And there is the answer to all your questions.

My friend has a really nice 42 for sale. http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o45757-en.html
Not as "big" of a boat overall as a Black Thunder. I would take a serious look at a 43 or 46 Black thunder. Almost bought a few untill getting a Cruiser and a Go fast. I have driven and rode on a 1997 43, 2002 46, 2002 46, 2007 46. All 4 were amazing. Been on LOTO and Lake Michigan in the rough and they were fast and handled great. When it rained out we had 7 in the cabin having a pizza party with the A/C on and it made the BT seem even bigger! Nothing against Sonic boats but the Black thunder is really hard to beat for overnighting. Good luck on your search.

Gotta agree with offshorexcursion. The Black Thunder cabin makes Sonics look small, and are more richly appointed. I have considered a 46EC several times. Not very tow friendly though. Needs a lot of truck.

Not trying to debate trucks here but since you brought that up thought I would share what the actual owners of some BT tow with. Personally I feel that the same truck could tow either a 42 sonic or 46 Black Thunder. No big deal if someone does not agree. I love all boats and all trucks, just a gearhead at heart! But these owners have safetly towed for years and say the boats pull really nice. Either way, the OP should at least check out a BT in person, or even better take a ride on one.

F250 PS SRW 2007 46 (Shane)
Chevy DM 3500 DRW 2002 46 (Dan)
Chevy 6.0 Gas 2500 SRW 2001 43 Flat Deck (Dennis and Jason)
Chevy 6.0 Gas 2500 SRW 1995 43 Flat Deck (Jason B.)
F250 PS Lifted SRW 2002 46 (Ryan)
F250 SRW Chevy DRW Dodge SRW 43 and 46 (Chris)

Good luck to the OP and enjoy your boat shopping!

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thanks for all the feedback , I am in Vegas till sunday so I wont be looking at anything right this moment

Im affraid if I look at a BT 46 I will have to have one and wont have the self discipline not to emty out my bank account lol

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I see people are saying the 35 and 38 sonic have the same cabin

how much bigger is the cabin on the 42 sonic compared to the 35 and 38 ? more headroom then the 35 and 38 ?

Im asking cause I planned on looking at the 42 next but was wondering if I should also be considering the 35 and 38 as well

thanks


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You should absolutely look at the 38 first, even the 358. If cockpit room is important, skip the 358.

All Sonic cabins are amazing for their size, even the 31ss. The 35-38 cabin trumps everything in the market sans maybe the Baja 38 special, which doesn't look nearly as cool as the Sonic.

Personally I feel the 42/45 Sonic cabin is length is overkill. The head room tapers down quickly compared to the BT, making the area past the galley seem too long and out of reach. The 42 and 45 Sonics I was on both had the filler cushions installed and were using the couch area for a bed, and the v berth for storage.

The v-berth bed in the BT looks like something you would have in a studio apartment. It appears to be free standing (its not) and the berth itself has stateroom feel. This is on both models. The larger SC model adds 6 11" head clearance, but the standard model has 6' head clearance.

If you are concerned with cabin in the 35-38 market, Sonic is the best choice.

If you are going bigger and taking on everything that goes with that go with the BT, the cabin is second to none in performance boats. It puts some cruisers to shame.


I have a friend that tows the 43 tall with a 2500HD dmax. Another that tows the 43 standard deck with a 3500 dodge DRW. The both claim the boats tow amazing. And from the performance numbers I would think the BT is not nearly as heavy as they look.

And from the performance numbers I would think the BT is not nearly as heavy as they look.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't thinking about that, but it wouldn't surprise me if they weighed the same or less than a 42 sonic. They are relatively fast, with average power, for their size.

Love the list Offshorexcursion, especially the 6.0 guys, as that is what I have.

Sounds like a good idea to check out the 38 sonic along with the 42 but I would not prefer the 35. Others can correct me if I am wrong....

The 35 seems to porpoise and I heard the 38 does not. There are 2 friends in town I boat with that have 35's and everytime we see them running or run with them they are bouncing up and down for no reason. Nice boats, dont get me wrong, and I understand no boat is perfect, but if the 38 does not porpoise and has a larger cockpit its a winner in my book.

Hey did I mention you should try to find a smokin deal on a Black Thunder because they are awesome!

I've driven my 358 for quite some time and as far as the porpoise issue goes I think its a non issue. On flat water you may need to drop a tab to keep riding flat but so what. Dropping the tabs a bit has little or no effect on your speed unless you're really trying to push the boat to its limit. Once you get into any type of chop the tabs are no longer necessary as the boat will run flat without any porpoise. I'm running the 5 blade Hydromotive props which makes a little difference but not really that much as I also run 4 blade Mercs too.