I am in the market for a new boat and really like the openness of a center console, how are these with families and skiing. We have always owned runabouts, but we are thinking about a change. We usually go to lakes and rivers and you don't see very many of them around here. Any thoughts or ideas welcomed.
most center consoles are set up for fishing. clean uncluttered, so you can get to the gunnel to land the fish. few seats, no lounges, or sun pads. no place to store ski's etc. mostly a very specific use boat.
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Wow!! I disagree with all the above comments. I have had 2 center console boats and believe them to be wonderful for families! True, they tend to have less seating than others, however, they also tend to have less maintenance. I do not have carpet on my boats, therefore to clean is a simple washdown. The seating needs to be looked at, but you count noses and check seats, pretty simple. The openness of the design has made this a favorite with my family and my kids. As with everything, it depends on your needs. If you have wives and daughters that do little but want to lay on the back sunpad or front bow area, then you need those, and a bowrider is your ticket. If, however, you are into recreational water skiing (read "non tournament"), tubing, SCUBA diving, and swimming as well as fishing, I have found a center console to be excellent!
There are several types of center consoles on the market, some set up for offshore (deep vee) and some set up for bays (shallow running) and some set up for VERY shallow running (these are very specialized boats), so look around. I currently have a BW Montauk, and had, in the past, a Promaster 21. I had a friend for had a Dargel Fisherman (great boat!). These can be rigged with additional seating, are good skiing platforms, and, I think, great family boats.......YMMV
There is a magazine called Center Console Angler and in the June/July issue they had a feature on the 21' Everglades 210cc. The boat has a lot of family friendly features, including a ski pole. Check it out here.
There is a magazine called Center Console Angler and in the June/July issue they had a feature on the 21' Everglades 210cc. The boat has a lot of family friendly features, including a ski pole. Check it out here.
-BWR
Everglades boats are very well built, pricey but very nice.
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CC's have almost zero protection from the weather, so if you go boating in temps less than 80 or so, everybody freezes, those of you that boat in only very warm climates may have better results. All of my current boats are open fishing style boats, one is a CC and you can use it for just about anything, but that doesn't mean it works well in that use. The wife and kids will like a windshield.
Take into account the # of children, thier ages and personality. I would normally not equate a CC with family boating.
I have one son(13) and a wife that is veryyyyyyy easy going and will still eventually move up to something with a cabin/head. I love my CC as does my son but my wife will enjoy the change.
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1999 Hydra-Sports 230CC/2000 E-Tec 250 HP
My ex brother in law had a center console. Great fishin boat. Lousy family boat. His wife (my sister) and the kids hated it. Nowhere to get out of the sun, nowhere to lay down when tired.
If you have young kids, a cuddy cabin might work better. There are lots of cabin fishing boats, check them out.
Center Console Family Boat
1985 Bayliner 1600 Capri Cuddy, 1965 MFG Niagara Custom. 
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