WildThing47

You won't be cruising or running the cig that hard for long with bravos....if the top end is only 80...something will go bang and the skater will pass you anyway. If the boat had a top end of 100 and could cruise at 80mph then you might have a shot...

I'm not going to start this into a brand war...

But I've run in real 4-6s at 85-95....I could've pushed it more...

Get a 42' OL Glass boat, and forget about every turning around or not going out on a rough day...

It's length that gets you over, depends on the water. You need to get on top and make the commitment. Doesn't matter what boat it is, if you can't get on top and bridge to the next wave, you're running in it, mind as well run through the troughs at that point.

Also weight and ride quality are a huge deal. Driver Experience etc also is a major factor.

mptrimshop

The thing I always think of is if your in that kinda surf %25 of the time... Your gonna out run a cat %25 of the time. That means %75 of the time your getting checked out on hard. I think alot of guys just like playing the side of whatever boat they have. If you like speed and you have not rode in a big power cat , your just cheating yourself.

WildThing47

I'll agree with that +1

skaterdave

right about the time you end up hurting yourself or someone else.

sounds like your a vee guy so stick with what you know, you'll just have to live with being passed 90% of the time by a cat.

smiklos@sunprint

iTrader: (1)

I have raced Bravo's exclusively for 22 years and they can last. You cannot treat them like a Ronco Rotisserie "just set it and forget it". But if you run a boat like that eventually you will lose the wave lottery and have an accident regardless of drive configuration. From a handling point of view you can great acceleration and a light good handling boat with Bravo's. You will abosuletly have more preventive maintenance to have good results. If you intend to run a catamaran or any boat for that matter in anger you need to go over it before hand like you would an aircraft. In my case I check the lube magnets before I go out and change drive lube at 5 hours engine oil 20-25 hours. Gimbals and steering are also really important. The Imco gimbal and steering has really increased the service life of a Bravo gimbal and the SCX has ended most upper failures. All the usual stuff needs to be done also. I would think any of the competitive Stock Class Throttle guys could go 80 mph in most any conditions that the Cigarette could in a well balanced i/o 32. I am not sure they would want to, but could if needed. The 36 with Six drive's and 700's in the classifieds seems like exactly what would meet your criteria. It is pretty boat with tasteful paint at a good price.
Steve

HabanaJoe

Agitator and Dirty Laundry - two of a few SBC powered M class boats from the 80's that ran alongside 38' V's like your comparing (to me the drive doesn't matter for the answer you are looking for). Neither boat was ever a 130mph boat but at 100 mph consistant I still bet you'll pass 98% of the V bottoms out there over a fair distance of 5-10 miles.

I think your question and some of the answers assumes you gauge a boat by running into a head sea all the time? I can tell you from racing alongside these boats that in anything other than a head sea the 32' Skater goes by you at a good clip, turn into the waves and you catch up to them.

It always looked like the Skaters guys were getting beat up because sit down was new at the time, real men still stood up - LOL. My father and I always used to comment that the 32' inboard was by far the best of both worlds that we have ever seen.

Me liking to stand, move around, have some cabin for wife and kid crap I'd get the 38' TG, if all I was going to do was go out and run point to point get the Skater - but I think I agree with some that the lighter in the ass the better the 32' would be- but I really don't know first hand?

offshorexcursion

iTrader: (5)

You have a very good question and I feel sorry for you that no one can answer it.

I agree at some point the Cig will Outrun the skater in the rough, I just don't have the answer for you.

I also agree that Cats will Always do better in the rough then V's, and V's will always do better once the rough gets to a certain point, that point my be so big its not even fun to go out anymore, but hey, it would be cool to know what that point is.

mmb

I have no idea about a Skater and I'm sure this is not a fair comparison but...

I went for a ride in a 30' AO in a confused 2-3' chop.... It beat the living sh*t out of us and we were soaking wet.... I couldn't wait to get off that thing to be honest with you... At 100mph I was hanging on for dear life as I was about to be ejected lol..... That 32 Skater would have to be one hell of a ride to make me even think about getting rid of my TG.

r015

This makes sense with a 32 or less cat against a 38'V, size does matter,but cat vs V same size, i'll take cat up to solid 4's,then after that its really no fun,just waiting for trouble.

K & G Construction

I hate dumb threads