will not be towing the boat. It will stay in the water all year and driven to a storage facility on the Chicago river.

The 42/45 Sonics have been on my list, but as much as I know 4 feet is a big difference, I figured with that size, I may as well go with a BT. Cigs are great boats, but not enough cabin space by comparison (I know I will probably get beaten for making the cabin such a priority).

Fact is that THLWL hit the nail on the head in his post. That's exactly why I want a BT. But, as said earlier, I don't want to end up on YouTube!

Nortechs are great boats, but probably a little pricey by comparison. Jassman, that is a great looking boat.

Ms. PatriYacht-I have not ruled out the 43. I would prefer the EC but do not want triple engines...although I hope I do not regret that as someone said earlier...

I wouldn't leave any performance boat in the water longer than a week, get a lift for it. If not and you are going to paint the bottom get a boat you want to have forever because you will never be able to sell it for a 1/4 of what you payed in a few years. Sorry for the hate but perfomance boats left in the water don't do well.

the newer BT handle better than the old ones, you can get great deals on them now , we just picked up a 2007 - 46 for under 160k with only 15 hours and 525's

We have a 50 hustler lots of head room big bath room got 3 950 can run 110 mph had a 40 before it also had 6 foot 3 inches of head room and a big bath loved it also you might check them out . Joe & his people at the factory are good to deal with to .

X2 Don't leave that thing in the water. You might as well buy a pontoon.

Tough to do here in Chicago without towing...I am not aware of any rack in/out storage in or around the city.

I know it is not ideal to keep in the water, but towing a boat (much less a big one) in our congested city isn't exactly what I had in mind, given the frequency of desired use. Maybe a lift/cushion is the best option.

kvschoolboard-nice going--that sounds like a great deal!

I have seen pictures of the 40' and 50' Hustlers, but have never been on one. I like the Fiore, but they do not seem to come around very often.

Go with the 46 EC. Looks better the 43 has a longer nose a swim deck. I have slipped of the back and hit only water. Big savings on a doctor bill. Mines a 2001 46EC handles fine. only thing is a cross wind and people walking around when under way. She will lean a little. Its a deep V and tall. What boat doesnt. My 30 ft Superboat does the same. You just have to drive and enjoy. Only problem i have is finding a place to park when on a road trip. You dont want to leave it in a walmart lot.. Shes 9ft6 wide the extra seat to the far far left is a big plus. You dont want to have a guy sitting next to you. Looks kinda gay. THIS PLACE IS SLOW CANT EVEN UPLOAD A PIC FOR YA Bobby

Don't leave that boat in the water. You can put a lift in at Hammond marine in Northwest Indiana. There are also a couple places on Cal sag that do in and out service!

:lolhit: :party-smiley-004:

It is getting kinda gay here. :kiss::kiss::party-smiley-004:

I am doing a 2010 46SC, Bob the owner has done quite a few things from the normal set up, we moved the bulkhead 7 inches forward to accomodate a staggered setup so we had some room in front of the forward engine, moved the generator from the oposite side, moved batteries, mounting of trim and drive actuators, throttle position as well as gas tanks and piping. to name a few.

Aslo painted the engine room to match the outside graphics.

Very accomodating. If you don't ask the question , you quess at the answer.

Takeing our motors down next week to start engine room rigging

:signs069: so you can go :boat: :coolcowboy:

If you just rent a slip and they dont want a lift in it put a Jet Dock in. My buddy had a 46 BT in a slip on one, it worked great you just need a min. of 6 feet deep. When you move un tie it and move it.

What kind of tow/hauling/rig set-up do you have??? I plan to start towing same boat this year...Are there any special nuances or recomendations for towing a 46 BT??? BTW...How much does tboth the trailer and boat weigh?? And do you need a CDL and special permits to tow???

Thank,

Divenstar :boat: :party-smiley-020: