Newer member of OSO here, been lurking for awhile. I currently boat on the Chain (Fox Lake) in a 21' cuddy and am looking to 1) move up in size and 2) move over to Lake Michigan for the 2007 boating season.

Those of you with experience on Lake Michigan - am I crazy for thinking about one of these boats?

-Baja 30 or 33 Outlaw
-Sunsation 32
-Fountain 35 EX (<--pushing the size/price limit)

My experience on Michigan is limited to a buddy's Powerquest 290 which handled the water decently well out of North Point Marina. Personally the 30-35 foot range is attractive to me in terms of affordability and overall size. However, if it ends up that really no less than a 38 or 40 is tolerable then I am open to looking at older model boats. When I say tolerable I mean having a substantial number of boating days available to me and comfort running fast in the typical LM conditions.

This boat will also be trailered to eastern Michigan for use on Lake Huron occasionally where my wife's family has some property, which again is why I'm thinking a more "portable" hot rod will work.

Thanks in advance and look forward to bumping into you at the boat show this weekend.

Ive been out in my friends 1976 28ss cig in what i would call solid 4's with a nice 6/7 thrown in there every so often........and if you know how to drive it it can be quite fun.....on the other hand ive been in my buddys 33' Black Thunder on days with smaller waves and was scared for my life!!!!!
I had a 30' scarab for 4 years and always had a great time out on Lake MI.....worst i ever saw out there in my boat was when i came out of Navy Pier and the waves were big enough that i couldnt get up on plane......the boat would go up and over the first wave and nose dive THROUGH the face of the on coming wave!! It was un-nerving to say the least....and very wet to boot but i had no choice but to go through it to get back to Diversey to the truck and trailer.....probably the longest 45min of my life.
Basicly what i'm saying is a 30' boat is a great size all around for this area.....you can trailer it very easily and it will handle just about anything that may come up on Lake Michigan depending on how crazy you are to try it!!! If you can swing a bigger boat then i would go for it as size will always matter the worse it gets out there..... This past year wasnt all that rough on Lake Michigan as ive seen in the past either.

You'll be fine. Have fun!

anything over 30' should be good. If you want a taste of lake MI, hang around this forum for a while and join the Chicago Powerboat Club. There are a lot of events where many of us go out with just two in their boat and most of us always have room for a few extra people (especially for those that chip in for gas ) Plus it would give you a chance to see how some of the various boats run. What day are you going to the show? you have probably seen this but the club will be set up at the Shogren booth Ask for Mark Smith (Chi Town) Dan (Candyman) or Frank (10X) they are great guys and board members and will introduce you around. We will not be there, we live far and can not make it to everything.

you also might want to look at Powerquest, our friends Keith and Marcy (KS Flyer) have one and did the Chicago Poker run and had a blast. I can't remember their lenght but it is around 30' I think it is a good value also.

Shark -
I've been in this gig for four seasons now, and just bought my second boat this June. Started in a 29 Powerquest, and it rode decently in 2-3s, but anything bigger was a bit of a challenge. You'd also have the problem of outrunning the hull - that boat topped out around 68-70, but was quite a handfull when it got there. I've now got a 35 Fountain, trailers wonderfully, and is solid as a rock both at speed and in 4-5s. I'd say try a few things out, like Donna (Mrs. Patriyacht) said, hang out with us and catch some rides. 4-5s are nice in a Fountain, but in a Cig, you don't even know they are there! If towing is a big deal, you've got to watch your weight...Fountains are a light boat compared with the same size PQs, Formulas, Donzis, and Cigs. My 35 is only about 1000 lbs heavier than the 29 was. Good luck with your search, any questions, pm me and I'll be glad to help or point you towards someone that can!

Mike

Of the boats you mentioned the 33 Outlaw is the biggest. Any of them will let you have some fun on the big lake. You can always step up again in a few years.
Will you be trailering back and forth from the lake? Leave it near the lakethat's what i do)? Or put on a lift or slip?

Good luck with the search.

Mark

Loan $hark,
Any of the boats you have listed will work on Lake Michigan. I boated for many years on Lake Michigan with a 25' Checkmate. It just depends on the day. Some days the Queen Mary shouldn't be out there.
Dan

Thanks all for your responses - I've been trying to narrow down my shopping list in order to complete the plans for where to store it, new tow vehicle, etc. I will definitely be stopping by the CPC booth on Saturday - unfortunately I can't make the D&B event but am looking forward to meeting people in the club. Thanks again

-Jim

Jim, joining the Chicago Powerboat Club gives you an advantage that will help in purchasing a boat. Our calender of events on our website should available shortly after the boatshow. This saturday is our boatshow party at Dave & Buster. Up and coming events are the Winter Getaway to Mercury Marine and party, season opener party, dealer demo days, Chicago Poker Run, ........

Dealer Demo Days is a chance for our members to drive boats from different manufactors. Get a chance to drive a Fountain, Cigarrette, Formula, Sunsation, ......... Jim here is a chance find out which boat fits your needs. Guys, be sure to bring the wifes/girlfriends (or both) because the ride in these boats help make deals happen.