ngen33r

I have been lurking here for a while and I have decided to gather some opinions before the new season begins. Currently I (we - 3 of us) own a 86 Wellcraft Elan 197 open bow. We have enjoyed it for the past 3 years but we are definitely limited by our vessel. First we are on Lake Erie in the Cleveland area. I know and respect this lake as I have seen how fast good conditions can turn fairly dangerous. Second we usually have a minimum of 5 people on board when we go out. Having a small vessel loaded down with a shallow hull and open bow just makes for a miserable time (spinal compression and soaked clothes) unless the conditions are perfect.

We would like to upgrade to a late 80's early 90's 25'-27' deep V 8' beam with a single/bravo configuration. I know a 7' beam will give a better ride but anything will be better than what we have and the space is valued more than the ride.

We would like to stay around $12,000 for our first upgrade. We can handle small projects as we have redone all the electrical, interior and maintenance on the Wellcraft. The Wellcraft is an extremely solid boat for this specific model/year. We have been looking but we really are not sure what we should be looking for that will be the best fit.

Potty in the cabin is a must (wives rule they are sick of the towel and bucket)

We would like to be able to have a faster cruise speed and the ability to run in 1'/3' / 2'-4' (pretty much daily conditions) with minimal body shock. Top speed is not as important as we can always add performance upgrades but 55-60knots would be a great start.

RidnMcNasty

I was in your same situation a year ago. Had a 20' Crownline open bow and the bay could be unforgiving at times. We recently ditched the open bow and went with a Powerquest 260. I've only had it out 3 times but those three times were so much nicer in choppy water and it extended the range we can travel in the Chesapeake Bay. It has decent performance by my standards and is more than enough to allow me to get into the performance boat scene. I would imagine us sticking with this for a few years then upgrading to something larger, possibly with twins. We normally have 4 to 5 with us as well.

RollWithIt

Some of the brands I can think of off the top of my head that would probably fit your criteria are; Baja, Checkmate, Formula, Four Winns, Wellcraft, Pantera or an older Chris Craft. They all made models in that general size range and were in production in the late 80s to early 90s. Fit and finish can and will vary from one to the other but all can be solid boats if taken care of. They should also be fairly common to find in the great lakes area. I am sure others on here can chime in on some other brands that would possibly fit the bill that you are looking for. Hope this helps.

ngen33r

This is good as I have been looking for some of those mentioned. I will make my list below and start searching again. My old boss has a 251 Convincor that was converted to a bravo but I am not sure if it has the shorty lower or not and it needs some work. The whole interior is toast and the floor needs to be replaced. I am concerned with stringer rot and he is firm at $8000 most likely due to sentimental value. I think secret is to find one that was a trailer queen or rack stored and even better if I can find one with a cracked block at a good price. I just don't want to get caught in a loop of paying for surveys.

This week I am going to look at a 87 Scarab 26 if the weather hold out.

253 Convincor
242LS
Liberator 261
Nova has enough versions to be confusing - II III ST Spyder
Scarab 26
Outlaw 25
Pantera 24

c_deezy

iTrader: (1)

For the Formula and Baja picks, I would suggest a 272 and a 25 Outlaw. Sounds like you are hauling around 5 adults and all of those boats get real small real quick in the cockpit.

The 24 Outlaw you have to crawl into the cabin on your hands and knees, I have the same boat just pre-Outlaw and it gets old real quick. The 25 is so much more user friendly, it will cost you a little more to buy, but between the two you would be happier with a 25.

dvr4hire

Look into a mid 80's to early 90's Formula 242 LS, 242SS, 272LS or 272 SR1
I went from a 98' wellcraft 2400 open bow with a big block to a 1984 242ls small block and could not believe the difference in ride quality, they are heavy boats with 24 Degree dead rise bottom. It takes more power to go fast, but they handle rough water like a larger boat. The Formula felt much safer when the conditions went to **** as well. The small block 242 will only go 40-45 with more than one person aboard, but it will be bullet proof reliable and easy to maintain. Twin small block 272ls boats are good performers vs. cash outlay. 8000 should get you a decent small block/ Alpha 242ls while 14,000 will buy a 272 with twin small blocks. It also seems that the markets has bottomed out on these boats and solid, clean examples are tougher to find. this makes the buying process harder, but it also means that a solid boat will hold its valve as long as it is maintained properly. Steve

justintocars

Are you looking for a boat with a pump out head? Or just the GLORIFIED bucket? Checkmates don't have a real toilet and I don't think Baja's did either.

ngen33r

I did also locate a 242LS about 45 minutes away. I will go have a look at that as well.

A Port A Pot under the mattress is fine, pump outs can be a pain.

DBleil89

I would suggest a 242 ss would be the best alternative for your needs. They have the bigger cockpit then the ls. I would say you could go for the 272 but I would only buy that if you have a 2500 or larger to tow it with. The 242 can be towed with a 1500 but is pushing it in my opinion.
If your would like to look into a 242 contact Tom Z. On here it looks like he will be selling his.

Ing

I did not see an older 28 Sunsation mentioned. For your needs don't bother with any 24/7 boat. I had a 24 Pantera and the cockpit is tiny. The boat did one thing exceptionally well and that was run hard in the rough but creature comforts for 5 pax was non existent. A lot of great boats mentioned but dont buy anything without a sea trial and survey for water since all the boats mentioned have wood in them. Good luck.