23-24 foot vs 26-28 foot pros and cons?

[timharper89]

Upgrading from a 1987 sundowner 195 Cuddy with a 4.3 merc and 20° dead rise at the transom. Initially we were looking at something like the rinker captiva 232 or sundowner 225 (in the year 2000 range) with the wrap around seating. We went and looked at a crownline 266 ccr, and I really liked the size bring in it. Or current usage is mostly lake Michigan in less than 2 foot chop. After that, the ride gets pretty rough. We go out and swim around, do some water sports (skis, tubes, wakeboard), scuba diving and a couple times a year have a large group in the boat (6-8 adults and 2 kids). That last bit is where we really struggle with our current boat, and we've been out a few times diving when the waves turned out much worse than forecasted, and probably shouldn't have been out in our boat. So looking at these boat sizes, is there a significant difference in these options? The rinker, though we really liked the layout, I wondered about the transom shape that was flat on the bottom of the angle (not v shaped, but more like a trapezoid). I also saw a 272 captiva for sale.
It should be noted we currently trailer and plan to continue to do so. I have an suv equipped for 8900lbs towing capacity and probably won't be upgrading that just to tow the boat. What are the pros and cons of the few extra feet? I know the saying goes "buy as much boat as you can afford" but I don't want to go so big that boating becomes a hassle. Thoughts?

 

[Lou C]

Bigger is usually better as far as safety but if these bigger boats are twin I/Os with poor access they are a nightmare to self maintain. I’d take a 26 with a single big block with a wide open engine bay. Twins; can you even get at the inner spark plugs or even worse the starter on the port side engine?
Now twin outboards don’t have that problem it is more an issue of repower cost down the road

 

[timharper89]

Bigger is usually better as far as safety but if these bigger boats are twin I/Os with poor access they are a nightmare to self maintain. I’d take a 26 with a single big block with a wide open engine bay. Twins; can you even get at the inner spark plugs or even worse the starter on the port side engine?
Now twin outboards don’t have that problem it is more an issue of repower cost down the road

I always look in the engine compartment to see what a nightmare it will be to maintain. Looking at single engine, preferably with bravo 3 or duo prop. Any experience with the flattened bottom of the transom? What's the purpose/benefit of that?

 

[garbageguy]

We have a 24 (25) foot single screw w/350 and VP single-prop. This size is manageable, would consider a 26 foot, Searched a bit to find this one w more cockpit (outside) room than most others, especially the sea rays.

Not having seen any of the crafts you're looking at, the crown 266 might be the one. As you know, the great lakes are big.

 

[Scott Danforth]

bigger boats require bigger budgets
bigger boats require deeper launches
bigger boats require bigger tow vehicles

Bigger boats usually have twins so you will always get back to port
Bigger boats usually have a shower and the head
Bigger boats usually have more creature comforts for the admiral.

some bigger boats cant be towed without permits
some bigger boats cant go in shallow waters

Smaller boats can be used for water sports

I have been on lake Michigan thru deaths door down to Egg Harbor in 7 foot rollers in a 19 foot bow rider. not sure it would have been any less upholstery puckering in my current 26 foot. (as I made the same trip as well)

With that stated.

figure what you want in a boat, figure how you use the boat. then buy accordingly.

 

[timharper89]

figure what you want in a boat, figure how you use the boat. then buy accordingly.

I think that is our problem. We want a versatile boat that can do most things. More day cruising than overnights but more comfort if waves get 2-3 feet than we have now. More freedom less worried about the weather for things like diving. Leaning toward the 27 foot range Cuddy cabin, but if there is not a huge difference, I think I'd be just about as happy with a 24 footer.

How do you find out if your boat is too big for the launch without doing it the hard way?

 

[timharper89]

We have a 24 (25) foot single screw w/350 and VP single-prop. This size is manageable, would consider a 26 foot, Searched a bit to find this one w more cockpit (outside) room than most others, especially the sea rays.

Not having seen any of the crafts you're looking at, the crown 266 might be the one. As you know, the great lakes are big.

I really liked the crownline 266, by the layout of the 232 captiva was a bit better. Neither had a good place to store skis

 

[Chris1956]

26 footers with single 305/350 I/O power can be dogs. Cruising (actually getting on plane) means everyone forward, into the cabin until she planes, then everyone back to their previous positions. Watersports with them suck more.

Try to get one with a big block engine. They at least have more of the power you need.

 

[tpenfield]

I started at 24 feet and then went to 33 feet. I currently have my third power boat and it is also 33 feet. I/O powered . . . The 24 was single and the 33's are/were twin engines.

For rough water handling, you want to have a hull that is 22˚ . . . a 20˚ hull will be a bit too flat and 18˚ . . . forgetaboutit.

26 feet and 5,500+ lbs is about where you need twin engines. Maybe not so much for the power, but more for propellers in the water.

I launch my 33 foot boat and there is not all that much to it vs. the 24 footer.

Space-wise you will be better off with a bigger boat (obviously), but the layout matters as to what you like. Then there is feature and amenity considerations as well as brand and condition, since it sounds like you will be buying used.

As stated, the cost will tend to be higher with a bigger boat, particularly if you go with twin engines. In general, there is more stuff to break and larger boats usually have plumbing systems and other things that add to the list of things that can/will break.

I would not get a boat greater than 26 feet that has a single engine . . . they are dogs.

 

[timharper89]

26 footers with single 305/350 I/O power can be dogs. Cruising (actually getting on plane) means everyone forward, into the cabin until she planes, then everyone back to their previous positions. Watersports with them suck more.

Try to get one with a big block engine. They at least have more of the power you need.

I wondered about this and had read that dual propeller outdrives make them quite useable with a 5.7. I am still looking for a 7.4 preferably, especially on the bigger ones. Dual prop outdrive is necessary in my mind as well.

 

[timharper89]

I started at 24 feet and then went to 33 feet. I currently have my third power boat and it is also 33 feet. I/O powered . . . The 24 was single and the 33's are/were twin engines.

For rough water handling, you want to have a hull that is 22˚ . . . a 20˚ hull will be a bit too flat and 18˚ . . . forgetaboutit.

Problem is finding the dead rise angle without taking a protractor to the actual boat...also what about the transom shape at the bottom? The 232 has a flat spot on the bottom instead of a point. Not sure how that is going to affect the ride.

26 feet and 5,500+ lbs is about where you need twin engines. Maybe not so much for the power, but more for propellers in the water.

I had read that dual prop outdrives make them actually pleasant to drive with a 5.7 (minimum). Planing is quick with little bow rise. Do you have differing experiences with that?

I launch my 33 foot boat and there is not all that much to it vs. the 24 footer.

That's nice to know. My wife I think is now worried than I am. We unhook everything, back it in, and she holds on while I pull the trailer out.

Space-wise you will be better off with a bigger boat (obviously), but the layout matters as to what you like. Then there is feature and amenity considerations as well as brand and condition, since it sounds like you will be buying used.

As of now, we aren't high maintenance with fractures and amenities. Toilet is really all my wife wants, one that's not in plain sight all the time. The crownline we looked at, we maybe would have run with, but the toilet was not covered for some reason, and someone had hit something. The bottom of the transom had spider cracks, and the ss propeller had been changed.

As stated, the cost will tend to be higher with a bigger boat, particularly if you go with twin engines. In general, there is more stuff to break and larger boats usually have plumbing systems and other things that add to the list of things that can/will break.

I think that's why I'm sticking to 27. Bigger, but not so big it has a bunch of extra stuff to break . Also why I want a single engine.

I would not get a boat greater than 26 feet that has a single engine . . . they are dogs.

 

[tpenfield]

You should be able to Google boat specifications that give you the basic dimensions, weight, and deadrise at the transom (V-angle)

Bigger engines can be more fuel efficient than smaller engines, if they are a better match for the boat. If you have a smaller engine, it will require you to use most of the throttle and it will be running beyond its most efficient range of operation. By contrast the bigger engine will be running at a lower RPM and in its efficiency range. Dual props help, but it will not be a miracle cure for an undersized engine.

Boat companies have the smaller engines as 'standard' in order to meet a price-point, yet the boat really needs the bigger engine to have decent performance, particularly with a load of people and gear.

My 24 footer had a 7.4 engine (Bravo 1) and my 33 footer had twin 7.4L engines (Bravo 3's). My current boat has the 6.2L engines and it requires more throttle than I would like to come up on plane, burns lots of fuel.

Formula and Chaparral have some nice boats in the 26-27 foot range IMO.

 

[Chris1956]

Putting a dual prop outdrive on a too small engine for the boat, does not fix the problem. Dual props track straighter, but do not manufacture HP.

 

[Lou C]

Agreed the DP is nice for maneuvering and quicker time to plane but in a heavy boat you need torque and to me that means Chevrolet 454 power.

 

[Earl Cordova]

When we purchased our boat we wanted something around 22-23 feet long with a real head in it.
After a year of looking the shortest we could find was 26 feet.
Had to get a bigger tow vehicle and had to raise our carport so it would fit.
Previously we had a 1/2 ton truck and an 18' Seaswirl Cuddy Cabin.
The bigger boat is nice when the weather sucks, but otherwise I would have preferred one about 4 feet shorter.

 

[KD4UPL]

I have a Rinker Captiva 232 BR. It rides and handles very nice in my opinion. It has the Mag 350 with a B3. My previous boat was a Larson SEI 206 with a 210 HP 350 and an Alpha drive. The Rinker actually uses a bit less gas than the Larson did, probably because of the efficiency of the DP and the MPI.
We looked at larger boats up to about 25' but ended up with this one and I do like it but it's not too big by any stretch. We normally take our family of 5 out with another family of 4 to 6 so it's a boat full of people but only 4 adults and the rest kids. This one is big enough but I wouldn't mind a larger one. I would absolutely insist on a big block with anything larger.
I pull it with a 2500 Suburban and it does a fantastic job. I wouldn't hesitate to put a larger boat behind the Suburban. I've used it to tow 8,000 pounds before and it handled that great too.

 

[Stargazer1967]

In regards to the flat spot on transom, my 21 ft has something similar to what you described. Now this is just a guess, but it may act similar to the "pad" on bass boats, (kind of a simi pad) also could be there so prop moves in clean water. Either way I don't notice any ill effects from the design on my boat.