Just took delivery on Tuesday, now I can't wait for the weekend! I started to unwrap it and remember to take a picture that's why the shrink wrap looks messed up. http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...3YsXcg¬ag=1
This is my first Mercruiser (5.0MPI; BravoIII) so I'll be, and have been, asking some questions about it as I go.
Cool. I just ran a few of those combos (5.0 and B3). Very stout!! It'll be fun to hear your reaction to run what will be a reasonably fast cat. Have you driven one before? Beware of hard turns if anybody is moving around . . . splash Going to be a ton of fun and I am guessing very stable at rest. Maybe the net gain will be waaaay less unintended splashes while sitting still
Sweet, wish I could afford a cream puff like that!
My wife and I mainly like to go from one spot on the lake to another and sit for a couple hours at a time with friends so that is why we went ahead and bit the bullet on this one. Now I need to sell my other boat (19' Larson bow rider). We wanted something big enough to have several of our friends on and still have plenty of room; and something stable while anchored and relaxing. I will say, the boat company, Splendor, was very easy to work with and, in my case, added several extras for no charge; they deliver it to you for free too!
Nice boat! What make you decided on a cat bottom instead of a V bottom deck boat?
Well, I read several different view points and reviews of this particular hull over a standard cat style and a shallow V bottom. This hull design gets more narrow towards the back so it "traps" air and creates a sort of cushion which helps minimize some of the bouncing and slamming that you can get in a shallow V hull. Also, it banks a corner much like a V hull, not as much, but it doesn't skip like a traditional cat hull. Finally, it has only about a 5" bow rise on take-off. The helm is 8" above the bow area so the driver is always above the people sitting in front and you never lose sight of the water. Lastly, I think it looks freaking cool in the water!
I thought I would post an update after the mayden voyage. I've got to say that this boat met every expectation that I had. Launching and retrieving was much easier than I thought it would be; due to the hull style and trailer configuration, it just guides you right on and keeps the boat straight. As for actual handeling, smooth! There was ZERO bow rise. I thought there would be some, but there was absolutely none. The helm is 8" above the front section of the boat too so you have a clear view of everything around you and never lose sight of the horizon. This boat will get up and go too. It has a Bravo III drive on it and that with the hull configuration makes this boat track absolutely straight at slow, docking, speeds; no wandering. All the ammentities are great too; especially the built-in cooler. Lastly, this boat throughs some considerable wake so I can't wait till the water warms up and wakeboard behind it! splendorboats.com