Another Rookie Question
 

I have really enjoyed searching this forum for the advice y'all give the first timers and the noobs. I am a boat owner but I am stepping up to Performance Boats for the first time. I have a budget of about 60K and I want to solicit y'alls advice.

1) Are 2 engines gonna cost me a helluva lot more to maintain than 1?
2) Are the Mercury Racing engines gonna cost me a helluva lot more to maintain than the run-of-the-mill 496s?
3) Do I want to avoid supercharged motors or have they proven reliable? (I should say here that I baby my stuff and even if I had a 100mph boat I just dont see me running it that hard very often.)
4) I think I want to do some of the various poker/fun runs and for that a MCOB would be great for taking the Posse- but a cuddy means you can sleep on the lake! Anyone who could share their experiences with those two scenarios would be greatly appreciated. I.e. can one sleep in a MCOB? Does anyone in the hot part of the country actually use the cuddy cabin for sleeping?

I am in Texas and the boat would be used on the lakes around the Southwest and Southeast. I dont rule out the occasional Salt water poker run in La. or Fl. but that would be rare. At least I think it would be rare, I have never done one, but I have seen the pics. Wow!

I want to stick to something 2001 or newer, I would like a minimum 70mph, dont think I need a rough water boat since this will be a lake boat 90% of the time at least, dont think I need twins for the same reason.

So, any brand/model advice would be appreciated, same for engines. Any random thoughts on the poker run party scene and lake camping would also be greatly appreciated.

Really stoked about meeting some new friends and jumping into the PB culture. I am in the market now. Thanks in advance for any wisdom the sages here can share:)

How big do you want, how fast do you want to go??

A lot is going to hang on what ypu want and how much upkeep you are willing to do yourself.


We are finishing up our deal on our first powerboat. We have always had a small single outboard CC. Now we will be happy and proud owners of a 35' twin 502 MAG Nordic.

Make a check list and see what you really want/need out of a boat to help narrow it dowb.

Best of luck...I know you will be as pleased as us.

How Big of Truck do you have? If you buy a Big Boat, You Need a Big Truck to pull It. Some cost as much as a Nice Boat..

PS, If you don't want a rough water boat then Look at the Fountain Brand :) If you want to go out in the Rough and Not spill your Beverage then Look at the Cigarette Brand :) (Now you're in the thick of it :) )

Where in TX are you located. Nice single Nordic for sale in the Killeen area. Check out Austin Boat Forum.com

I still have yet to be passed by one of those rough water boats in the rough. How did all those fountains dominate the race course? They must only race on flat water :hijack:

I am looking in the 27-35 range. I want to do 70 minimum. I have an f-450 so I doubt I could afford to buy more boat than I can tow:)
I spoke with a boat salesman today who recommended that I look at twins. His argument was that some basic twins I.e. 496s will push a boat as fast as a Merc Racing single, and the maintenance and fuel consumption are reasonable. Any thoughts?

I was also advised to stay away from the Merc racing engines other than the 500EFI since I do not plan on wrenching myself.

I'm not sure if 60k will buy a 35 lightning (fountain) because I'm notin the market so don't know the going rate, but what a bad ass boat!! There are tons of fountain haters here and I'm not sure why. You can't deny there accomplisments. They are obviously fast boats and apparently can handle rough water seeing they have won hundreds of off shore racing events. There are tons of good brands, but I just like the look of fountains. Many dont like the "beak" but I think it looks awesome and is one of the most recognizable boat on the water.

I personally have a velocity and absolutely love it. 60k would buy a very nice velocity but not sure if you could get into the 30+ ft velocity with that budget. But if speed is your thing you can't go wrong. I have a single engine 28' boat with 800 plus hp and I'm knocking on the 100 mph mark once down with props. Already been 98 with 3 people and to small of a prop.

Like I said there are tons of very nice boats out there and everyone has different expectations out of there boating experience. Chances are you coming from small cc boats anything you get 30 ft and over will handle like a dream compared to what your use to. People say the 280 velocity isn't a good rough water boat. Maybe not but I've been 65 through solid 3 footers and to me that was pretty good and it wasn't that bad. Granted I couldn't sip Martini's in those conditions, but I'm not looking for that.

Good luck and have fun. Shopping for your next boat is half the fun to me.

I went up and took a look at Jays boat. He's a character. Took us for a ride. In the end I decided I was probably looking for something a little newer. Cool ride he's got though.

1). Welcome. Great home you found!
1.1). Yes. Not double, but definitely more. The hidden cost is fuel....just goes away faster....sb....bb....however....twins are tha chit. Plus, you can get home on one with twins. Without....?
2). Stay away from 496 ho. Big inch is cool, and super responsive outta tha hole. No replacement for displacement.
3). Forced induction rocks. I have a boat, car and truck(s) all forced. EFI with a huffer is safer for someone green, but perfectly safe for carb if set up and monitored properly.
4). Stabbin cabin with ac!

Some really good boating in tx....and for quite a long season. If I were there in Austin or Dallas, I would definitely run a twin bb with about 10m of glass.....plus or barely minus. Wave crushing is good to have.....even in flat water while crossing. Heii....1' rolling seas can give you a heii of a jolt if you aren't timed right.

5?). PR's are not races. Had to.....sorry. The fun is running with the pack at 55-75. That's a cruise speed. The big schlongs are gone.....gone....gone. But being able to keep with the pack is a big contributor to how you feel about participating.

6?). Start with a well taken care of older boat. There are several here available from very reputable members that would not put their name in a precarious position over a sale. LOTO boats are a good buy too...if always from there ( fresh water )

1). Welcome!

Your budget number should allow for some nice choices in a used boat. Single or twin, try both, then decide for yourself. Merc stock power is your best choice, blue motors are, IMO, worth the extra money for the additional HP and quality of the parts used in the build, Black Merc are also very dependable and hard to beat. My opinion is one should run like hell away from the unknown Hot Rod motors built by whoever. Blower motors can be fine, can also be a money pit. Never buy without a survey or help from a trusted friend with a strong mechanical background, and never till you get to run the boat.

Lots of good honest folks out there, only takes one chit wad to ruin your parade, be prudent and you can make yourself a very nice buy in these times. Good Luck!


P.S. Saltwater boats are best to stay as far away from as possible, cheap can never ever be cheap enough when one trys to revive one.

From what I understand the 525efi is a very reliable motor. I've read nothing but good things about them. They have good internal parts and respond very well to blowers. My new motor is supercharged and I could not go back to naturally aspirated and be happy. The power is awesome!!!!!!!

Did I mention....?

Stay away from 496 ho

You are correct!! From some of the buds he runs with that I know say the same. Welcome.

I'm Not a Fountain Hater, I only threw that in as a Joke :) I'd rather have a fountain than a Cig (Cause I'm in to Speed) Both are very good boats.

No Brand X motors. Check
No saltwater boats. Check
Survey. Check
Good advice. Thank you.

Even twin 496's?

From a performance stand point I've read it's very expensive to modify the 496 due to weaker internal parts. I know I could not be able to deal with that as I am always wanting more. At least with a mag motor you can pump some reliable boost to it.

I would say salt boats are fine but assure a survey to check them over. A maintained and cared for salt boat is every good as a fresh boat.

It is true though there is a lot of people that neglecte their boats....so a strong look over and survey is a must.

Considering the expense of hot rodding these boats I think it's real cost effective to buy a ride that already has the speed you need. For me I'm thinking that is somewhere between 70-80. So if I found a twin 496 that could do that, I think I'm done:)

That is what we did. The 502's in ours gave us the speed we wanted. We are good with what we got and for the most part it on stock Mags.

Had a single 496 HO- put over 700 hours on it with no problems other than the occasional IAC failure.
Now have twin 525's. BIG increase in fuel consumption. Double the cost for routine maintanance. Two of everything to break, including drives. MUCH more enjoyable to drive.

A lot of solid advice right here

I started out thinking a 502 would make me happy too. :lolhit:

When I started looking I was held back by the fact that I had a f-150. But other than that I was right where you are now. I thought I needed BB but after talking to a friend that used to have a scorpion he talked me into opening my mind to the idea. I'm 28 foot, twins, and blue motors. My speed is right where you want to be and I got small blocks in front of bravo drives ( strong set up). I'm not saying a scorpion is the boat for you. Just figured I would make you aware of it since it seems to fit. There are a lot a boats out there that will work for you.... Half the fun is looking at them all...... And remember year is not half as important as condition.

Make a check list and see what you really want/need out of a boat to help narrow it dowb.http://price.womenobey.com/10.jpg

I would say survey above all others. PERIOD

99% of the time my boat is in fresh water. It helps that it is a top 5 (no2) cleanest lakes in the USA. But lets face it, there are rivers out there that are "fresh water" that none of us would ever consider running our boats in.

Just because a boat has ran in salt water doesn't mean it is a bad boat. If we really want to get nit picky a lot of these boat makers we see on here test their boats in "brackish" water which contains salt. Take Fountain for example, so from DAY ONE there is some salt being run through that boat. But on the other hand you have owners that never flush, wash and do the maintence required to run in salt water. A survey will tell you that.

You already know that or you wouldn't be considering running salt water poker runs. If you want to use it as a bargaining chip thats fine but don't limit yourself.

A bad owner is a bad owner, period. Get a survey. That will tell you everything.

Any comments on the Velocity 290SC? The velocitys are fast, which I take to mean they are light? If so does this have implications for durability?

The other, and much more expensive boat I have been looking at is Donzi. I actually had the baby Donzi 19' ski boat a few years back. Very heavy hull. Made for a very slow boat with the 4.3L. Any comments on the 33' Donzi?

Me too. I started out thinking 27 foot, 70mph, single engine, and a 502 would make me happy.

God what have I gotten myself in to ! ha!!

As long as everyone here is pitching "their" brand. Take a look at Advantage. My 32 Victory w/twin 496HOs runs quite nicely, in the upper band of your speed choice. Not sure why so many here are "blacklisting" the 496, but mine run just fine. Granted, they are not ideal candidates for big HP, but left at or near stock, they do quite well. I had heard the 32 Victory was touted as the APBA offshore champion in the 32' class for several years so it has been know to handle the rough stuff.

You know Im real glad you jumped in because the Advantage is another one of my top prospects. The 27' are nice single engine boats with a lot of style. Im not sure about the cockpit configuration. The 32' has an enclosed head if im not mistaken, popular with the ladies im sure.

So what is the top end and what do think of Advantage quality?

Lake Travis Poker run this weekend. If you can make it, you should see a lot and get a bunch of ideas of what you want. Hang out at Carlos and Charlie's. Keep an eye on the south central section for more info on the Poker Run.

Guessing you are looking at a ZX?

We looked at them too. Only thing is they are a BIG 33.....as in heavy and with a very wide bean, towing is a task with them on crowded public streets.

Thanks. I have been in touch with LTPA re CnC this weekend. Would love to go and pick everybodies brain. Dont know if they allow ski boats but I have asked:)

You planning on going?

My 32 will run a tad over 80 with the HOs. I really like the 4 bolster cockpit, and the forward design negates the need for tabs. I never lose sight of the water when taking off. The fit and finish is comparable to Donzi or Fountain or Nordic, etc. It's no Nortech or MTI, but nice. My interior is rather bland ( not alot of color) and the paint is pretty modest(not flashy), but that is simply a choice of whomever ordered the boat (I bought used). I have seen some pretty colorful interiors and paint schemes.

Yea I noticed. They weigh in at almost 10K. Whew! And the beam was 9" something. I thought 8 or 8.5 was the max legal. But they sure are beautiful boats inside and out. They just look like a quality build! Im guessing its gonna take a lot of motor and a lot of gas to make em fast.

The head compartment on looks pretty small, do y'all use it?

Nope! While it is plenty big enough to use, I have never put water in the fresh water tank and the plastic is still on porcelain head! Folks ask me why, I say "I ain't haulin MY sh#$ around and sure as hell ain't haulin others!" Too many opportunities to go elsewhere. Makes a great place to store stuff though!

Oh, and as for the berth, if you are looking for an overnighter, the 32 is not the biggest. (unless you're 4' tall!)

Last year I bought a 29 outlaw got a survey and thought all was good this year I've had the boat in from April and 10,000 invested so far and the survey said the boat was in excellent condition. I would suggest taking a mechanic u trust with u