Steve_H

yes and yes , but you have to say what were all lookin at.pretty boat btw.

253

hi, we have a 27 ft.checkmate that is great, great ride in rough water, very good cabin room,one of my friends has a 29 fountain w/575 sc,it's fast,but doesn't ridegood at all and cabin is too low,no headroom, another has 28 sunsation,it's small and cramped too, another has 27 powerquest which is a real roughrider, they may have better resale value,but think about having room to move around inside it while you own it.

Havasu Hangin

...but there are a couple good West Coast builders out there. As for DCB, I am yet to hear (or see a post) from a dissatisified owner...very few builders (either coast) have that kind of following...IMHO, worth looking into...

A friend of mine took delivery on that 28' Extreme from the LA Boat Show. The cabin is beautiful...the boat is rock-solid...Dave does some first-rate work...kinda expensive...but first rate...

Here's some video I shot of another DCB from that boat...do I get extra credit for video?

PS- Four posts...is that 4 votes?

Here we are at our favorite spot:

253

hi, we have a 27 ft.checkmate that is great, great ride in rough water, very good cabin room,one of my friends has a 29 fountain w/575 sc,it's fast,but doesn't ridegood at all and cabin is too low,no headroom, another has 28 sunsation,it's small and cramped too, another has 27 powerquest which is a real roughrider, they may have better resale value,but think about having room to move around inside it while you own it.

WRedmann

I have a 27 Baja, with the swim deck it is only a 25. NOT ENOUGH. It stays at the 14 mile marker, and is used only on weekends. I am sure that less than 25% of its hours are in near-smooth water. I gave up a long time ago about concerning myself with top speed, because I am limited by the water, not the engine. You should certainly raise the lower end of your length range if your expected use comes anywhere close to what I described. I would say the minimum would be a 28 plus swim deck. A little weight would help also.

Another thing, this will probably hurt my long term cause though, I would be very carefull about buying a used twenty something boat that was run only at LOTO. That water is hard on this size boat and you can only learn so much in a few water tests, it takes time for some of the boats damage to surface.

hirschy77

checkmate 270, 40hrs. Its a better boat than expected, bought new from dealer bankruptcy, couldnt pass it up. Handles rough water great, very roomy (103" beam,) very easy to trailer, and now---fast. Overall vey pleased with quality, support from factory, and all for under 100k.

PANTERA LOVER

Hello,
I think you have heard alot of good suggestions. There are 3 boats that i would look at. Definetley the 28' Pantera, I am partial to Pantera because i own a 24'. Let me tell you this is one of the best rough water boats out there and im sure the 28' handles extremley well also. This boat is a boat that you dont back off if you see things you go through them. It is just a fabulous boat. Also depending on how much $$$ you want to spend i would take a look to see if you could find a 30' Cigarette Mystique or maybe a used 28' SS. These boats are also good. I would definetley check out the 28' Pantera. If you want to really do alot of rough water, pantera would be a great way to go.

-Best of Luck.
-PANTERA LOVER

Cattitude

personally, I'd take a mid size cat over what you're looking at but that's me.

a real length boat in that range (not counting beaks and built in 18" swim platforms) is tough on a single bravo. Lot's of weight and wetted surface area. just keep that in mind- either mild power, small prop or budget for drive upgrades in your future. Loto is fun, wish I was there this weekend. good luck!

IDRPSTF

The 29 SCARAB is a great 29' single that handle the snotty water well. They run like a Mini Cig.
If you are looking at Nordic then you have to look at Magic as well. Magic builds a 29' with a Mid Cabin Option (Not good for rough water but holds more people) Strong, good looking boat and the company stands behind there product.
A 29 Fever is just not a 29' Boat Case Closed!!! You will also end up playing the Swap-A-Prop game between planing response and top end speed.
A 29 Baja needs twins and then it is a contender
Formula is a good choice but you will have a heavy boat that takes power to move (I.E.$$$$$)

cuda

The Sunsation 32 with a HP 500 might be a good choice. There was one in the boat trader a while back like new for 80K. I think they are beautiful boats.