Performance boat handling

[jumpjets]

I have been window shopping for a new to me boat. I'm interested in something higher performance like a formula fastech, sun sport, Baja, etc in the 28 to 33 foot range. I have had 21 to 23 foot boats in the past that plane at 20mph, economic cruise at 30mph, and top out at 55mph.

My boss was telling me his cigarette planes at over 40mph, economically cruises at 60mph, and tops out at 80mph. Do all high performance boats have comparable speeds? I kinda thought all boats would plane at around 20 to 25mph. in the shallow coastal waters around NC, I feel like I'd be too gun shy to scream around at 40+ mph all the time.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Baja is not a real performance hull like Cigarette or Nortech. True performance boats have a performance thirst for fuel.

Yes, many performance boats go fast, however not really friendly for just putting along

 

[Chris1956]

I do not think your boss's comments are accurate. Fast boats can plane at slow speeds, but their hulls are designed for very high speed. A lot of those fast hulls are stepped to reduce drag. Accurate trimming of the hull and motor is necessary to achieve speed.

Fast boats often require you to trim the motor down for turns, so they do not roll over or ventilate. Horsepower requirements are nearly exponential as speed increases. I would be surprised if anyone described a cruise at 60MPH as economical, as the HP requirement is great.

In short, if you want speed, you will pay for it in engine size and fuel. You will also need to adjust the trim everytime you adjust the throttle or change direction. You will likely be the only one who has the experience to drive the boat, and the risk factor on such a boat is not trivial.

On the plus side, there is little like driving a fast boat on calm water. It is wonderful.....

 

[southkogs]

My boss was telling me his cigarette planes at over 40mph...

Not sure what to imply, but taking up to 40MPH to plane sounds off. Even if it's a bigger boat, displacing water at 35MPH sounds like a problem more than anything else.

 

[tpenfield]

I'm thinking that the boat will plane more in the low 20 mph range . . . The boss may have been referring to something else.

Formula would be a good bet, but there is also Fountain and Cigarette, depending on your budget. Maybe let us know more the range ($$$$$) that you are thinking for additional comments.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Cigarette and Fountain makes great boats. Reggie was instrumental in Baja's later development. Baja Marine is now the parent company for Baja, Fountain, Donzi, Pro-Line, and a few others after securing some cash in about 2013. Reggie and Baja parted ways a while back (yes there was controversy there)

other performance boats:

Nortech
Hustler
Donzi
Cigarette
Jaguar
Outer Limits
Phantom
Hydrolift
Spectre Power Boats
Ultra Custom
Magnum Marine


companies that make multiple type boats, performance, cruisers, fishing boats, etc
Formula
Checkmate
Intrepid
Wellcraft
E-ticket


Like Ted mentioned. what are you looking to spend?

 

[jumpjets]

I think I need to stay below $40K or my loan payment will be cumbersome. I'd also like something less than 20 years old. I haven't found an affordable cigarette yet, so I'm focusing on formula. My wife's favorite is the formula SS because of the seating arrangements. I like fastechs but she isn't a fan of the cramped cockpit.

I'm also looking at Rinkers. My last one was nice. They aren't really performance boats, but a properly powered rinker Captiva will touch 60mph and it's interior is similar to the formula SS. I plan on beaching alot at the outer banks, so 25ish MPhil plane speed and shallow water maneuverability are important. I love the idea of twin engines, but I think maintenance costs would be too high.

 

[Scott Danforth]

If your budget is just $40k, then scratch performance boats. The Merc racing motor and drive alone cost more than that.

 

[tpenfield]

Rinker and Formula are kind of opposite ends of the spectrum. If your budget is $40K, then you are looking at 15 year old boats, and you should be sure if you can get a loan on a boat that old.

Also the Sun Sports are not really in the performance class of boat. The ride will not be as smooth through the chop, etc. as the FasTec and similar boats.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Take a look at Kijiji Ontario. With the ridiculous price of fuel here and with the luxury economy crashing you can get a lot of boat for 40K USD which is around $50,000.00 CDN. Getting the boat across the border is not a problem with the proper paper work. It has been well worth the shipping costs for some.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

A bit of unsolicited advice. You never borrow money to buy a toy. Maybe use the equity you may have accrued in property or investments to get a low interest loan against it but never borrow at prime for a old Go Fast boat, never. Yes I am becoming my Father. The older I get the smarter he gets.

 

[alldodge]

My Rinker 232 does 60mph with a single 454 and Bravo 1. The issue your running into is your 232 with a 5.7, there is not enough HP/torque.

Agree don't take a loan for a toy unless you can deduct some of it off the taxes. I wrote my Riker off as a 2nd home many h\years ago until I paid it off.

Rinker is not in same league as the true go fast boats, nor is the expense of keeping the motors refreshed. Note: a 525 needs to have the heads refreshed every 250 to 300 hours. The Baja is a Rinker with a fancy design package, not a true go fast (IMO).

Do believe the true go fast needs more speed to get on true plane because they a skinny and long, and most the weight is in the rear. While 40mph is stretching it a bit, depending on the boat, the faster speed may be needed to reach optimum fuel economy

 

[jumpjets]

All dodge,

You have the exact boat I want. An affordable middle class man's boat, with an unusually high top speed.

Appreciate the fiscal advice. I think I'll throttle back my price point a bit and buy something I can afford to purchase and maintain. Plus, since I'm going to be island hopping, I probably should buy something I don't mind tearing up a bit. I'd feel pretty dumb if I beached a formula fastech, then scratched the gel coat and dinged up both props.

 

[jkust]

A bit of unsolicited advice. You never borrow money to buy a toy. Maybe use the equity you may have accrued in property or investments to get a low interest loan against it but never borrow at prime for a old Go Fast boat, never. Yes I am becoming my Father. The older I get the smarter he gets.

While I agree here on the money borrowing, a huge number of people don't have actual dollar bills to spend and rely on credit to fund their lifestyle...right, wrong or indifferent.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

While I agree here on the money borrowing, a huge number of people don't have actual dollar bills to spend and rely on credit to fund their lifestyle...right, wrong or indifferent. [/QUOT

Been there have the T shirt believe me. How's the saying go "Big hat no cattle". Funding a lifestyle that one can not afford is a quick trip to insolvency. I have learned to scale back and live the lifestyle I can afford to rather than wish I could and attain it through credit. But I can also say a very successful businessman once told me, " If you die with hard earned money in your pocket you are a fool". So to each his own.

 

[jkust]

While I agree here on the money borrowing, a huge number of people don't have actual dollar bills to spend and rely on credit to fund their lifestyle...right, wrong or indifferent. [/QUOT

Been there have the T shirt believe me. How's the saying go "Big hat no cattle". Funding a lifestyle that one can not afford is a quick trip to insolvency. I have learned to scale back and live the lifestyle I can afford to rather than wish I could and attain it through credit. But I can also say a very successful businessman once told me, " If you die with hard earned money in your pocket you are a fool". So to each his own.

Given how expensive even a basic new boat is much less a nice 25 foot bowrider, I wonder what percentage of boats overall are financed. I don't even know if you can get financing on used boats but add that in there too. Almost everyone I know finances or leases their cars...I have to think that a luxury like a boat has a higher incidence of financing or using borrowed money in some way.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Given how expensive even a basic new boat is much less a nice 25 foot bowrider, I wonder what percentage of boats overall are financed. I don't even know if you can get financing on used boats but add that in there too. Almost everyone I know finances or leases their cars...I have to think that a luxury like a boat has a higher incidence of financing or using borrowed money in some way.

I hear you, I wonder how many here financed their boat in some way or another? I bet it is a high number. A car will get you back and forth to work so you can pay for a car to get back and forth to work. I remember my then under 25 year old niece paying almost 75% of her wages to finance a car and insurance to get to work to pay to get to work. I could buy a car in High School for a few hundred bucks and be insured under my father when I was a kid working part time and still have a few bucks in my pocket to buy Bell Bottoms and Fat Alberts. Those days are over.