Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

Yeah you can hook it up to a battery preferably not the starting battery though. You can install a two battery system with a switch so if you kill the battery you just flip the switch and start the motor.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

for sure take a boater safety class.

i can't help ya with the cuddys. never had one.

agree w/ others. bow riders are the way to go for water sports.

consider an Aristocraft Nineteen, if ya can find one.
i use my boat similar to what your describing. i can pull skiers, fish, sun tan or be out of the elements if i want.
you talk about hanging on the lake and just vegitateing, watching tv and snoozing on board. what's cool about an aristocraft boat. lots.
by design, they don't have stringers that rot. they are a mostly fiberglass boat. they do have a lot of foam in them which makes them unsinkable. the down side to this design is that the foam can get wet and need to be replaced. which i understand is easier to do than replace stringers. never done it yet, but that's what i understand.
these boats are closed bow boats. which i agree, may be useful for you. i'm thinking ya might get out on lewis and clark lake (a great place to go btw). which can get pretty big for waves. closed bow is generally safer in large seas. like can't scoop up a wave and fill your boat with water. along w/ being closed bow, they genearlly have a hardtop on them. this is the plus for your camping out idea. which i have done a lot myself. the hardtop slides for and aft. when slid fwd. the hardtop mates to the windshield. it has side windows. there is an aft curtain available that makes the boat fully enclosed. i over night on my nineteen. the seats are back to back that fold out into beds. i go out is cooler weather than most since i can be full enclosed. i boat in rain have even been hailed on. all to no avail from mother nature. i'm fully enclosed, nice and toasty warm inside.
ya can ski with them. ya can sun tan on them. ya can fish on them. ya can tube with them. the tube can be stored on the top of the hardtop w/ bungee cords.
down side might be. it's only a six person rated boat. i find two perfect. me and my sweety.
check out the aristocraft web site. look at the fiberglass brochures. look at the nineteens. there were only three models of fiberglass boats by aristocraft. funliner first, then eighteen (transition boat only made for a couple years) then the nineteen which was made for 10 years prior to them closing the doors in 1980.

ya can research these boats on iboats AristoCraft forum. or there website. a site mash of aristocrafts for sale. bummer not a lot available right now.

these are unique boats that may fit your needs as ya describe them.. if ya want pics i got a few if ya ask.

these boats i'd just call them closed bow. w/slideing hardtop. kinda a cuddy. but not really.
i've found these boats to be very sea worthy also.

edit, funny side note. i got my boat in rapid city, sd.

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

Well to answer the question of if I think I will use it enough, Yes, I think I will. and I have a few clever ideas of ways to get a tube tied onto the top of the front of the enclosed bow (at least until we start tubing) and I am not to worried about room for watersports if it means I can happily camp out in the middle of the lake w/ a small t.v. and have not a care in the world And I just say 5 or so passengers because I want to have the power to move them and enough room if I ever get that many friends/open family with open schedules. Honestly I'm predicting more like 2 or 3 Including me Everytime we go out. but Just in case I get more people then I predict I wanna have some room and such. and during the day, using the cuddy as storage doesn't bother me as long as I can plop down and take a relaxing nap after its cleaned out. (skis, wakeboards, kneeboards)

You can tie down a tube to the enclosed area over the bow, if you don't plan on driving the boat. The tube will block your line of sight if you try to operate the boat. It's better to tie them off on the back sun deck. Trust me on this. LOL. Like I said earlier in this thread, you never use the cuddy as much as you think you will. I'm sure some folks use them quite a bit but most people who have them just use them for storage. It's where I keep all the extra life jackets, cooler and other gear. You will get tired of moving gear to access the cuddy area if you do plan on getting in there. You may use it more than most folks do though.

I went and looked at new boats last year. I talked to the guy who owned the dealership and asked him why he didn't have any cuddies in stock. He told me he hardly ever sold one and just quit stocking any although he could order me one if I wanted it. I'm on my second cuddy and like I said, they work ok for me and my needs. They do not work for everyone. The next boat I buy (done discussed this with the admiral LOL) will be an open bow.

As far as Bayliners go, they were an entry level boat. They had some quality issues that were eventually cleared up. They can be in good shape, it just depends on how well taken care of the were by their previous owners. Any boat you look at, Bayliner or otherwise, needs to be gone over with a fine tooth comb and checked for rot. There are all kinds of threads on this site telling you what to look for.

You asked about I/O drives versus outboards. That's a whole nother can of worms on here. Good way to start a looooooong debate. LOL. It's all about personal preferance. OB's are simpler to work on and maintain according to some. I've only had one so I can't really comment on them very much. I/O's are more similar to an automotive engine but make no mistake, there are many differences. Any part you put on an I/O needs to be marine rated. The engine in a boat will see much more sever service than an auto engine. It all comes down to personal preferance. Some guys like OB's and some like I/O's. Either can be great if they are maintained properly. Good luck, sorry to be so long winded.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I've only ever had outboards myself but the thing I like about them is you get more space inside the boat which is nice when you have a smaller boat to begin with.

 

[MCNPathfinder]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I'm just going to throw this out there as I am in your similar situation. I didn't go ahead ane read EVERYTHING because I was super excited to post here. I'm 23 and have a 22' cuddy. I LOVE this thing, and while it's not in the best shape, so does everyone who rides on it. I pull it with an '01 Pathfinder, and it's probably not the right vehicle for it. Perhaps you make a lot more money than me and money isn't a problem, but these things use A LOT of gas. My truck goes from getting 15MPG around town to getting 8MPG when I pull my boat to the lake. My cuddy has a built 305 V8 that can't get more than 1 mile to 2 or 3 gallons (no, I didn't make a mistake, I meant what I said). Girls will NEVER help pay for gas, and your buddies might every once in a while. LOL! What I'm getting at is it takes a lot to get these things going. Boat repairs are pricey no matter what boat you have. I didn't think I'd ever have a boat this big, but a friend of mine was getting rid of it, and my 14' runabout quit working at about the same time, so I figured what the heck. Just be prepared to spend a decent amount of money to fix it up to the way you want, money for gas, and upgrading trailer/tow vehicle. Otherwise, just have fun, make sure you know what you want, don't compromise. If the cuddy is the boat for you, then go for it. I must say, it's a pretty sweet feeling pulling up to the boat launch with this MASSIVE boat compared to the others. LOL! I live a pretty low profile life, so every once in a while it's nice to turn some heads.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

P.S. I'm not worried about a stereo as I'm good at wiring and have lots of friends who have spare speakers, amps, cd players, blah blah. That isn't a big deal.

It is a big deal if they're not marine rated. My buddy pulled the system out of his truck and put it in his cuddy and it was shot in a season. Head unit, amp, subs, even the bandpass box...everything irrepairable even though it was in the cabin and stored in a shed. Corrosion is a b****.

So everyone is basically saying that if I end up getting a loan for 5000 I should truly only spend $4000 to leave a 1000 for silly things? That is smart and what I was thinking about doing anyway but is $1000 the lucky number or should I have more or less?

Not for silly things but for boat registration, boat title work, trailer registration, boat insurance (yes, insurance), fresh flares, extinguisher, lines, PFDs and the few things that will inevitably be wrong. Usually boating safety classes are free and whether required by law or not it's a really, really good idea to take one.

I just became a boat owner last year and even with my 16' outboard Starcraft Super Sport it took almost 300 bucks to get SAFELY on the water....and it was mechanically and structurally sound. The cost was entirely the things I listed above.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I think 1000 is a pretty safe number as long as the boat is in pretty good condition to start with.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I think 1000 is a pretty safe number as long as the boat is in pretty good condition to start with.

Use the leftover cash for a nice, new cooler (something of reasonable quality that doesn't rhyme with "goo" or "pan"), sodas ('cause you're 20 ), and fuel. Lots and lots of fuel. Oh yeah, it costs 3 bucks to launch your boat here or 30 for the year (worth it to me). New swimming trunks and nice towels, sunglasses (with a floating strap), waterproof, floating case/container for your cell phone,

 

[erwinner]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I don't know why you haven't mentioned it, halfmoa, but Starcraft has had a few cabin boats from 18'-26' in their day.
And mostly aluminum, which gets you out of most of the rotten wood problem you tend to find in boats in the under $5000 category.
I know my transom and floor needs to be replaced in my Chieftain, but only the transom is necessary to get me on the water. I know the stringers under the deck aren't rotten, compromising the integrity of the boat. (they're aluminum, too)
They might not have quite the look of a 25' Baja or one of those boats that the overtanned guy with the Hummer (at least at my lake...) have, but my GF loves the size of the cabin (and the opening windows) on my Chieftain, and hated the idea of a cramped little cuddy that ends up being an oven.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

It is a big deal if they're not marine rated. My buddy pulled the system out of his truck and put it in his cuddy and it was shot in a season. Head unit, amp, subs, even the bandpass box...everything irrepairable even though it was in the cabin and stored in a shed. Corrosion is a b****.

How did he store it? Was he on the ocean?

I've used both a mix of car audio as well as marine rated stuff for a LONG time. Never once had any issues with corrosion. If you buy a halfway decent car audio speaker, it will be identical (or better) than a marine rated. Amps can go either way, they are usually not potted and are identical to car audio amps, with different cases and higher price tags. Head units are the one component I would recommend you go marine. The face plates are different, and have sealed membrane buttons for light splashes. Components MAY be potted also, but not always.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

fwiw, i've got auto stereo in my boat.
panasonic.. 6.5'' speakers where the cone is plastic of some kind. i shouldn't even blow my on horn for fear it won't last, but my cd player is auto also. it ingesterd water right down the cd hole (the cd ejected and water flowed right down the cd into the cd player) a few years back. took a wave over the bow. totally didn't work for a week, no display. well, i've lost a few botton functions but not the main ones + it's got display. still jammin... totally amazing but true. heck it was in a saturn before i got as a gift from a friend who got out of saturns.. this is it's 5th year of service in a boat... my boat is a trailer boat in fresh water.. to bad panasonic ain't around no more i don't think for auto/boat stereos...

 

[The-MX5-Miata]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

...but these things use A LOT of gas. My truck goes from getting 15MPG around town to getting 8MPG when I pull my boat to the lake. My cuddy has a built 305 V8 that can't get more than 1 mile to 2 or 3 gallons (no, I didn't make a mistake, I meant what I said). Girls will NEVER help pay for gas, and your buddies might every once in a while. LOL! What I'm getting at is it takes a lot to get these things going. Boat repairs are pricey no matter what boat you have.

Alright, I know either way I'm going to get raped filling this and the truck up at the pump. Day-to-day I drive a Miata and an Accord so anything less than 28mpg is atrocious in my view. That is why most days the truck is parked anyway, I cannot stand to watch the gauge go down just driving to work. It makes me cringe. But with purpose, like a fun weekend with family, friends, fishing, and some peace and quiet. I'm willing to sacrifice a $150 dollars to put into the boat and $70 full tank in the truck. I'm alright with that. I also understand that boat repairs are retarded pricey, but I do have somewhat of a solution. Just like any car repair, you bring it to the dealership its quadruple the price compared to at-home-inyourdriveway type of fix. I am living with a full time mechanic so I'm sure he can help me out a bit, he owes me anyway. Plus he always like to learn how to work on new things. Parts are still expensive for silly things I get that. I'm willing to sacrifice a little money for my boat fever . Ok now real question about MPG

IS it worth saving the mpg with a smaller/better efficient motor? OR
Would it be more applicable to use a hungry V-8 that had all the power I wanted?

My biggest dilemma with a smaller motor is I am worried I will not have enough power to ski or tube multiple persons. I like the idea of smaller motor=less cylinders which may in turn mean less to break. Also better MPG. On the contrast, V8 sometimes may be quieter, not as high-reving, have plenty of power but on the down, get atrocious MPG and more moving parts.

Alright, moving on......

One more thought, if you are going to be doing water sports a swim platform becomes all but mandatory. Yeah you can hand ladders and such off the transom but compared to a full swim platform, well there is no comparison, especially for the ladies.

Ok, two more thoughts. The "other" thing to avoid is any boat with the Mercury 470 engine. (4 cyl. 170 HP)

Many of the boats I have looked at so far do have a small platform and I have heard that it is a big help in sporting -
and Thanks for the update on the 470 motor - have heard lots and lots of bad about it so def. gonna try to stay away.

It is a big deal if they're not marine rated. My buddy pulled the system out of his truck and put it in his cuddy and it was shot in a season. Head unit, amp, subs, even the bandpass box...everything irrepairable even though it was in the cabin and stored in a shed. Corrosion is a b****.

Aside from any or all marine rated stuff. I have so much extra stuff and friends got stuff, if something gets wet or fries out, I'm not to worried about it. In the end I'm sure I'll have the whole sha-bam of audio Marine rated stuff. Wakeboard tower w/ speakers, amps to the wazoo, and a nice deck w/ ipod control blah blah all Marine rated some day. I just want some tunes even from junky stuff for now, later I can upgrade the right way.

Not for silly things but for boat registration, boat title work, trailer registration, boat insurance (yes, insurance), fresh flares, extinguisher, lines, PFDs and the few things that will inevitably be wrong. Usually boating safety classes are free and whether required by law or not it's a really, really good idea to take one.

I just became a boat owner last year and even with my 16' outboard Starcraft Super Sport it took almost 300 bucks to get SAFELY on the water....

This is alright to me, I'm ready for registration, insurance, and title work. That is a natural with buying anything nowadays. And I'm looking into different classes and such but they all seem to want some money. I haven't found a free one yet and as far as I know, one is not needed in SD. I am interested though because there may be a break in my insurance if I have some certificate saying I took Boaters Ed - The rest of the stuff I'm looking into at auctions, online, or to come with the boat. I'm prepared to whip out a pretty penny for stuff like Tubes, Lifevests, Wakeboard, Kneeboard, Skis, ropes, even a fishing pole, fishing license bait, cooler, snacks, w/e, That all cost money. I know. I'm willing to go broke for a few weeks as long as I can finally have my own bungalow on the water

New swimming trunks and nice towels, sunglasses (with a floating strap), waterproof, floating case/container for your cell phone,

I'm looking into all of this stuff now, Ebay, Amazon, - and soon buying a Waterproof phone so no worries there.

And It was mentioned earlier that I might make lots of money and thats not the case. I make just a bit over minimum wage, I just know how to save my money and spend it on the things that are important to me. (boats, cars, phones, anything) Save, Save, Save, and you get the things you want is what I'm learning.

Sorry for the long post, i was gone all day and had to catch up to all of you.

Thanks for all the answers and support.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I have a regular car stereo in my boat. I did pop the $15 for a waterproof mount with a flip up cover. Seems to work just fine.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

Been sorta watching this thread and decided to speak up. Home Cookin' hit on what's been bothering me too, back in post #5. The OP is looking for too much boat with WAY too little money, and all of it borrowed!

Lower your sights, save some cash, or do a combination of the two. Friend, you're gonna be in over your head financially in no time.

My .02

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I don't agree at all about the swim platform comment. For one thing, that limits you to an I/O. Get an OB and I guaranty none of your young friends will complain, or know the difference. If they whine, keel haul them.

Boats are all about trade-off's. Each positive feature has a negative. Like a submarine captain told me, they do everything in pairs, and think about it first. If you dive, you have to be able to surface.

You are clearly focused on the toys. Forget it, unless you like listening to the stereo in the driveway and sitting in the tube in the sun in the yard. What you are doing is no different than those who buy a beat-up old car for its sound system. How do I know? You are discussing "mileage." You don't select boats for "mileage." They are inefficient gas burners and that's it--same as buying a real 4WD vehicle.

You mentioned that you don't make a lot, but you are good at saving--that means you are smart with your resources. Be smart here. A recreational boat is nothing but a luxury. Get a good solid operating boat for a purchase price of 80% of your budget. It has to be turn-key as far as the hull/controls/motor/trailer goes. Then you can do the rest paycheck to paycheck. A good stereo in an unreliable boat is just a waste.

 

[Slide]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

What you are looking for sounds like my Maxum. She is a 2300SC (23') cuddy cabin with the 350 and an Alpha outdrive. Maybe a little bigger than what you want (she is a BIG FAT girl) but otherwise it fulfills the rest of your requirements. When we bought her, she was in phenomenal shape, mechanically sound, very clean, no rot, with a mooring cover and a very nice dual axle trailer - we paid $12.5k and the boat NADAs for $14k.

You might happen across a gem in a lower price range, but my advice would be to look in a little higher price range. You can get a lot more boat (and a lot less headaches) by opening up the wallet a little more initially. After all, that hole in the water is going to take your cash one way or the other.

 

[MCNPathfinder]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

It sounds like you've got the right attitude about it. Willing to sacrifice for your hobby. That's how I look at it too. I don't mind dropping some money on doing something I love. I have a V8, and I have a friend (same who I bought the boat from) that has a little larger cuddy with an outboard. He says it's pretty loud on a boat like that. I'd say you're going big on the boat, might as well go big on the engine. Go big or go home. LOL!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

for $5,000, rigged, registered and ready?

 

[Steve Mahler]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

I am a multi bayliner owner, had fine track record. They are lightly built, like many other lower priced brands. Of the three, that bayliner cuddy with the excellen 4.3 V6 is by far the best. The older bayliners with force/chrysler outboards should be avoided.

However, 4 adults in that 19' cuddy will be tight, the cockpit is very small. Keep looking, hopefully you can find a mercruiser powered 21 or 22 foot in equally clean shape.

 

[The-MX5-Miata]

Re: Newbie w/ Boat Fever - Looking into Cuddy Cabin's

...You are clearly focused on the toys. Forget it, unless you like listening to the stereo in the driveway and sitting in the tube in the sun in the yard. What you are doing is no different than those who buy a beat-up old car for its sound system. How do I know? You are discussing "mileage." You don't select boats for "mileage." They are inefficient gas burners and that's it--same as buying a real 4WD vehicle.

You mentioned that you don't make a lot, but you are good at saving--that means you are smart with your resources. Be smart here. A recreational boat is nothing but a luxury. Get a good solid operating boat for a purchase price of 80% of your budget. It has to be turn-key as far as the hull/controls/motor/trailer goes. Then you can do the rest paycheck to paycheck. A good stereo in an unreliable boat is just a waste.

I am not focused on a stereo or the mileage completely. I know I'm going to get raped at the pump even if I get a better efficient motor. I just know that some motors will get better than others, sacrificing power and whatnot. I honestly just wanted opinions to see if it was better to get a V8 that sucks an excessive amount that has more than enough power or get a smaller motor that gets a bit better "mileage.?" I know I'm going to get raped consistently at the pump either way I go.

On the stereo...

Even if it sits in my broken boat in the driveway, again its not a big deal. Half the junk is sitting in my garage or friends' garages anyway. I am focused on a better running then all the silly goodies. I AM trying to just get something that runs out good, with the fewest problems from the get-go.

The OP is looking for too much boat with WAY too little money, and all of it borrowed!

I really do appreciate all the hits i'm getting with this topic but I will defend that although I may be a kid, I may make mistakes, I'm not perfect. In reality though, If I want a boat for 5K or less..... EVEN if I am getting a bank loan, (who said I was anyway) that still keeps my payments under $200 monthly just to own a boat. Look, none of this matters, all I'm trying to say is just like a few people close to me, I know I will run into those financial suck guru's. (Don't buy it if you don't need it - don't you think you should just save some of that money - don't spend as much - what if something goes wrong - blah blah) And I totally respect your p.o.v. - but I know where half of those conversations are going. Don't buy it man, you are to young. Just wait, blah. I am willing to save up my paychecks to buy something that is potentially going to set me back a few dollars, potentially break sometime, and be expensive just to drive anyway. I'm still a kid, I am very serious about my toys. Anything else doesn't matter, but If i want it and I'm gonna save up for it, I'm gonna get what I want. If I end up going bankrupt, that is alright, at least it would have been a learning experience.

As for spending more>? Slide said maybe I should open up the wallet a bit more? I would love to but I know my safeguard and that is 5K or under. Plus it is a starter boat so I don't really wanna spend 15k on one anyway. I couldn't agree more though, You definitely can get some pretty boats if you get up there.

It sounds like you've got the right attitude about it. Willing to sacrifice for your hobby. That's how I look at it too. I don't mind dropping some money on doing something I love.... I'd say you're going big on the boat, might as well go big on the engine. Go big or go home. LOL!

Ahaha I like this guy.

Keep the posts coming, thanks for all the different opinions, ideas, and some support. Much Appreciated Folks