Upgrading, or downgrading?

[Wrekked]

Hey guys,
I have a 2014 fourwinns H180 with a 150 E-tec on it. We have outgrown the boat as we go with 4 adults and 5 kids (none over 50lbs). But as you can imagine, once we get a cooler and 2 tubes on the boat with bags of snacks etc we are pretty crammed. That being said, the boat/motor have no problem towing 2 people tubing with 3 adults and 2 kids. It's very happy cruising around 30mph, will do 20mph on plane with my trim tabs, has no problem when we need to get back quick at 40mph fully loaded. Got it to 53mph with just me on glassy water and wasn't all the way full throttle.

I'm looking at a Regal 1900ES. With the swim platform I can put the tubes there, has a built in cooler so saves space there and lots of storage should be more comfortable. Problem is, it has a 220hp 4.3 MPI. Am I going to gain space to give up power here? This boat is a long drive from me so I don't want to waste my time if it's not worth it.

I went to look at another newer one with a 200hp volvo but it was already winterized for the winter and about to get wrapped so I didn't try it but I really liked the fit and finish and storage space and I honestly had no intention of buying it. The Canadian market is sky high right now and this boat was severly overpriced so I didn't force the issue of taking it out when I had no intention on buying it.

If the 4.3 isn't worth it, what size it good for this boat?

I'm also lookong at chap 226 SSI... so may be back with more questions.

 

[tango13]

I’ve always been told to always go more power than less if you can. Those Chap 226’s are great family boats, in-laws used to have one. Bonus if it has a V8, theirs had the 350 Mag and it it could pull a water skier/wakeboarder while fully loaded.

 

[Wrekked]

Problem with the Regal, is it appears that's the biggest engine.

And yes the chap I was eyeing had the 350 mag. I love the layout and the 12 person capacity. I like the Regal obx and vr6 Bayliner OB because you give up the swim platform but gain alot of storage space. Problem with the is most arw 150HP and I have to imagine they would be massivly underpowered at that weight and the regal is out of my budget with the 200HP yamaha.

 

[tango13]

Best advice is to wait for the right one to come into reach instead of getting into something that your not 100% on. Where was that chap located?

 

[Wrekked]

The Chap was in New York. Well looked after but had too many hours for me. Had around 600 if I recall. I happened to see it when I was driving to FL. I wasn't really planing on upsizing at that time but saw it and stopped to see it. Kind of got me hooked. Lots of chaps in FL too, but I worry if they've seen salt.

 

[Chris1956]

That sterndrive will get you about 42MPH, wide open. It will drag it's butt to get on plane compared to your OB engine. Also, the cockpit size difference between a 19 footer with a sterndrive (and doghouse), and an 18 footer with an OB, is nothing. Actually the 19 footer maybe a bit more cramped, because of the dog house.

Get a 21 footer with an OB. A 21 footer with an I/O will likely have the short "toe kicker" doghouse. Not much improvement.

 

[Wrekked]

Ok thanks. I'll keep looking. Everything seems bigger out of the water. I remember thinking my 18' was big until I got it in the water with 4 of us.

 

[briangcc]

What's the weight on that Regal? Cause mine dry is 2600 and I have the 180HP MPI 4.3L merc. I'm just under 50mph trimmed right. It's nothing to sneeze at and moves quite well - not a dog and corners like its on rails with the 4 blade merc prop I run.

That being said, a 19' boat over an 18' boat isn't going to gain you alot of space. I'd be looking in the 21'+ class given your typical passenger count.

 

[Scott06]

What's the weight on that Regal? Cause mine dry is 2600 and I have the 180HP MPI 4.3L merc. I'm just under 50mph trimmed right. It's nothing to sneeze at and moves quite well - not a dog and corners like its on rails with the 4 blade merc prop I run.

That being said, a 19' boat over an 18' boat isn't going to gain you alot of space. I'd be looking in the 21'+ class given your typical passenger count.

Agreed- I think the 4.3 MPI /220 hp would do fine in a 19 ft boat, I just don't think it makes sense to go up only a foot and the kids will keep growing. I went from a 17-18 ft Bow rider to a 21 , that was a nice upgrade.

Also to OP your use sounds similar to mine- I wouldn't trade my full beam swim platform for an OB. I have a bench across the back and full sun pad which the kids love.

Regardless if you have 8-9 people and water sports you will need to pitch down in prop

 

[Wrekked]

Ok so I have a stupid question, when you read the boat specs do they count the platform as LOA? The regal specs say its 20', mine is just under 18'. The regal dry is around 3000 pounds. With the name 1900es I assumed it was 19' until I read the spec sheet which claims 20'.

But ya I think you are all right, I need to go bigger. Good to know about the 220hp being a good amount. I don't need to go 50 mph but it's nice to have extra speed ~40pmh when I'm trying to out run weather or a kid is having a hunger meltdown and need to get to a restaurant.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, go to a boat show and walk around in a 21 foot outboard model and then a 21 foot sterndrive model.

Do you really want to trade a roomy interior of the OB model for a cramped cockpit, and the extra 700 pounds of weight of the sterndrive, to get a full swim platform?

Sterndrives also take a lot more maintenance than OBs. Not bad if you like to do that stuff, and you have alligator arms.

 

[Wrekked]

I agree with the interior getting cramped with an inboard, but most manufactures now have the same interior dimmensions with the OB and they use the engine compartment as storage. The seating arangement in those 2 boats I'm looking at make it more useable with the wrap around seating. I was originally set on the chap 226 because then it's the best of both worlds. The kids really do like a swim platform but the Regal caught my eye. I do see on regals website it is a 19' and the other sites must have added the platform to the length which doesn't make sence because the platform is bigger than 1 foot. Anyways, I'll keep looking, I'm in no rush. Going to florida over christmas I'll go looking down there. They have alot of outboards down there.

 

[briangcc]

Gee, go to a boat show and walk around in a 21 foot outboard model and then a 21 foot sterndrive model.

Dealers have to have stock to do that. Most around my neck of the woods don't. It's order for next year or you're SOL. I think the last boat show that was local to me was pre-covid.


I really like the Hurricane deck boats - that's probably my next purchase if it isn't...oh I can't believe I'm saying this...a pontoon. The Hurricane's we've looked at have gobs of space up in the bow and have full windshields - admiral's (and truthfully mine as well) requirement.

 

[Wrekked]

I looked at the hurricanes. My boat is in for maintenance and they sell them. So of course when I said I was selling he was showing me theirs, and yes they are very nice. My issue is we are on the big 3 in the kawarthas and it gets choppy and often times see 40'+ boats with massive wakes. He was honest and told me it would ride much rougher than the boat I have now so I wrote it off. But that's one guys opinion, and whos to say how much rougher. Have you tried one out yet? They are a great value. As for a pontoon... never! I saw one going 40mph the other weekend so I had to out run him. Can't get get beat by a pontoon haha. Also the kids love tubing. Can't make waves with a pontoon

 

[briangcc]

No just at the tire kicking stage right now. Admiral asked what it would take to get a bit bigger boat as our previous Four Winns was 8'6" wide and the Chap is narrower. I mentioned I looked at comparable boats (feature wise) and it's currently at 70k to go up in size. I was then asked why I was looking

For my money...Chap, Hurricane, Crownline, FourWinns.

I don't like Regal and its a personal thing. I don't care for the trailer lights cut into the transom. I trailer my boat with a full travel cover which will cover those lights up rendering them useless. And its not like they're lighting up on the water either as they supposedly tie into the trailer lighting. A hole in the transom where it doesn't need to be. Salesman looked at me like I was an alien speaking gibberish when I mentioned this to him.

I don't like SeaRay, again personal thing. They have no side pockets for any kind of storage. Only available storage is the ski locker which my admiral looked at the salesman straight in the face and said..."you expect me to put MY fishing pole in there where its going to get wet and moldy?" That and some wonderful genius at SeaRay decided that it was totally appropriate to have the carpet completely cover the ski locker...including the pull for it...so you'd have to unsnap the carpet to open the locker. (**In fairness, they fixed this issue on later models but the mere idea they did it in the first place raises questions.)

IF I was going toon....Bennington and JCTritoon. Dealer for JCTritoon heard my sons asking what the controls on the boat did, stopped what he was doing, took the boys up to the boat and showed them everything. That earns my business.

 

[airshot]

Ok thanks. I'll keep looking. Everything seems bigger out of the water. I remember thinking my 18' was big until I got it in the water with 4 of us.

If I could get a nickle for every time I heard someone say that, I would be a rich man !!! LOL.....

 

[Wrekked]

Hahaha amazing

I'm not a searay fan either. I keep wanting to like them because people speak so highly of them, but I can't bring myself to like the layout or the finishes.

I would get a fourwinns again if I could find one. Barely any on the market. I've been very happy with it especially now with the trim tabs. That's also why I decided to upgrade. The price the fourwinns are going for up here is nuts. It's worth more than I bought it for.

 

[Scott06]

I don't like SeaRay, again personal thing. They have no side pockets for any kind of storage. Only available storage is the ski locker….

I'm not a searay fan either. I keep wanting to like them because people speak so highly of them, but I can't bring myself to like the layout or the finishes.

Certainly buy what you like and are comfortable with… i see a lot of comments like this but here is what i ve liked about my sea rays and certainly a big part of why i bought another- they held up extremely well in terms of gelcoat finish, upholstery, and hull solidity/ construction.

my first one was a1991 170 BR/3.0/alpha gen one. It was well cared for and five years old when we got it, and i had it twenty years. Use is on one of the finger lakes in NY lots of watersports with my kids and their friends. When i sold it it still had the original upholstery, with of course some tears at seams but very presentable and useable, hull very solid and quiet in rough water, gel still looking good ( and i am not anal about polish and wax, every 6 years or so …

in 2016 i found a 2004 200 sport with 37 hrs and a cracked block Due to lack of winterization. Now it is 18 years old and still looks great upholstery, gel coat, both boats the biminis and covers lasted forever, handles rough water solidly no creaks and pops and comfortably. not sure what model was looked at but i have a ton of storage in gunnels, under seats, glove box, and two huge compartments either side of engine, plus in dash cooler ( best feature IMHO).

I will agree that the interior finish on the 04 is less nice than the 91 , i think they merged that with Bayliner over the years as they are made on same production line.

i am in a different price bracket than brian mentioned and have always bought used so may be different approach, but if durability is a concern certainly comparable with brands mentioned.

To the OP you mention rough water handling and ride as a concern would look at weight vs size and deadrise. My 2004 is fairly heavy for the size and has a steep V hull so handles the chop loaded very well With out pounding to much. Downside is it throws a big wake if you want to ski due to the V…

 

[Lou C]

If you want to feel like you really upgraded then go to at least a 20’ with an outboard. A 20’ with an I/O might not feel that much bigger than what you have. I have an old H-200 with the 4.3 V6 which were bigger than later models (20’9” including the small swim platform), it has the full width back seat & sunpad. With more than 5 it will feel crowded. Also I’d you’re looking at I/Os that have cat converter exhaust keep in mind they can be troublesome with O2 sensor codes.

 

[Wrekked]

I have to agree with the build quality of searay. I just personally wasn't a fan of the interior. You see many searay and crownline boats that are 20 years old and still in mint shape.

Here's one out of left field, my father in law, who lives in FL, sent me a picture of a boat his buddy is selling. A 2007 robalo R227 with a yamaha 225 on the back with 400 hours. If it's still around when I go down at xmas I can take it for a spin. 2006 seems old but Robalos are build very well. Boat is in mint condition comes with wakeboard rack and a ski bar. He'd sell it to me for $32,000 (~42k canadian). Never even considered a boat like this but I could travel the great lakes on it.