Yea i was going to put it into charter but after talking with the original owner a month ago for a few hours that cruised it for 15 years and 4200 hours he strongly discouraged it . it swings 24 inch props with a 2.32 reduction and he said with all that windage if you get around a dock in some wind or current you have to get super aggressive with the throttles even with it having a extra powerful 24 volt bowthruster.

I really need to sell it as i have a pretty penny into it and i could triple my money if i sell it. But its just so nice to have a practical boat with all new or newer systems, so the Plan is repair the glass damage than move it up to northern Mississippi for a year into a covered freshwater dock where it wont rot away like in florida and decide from there .

If i keep it than in 3years i would like to go down through the Panama canal than up the West coast to Puget Sound to Alaska.

So long as you can keep them inside when they aren't being used.... We've had a 33 Cabrio in the slip for years... Bought a Sonic 31SS and started using it more and more now with it being just the 2 of us... 3 boys all growed up. We used the Larson 2 or 3 times all season last year... then it needs buffed.. then it needs cleaned.. then it needs... wtf... it's been inside since...

95 175 SEA RAY working for dealer bought new in 1995. Traded in for next boat after going on lake Michigan.
88 268 Slickcraft had this boat for about 15 years and sold it to my brother. First time caught in a storm. Hit bottom in 20' of water.
97 270 Larson because this boat was WAY better in almost every aspect except for the acoustics... Room for all 5 of us for trips. First time I owned 2 boats.
96 17 Unlimited.... completely redid the entire boat.. 69mph with a duoprop! even blanked entire dash to make all custom.. 3 boats now
89 310 Slickcraft found inside a storage building being repo'd after sitting for over 10 years... 4 boats.. and about 200 hours getting carried away redesigning stuff.. sold 270 3 boats again
04 330 Cabrio Bought it and THEN realized Lindenhurst was an island... first 12' wide cross country adventure. Best acoustics of any boat so far and 1.4mpg after stroking the MPIS 4 boats...
94 230 Conquest bought for the engine... decided to rebuild it.. First 70mph boat. Ugliest swim platform until redesign. 5 boats 4 a minute... sold this one right away 4 boats
02 26 Prowler with the purdy blue 500HP engine. Fall came and realized possibly too many boats 5 now. sold 268 and 310 3 boats
96 Sonic 31 SS 67 to 88 and went the wrong way with MPG. 88mph can run about 90 minutes... 140 gallons. :( 4 boats sold prowler back to 3
04 24 Cobalt 4 boats... sold the U-boat :( 3 boats now.
97 Sonic 31 SS future poker run boat.... emphasis on future... maybe someone elses future... 4 boats
03 220 Pantera an inland lake boat 5 boats now
82 C&C Landfall First blown boat. 6 boats
00 280 Velocity First blower boat. 7 boats now. New ugliest swim platform ever.... Soon to be redesigned.

Really wanna sell the 330 but still hoping to find a way to do the loop first... 3' draft and 9' bridge height .. 400+ range and super comfortable.

The winner by a long shot is the 96 31 SS. It might not be unsinkable... but it sure seems unbreakable.

Text me so we can trade pictures of the CC’s …. Gull Lake Boat show is tomorrow - you wouldn’t believe the hardware

We had “Torpedo” out last night

320-420-7175

MDS

29 Kryptonite 700 HP Whipple
30 Extreem 590 HP
21 Donzi GT 415 HP
19 center counsel 4 banger
32 wellcraft 2 -350'
jet ski
I use them all for different reasons.

Owned offshore boats for 25 years. The last one was a 38 PQ. Loved it. We got to the point of using the 9ft Inmar RIB to get back to the smaller lakes around our area. Ended up talking ourselves into selling the PQ. Bought a 21 Hydra Sport, then a 14ft RIB with a 50 hp Merc on it. The Center Console sets in the yard most of the time. The RIB is just simple to use and we live across the street from the small ramp. No one is ever in our way. We can be floating in 5 minutes. Loved the PQ, really do not miss it. We still hit several of the smaller lakes, but spend most of the time on Lake Charlevoix. I don't believe we out grew the big boat, but maybe the hassles that came with it. The yard looks like a used boat dealer. LOL, 21 Hydra Sport, 15ft Boston Whaler, 14ft Caribe RIB, Yamaha Wave runner and a 9ft Inmar. And it is easier to service all those boats in the fall then one go fast. I stand flat footed to service all of them, not upside down with my wife holding onto my ankles.

"I use them all for different reasons."

43 Schiada - Merc 860 x 2
39 Tiara Coupe - Volvo IPS
24 Schiada - BoostPower Compound blower motor
21 Malibu V Drive
Sea Doo GTX
Zodiac - 15 Merc OB - on the back of the Tiara

I try to justify my addiction by explaining "boats are like shoes, they all serve a different purpose" lol

We live on an inland lake, and Malibu and my wife's Sea Doo sit on lifts next to the dock. The lake is a madhouse on the weekends; I grew up there and can't imagine selling the home so we use the Mbu as a cocktail cruiser during the week and my wife blasts around on the 'Doo on the rare weekends we spend at home.

We wanted to expand our horizons; Mi is blessed with inland lakes and rivers and I'd always heard about Schiada's build process, which is literally "what do you want, how do you want it, how much power do you want, and how long are you willing to wait for it?". We ended up buying Lee's personal ride and it's an heirloom boat; capped, billet hardware, BoostPower compound blower motor, parquet bilge floor, etc. The only problem is I always laughed at people who have trailer queens and now I'm that guy...with the other boats I just don't use her as much as I want to, but I can't imagine parting with her. My kids are afraid my will is going to specify I'm buried in her.

We decided we wanted to start taking advantage of Lk MI and I wasn't old enough for a cruiser & neither of us wanted to deal with the small cockpit and "cave" of a v-berth that's the reality of most performance boats. I called Lee and asked him about a boat we'd seen on the trip out to talk about a 24. We flew back out to CA and our "test drive" was 14 of us in the cockpit and an 80 mph run to Catalina Island and back. There's more room down below than I had in my first dorm room; over 6' of headroom, AC, pump out head, sink, fridge. The only "hitch" in the deal was Lee had already committed to pull an Aussie in the Catalina Ski Race so he had to borrow the boat...but I got to ride along. If you haven't heard of the Catalina race, or ski racing in general (especially the Bridge to Bridge race) do yourself a favor and check it out.

We tried hard to use the 43 like a motor home and traveled by water a few times from Grand Haven to Petoskey, spending time at ports in between, but we got tired of MI weather - wind, rain, fog - and the challenges of an open boat...our last trip bounced us from port to port trying to stay ahead of nasty weather. No Joy.

So we bought the Tiara. I never thought I'd be a candidate for an "old man" cruiser, but I have to admit, the civilized amenities have us spending more time on the water - or in port in our "cottage" - than I thought possible. Now, we spend pretty much every weekend on the Tiara in Northern MI , do a couple of trips per season, use the dinghy in every port, run the 43 a few times a year for special occasions, and would really like to do the Catalina race again a couple times before I'm too old.

Cheers...this has been a great thread, it's nice to know I'm not alone in my addiction, and there are guys with a lot more boats than we have lol.

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Primary boat, secondary boat, plus a pontoon and two jet skies - keeps us on the water with options.

I disagree to an extent. It’s two different purposes. Like having a daily driver and a sports car. I’m kicking around the same idea because I have three little kids and the Fountain isn’t an ideal boat for tubing and skiing. I haven’t outgrown my Fountain, but it’s not as practical for an every weekend boat with the family.

looking at an open now myself or potentially a decent sized OB pontoon. I really like those SeaRsys and can fit probably 8-10 comfortably.

We have the Cigarette and a Nautique. We love wakesurfing and water sports just as much as we do powering through the chop with the Cigarette. Only problem is deciding which to do when.
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3
 

1987 Cig Cafe Racer ( working progress still )
1985 Chris Craft Scorpion 168
2002 Sea Ray 340 ( stays in the water year around)

Sold my only working boat earlier this spring, a powerquest 230 conquest. Now I'm just left with 3 project boats....

​​​​​​79 wellcraft scarab 300 without engines
85 four winns liberator 211 converting to twin merc black max 150's
77 Slickraft 176 bare hull that im keeping around to eventually put an LS 4.8/5.3 in

​​​​​Also have a 1993 Tiara 290 that I am parting out and potentially using the engines for the scarab.

My first boat was a Chris Craft Scorpion 169-it was really nice, solid, and I went a LOT of places in that.
Had a 1989 211 Liberator too. Only 350 King Cobra, no OB/s

I'm looking for something small and fast to go along with my Cobia 262. Maybe a 21 Superboat OB, or similar. The Cobia rides great and checks all my boxes except for speed at a blistering 47 MPH.

Ive always thought the advantage boats were a great option for day boating . I don`t know why there are not more made or more popular.

Gotta have a second running boat if you have a big project one. That is for certain!

Well...going to look at/buy an older hurricane deckboat this evening. Not at all but I wanted but the price is right and it floats/runs so should be a nice addition for the rest of the season at least! Will post pics if I end up with it assuming it's not a rotbox hahaha

They are popular and well known out West - but like you said, not so much here. Very practical boats.

I have had 3 Advantage boats. A 27 Victory, a 28 Victory and a 28 Sportcat. I tried to buy a 40 Poker run at LOTO one time and almost pulled the trigger on having a new 29 X-Flight built. I really like them.

Boozing and chasing women would be way cheaper than owning a fleet of boats. We all justify a ridiculous expensive hobby.

Nothing wrong with two boats. My wife knows that when my teenagers stop taking an interest in my Dominator SSR, I'll be selling it to put a 24-26ft twin OB (150-200hp each) Tritoon with twin rear facing loungers and a 25ft twin OB (300-400hp each) Liberator cat in the garage. By then I'll be an old fart in my 50s so I won't feel bad about going to outboards 😂

"Boozing and chasing women would be way cheaper than owning a fleet of boats. We all justify a ridiculous expensive hobby."

+1

One of my favorite quotes is "I spent all my money on whiskey and boats, the rest I just wasted"..and agreed, it expensive and ridiculous, especially in MI.

I told my insurance agent a few years ago that anyone who owns a boat in MI should be immediately uninsurable because they obviously aren't capable of making sound decisions ...we have the most beautiful water in the world, but our season is short, and by the time you take out the graduations, weddings, family reunions etc it's even shorter & good weather doesn't always = good conditions on the big lake.

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You need to extend the season.

Hey mister 55 is the new 35 young man. I have modeled my life after Gary(Twin o/b Sonic). His words of wisdom hold true today as much as they did 15 years ago. To quote Gary " I don't let common sense get in the way of my boat buying decisions ".

Agreed...but that looks like something you really should know better than to do lol

That is seriously bad azz...We live on a small (200 a) lake but we never get ice like that...ours is always covered in snow, and the ice fisherman have it full of holes and covered with shantys.

Thats Elk Iake

I can get away with saying that cause the mrs is much older and in her 50s 😂
In truthfulness, last night the wife and I were playing with Manitou's online configurator building 25ft Tritoons with a pair of Mercury 300 Pro XS outboards. The women are pushing for sooner rather than later like us men in the family.

Get that Liberator with twins. I sold my 25' Talon with twins that I had for almost a decade to downsize to a single engine boat. I picked up a class 7 Kryptonite with a 300xs' and I don't regret it. A pad stepped bottom running almost 80 is almost as fun as packing air. Also I started wakeboarding again as the Kryptonite will pull skiers and wakeboards with ease. Keep us posted on your purchase. The OLD DUDE.

I bet that Talon was a blast to air out. I'm not sure I could go back to a single engine though after having twins. Being able to idle back on one engine and dock handling is soooooo much better.
I'm hoping the 25 Liberator will be just as fun with a set of V8 300Rs or 400Rs. The Manitou 25 LX should run 66-70mph with a set of V8 300 Pro XS and be a good family boat. Tritoon will get added next then swap the Dominator SSR for the 25 Lib when both kids are off to college.

40’ Silverton aft cabin and a ZT 280 Checkmate with a 960 hp Saris in it.

Well I finally did it hahaha....got a bit of a time capsule. My old man took a boat in on a trade deal of sorts and I was able to beat him out of it.

!995 Hurricane deckboat
5.0 merc with an alpha

Boat is incredibly clean for the age and of course there will be minor things to take care of like stereo, lighting, trailer work but very minimal stuff. Took her out for a rip last weekend and although the prop is WAAAYYYY too big and she needs a tuneup everything went great, got us out and back, and the fuel gauge didn't even move hahaha. I can say I am way more excited for this than I should be but it already has taken some stress off of me in regards to the Nordic project and has put some wind back in my sails so to speak. Well....here she is!

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Thanks everyone for confirming my decision in this thread and I am so glad I got this old tub!!!

She’s a beaut Clark

Had a similar boat with a 115 Yamaha. It would run 30 mph with just me and a cooler. Would also pull the kids on a tube or wakeboard. Lot of bang for your buck. Great second boat if you have a crowd. Congrats.

Thanks!! Honestly was really looking for an outboard boat just for ease of maintenance and more cockpit room but for the money I couldn't pass this up. Plus it's nice to have the v8 if any of us old fat farts decide we want to tube or wakeboard or anything hahahaha.

A 3697 Carver, a Boston Whaler 15 Rage, and a 1969 Glasspar Avalon.
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That glaspar is awesome!! I had my eye on a couple old wood ones like chris craft and the like....love the old school stuff!

A couple more pix of the Avalon. Has the original 1969 tilt trailer too.
Been thinking of selling it. Wife says no to selling it. Going up the Saint Joe River can be problematic with the outboard. That's why we bought the Whaler that only draws 9 inches.
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I loooove it! Are you close to st joe/benton harbor then?? The pic in mine with the people is just up river from the no wake at pier 1000....that's my home turf! hahaha

Duh stupid me...just noticed the whaler and the carver are at brian's hahahaha

Live in the 3 unit condo building on the river across from Babe's. The one closest to Brian's Marina. You'll see the Carver in the slip in front of the condo. Next year there will also be the Whaler on a Hydrohoist.
ps, if you need heated inside storage, I have space available for trailer boats and cars. Had it a year but now it's ready.