New to forum and new to Nordic!
 

Hello everyone! I've been cruising around this site for the last few weeks and have found so much valuable info, that I thought i'd sign up. I wanted to post this first thread in an "intro section", but didn't seem to find one. Anyways, I'm from good ole' crime free New Orleans (ha)...well actually about 15-20mi South of that area. My family has been in the commercial fishing industry for as long as I know. As a result I've been on the water my whole life, and unfortunately have picked up this VERY expensive high performance habit!
The reason I am posting in the Nordic section, is because I'm on a hunt for another boat. Last summer we bought a trial boat (Formula 223LS) to see how we would enjoy this sport in comparison to the other hobbies we already have. I would have hated to spend 50k plus and not be satisfied! We enjoyed last summer so much that we decided to sell our Formula and upgrade to a larger boat. Basically we want the biggest single engine we could find.
I have been a Fountain fan for a long time...beautiful boats. I love there lines. We were about to pull the trigger on a 29 Fever when I ran across a Nordic Heat on the internet. These are beautiful boats!!! Timeless lines and from what I have read....minus customer service.....seems like an excellent, top notch manufacturer. Still undecided, a buddy of mine ran across a Heat owner and he was nice enough to show us the boat and give us a ride. My mind was made up! The cabin is huge for a 28' boat!
So this is where I stand now. I have decided on the Nordic Heat closed bow. This is a relatively hard boat to find (especially being on the southeast coast). I've looked all over to find the right one and have had little to no luck. There is an 07 with the 496 mag ho (which unfortunately gets a bad rep) that is for sale. Boat seems to be in excellent shape with just under 260hrs. This one could be bought for 48k. Being Nordic guys, how do you think that number sounds.

Thanks in advance everyone! Good to be on the forum!
Kacy

Welcome to the forum. I also have a nordic heat and bought mine with a 496 and was not happy with the lack of power the boat had. They are the biggest 28s with the best lay out of the cabin. You will be very happy with the boat and enjoy it with your family. You will always be left with wanting more power than the 496. And it gets much worse when you add family and friends. The best advice I can give is to find one with a 525 or bigger. You will grow into the power in no time at all. Mine has a 700hp 572ci and is very fun to drive. Mine is for sale but far away from you. Keep your eyes open and look at all the options. Now this is just my opinion and others will come along and give you there's. good luck in the hunt that is some of the the most fun for me is finding the right boat with the right motor and drive package with good looking gel scheme. Keep us posted on how it goes summer is right around corner.

Thanks Dig it, appreciate the response. I see you're in Washington. Believe it or not, the 07 Heat is in Longview! I dont mind grabbing something across coutry if its the right boat and price! I was a little concerned with the 496's lack of power as well. I was hoping that it would get me through the summer and next year repower, but honestly it would probably be wiser to find one with bigger power to begin with (problem is, a closed bow Heat has been a pain to find....especially with the right package: power, graphics, etc.) The other semi-turn off with the 496 is the lack of trim tabs and external steering. It does however have a brand new Bravo1x.

I ordered my 496HO with tabs and full external steering, you might find a few around if you look hard enough. The Heat is not a fast boat and you can get more power to wake it up but I'll take the other side here....IT STARTS AND IT RUNS.

Go ahead and laugh at the 496 but I had trouble free years with that boat, when my friends were in their driveways working on their engines missing a good part of the summer f'ing around, I was out EVERY TIME I WANTED TO. I never missed a day boating with that engine...never. To me, what's the point of owning a boat if you can't use it unless wrenching is part of the joy of this hobby.

Anyway...good luck.

$48 for that boat seems high to me FWIW.

I agree INDY, I would definately want reliability. I am a heavy equipment mechanic, so I do actually enjoy "tinkering" if I need to, but with the boating season already being short, I damn sure do not want the "tinkering" to turn into something much more time consuming. I have read how reliable and advanced the 496 with the 555 pcm is so thats nice. I dont know how realistic this is, but I can deal with a 496 if I can squeeze 68-70mph out of it without major upgrades. Again, that may be as realistic as me going to the moon...dunno for sure, but I certainly dont want to dump money into a pit. In all honesty there's no replacement for displacement (unless forced induction comes on the scene..lol!) BTW, I'd be running in salt water at sea level, so im guessing good for a mph or two compared to the guys who are running 63-64 at high elevations?

Thanks for the input on the price....have any ideas on the worth of a super clean 07 Heat with a 496 mag ho and 260hrs? Trailer incuded. I looked up nada, and the low retail with the trailer and options is in the 45-46k range.

Thanks,
Kacy

Pier, a couple things for consideration:

My '02 was a 496HO with a 24 Bravo at sea level salt water. I hit 67 once on a cold day, with the tide, low gas, one person.

62 - 63 most summer hot humid days with full gas, people and gear.

I tried a lab 24 & 26 (a couple of them) and the stock 24 with a sharpening of leading edge and balanced was the best.

As far as the trailer goes, if it's the stock steel Nordic trailer it'll become JUNK after a couple of seasons in salt water. I washed mine every time and sprayed the inside as best I could and it was practically scrap after a few years. Nice trailer but for me it was crap. You'll have to figure into your budget a replacement in the not too distant future.

It's also a 22 degree hull with a small pad, it's going to be a bit tough in salt water conditions at times, not sure where you boat but I boat in Long Island Sound and it kicks up nice at times, not the best Nordic water. Good boat all around though and I have fond memories. Like any product it has its +-

Touche' on the trailer situation!....I've heard horror stories on the Roadrunner trailers. Great lookin trailers, but thats about where it ends. I was actually considering (if the boat I buy comes with a Roadrunner) selling the trailer and buying an aluminum one as soon as I purchase a Heat.

As far as where we boat, its mostly inland with light chop even on some of the windiest of days. We will occasionally run across a few larger lakes we have or hit the gulf coast. It can definately turn from calm to serious white caps in a matter of minutes. I'm well aware that all boats have there limits and the weather is going to determine the outcome of any trip on the water.

Now, I see you mentioned that the Heat has a 22 degree deadrise. I have seen a few conflicting websites in regard to this matter. I believe even Nordics website claims a 24 degree rise at the transom. Could you shed some light on this?

Thanks,
Kacy

Maybe some of the others here can help, my recollection is that it's a 22. The entry is fairly flat too compared to offshore types.

I owned a 07 Heat with a 496 prior to the Nordic i own now. I sold it for 40K and it had 90 hours on it. I was very motivated to sell it however...

Customer service is not an issue now with John & Thayne...

There is a member here named Jay Gadsby he is selling his 2000 Heat. He lives in Texas.

Wow, 40k for an 07 with 90hrs seems awesome! As far as customer service goes, I can only judge off of what I have read unfortunately. They may very well be great people, just a few misunderstandings or miscommunications. You can't please everyone..ha!


I believe I saw a new listing on powerboatlistings.com of a 2000 Nordic in Tx. Not sure if thats the same person, but this paticular one is asking 50k....seems high compared to others I've seen. I am definately on the hunt for one, so keep the info coming!!

Thanks,
Kacy

Yes that is Jay's boat...No idea if he is solid on that price or not...

Pm sent

Hey guys, does anyone know when the Heats became "wood-free" hulls? Any input on the weight vs the previous hulls with wood?

Thanks,
Kacy

I think 2007 or 2008 not sure on weight.

Finally decided on a Heat!
 

Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update on the LONG Heat searching process. After literally, months of searching, I've finally decided on an 07' closed bow heat. It does have the 496....I know I know, I'm gonna get some static on the performance end :lolhit:!! It is very difficult to find the right combination closed bow Heat (ie power package, grapics, options, and of course price!). This Heat was priced right and had a few added options that interested me (underwater lighting, very nice stereo, bimini top, chartplotter, etc.). It is also in near new condition (according to a marine survey I had performed before the actual purchase).

Now I def wanna be as fast as the next guy, but I think I'll save that for next summer. Possibly a 500 or 525 swap and sell the low hour 496 mag ho. This summer however, I would like to add some "go-fast safely" ingredients such as dual hydraulic steering and trim tabs. The first addition will be a nice set of tabs. I've read a few threads on this matter and from what "Zuckerman" says, the Heats do not need lengthy trim tabs.

Now my question is this....do I go with a Mercury racing style tab (like whats foumd on Fountains) or do I opt for the billet style tabs like the Eddie's or Dana's. I dont mind spening the extra dough to get a better product and better results....but if its not necessary than I guess there would be no reason to spend extra $$$ Any input would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Kacy

Cool I'm glad you found one welcome to the nordic navy!

A bit of a downer message to a new owner excited about their boat.

Enjoy your new boat, and don't worry about the power, it's a good RELIABLE package with decent performance. You'll be out on the water having fun every time you turn the key and that's the most important factor.

Yeah...

Thanks for the responses guys....like INDY has mentioned before, reliability is key. Whether its a 496, or a blown 525, I'd much rather be enjoying that power rather than repairing it. Especially with the boating season being so limited.

"Dig IT," I do appreciate your input...it's not a downer, it's your opinion and I value others' opinions. Heck, isn't this why we are part of a forum, lol. I definately understand where you are coming from and I realize just how much it costs to "properly" rig a boat for speed. Speed = $$$ and I don't think anyone can argue that! I have been looking for a closed bow Nordic Heat aggresively for the last four months and what I found was this; In order to get the power package I really wanted (which was very hard to find in a closed bow Heat) I would have had to pay 10-15k more than the boat I just purchased. Also not only would I have had to settle for not being 100% satisfied with the graphics, the few boats I did find were 3-5 yrs older than the one I purchased. I figured that it would be easier to re-power than the re-paint..lol!

I did plenty of calculating in order to decide on the 07'. The way I see it, for the extra 15-18k+ for a nicely powered 07', I can get the tabs I want, the dual steering I want, sell the 496...add the leftover from the original 15-18k, and buy a nice low hour blue motor! Plus I think that the resale down the line will be much better with an 07' than say a 2000 or so model. (banks also finance 10yr old boats and newer a lot easier with a much better term and interest rate!)

So to sum it up, "Dig IT," I think you are absolutely correct in what you stated. Do it right the first time and chances are you will save plenty $$$. However, the deal on this boat was too good to pass up, even w/the 496 IMO. Especially for basically a one owner, near mint 07!

Thanks again for your input,
Kacy

Cool looks like you did your homework. You will love the boat. Have fun and enjoy, welcome to the family. There are good board members here with tons of info on your boat and setup if you have any ?s now go get that thing wet and have some fun.

I did the exact same thing as you 2 years ago bought a 07 Heat with 70 hours and a 496 closed bow. I had the same plans as you, buy a clean one and than upgrade the power.

THAN i made the huge mistake of visiting the Nordic factory....

welcome aboard Kacy
 

Hello Kacy,
I'm glad you found a boat you like. Regarding power and speed, 70 on the water beats 100 on the trailer, anytime :).
There is lot to be said for reliability.
Regarding tabs, I can't see where you live and boat because you didn't fill that information in on your avatar, but it mostly depends on your local/regular conditions, and how fast your boat is.
Generally speaking, rougher water requires more tab, and tabs can be usefull in "settling down" a fast boat. As you have probably seen, there are endless threads on the subject with good information.
Welcome to the Nordic Navy....
Best Regards,
Steve

"70 on the water beats 100 on the trailer"...lmao, that is very true! Appreciate the welcome everyone! I am currently waiting for it to arrive and I can't wait to hit the water. I've been crusing around this forum and have run across some really good info. Unfortunatley it seems the more I read, the slimmer my wallet seems to be getting...! Ha

That's all I was trying to say from the get go! Hope it gets there soon
And the weather where your at it good!

Welcome! I am on my third nordic in 12 yrs and I had a closed bow heat for most of those yrs. Great boat and like most said the 496 is very reliable and will keep you on the water. I had a Raylar kit on mine with tabs and full Imco hydraulic steering. It ran 68-70 and I saw 72 a few times. My buddy at Imco runs a blower motor and has hit 104 or there abouts. The 28 hulls seem to like the big power. Best of luck and enjoy!

Glad to hear you found your boat!!
Although I must say #1 POST A PICTURE WHEN YOU CAN
#2 a Raylar kit or Blower would probably be much less expensive and less headache than an entire engine swap :D

We only have the 22' baby Nordic, however it suites all the kids & the type of boating we do, but I've been looking at blower kits for ours too.

I have the 280 K Planes on my Nordic. I use them for getting on plane most of the time, other than that they stay in the UP position.