looking to buy hurricane or simular boat

[carlton98]

I just started looking for a boat for my family. Looking to pick up a nice used boat and I really like the outboard option on the hurricane boats. Only problem there almost none in my state so finding one will be a trick. What are the othe types of boats to look for? I want a deck boat, not a ranger bass boat. I also would want a yahama out board. I will not fish much, but a little, mainly used for cruising lakes and towing a tube or something behind it. Thanks for the advise

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: looking to buy hurricane or simular boat

Carlton98, first welcome to iboats

I can't help you find the boat you're looking for but will give you some general rules and information I've used. As a two time Hurricane boat owner, I'm pleased with the boat they build and the value.

Some things to consider. First, if your looking to cruise, tube, watersports, and a little fishing you want the most versatile boat on the market. That to me, is the deck boat. It gives you plenty of room and ability to do what you've done. I have a trolling motor and fishing seat on my Hurricane SS 188 and with its built in livewell, fits the fishing requirement.

It also comes with a ski pole, so wakeboarding, waterskiing and kneeboarding are covered. I then purchased a tube and self centering harness (only tow a tube from the low tow points on your boat, never from the ski pole). Tubing is covered.

My SS 188 is rated for 10 people. Now the key here is size your family. If by example you're a family of 4, and you like to invite another family of similar size, go for a minimum of 8 passenger for size. And, don't fall into the trap of my kids are 3 and 4 and don't take up much space. They'll quickly grow, and so will their friends you'll be dragging along too so count them as real people.

Lastly, check the maximum HP rating for the boat you're looking at. Never buy a boat/motor package that is less than 75% of the max rating if you want to do watersports or fill the boat with people. Will it still work, yes. Will it work hard, absolutely. So if its rated with a max HP of 200, look for a 150HP outboard minimum. Remember, extra HP on the engine will allow you to do things (cruise for example) at a lower RPM which reduces fuel consumption. (My new boat is 2 ft longer, 1000lbs heavier, and I have 200HP vs the 115HP on my old one) Fuel savings for me were more than 25%. Its not like your car.

As for a Yamaha outboard, don't exclude the other main manufacturers. Yahama, Evinrude and Mercury all build good, reliable engines and any choices are certainly personal. Just avoid older manufacturers that may be gone nowadays (like a Force Outboard) as the parts to repair are only available in the used aftermarket.

Enjoy your shopping and come back and let us know what you've found and picked.

 

[Ernest T]

Re: looking to buy hurricane or simular boat

+1 on everything NelsonQ covered...........very good advice for looking at a boat. I agree that the Hurricane boats are the true SUV of the boating world. You can do just about every boating activity off of one (fishing, towing tubes, skiing, wake-boarding, just cruising around). They make great small to medium sized lake boats.

Most of the Hurricane models share the same hull design, so when you shop you are basically just looking at the deck layout. If you plan to use the boat in rough waters or occasional off shore use, then you might want to look at the models that have a model number that ends in "0" since those boats have a deeper "V" shaped hull that will work better in those conditions. However, the Hurricane boats are primarily designed as a lake boat, so if you are looking for something to use in the ocean, I'd look at other brands.

One thing I discovered is that Hurricane owners are loyal. Finding a used boat is difficult. I shopped for a very long time looking for used boats, but could not find one at a reasonable price, and ended up buying new.

I echo NelsonQ's advice. Get the biggest boat and engine you can afford. You will find that you make many new friends in addition to the old ones once you own a boat, and they will all be ready to go for a ride.

If you are looking for a deck boat, about the only other manufacturer that I've seen that I really like is the Cobalt deck boats. Not as much deck space as the Hurricanes, but extremely good quality...........also considerably more expensive.