Worth going from a Formula SR-1 to a Cig Bullet or Cafe?
 

I am asking this in the general section as I don't really care for fanboy answers from one group or the other. My current 311SR1 is a great boat and does well on my lake, but I have always wanted a Cigarette. From people who have driven both, is it worth the money difference to move from my current boat to a bullet or cafe racer? I would be inclined to lean towards the extra length of the cafe, but my 31 does well in what my lake throws at it so perhaps a bullet is more well suited. Either way, the question really is if there is that much of a ride and quality difference between an older Cig and an older Formula to justify even changing brands. I have it set in my head that I will someday own a Cigarette, but I can't justify spending big money for a go fast on a lake with a speed limit. Not only that, but I like the look of the older boats.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

If you have your own power and drivetrain check this out. It can be had for a great price. http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...staggered.html

Geez, I kind of thought somebody would have an opinion on this. Maybe I should encourage fanboy answers after all.

And Premier, a 38 TG is just too big for where I boat and what I do with it.

You can buy my 336 Formula with fresh 515" engines,,

It's personal preference. If you want to go bigger do it. If you've always wanted a cig do it. The one thing I wouldn't do is go backwards. I would look for a few years newer and larger if you wanted. Formula builds a nice boat I do believe a cig will be built better overall however with the era your looking at, original builder will not matter as much as most likely many changes have been made and the potential for rot is always there

I guess I am a fanboy so my opinion should be taken lightly, but I love my cafe and you would too. There is some extra room on the cafe compared to the billet.

Hands down a completely different riding boat, the Formula is a good boat, been on many of them, the ride is much more "solid" on a Cig,...ride on both, you will see..

Bullet is a nice boat. Very solid hull and good riding 31ft boat. They are heavy, but better built than a Formula. Working on the engines is much easier too.

Not sure other then a name change what you will gain the hulls are almost the same on a Bullet and a 311, The Cafe will be a little longer but just wait a year and go for a older 38 top gun.

311 and a bullet, only thing close to the same is both are 31 foot and 24 degree, nothing else even close..

a 311 to a Cafe' would make a lot more sense than a 311 to a bullet. been on both and not sure the ride difference would be significant enough to want to make a move. IMO, a café is a lot more boat than a 311.

Maybe you should ask a financial advisor if it is worth it? Seriously, does anything we do in the high performance boating hobby make sense? The only person you should be asking is you. Are you starting to lose interest in what you have? Can you imagine selling it with no love loss? Is cleaning and maintaining it starting to seem more like a job than a hobby? Do you "wish" you ha a different boat? Are you in a financial situation to upgrade without hurting? If you can answer yes to any of those questions maybe it is time!

For me (and many others) 5 years is about as long as I can own a boat before I lose interest to the point that getting it ready is no longer fun or desirable. The new toy always gets more attention, and gets to go more places without the burden. Don't let your boat become forgotten and stay in storage until July 1st, or miss a season completely.

As far as the ride between the 311 and the Bullet I can't really comment, however for the vintage, technology and heritage (Don) I can't think that there would be some HUGE difference either. Cigarette is simply Cigarette. Snap on tools, Zerox, Kleenex, Rolex, Mercedes.......the best?? Some will argue, but no one can argue the "brand" and from the sounds of it you have been bitten. So buy one if you can, you deserve it. Enjoy your new toy (its like having a new girl friend) take her out more often, take her to new places to show her off, always make sure she is best dressed, and don't be caught looking at fountains when you are with her......or talking about the ex!

Lol make sense! Depends where you boat too as far as ride difference... Buy a 353 Formula for calmer water and speed, nicer boat and still affordable

Honestly, I run the snot out of the Formula, and I enjoy it. It goes out every single weekend and usually a couple of nights a week. But Formulas are EVERYWHERE on my lake. Seriously, I think they hatch here or something. I haven't lost interest in the boat at all, and I am really pleased with it, but I do have the bug for a Cig and have for quite some time.

To be honest though, I have never actually ridden in one, so it has a certain mystique to me. There in lies the rub, if I sell my Formula and buy a Cigarette and find they ride and drive extremely similar, then I will feel like a schmuck, hence the reason I want to find out if there are much in the way of differences. Having just built a new house this year that ran over budget by about 100 grand or so, I am pretty sure I will be rocking the SR-1 for another year or two anyhow.

Honestly I spent lots of time in both and they do not ride the same unless you are on spit flat water, if you don't get I to water bigger then 2-3 ft chop don't bother it's not worth the upgrade... U less you just want a cig the 311 is one of the best all around boats built in my opinion

The 311 is a nice boat. I owned one for a while and replaced it with a cafe. The bullet will ride better though no faster. The build quality is good on the formula but they have more features that rattle if you ever boat in rough water.
No comparsion with a cafe. Far superior ride
Good luck
NK

I think older cigs are kind of a waste on smaller inland lakes. They porpoise like crazy and need 1-2 ft chop to stop. It's when you get them in bigger water that you realize what you have. Don't know what you have now but it takes about 450-500hp to run 70 in a bullet.

Wow! Upgrade? A lot of Cig fans chiming in. I had a 311 and honestly loved it for the year it was. I was just tired of not being able to stand up in the cabin. I don't know a lot about cigs so I'm not gonna say one is better then the other, with that being said don't feel like staying with your formula is settling either. If your lake has a speed limit and doesn't get to hairy then really it's just going to be personal preference. I personally think formulas are one of the better built boats on the market, new or used.

Just out of curiosity where do you boat?

Matt my first offshore was a 302 Formula ls great boat , my next boat was a 43 Scarab Thunder , my current offshore is a 38 Cigareete flat deck. I can speak from experience, the Formula was a great family boat handled any kind of water we threw at it but as with all formula's the deck flexed and she rattled at speed . the Scarab was a beast and a good friend of mine now owns it , miss the boat ,it was just too big . You will not regrett a Cig handles any kind of water and is solid . Do not think about it make the move you will not regret it . Don't waste your time with the Bullet , great boat just not 35 feet long . Size does matter .
jump in the water is warm.
RG.

This advice resonated with me more than anything, and I realized I was just ready to try something different. Better to let somebody who really will enjoy the boat use it than keep it and be bored. That's when stuff starts getting neglected.

It is off to a new owner and I am off to find the right Cafe for me and see how I like owning one of them there Cigarette boats.

Thanks for everybody's input.

If cafe prices stay as is. I might just end up with one even though I want a CC next lol. Lot of great deals out there right now.

I will say if you are going Cig, might as well go cafe, great deals right now and in all honesty the cafe with the same motors is the same speed as the bullet with equal power if not faster. The weight of the bullet and the cafe are actually quite similar. You will not be disappointed in the extra 4 feet.

So after 8 hours of driving, the first Cafe I checked out is not the one for me. I guess I am spoiled by the boats on my freshwater lake.

I did however get a nice written warning from a State Trooper that I can keep to commemorate my day. 82 in a 65 while eating a Wendy's chicken sandwich is apparently frowned on by some law enforcement officers.

Didn't you know that donuts are the preferred food of law enforcement officers???! :eating: BTW which Cafe did you look at?

8 hours ??? What was so wrong with the boat?

I went and looked at the boat for short money in CT. It isn't that the boat is in bad condition, but it is a saltwater boat and it shows. For that area it may be that it is in good condition, but I am spoiled by my freshwater lake and my freshwater Formula, so it just wasn't for me.

What I realized is that I will need to spend more money to get what I want, which is fine with me, but I wanted to at least give that boat a look. There are a couple more to choose from if I up my budget, but I do know I will need a freshwater boat to be happy and I am willing to pay for that.

knowing is half the battle! :grinser010::grinser010:

Come to Oklahoma before I put it away for the winter. :D

It's a beautiful boat, I wouldn't want to insult you :fear:

Nice way to try to make a first offer!!!

It's a restored boat, with good power and speedmasters. Right now, I doubt it is in my budget. When I put my Formula up for sale I got an offer for 15 grand. It irritated the snot out of me.

Now if knowing that Rebar want's to hear an offer I am all for giving it to him.

Everyone has a price that they are willing to pay and except. Mine in in the classified for low 50's. I do not have a 420 horse or 502 ci, TRS boat, so I am not going to try and compete with that price point. Nothing wrong with those boats if that is what you're looking for.

I just need a yes or a no at my price. If it's something that might interest you, please give me a shout. If it's not to your taste or budget, I sincerely wish you the best on your pursuit.

Chad

That's a great and honest retort!

Great response, on a great priced boat