opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

[ak23]

theres so many and so confused - prices all over the place -looking to get a mid 90's 29 sun dancer type - so far seen regal, larson, sea ray, cruiser,maxim , chapparel. Sea ray is obviously the most recognized - is there any i should stay away from - any u recommend being the best buy for the $? can u rate them by quality - i saw a byliner that looked great then someone laughed and said its the cheapest boat made?

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

Are you looking specifically for an aft cabin, or just a cruiser in general? Sometimes people call express cruisers "aft cabins" and vice versa, so be sure what you are asking for. Also, it helps to know your price range and what you intend to use the boat for 90% of the time (# of people, type of activities, body of water you're on, etc).

 

[ak23]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

I definetly want 2 beds, Its for a family of 4 and sometimes 5

Are you looking specifically for an aft cabin, or just a cruiser in general? Sometimes people call express cruisers "aft cabins" and vice versa, so be sure what you are asking for. Also, it helps to know your price range and what you intend to use the boat for 90% of the time (# of people, type of activities, body of water you're on, etc).

 

[JoLin]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

I definetly want 2 beds, Its for a family of 4 and sometimes 5

Rating by quality when the boat was new won't help all that much after nearly 20 years. I've seen Cruisers Yachts (high end brand) boats that that the owners have turned into junk, and Bayliners (entry level brand) that are in great shape. IMO, you need to look at several and start getting a feel for layout and interior sleeping accommodations. As similar as most of these boats are, there are important differences depending on what's important to you.

When I bought my Four Winns, it was nearly a coin toss between it and a 1995 Larson 280 Cabrio. The Cabrio was targeted for day trippers, with a very nice cockpit for lounging and minimal functionality for overnights and weekends, unless you stayed almost exclusively at marinas with water and electric available.

My Vista was much better equipped and laid out for weekends on the hook (more fresh water and holding tank capacity, alcohol/electric stove, comfortable dinette area)... but the cockpit layout leaves a lot to be desired for day trips with friends.

My .02

 

[rbh]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

IMHO, if your looking for comfort and space for 4-5 people you need to get a boat with a wide beam and a good camper top, because when the weather gets miserable people like to get in to an area thats dry and warm.

Front bearth, rear bearth, dinette folds into a bearth or go sleep under the camper top.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

Well, if he's looking at 29'ers, you won't find any with less than 9' beam that I know of, most with 10' or better. You don't necessarily need an aft cabin if you are looking for sleeping 4-5 people. You are probably in a good size range to make it happen, but it's going to be cramped with 5 adults. Most boats in that size range will have the V-berth which sleeps 2, a dinette that turns into a bed for 1, and a rear settee/berth that will sleep 2. There's typically not much "living area" on the express cruisers in that length, unless you go to more of a "sedan" or flybridge-style boat. If the 2/3 of the 5 are children, you'll be fine with the express cruiser/aft cabin style setup, but if they are older teens or adults, it will get crowded pretty quick.

Since there may be kids involved, are there going to be any water sports (skiing,tubing)? The express cruisers will have an easier time with that than a traditional aft cabin or sedan cruiser.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

When I owned a 29' express we found that once the sun dropped and the bugs came out we went down below. It was very cramped sitting in the dinette. This was one of the major reasons I now have a 34' flybridge boat. Once we head in, we recline on the sofa and if need be watch tv or play games/read.

As far as the best, quality wise you may find some areas of some boats better but care will play a large role in the boats overall appearance and "quality".

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

I looked at a lot of boats in the 25 - 26' range and Sundancer by far has the best layout in the cockpit - Basically they were pretty much the same in the cabin but I feel that Sea Ray had it right with the layout up top - Other makes waste a lot of space & seating.

I LOVE the layout on my 250 Sundancer

LK

 

[JoLin]

Re: opinion - best 29 ' aft cabin out there - mid 90's

I looked at a lot of boats in the 25 - 26' range and Sundancer by far has the best layout in the cockpit - Basically they were pretty much the same in the cabin but I fee that Sea Ray had it right with the layout up top - Other makes waste a lot of space & seating.

Once you get into the OP's 29' express cruiser class, with beams ranging from 9.5' to 10.5', cockpit and cabin accommodations start to differ more among manufacturers. There's simply more room for them to work with, so more opportunity to put a different spin on the layout.

My cabin is just as roomy, and better equipped for 'camping' than a 1999 29' Sundancer (I've been aboard), but I'd love to have their 'cocktail lounge' cockpit. Thing is, no boat has everything, so you need to view a bunch of them.

My .02