Ok. I will play. I am 47, but 27 at heart. I would commision a new Doug Wright outboard with twin 280s'. Use the $$$$ leftover for maintenance and a cheaper used DW for backup. I have been 150 mph several times and 115 mph in the rough (3' to5') is plenty fast for me. I hate I/Os due to all the maintenance! Hanging off the snout of a blower changing a water pump impeller in a 36 Skater is no fun. Or swapping #6's in a parking lot has lost it's appeal over the past few years.
I have run my Talon for the last three seasons with only LU fluid changes and fuel. Not even a plug change! I can swap on a fresh powerhead in a hour or LU in 30 minutes. It is about as close to maintenance free hauling a$$ as you can get to in my opinion.
Hustler also makes a CC outboard 25' cat (Talon mold) for those into CCs'. With twin 300 promaxes we saw 101.4 mph on my friends Carrier. the Hustler/Talon will work with a single also.

NIce, quiet egg-beaters.....Just for you, Nate. See, ya can go fast, be reliable and not feel like you are hanging on to a tree in a hurricane. Plus you can look sexy all at the same time! Of course I never feel like a manly-man driving it so I recorded a pair of big blocks with dry headers and play it through the sound system.

No....anyone in general.

Trust me, I love the sound of my boat, I grew up in drag racing (family owned a top fuel car), I have built a few nice Mustangs my self years back.

But when it comes to my boat that I like to use each and every weekend. If I can do the same speed, at the same size, with less upkeep, breaks less, cost less all around, and I can bring an extra friend at times.......and the ONLY thing I don't get is the noise......ya, I can do without it then.

I like that boat.....it's beautiful, fast, and sleek.

For me though it puts me right back into where I have an issue still. Only 4 friends are coming with me and the GF and that's it.

I enjoy my buddies in Sunday with me. It is a big fun part of what we like to do. I hate watching people sit dockside as we pull away cause I have room for 6 total people.

Maybe some of you guys enjoy boating alone.....I don't, I enjoy sharing it with my friends, they are my family.

So if an CC can fit more and go just as fast, why wouldn't I buy it?

We tried to convince that guy to build it with a U-shaped lounge in the back, and we could have put a "sunken living room" feel to it since there is no floor needed where the BBCs would have been.

However, he wanted the "bilge" for storage.

I've had as many as 11 people on an AT during a Poker Run before. It's comfortable with 6 with 3 bolsters across the front, 7 without. Like Pat said, you are secure IN the boat, not on it; even if you don't have a 'designated seat'.

Yes but as Nate pointed out a CC will go just as fast as his current Sonic with 1/2 the hassle and more seats for friends in a more multipurpose boat.

Also consider the stock market is at an all time high, real estate has rebounded nicely and I have seen 3 people in the last 30 days take delivery of new boats (30 Jupiter, 37 Bahama and a 355 Everglades). One buyer was a previous TS TG owner but wanted ease of use and easy resale. The "go fast" market isn't a consideration if you want ease of use or easy resale!


I will back up my earlier point with a few links:

Harley sales down 30%: http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybui...-demographics/
Among the issues: Riders younger than 40 generally lack the time, interest or the bankroll to buy a Harley. But by the time they get into their 60s or older, the noise and joint pain have begun to make riding lose its allure. You might still ride in your 60s, but you’re doing it less frequently and you probably aren’t buying a new bike. And with the Baby Boomers — the largest and wealthiest generation in history — now largely aged out of this key demographic bracket, Harley has a serious problem.

Now you could easily replace the word "bike" with the words "offshore performance boat"........


On kids buying cars: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/...y-cars/255001/

Kids these days. They don't get married. They don't buy homes. And, much to the dismay of the world's auto makers, they apparently don't feel a deep and abiding urge to own a car.

At a major conference last year, Toyota USA President Jim Lentz offered up a fairly doleful summary of the industry's challenge.
"We have to face the growing reality that today young people don't seem to be as interested in cars as previous generations," Lentz said. "Many young people care more about buying the latest smart phone or gaming console than getting their driver's license."

Now if you can't get mainstream America interested in cars, it will be really hard to get them to the boat ramps pulling boats with their bikes and skateboards! :D

And I have to say, since the subject is up, other than changing oil I don't see what all the maintenance issues are. As far as fuel, we cruised back from Freeport averaging a little over 3 mpg at 45-50. For a 37 CC cruise 45-50 it's going to need 3 eggbeaters and I guarantee the fuel isn't any better or worse. But then, again, if the cost of fuel really is an issue then boating really isn't your sport.

Ok, I changed my mind on this market analysis game. Give me $500k today and I'm spending it at Pat's shop on that boat with Merc egg beaters of the 300XS variety. I should have enough left over for maintenance, insurance, and, God-willing, enough to take Pat to one of those special massage parlors so he calms down. LOL

That was a great boat, I really thought you would have more orders for that setup or even a 37 triple OB!

Cracked headers (aka 525 CMIs), short warranty compared to OB's and nobody wants to work on I/O stuff given the choice!