Starter Boat
 

Can someone tell me what classify's a starter boat ???

To me it would be something that is safe, stable, moderately powered and allows mistakes. My 26 Nova II with twin 260's to me was the perfect boat for me to enter the offshore powerboat world with. It did all of this for me, and in this market would be very affordable to purchase for someone. I'm sure there are many factors I'm missing here, but for me those were the basics.

Starter boat
 

Sounds like a nice boat .....that was my thoughts ...thanks for the feedback !! Wellcraft /Scarab to me is the boat of choice !!!!

I would agree with Spaz. Something that is relatively inexpensive, moderate power, and small enough to notice small changes with the trim and tabs. If you plan on stepping up into a larger boat with twins, might help to start with a smaller one that also has twins. This is just my opinion.

I was given this advice for that reason too, and it worked out for me.
When first starting out it felt like a 29 with twins was a lot of boat, but now running a 35 is no big deal.

Its more challenging at first but forces you to respect everything and everyone from day one. That was good for me.

Great advice from Cousineau181 IMO.

there are two ways to look at it...boat perspective and afforability perspective

boat perspective:
probably want a smaller boat that is manageable (docking, manuevering). something with descent power to give you a sense for a go-fast style boat. something semi safe that YOU feel comfortable driving. twins would probably be best if you decide to step up and go bigger later on...as someone mentioned earlier, a boat where you can learn how to trim and plane etc...

cost perspective:
probably want a boat you feel comfortable affording. a boat you dont mind filling up every weekend. something that is reliable. little maintenance. a lot of new boat owners dont realize the costs associated with boating. a list which includes: fuel, insurance, mainetenance, opening/closing, repairs, marina stay/slip, etc...remember the higher end boats with merc racing type motors cost a lot more than your typical boat with OEM bb's or sb's (engine refreshes, fuel consumption, insurance, repairs, etc)

My buddy is having a good experience with a single BB 29 Fountain. It has been maintenance free with stock Merc power, is trailerable, and runs good. I think a good starter boat is something under 30 fee that fits the criteria above - trailerable, reliable, INSUREABLE, affordable to run and forgiving of mistakes.

Outboards vs I/O, single vs twin and BB vs SB are all personal choices that only you can make.

Agree with what others said - don't underestimate the TRUE cost of boat ownership.

Get something RELIABLE so that you enjoy your first experience.

Starter boat is one that you can really afford.

Price range makes a difference, I would say 25' er single engine under 20 Gs, make your mistakes with the first one then start moving on up and get out your wallet, two of everything cost twice as much.

But it's worth it, you only go around once, you might as well enjoy yourself.

I had a Donzi Z-25 with a single 454. It was a great starter boat. It had a nice little cabin, handled the water nicely and looked good. Also, it was a boat that gave you pride of ownership.

I will throw in the nova 250's if you can find one in decent shape. twin smallblocks, very forgiving boat and can handle some decent lumpyness. A lot o people have cut their teeth in them.

my starter boat is a 38 formula with 500's heheheh:evilb:

I'd say a starter boat is one that costs about two month's salary. Shop around for the best compromise that you can find.

As someone here says: "Fast, cheap, reliable - Pick any two."

My second boat was a 40 Fountain w/700 Zuls. :D

I started with a 22 Scarab with a BB when I was 19. It was fun and really easy to drive

My starter boat is the Pachanga. Twin 350's and will take a beating.

My reality isn't as fun as Dustpuppy's! haha

I'm thinking this would be a good starter.

I'd give you two month's salary for it!

Do you guys think that jumping from two summers in a 19 ft CC to a Formula Sunsport 33 is too much ?

Guess that all depends on the person.

I went from a 1976 Wellcraft V20 to my Cafe Racer, but I don't think that is the norm, or necessarily the smart thing to do. Also - I grew up on the water so I had 26 years of water life under my belt when I bought the CIG.

While I cannot give the best advice considering my choice of a starter boat, my 29' Kryptonite with a single N/A 598ci in it, I can say that it costs alot more than the purchase price to own any high performance boat. They say 10% of the purchase price a year, I guess I am good for a few years then after this season.

Get something that will start every time you turn the key and you will have a blast.

A starter boat is different for everybody. It depends where you do your boating. It has to be user friendly and very forgiving, because you are going to make mistakes. They just have to be kept small. If you make an error and look like an idiot, you will lose all confidence, and then you will make up any excuse to not go boating. I've seen it happen so many times.