Hello All,

I am a long time lurker and very occasional poster. I am looking for thoughts on buying a 46' Black Thunder as a first performance boat. For years, I have been set on either a Sonic 358 or an Active Thunder 37. I like their rough water capabilities and spacious/well appointed cabins. Lately though, I have been thinking about the room that the 46' BT affords...it would be much appreciated for overnighting and occasional use as a floating office.

I will be on Lake Michigan and am fully aware of how rough it can get out there. I have been around boats a long time and consider myself a very capable driver. I am fine with sacrificing a few mph for a bigger boat and thought that the 2002 and 2003 BT would be a viable option.

Although I do not want to buy a smaller boat for a couple years, only to want to quickly move up in size, I don't want to make a mistake in buying too much boat.

Thanks for any advice.

Jeff

Contact Steve David he can tell you all about BTs. You'll need a boat that big on that lake. I would strongly suggest you get a triple motor package of 700s and NXT drives. You never know when you'll have one go down and having 1400hp to get on plane with is a big safety factor on a lake that's known for big water.

Oh and you'll have 20,000lbs to tow so you'll need a medium duty truck.

You are making a major logistical commitment with a Black Thunder 43 or 46. It's a massive boat that requires the right equipment and planning to have fun while boating. It all depends on what you want to do with the boat. The BT's are great boats for what they are designed for--basically a condo on water with some performance thrown in to boot. I know several folks who love theirs. Keep your eyes open to a 42/45 Sonic as well.

Hope you got a big truck.

Lot's of them on LOTO. They ride good and are faster than people realize. They can be drive killers though.

I owned the monopoly 46 thunder for 5 years, ran flawlessly and would top out at 75 with 525's. I loved the boat and will own another one. I may know of a nice one. How much do you want to spend?

I sold my 43 because it was a MAJOR production to tow. I have a 06 3500 Duramax and it was the MINIMUM size to tow with.

another option to look at would be the 43 Nortech. The difference between the two would be in the cabin the BT has 6'10" vs 6'7" for the NT at its tallest point. The NT has an actual walk in head vs a step up on the BT. The BT has a nicer v-berth section and both boats are heavy and need a 1 ton dually min. for towing. Fit and finish is better on the NT, and when equipped with 700's it is also 5 mph faster. Next thing to look at is warranty..and who is in business. Ive been in both numerous times and have friends in both brands. Ive had 3 43's and would buy another. Good Luck in your search. Jeff

The 46' Cig is a wave crusher and can plow through the rough with a great speed. Check them out.
The classifieds can be your best friend when looking for a boat.

check the oso classified ads,their is a nice 45 sonic,john elway was the first owner.it has trip 575s,and the asking price is in range.