26 sonic vs 25 active thunder
 

what are the pros and con of these 2 boats
what is the better choice for lake mich all imput please
also weight of boats and what is needed to tow

both are very nice will probably ride about the same the sonic has the integrated swim platform which I prefer and the sonic has an enclosed head I don't know about the active. Both can be towed with a half ton truck , I would just go look at both close up and see which one you like better you can't go wrong with either

I agree with Andy 25. I had a 26 Sonic and have never been on a 25 AT, saw one at LOTO and it looked small compared to the Prowler. The AT will be faster with equal power, the Sonic's cabin can't be beat in that size of boat. Everything in life's a tradeoff!
Steve

can either be towed with a tahoe

Pat builds a good boat, unless its been misused or dogged, I would go with the AT. Sydwayz On OSO will be along shortly, once he's seen the thread. He had a Sonic 26 I think. He knows AT's also. He could give the the plus's or minus's for each model.

lake michigan? I'd look at a 32 active thunder or 31 sonic at minimum. Both build great boats.

Owning a 25-26FT boat on lake michigan, will limit the days you can go out and enjoy boating imo. Personally, i dont mind getting a good pounding once and a while in some rough water. Its when you have company with you that it becomes a problem. Guys i know with decent HP engines in single 25-27FT boats who regularly run on lake michigan, tend to go thru drives too often. The boat spends the majority of time out of the water while running, and real hard on drives.

One of the local guys has a 25 AT with a merc 600SC. it is a really nice boat. I'd pick a day come next season, when the lake is a little choppy, like a 1-3FT day according to noaa. Go out on someones 25-26, and see how you like the handling/ride. Then go on a 30-32, and compare.

My buddy Chris had bought a 28 pantera for lake michigan. There is no doubt Pantera's are one of the best running boats in that size range. However, we would run side by side when i had my old 40' Formula at 65-70mph thru 2-3' waves. He kept up , but when we stopped after a 30 minute run or so , my crew would be on their 2nd or 3rd beer, and his crew looked as if they just ran a triathalon. I also remember my buddy Tony in his 271 Formula going for a lunch run with us from hammond indiana, to new buffalo michigan. (about 40 miles away). We ran thru 2-3's the entire way. He had blue jeans on, and he literally wore thru the skin on his upper a$$ from the bolster seat, and was bleeding a little when we arrived.

Sorry if i sound like im preaching. I just have been there before. I had a heavy old Four Winns Liberator 241 with a custom 540CI motor. First time i took it out on lake michigan on a rough day, I stuffed it twice, second time almost blowing the windshield out. Ended up going to a much bigger boat, and for not much more money. We have a large group of offshore boaters in our area here, and most of us had smaller boats, and now larger boats. From a cost standpoint, im sure they would agree, it woulda been cheaper to go straight to the larger boat from the get-go.

I think he was asking specifically about either a 25 or 26. Of course there will be no comparison to a larger boat but his question was specific to these two.

i owned a 2000 26 prowler with a 502 mag. Very very nice boat, gives a real big boat feel for only 26 foot. The only thing is that it is a slow hull. If you are looking to go fast the active thunder would be the better way to go. If your ok with 62-63 mph and a just plain comfortable boat then the sonic. i towed mine with a 2003 chevy 1500 with 5.3 v8 at the time. You can tell there is some weight there but if you have a good trailer with working breaks you should be ok!!!

Mild, I looked for months, theres no way i could find a 30-32' with the same top speed performance, age, hours, quality, or shape in my price range as my Tantrum. Not even close.
My budget is higher now hence the sale
http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o36977-en.html

but I`m still unsure if bigger is really worth it to me.. twice the headache as far as drives/motors, need bigger tow vehicle, find new storage (wont fit in garage)..
We were out every weekend, there was only one day we got really beat up it was like a washing machine, Id like a bigger boat (midcabin) for more room, ride quality would just be a nice plus.
I do agree thou Lake Michigan is a drive killer.:angry-smiley-038:. I think having 2 is a plus since they help each other out as far as breaking them

I will say this year we were all lucky on our side of the lake. I too only remember 1-2 days where it was rough on the weekends. It was a hot summer. Along with the hot summer, comes sout-southwest winds. Makes for calm waters. I remember many seasons when summer wasnt so pleasant. Sunny 70-75 degree days in july/august with winds howling out of the north. 41 Apaches would be in the harbor.

So what you lookin at if the AT sells?

Yes, pulled my Prowler with a 2001 Tahoe 5.3, actually to LOTO at least 6 times!
Steve
I did have (added) EOH brakes which made it work, night and day difference! In regards to the comment about going longer, of course size matters, but we would often run to Northpoint from Milwaukee, or head north to Sheboygan or even Manitowoc. With an upgraded 525 EFI we ran low to mid 70's

boat will be used most of the time on lake geneva and about 8 to 10 times a year on lake mich
anyone know anything about the at on ebay in va

did port washington to sheybogan in my x18 donzi last year and had a blast

Never seen one up close but Im liking a mid cabin .. Like a sunsation 32'.
Not crazy about Bajas but their quad seating boats have more room then others
That Formula with the SSM`s caught my eye too

AH, that changes everything. Lake Geneva, i would definitly come take a look at ICDDPPL's tantrum. You would own that lake in his boat.

what about the at on ebay then i can build a new motor

Do they still have strict noise and speed regulations on that puddle?

I owned a 26' Sonic Prowler, 1999 w/ 500EFI.
And obviously, I know the 25AT a bit.

I'll agree with almost all of the info above. Given your specific requirements, I'd say it's a toss up.

The 25' AT will be a little smaller and a little more nimble. It will definitely be easier to tow behind a Tahoe. It will be a little more "flightier" compared to the Sonic. (read below for weight info) That said, either hull is setup to be a nice ride in rough water.

The 26' Sonic will be noticeably heavier both on the water and towing. Hence, it's also going to be a bit slower. The cabin in the 26' Sonic has an enclosed head, and is laid out a bit more like a bigger boat. My Sonic (made before they were vacuum bagged) weight 7260 lbs. on the aluminum trailer full of fuel, gear, tools, parts, anchors, etc. etc. That's almost right at the limit of a Tahoe.

how many hours are on the motor ICDEDPPL?

Yes, they are ridiculous 35mph on weekends . Not for me.

Mild is correct for Lake Michigan. Go big or go through drives. The small boats spend lots of time in the air. You really need 35' plus out there.

yes they are nuts on speed limit 35 weekends and 45 weekdays two years ago i got a ticket going 90 it cost 500 never a problem on noise
what is the weight of the at?

We own a 25 AT with a 502 MAG/MPI (with 520+ hours) and run with a friend that has a 26 Sonic with a built up 540. We both have our good and not so good points. I can tap on 70 mph on a good day. The 26 Sonic can best me on top end no doubt, and it has a enclosed head (which comes in handy). My AT weighs in at 3950 lbs. and can be easily towed with a yukon with a 5.3 litre. We used to tow with a 1994 GMC Jimmy with a 4.3 litre V-6 and it did very well. I could go on and onbut it comes down to what you want and what you need to do battle with the local waters. Good luck.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...n-218-Copy.jpg

Watch this...
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...th_JohnsAT.jpg

very nice what kind of water do you run in are you on a inland lake looks like it handles very well

We boat on the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Water is usually perfect 1-2 ft chop. But has gotten very snotty at times. The still picture is on a Fun run we do on the Upper Bay and the clip is on the James River from the 2009 Jammin' on the James Poker Run. Handles very well. Rides like a much larger boat. We love it and have so for 11 years.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...ictures036.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...ndyMang008.jpg

Same as the boat right around 310 and solid as a rock.. so pretty too:kiss:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...at/thunder.jpg

bobbies like ATs better:lolhit:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...t/boobs007.jpg

does a framed picture of the boobies come with the boat?:evilb:

Said it before....move the hands!!:evilb:;)

Friend just listed his 96 Active Thunder 25 in the Classifieds
Great Boat! Great Price!

http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o37720-en.html

if its still available in a month im all over it! mine is supposed to be gone within the next 3 weeks

A/t All The Way Ive Owned A 25 With 500hp 75 Mph And As Good As Any In The Rough, 26 Sonic Will Not Be As Fast Power For Power. (just My 2 Cents)