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Real World Outboard Cat Experience Please
Long time Offshore Only reader, first post. We just sold our 46' cruiser and we're looking for a fast day boat - cat, center console or traditional performance V. I like the look, speed & simplicity of the 30-36' 400 outboard cats. I've never been in one, but I'm sure I'll love the ride. My question is, how is it for passengers - specifically, how will the wife like it? Our boating area is Narragansett Bay, which is North of Newport, RI. Average waves are 1-3' and very rarely get 4's or larger. So, in a 30-36' outboard cat, at cruising speed in 2-3' waves, is the wife going to be holding on for her life or will it be a reasonably smooth ride? Can you hold a conversation at cruise speed? Thanks.
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What cruise speed are you looking for?
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Give me a shout at 860 729 7304 and I’d be happy to talk about which boats handle our conditions the best. Dan Kleitz Outerlimits Powerboats |
lake p.a.l. - I'm looking for reliability over speed. Stock engines only. If we end up with a center console or traditional performance v, I'd be looking for a cruise around 50 and top around 75. If we end up with a cat (which is what I'm leaning towards), I'd be looking for a cruise 60-70, top 100-110. Seems like all of the current 32-36 400 cats would exceed my speed goals.
Dan - I'm actually pretty close to you, about 15 miles by water from my house to Bristol. I'll give you a call tomorrow, thanks |
Most O/B Cats will not like that cruise speed as that is where they hop. Every boat is different but the rule of thumb is 50-70mph for the hop. As far performance goes they are hard to beat. However the ammenites like a head or cabin if needed is the only negative. |
My wife & I LOVE our 308 Skater with 300XS power. We boat in San Francisco Bay a lot. Obviously the bigger the boat you can afford the better it will do. The cockpit area is very small. The storage under the hatch is huge but basically wasted space. Like Double Rigged said, the amenities are almost non-existent. My boat porpoises from 50-70mph on flat water. If theres 1'+ of wind chop it won't hop.
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The plus is if the weather is nice you can cover a lot of ground at 80+mph for lunch runs. We are a family of 4 and love our boat as well. Regarding size keep in mind the real deal is wetted running surface and not so much overall length. Some are faster in flat water and some will ride better with more comfort in the rough water. Depending on what you want to spend will also play a huge factor. |
Rode in a Wright Performance 36 with 400’s, I can’t comment on cruising speeds as we were 60-120mph the entire time. But the front seats had little to no wind, at 118 there was an iPhone and a pair of goggles on the center counsel and they didn’t move. The back seat was windy, but not bad considering the speeds. |
I have a 308 Skater for sale with 400Rs. We are in our fifties and my wife rides in the front seat. She wears her big floppy hat with the wrap around windshield with no issues. The two middle rear seats are fine for older adults. I put the kids and twenty somethings in the outside seats of rear seat and they love the wind. As Ron said no ammenities but at an easy 80-100MPH cruise and 2.2-2.4 MPG you can cover a lot of territory and find lunch and a bathroom if needed. https://www.offshoreonly.com/classif...ds-o73160.html |
Thanks for the responses. Not too worried about the amenities, our typical cruise would only be about 20 miles, so a bathroom wouldn't be too far away. If we're anchoring out, our friends still have cruisers, so we can use the bathroom and get some shade on their boats. My only worry with a cat is if my wife (we're in our mid 40's) will be able to tolerate the ride in 2-3's. skate, double rigged, lake, apex, how rough is it where you boat? Thanks.
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