Offshoreonly.com - Some advise please on new boat purchase..

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Re: Some advise please on new boat purchase..

496 Sunsation 82mph.....6.2 Sunsation 70mph. You can try one any time you like with a week notice here in Ft. Lauderdale. cb

Re: Some advise please on new boat purchase..

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcollinstn

The FasTechs I've driven could ALL be MADE to porpoise, but I agree that the boat you were testing was not trimmed properly (or even CLOSE to properly) and further agree that they need very little trim in the normal range of operation. Some people are afraid to use the tabs, but that is what they are for. Neutral tabs (not UP, and not down) is where they need to start out and tweak from there.

Formula, a windshielded Donzi, Cobalt, those all sound like what you are looking for.

A ventilated hull having inherent instability? Not a FasTech. Not a Donzi ZR. That's BS unless that individual hull has something wrong with it.

That's what I was kind of getting at. Turning a ventilated hull with air under it is one thing... porpoising is a different animal.

Unless it isn't of high enough "pedigree" a Formula is really sounding like the ticket.

I would be thrilled to have a 312 or a 35, but then again, I boat purely for fun. Having the most expensive boat on the lake holds no interest at all, and it would cut into other budgets like having a nice home the other 9 months of the year.
I just want to be on that lake.

If anybody lives in a warm climate and has a Formula, I would be more than happy to come take it for a "walk." :D

Re: Some advise please on new boat purchase..

I just bought a 98 312 formula w/ 502s this weekend and had the dealers driver take us on a ride. Apparently he has raced performance boats for some time. The ride was great in smooth water and the boat turned on a dime! We experienced no problems with porpoising or and other bad characteristics. I noticed the tabs and drives were not trimmed all the way out and we ran 77mph on the speedo (not GPS). I had to leave the boat in NY since my trailer was totaled on the way to pick up the boat from VA. All this info has been great so I'll be ready once I can get the new trailer here and go get my new toy.