Question for the Big Boat Guys
 

Trying to do my homework…

The last tuition check has been cashed, discretionary income is imminent, the wife and I want to buy a bigger boat and do some traveling, poker runs, etc etc….

A 30ish hull we could haul to the Traverse area or LOTO or "wherever" and I know it's usually not an issue getting a slip or dock space at most of the municipal marinas.

At 40ish the situation changes. We'd be "forced" to boat out of the Gr Haven or other W. Mi port since beam causes issues with legal trailering.

Do you guys with the big boats have problems finding space at the marinas when you travel ?

Do you ever think about going back to a mid 30 foot hull?

Thoughts are appreciated…thanks in advance.

Think Spring

s

Most sport/performance boats are well within trailer-able widths. It really only becomes and issue in CC's or Cruisers and of course cats. Now, the bigger you go, the more truck it takes to pull it. But duelleys will pull about any size you would want...

My suggestion is buy as big as you can afford. Because it eliminates or at least slows down the 6' idus...

My boat is 8'6" wide so no problem on the road. It only happened once a marina did not have a dock for me because of lenght but they were able to dock me at the end of their gas dock so it was not a problem. I pull mine at 19 000 pounds with my 3500 duramax and pulls just fine... No regret up to now!

99% of performance vee are all not wider than 8'6" so trailering youre fine. 35-38' is your best all around size. wont get beat up as much as a 30 or 32. more cockpit cabin room if you want to sleep on it and entertain. once you go 40' + you are looking at triple motors or very big stagger motors and a wildly awesome cool boat!! say **** It and buy a 47 apache lol

Price really isn't the issue and tow vehicle is a non issue.

V-Bottom sport boat.

Beam on the 40 is 9'6"

I believe legal tow width in MI is 102"

If I understand the rules correctly, over 102" a permit is required which is NOT good at night or on the weekend.

I'm really not all that concerned with getting a ticket for over width.

I'm in the auto industry and have seen insurance companies look for any excuse to not pay a claim.

If you're not legal and are involved in wreck - even if you're not at fault - you're giving your insurance company an excuse to not pay a claim. If you back into a mailbox you're probably covered. If a drunk rear ends you and kills himself when the family sues you the drunk will have been on the way to the orphanage to drop presents off to the kids and after that he was headed to the airport to go dig wells for the poor in some 3rd world country.

My biggest concern is showing up somewhere and not finding dock space because a 43' is too big & wondered if that was a real concern

When we bought our Gun I was initially worried about dock space but its never been an issue ever. Even taking a trip on my local pond when the biggest boat you see is a 20' bass boat, we still dock at the restaurants that are not equipped for big boats and it works just fine. Back it in and that little 6-8' dock works great!! There is always a spot to put your boat!!

A 42 Cig Tiger is 8'6 ish beam.......... I know of one maybe for sale 800's #6 boat

So does that mean if I have and Outerlimits I'm a 1%'er?

Actually it does. Only about 1% of v bottom powerboats on the water are as wide as your outerlimits.

I've travelled around to many lakes and the only problem I've seen is beam. A lot of marinas & restaurants aren't set up for boats over 8'6. Like others have said, if you back in and have enough dock to tie up to the midship cleat, it's usually fine.

LOL cool i'm a 1%'er. :evilb:

I wouldn't worry about the width. Most roads and toll booths are 10' max. The 102" rule is mainly for commercial. you can get away with a lot being private. Just act stupid when pulled over!

Thanks for the replies guys….

I think Cigs are the ****, but I'm not sure I could own one. We went to the Miami show last year and couldn't get the time of day from the Cigarette guys in their booth. I've been a Cigarette fan since I was a little kid, but that was like standing in line for hours for to meet (insert favorite star here) and finding out they're an azzhole.

I know that's a dumb reason & my Gram would've told me "don't cut off your nose just to spite your face" but that really soured me.

The logistics of each trip increases with boat length. An example : Traverse City. You could get a well for a 40 plus in Clinch Park marina but not in Elmwood. But........... you probably would have to launch at Elmwood as Clinch has a very small launch area and no parking for a trailer that size.
ed

double post

MANY things have changed in the last year since Performance Boat Center has gotten involved in the marketing and selling of New Cigs, there has been a shift in sales. There is a reason, they are boaters and have the spirit!!!

Give them a call, find out what I am talking about. They also carry numerous other Models, new and used!

http://performanceboatcenter.com/ , http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-ne...with-cigarette, http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-ne...tte-rendezvous,

We take our 43 to a lot of different places but it's only 8'2". We've gone to Louisiana for Tickfaw and made multiple trips to Lake Cumberland. We do go to Traverse City several times each season and do stay at Clinch. You just have to plan ahead and get a slip reserved.

My BT has a 9'6" beam. I've towed it all over. In my opinion it is all going to depend on the boat, keep in mind my boat is roughly the same height as any other offshore. If you have a boat that is approaching 13' foot high you will probably have troubles. I was pulled over last year near Chicago for a burnt out trailer turn signal. I will tell you the last thing the police officer was interested in was the width of the boat!

Did he give a ticket ?? or just want to check out the drives ^^^^ :grinser010:

This topic has basically been discussed before. Among things that need to be considered that have not been mentioned are tow related. If you live in a rural area what I am about to say has even more importance. The bigger you go obviously the impact is greater. I have a 39' V bottom. The trailer from hitch to the end of my drives is just about 48'. Now add the length of whatever vehicle you are towing with and you are right up there with the size of most tractor trailer rigs. Right hand turns become extremely tough on narrow streets. Routes have to be considered......can I make all the turns? Pulling in and out of gas stations is a challenge to say the least. Ramps of course can be tough, but how about parking your empty rig. Trust me very few areas can handle that length and some places don't allow you to unhook the trailer, which who wants to do that anyway, because now you are using 2 spots.

Again…thanks for all the thoughts.

If we go the 43 route, I'm giving serious consideration to a gooseneck style trailer. I don't want to get way off topic, but it's always amazed me that there aren't more G/N trailers on boats from about 30' up. We seem to be the only recreational market that isn't taking advantage of that style trailer.

I'm aware of the towing challenges presented by 43' x 9' 6" boat; the logistical issues due to the size and the legal issues that aren't universally enforced. However, I think - at least in MI - the weighmasters all seem to have a chip on their shoulder and you probably aren't going to get off with a warning, you're going to get parked. And, without climbing on a soapbox, if you have assets and are operating illegally, you're rolling the dice on some serious potential liability.

All of the above is why I mentioned with the bigger boat we'd home port out of Grand Haven as we have an open slip there now. That's the lifestyle decision we have to make between the 30 and the 40.

With the 43, the vast majority of the time we'd leave from Grand Haven and go by water. That's not really a bad choice - we buy boats so we can use them, right? But it's an hour drive to GH each time we want to use the boat.

With the 32 I have easier options. We can slip it in GH. Or we can leave from our house and tow to wherever without the drama of the bigger boat. This isn't impossible with the bigger boat, it's just not as convenient.

The 43 has a bunch of advantages in the water, but what I was really worried about was how hard it is to find dock space. We don't like to be tied in to a plan. If we decide to go somewhere for dinner, we'd rather be able to decide where we're going while we're rumbling out the channel as opposed to counting on me being responsible enough to have made reservations somewhere in advance.

At this point I just realized the question I should have asked first and maybe could have saved us all a bunch of typing:

Can I park a 43 with 9' 6" beam at the Landings in Ironton ? Or am I gonna have to leave it on the hook and bribe someone to come get us ?

:)

That really is the question. If we're in Ludington, or Charlevoix, and decide to run to TC, or see how the beer tastes in Milwaukee, do I have to worry about not being able to find dock space.

Cheers

Or a Donzi ZR

There is no way to guarantee dock will be available without checking ahead or having a reservation.

32 or 43? Have you considered splitting it down the middle? Towing & logistics of a 37/38/39 foot boat is negligible in difference to a 32/33. But when you jump over 40, that's a big jump. You really have to step to a completely different level of equipment, from truck, to trailer, to running gear, etc.

Also, consider all size aspects of each boat. What I'm getting at: a 38 PowerPlay is a MONSTROUS boat compared to a 37AT or 38/39Cigarette. A 43 NorTech will completely eclipse a 42 Fountain.

There were several occasions over the years where we used a lot of fuel to run somewhere for the night or for dinner, only to get there and not get a slip. I have a crazy work schedule that does not allow me to always "plan" our trips and docking our 38' boat proved to be a problem on several occasions. I also tow oversize loads at work and the weight masters are definitely on a mission right now. We don't go anywhere without a permit.

Anything gooseneck in Michigan gets you a second look from the dot. My friend has a gooseneck trailer for his toy truck, and he's been pulled over for no dot numbers. Even though it's private and so is his truck, it's kinda a gvw thing/looks like it should be commercial. 1 ton dodge and a 35'ish gooseneck. No 3500, 4500, or 5500 cab and chassis. All store bought stuff. Bumper pull(receiver hitch) is less conspicuous, tough to tell how wide you are from the median. May your conscience be your guide. Lol.

Go the 43 if it runs 80+ ;-) what a beautiful boat though!

The 32 won't be enough....unless it runs 100+ then maybe fun for a while but you will crave more

You will be fine towing the 43, even in Michigan, I really don't think there's anything to worry about. It will be as natural as breathing.

I've been saying the same about gooseneck trailers! They are the best, the only way to go. Especially with the axles way back on a boat trailer.

Over width in the 9'6" range won't get noticed on a long sleek offshore style boat. But uearly over width permits for recreational use are easy to get cheap.

NO slip is a guarantee, you should call ahead either way. Smaller slips are more common, but smaller boats are more common.

Get the 43 and come to Traverse City! Looking forward to it!

LOL Don't they all run 80+ when they're for sale?

I thought I was locked in on the 32 and yeah, I was looking at enough power to run that magic number. Then the big boat became available and things got complicated. I've been in the boat and it's amazing, but my wife hasn't seen it and is concerned that a 43 is just too big. It would simplify my life a lot if Lee would either sell it before we had a chance to fly out and get serious about it or pull it back off the market. :)

Sydwayz - We have a great relationship with a manufacturer and that's what they build; a 32 and a 43. The 32 carries a lot of beam fairly far forward and is a "big" 32. The 43 is just in another class of boat, and is a great opportunity.

Thanks guys

I pull a 40 ft Outerlimits with a Ford 350SD single rear wheel no issues. I have been pulling 40 ft boats around for 10 years and have never been asked about the width. More importantly, you will like the ride of a bigger boat especially on open water like Lake Michigan. Good Luck!

I have a question. There has been mention in this thread about the "wide load" laws. Doesn't that apply to the width of the trailer wheels? Not the width of the boat. I'm not sure about this, but for example a dually probably takes the law pretty much to it's limit with the wheel width not the over hanging fenders. I don't know, just asking.

Trailer or load, Which ever is the widest.

This is my old 31 Sonic...

Took this boat every where and loved it, one thing I have noticed with Sonic
over the years is they do a great job of making the boat feel as large as it can.

Use of Space, cabin lay out etc., You get the ride quality and still have a very
usable boat at the slip too.

3 piece Hull so you have finished Fiber Glass cabin.
Foamed between also.

Windscreen gives added head room for head.
Miss the Walk around Deck, everyone thinks they are ugly until you own one.
Keeps you right side up too, instead of on your arse.

Bottom line is no matter the size they all have there advantages and side affects.
But in hindsight this was a very well rounded boat that allowed you the biggest
of lakes, oceans, dammed Rivers, and small lakes.

Poker Runs in the Rough I could still run with the Big Boys with the longer hulls.
Obviously you will always have the other Big Boys that out power you in any class.

Hope this Helps with your thoughts.

Jon

No, total width, measured anywhere on the trailer.

My donzi 33 zx beam is 9'4" so I'm a 1% er too

I have been stoped in ohio for width of my boat he barely let me go.

You start knocking over mail boxes and street signs, yes your gunna get pulled over. As far as I'm concerned width in not a issue. Get the boat you want or forever it will eat at you!
I always loved the line: Hey, You scratched my anchor. RIP RODNEY D

On my boat the widest point is about at the helm and when he measured at the transom he got just under 9ft he send if it was over 9th en we would have a problem. My boat sites over the wheel wells and I think that makes it look like is is bigger than it should be. He even send after measuring it that it looks bigger then what he measured lol

Love that movie .... One of the greats of all times

I took these the day I got stopped actually lol

[IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps84e70c7a.jpg


http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps486d19da.jpg[/IMG]

I think that trailer set up also affects towing. I.e. My 33 outlaw has a long tongue that makes it pull like a 40ft LOA trailer.
With that said, I don't have any issues towing and really just have to watch where I get fuel to make sure I can swing in.

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