Looking for any and all info and suggestions.

I’ve really enjoyed my Baja Islander 272, but our lifestyle has changed from day trips tubing with the family to wanting to explore the west coast waters including Havasu, Mead, Powel, and such and want to sleep overnight for just the two of us.

My dream would be a 33’ AVS but for now a single engine that I can tow with my 1/2 ton Silverado is the most practical.

is there any particular years to seek or stay away from?

Well either your going for a 26 or a 29 Scarab never made a 27. the 26 is a small cabin , The 29 comes in both twin Small Blacks or single Big Block. and has a nice size cabin.

Thanks - that’s exactly the info I was looking for. A 29’ with twin small blocks seems like a pretty good way to go. A couple with 174 huffers for about 500hp a side should be a nice little rocket and keep the Bravos happy.

I believe another great alternative for you and your wife might be a Hallett 270-S. Plenty of room aboard with its 8'6" beam and its got a sharp entry for a 22 degrees at the transom boat, so it will handle a rough afternoon with ease at say Lake Mead. There's a couple of them at Maxed Out Marine in Havasu now, but there's always a selection to pick from here in the South West. I'd pick one with a high performance single instead of SBC twins.. Keep an eye at the Riverdaves forum and Craigsl. The build quality is higher on these boats in comparison to the Wellcraft Scarab boats, with the exception of the P-29 model, but they're rare, and actually got less room onboard compared to the Hallett 270 boats. The two Maxed Out examples are listed here on Powerboat Listings.
https://www.powerboatlistings.com/hallett/

https://www.riverdavesplace.com/foru...ners-s.169726/

The Hallet is a gorgeous boat and actually my first choice when I was looking for a rough water open bow. I’ll have a look at the cuddy versions. Thanks.

How about staying in the baja family?