When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Currently I have a Maxum 1900 SC (Cuddy) w/ a 4.3L Merc. For the most part my fiance and I go out w/ my dog. It feels roomy and handles well. When we have more than 4 adults on the boat it starts getting crowded and closer to the weight limit. When I had my neighbors (4 adults total and 3 small children), it felt like we hit our max comfortablility w/o going over. I love bringing out friends with us on the boat, though we usually go out with the 3 of us (dog included).

I am thinking of going to a post 2000 21-24ft used open bow w/ a 5.7L. I hear a cuddy is nice for children and my fiance and I have yet to have any kids. Thinking ahead I am wondering the following:

1) Keep the Maxum, until we have kids to big for it
2) Keep the Maxum, until we have kids and take a break from boating for a few years (do you really boat if you have infants?)
3) Go ahead and upgrade to a larger boat

I got the size of boat I did 2 years ago as it was a combination of price, size, fuel effiency, features, and towability were great. If I go larger than my vehicle will not be able to tow (4500lbs max). I would be willing to spend double what I spent on my boat.

Regards,

Hostage

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Just keep using your boat. Sounds like your just fine. Buy a couple of jetskis.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

My opinion is to get more room, not by adding length but better interior design. Cuddy's take up a lot of usable space for fair weather boating, and many people find they seldom use them.

As for boating with infants, it's a lot like camping with infants. Most people don't. Some people try it once and never again. Some do it all the time. But there are way too many variables to answer the question A big factor is time: whether you are in a "jump in and go" set-up (boat in the water at the house) or major effort + drive time to get there, launch, retrieve and return. Babies set the clock and they usually set it short. Get a screamer 15 minutes into the trip and the trip is over. Can you go back to your dock no big deal, or do you have an hour's work or more before the little darling is back home?

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

For me I can say it was almost immediately after I got our 196. The limitations of an older boat were so obvious to me, the wife always made it work but to me it was like someone jabbing me in the side everytime we had 4 adults and the Pooch and we were asking someone to move so someone could pass through to get there. Drove me nuts, my first boat was also not a speed demon but she gave us everything she had, top speed 40 mph, but I also have a speed thing so 40 was not good either.

I think you are hosed, the more you see the limitations of your current boat the more irritating they become, So if have the means and you don't have kids currently I think this is the best time to start looking to upgrade, Kids just have a way of getting in the way financially so if they are in your plans in the future get your boat now that way when you do have kids it shouldn't be an issue.

Upgrading was the best thing I did boating, I never have to worry about anything, I get a little grief from my friends that have chosen other things when I decided to go bigger and better but I don't care, I'm happy my wifes happy yes I am anal about my Boat but I don't care, I don't need to be out on the lake doing 60 mph I am just fine in a tie up with my beautiful boat drinking an adult beverage.

Now here is the bad side, my kids are older, I only have one that is a minor (16) the other three are 18+, the whole time they were younger (for the most part) it was always something else, I never got my toy so call it a mid life crisis but I always wonder what things would have been like if we had the boat when the kids were younger, you have that opportunity and I can say I wished I had made that decision too, but I didn't.

If you can swing it now I would.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Buy a boat that best meets the needs of what you do most frequently. I wouldn't buy a boat in the anticipation of having kids. I absolutely would't buy a boat for my friends. It's time to either get your friends into boating, or find friends that boat already.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

I have a 22' cuddy, 5.7 magnum with 300 horse power, 65 mph. Just my wife and I. We don't go 65 very often, but when I'm doing 35 and decide to do 65, I can. We boat alone, overnight, half the time. We bring 1 other couple half the time, they stay in a tent if it's a weekend trip to the ocean. My buddy and I fish off the swim platform, the ladies tan on the front bow. Not the best situation, but it works. Boat is small enough to trailer where ever I want, big enough for 4 adults, no kids, no dogs. We've had it almost a year, I already want a 24' cuddy, but this boat, even at 14 years old, runs so good, I'll keep it. If I had the $$$, I'd have a 30+ footer docked at the ocean and I'd go off shore way more, but that would require way more $$$ than a high school teacher will ever make.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

I realize your talking about the fancy stuff but I regretted the "good deal" first trip out. Just a little 12' alum fish boat. I'm looking for 16' already. With a steering wheel. The tiller gets old after a few hours.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Quit bringing so many people and you will be fine. LOL

Kinda sounds like the boat with a 4.3 and that much weight is just at its max.
and I bet the wife appreciates the cuddy, mine sure does.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Yeah I got to tell you the more its just me and my wife the more I like it....


Probably should stop there LOLOL

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

As to replacing a boat, a friend said his grandfather told him, a monkey doesn't let go of one branch until he has his hand on another.

Don't sell your boat until you've bought the next one. If you sell #1 now planning to get #2 later, something will come up, again and again, and you won't get #2--at least not for a lot longer than you planned. Don't even sell in the fall to replace in the spring to avoid winter storage. It doesn't work in your favor!

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

I had the best push for an upgrade. Wife says she wasn't happy with the 21'. She wanted a full head with shower, a galley, and A/C for her and the kids when appropriate. I asked her if that was her official OK to get a bigger boat, and she said "get what will make everyone happy".

So, 5 months later, we're taking a 37' (40 LOA) home with room for 16 adults, sleeps 7, full galley, full head with shower, 2 flat screen TV's, microwave, etc.

If momma's happy, everyone's happy.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Taking a 37' boat home? Can you tow a boat that large or do you usually keep in a slip? I assume this is also a boat that you use offshore?

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

shrew said:

I absolutely would't buy a boat for my friends. It's time to either get your friends into boating, or find friends that boat already.

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^^^^^Bingo!

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

hostage said:

(do you really boat if you have infants?)

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Yes! I bought my first boat after the kids were born. Actually I started with a PWC to get my license and get on the water. The kids were too small to safely bring out at that time. So I suggested / convinced my wife that it was time to get a boat that everyone can enjoy!

I have 2 kids and they just love going on the bowrider. One was under a year old and the other was 3 at the time. They will be 6 and 3 in a few weeks. My son constantly asks ... "When are we going out on the boat!"

We keep it at a marina close to the house. It is less of a hassle when we can just bring 2 cars down to the marina or I go down first and get the covers off and have it set up for the rest of the family to arrive. Same for closing it up at the end of the day.

I've been wanting a cuddy myself, but we sometime have 8 of us going out on it. 4 adults and 4 kids. I can't seem to find any cuddy that will accommodate 8 people comfortably. I think the next boat will be a deck boat.

Mike

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Hostage, An I/O motor in a 19 footer makes it a bit cramped, as you have found out. Have you considered a 21' bow rider with an outboard motor? It will have a lot more space and be no heavier than your current machine.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

laserbrn said:

Taking a 37' boat home? Can you tow a boat that large or do you usually keep in a slip? I assume this is also a boat that you use offshore?

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No...certainly no trailering it. It is the boat in my avatar, so you can see it stays in a slip at the marina. I'm on a freshwater lake/river in Central Florida.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Home Cookin' said:

As to replacing a boat, a friend said his grandfather told him, a monkey doesn't let go of one branch until he has his hand on another.

Don't sell your boat until you've bought the next one. If you sell #1 now planning to get #2 later, something will come up, again and again, and you won't get #2--at least not for a lot longer than you planned. Don't even sell in the fall to replace in the spring to avoid winter storage. It doesn't work in your favor!

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I like that logic. I almost pulled that one dealing with a fleabay auction. Kinda glad it did'nt sell...I'da been boatless.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

If you're thinking of having kids within the next couple years, consider just hanging onto your current boat. You'll just be extra irritated looking out at a shiny newer big boat that you can't use. :facepalm: My reality is (and this certainly isn't everyone's) infant doesn't go on the boat, so wife doesn't go on the boat, so boat doesn't get used.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

I wonder if I should do more of a "side-step" and get a deck boat. A deep-V is faster and handles better in rough water. Though the fiance kicks in way before weather or the governor. I am also seeing that deckboats can have more weight capacity and since they have a broader bow it can fit more people. With this in mind I can stay in my current length and it might be small enough for me to tow to other lakes, which I enjoy doing.

Re: When did you realize you needed to upgrade?

Keep the boat you have. When your needs have changed, change the boat. You might want a deck boat, you might want a V-drive wakeboat, you might want a go-fast bowrider. You won't know until you've had the kids what your lifestyle is going to be like.
My reality was the the infants went with my wife and I in the boat. It's the wife's favorite place when at the lake so that decision was easy.