Newbie needs advice on which boat
 

I live on Vancouver Island and want a reliable, solid boat to run across the Georgia Straight to Vancouver where a 3 foot swell/chop is common. Its going to be trailered.

The guys on my car forum suggested I come here for advise after suggesting a Fountain with twins. Looking online I see lots of single/twin late 90's Fevers in the $35k range which Im comfortable with.

So is this the right boat and is it made to take a pounding in the salt chuck? Or should you avoid bumpy seas whenever possible with any of these "fast" boats?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

A 35 Executioner with stock power would be a nice, seaworthy, reliable boat for what you're looking to do. Even a 32 Fever would suit your needs. Nice boats. Good performance. Decent amenities. Good luck.

I assume your relatively new to this style of boating?
Fountains are great boats, the 35 mentioned above has a stellar reputation but it's big to trailer. The 29 is very trailerable and would be a nice boat but in 3' waves, if you want to go fast, you'll need more waterline length. Sure you can drive quick in those conditions if you like but it'll be a bouncy ride in boats under about 30'. Also, many boat manufacturers measurements include the boarding platform in their length (e.g. Fountain) so a 29 is a smallish 29 compared to some of the others that don't include platforms in their measurement.

If you want to stay around that size for the trailering aspect, search Baja 29, Scarabs are great rough water boats but check them out carefully for wetness in the transom and stringers. Early-mid 2000's Sunsation, always a few advertised.

That's just a couple of boats I like and they are not too hard to find. I would stick with a standard black Mercury power plant over a blue Mercury Racing engine just for ease of maintenance and simplicity.Plenty to look at, spend an hour looking through the classifieds and see what appeals to YOU.

Not always popular on here but many center consoles are good offshore boats. Big fuel tanks, lots of space onboard and simple outboards. Downside, tiny cabins, don't look so sexy, and not as fast. I own a center console, it's a Fountain and it's a great boat.....

Good luck!

RR

P.S. If you've been around boats for years I apologize for the almost condescending nature of my post but I get the impression you are fairly new to the hi-performance offshore style of boat.

Great advice thank you both. Im ashamed to say I grew up on the coast but never owned a boat. Sail boats ya, but off shore power boats are rare around here. Maybe there's too many dead heads out there from all the logging and the Fraser River.

The classifieds, if they are any on here, aren't displaying for me.

Ya be careful with the dead heads. I ripped a drive right completely off the 28 challenger in my avatar. Not a good time at 80 mph. I was actually heading up to the north channel into Canada east of Drummond Island.

Should add Donzi to your list. Never really built a bad boat, if you can find a nice honest 28' in your budget you'd be pretty happy.

Single vs twin engine argument is something to consider. Security, performance, maintenance but also towing weight. Plenty of research ahead.

Powerboatlistings.com is a great research tool. They rarely delete old adds so most of their stuff is completely out of date but it's a great way to compare many many different boats on one site. Check the listings date on every add, some are up to 10 years old so the advertised prices are irrelevant but the other information available is terrific.

RR

Some good thinking (weight) however with that said what do you haul boats with in Thailand? I noticed in the movie hangover 2 the marinas were pretty full.

Come to think of it wasn't it a donzi the dude brought in a little HOT before the wedding? Lol

I think that boat was a Baja.

You should look at a 29' Shockwave Magnitude. They are a very big 29' boat (length, beam, freeboard, etc...) and a great rough water boat. I have been straight across the center of Lake Tahoe in the late afternoon in one. Tahoe can get very rough.

Regulations for towing are very vague and not enforced anyway. Trailers are crap, no brakes or lights and boats are rarely tied down.
Tow vehicles don't exist, import taxes make it totally prohibitive. Biggest tow rigs are generally a Ford Ranger Wildtrack or a Hilux. Towing spec is 3500 kgs (about 7700 lbs) My boat sits on her trailer at the marina and launched by tractor.

The Hangover movie..... I couldn't stand it. Made stupid Aussies look even worse than real life! Also, I think they went from Pattaya Beach to Krabi or Phuket by boat. Not possible, it's on the other side of the peninsula, you would have to travel down the eastern peninsula of Malaysia, round Singapore at the bottom and then up the western side to get back to Phuket! Probably 2,000 nautical miles. Yeah right!

Rant over, enjoy your day boating fans!

RR

In my opinion, a 35' Fountain is very trailer-able. I can't get in and out of every gas station, so I have to plan a little in advance - however its not too big to trailer around town (New York - no way!.... in Kentucky, no problem)

The boat in Hangover II was a Baja .38 Special

What's your tow rig? Pulling isn't that hard but the fun and games start when trying to stop, but a bigger problem is insurance. If your boat's weight exceeds the rated towing capacity then insurance is pretty much null and void.

The towing unit isn't a problem, I just don't want to keep in the salt water and I live by the ocean. The boat launch is just down the street. I'd like to be able to park it in my driveway so I can clean and oogle it easier.

That looks to be about 50 mile across or so. How exactly do you plan on using this boat?
I don't know that I'd want a traditional go-fast boat for crossing 50 miles of open snotty water on a regular basis.

I would think that you'd want a cabin cruiser up there. I'd say to just start shopping and post your findings for the peanut gallery to critique. The only advice I have is to make that you love it because it can be a trying relationship. Lol.

Its 26 miles across and sometimes its close to flat. So 30 minute crossing? It wouldn't be a "regular" thing, just a couple of times a month. Of course I'd check the forecast.

A cabin cruiser was on my list but leaving it in the water would be more of a commitment.

I know "trying relationships" as I just finished restoring a '71 GTX that went fantastically over budget.

If it were me, I'd be going for a center console boat, with a full wrap around console enclosure; and outboards that are easier to maintain in the salt environment, and you can tilt them up/out of the water AND flush them clean, without taking the boat out of the water.

Pics of the GTX please! :bananalove: