[Cadmonkey]

Like it says. I'm just looking for some basic opinions and experiences on both types.

I'm gonna buy in the spring and kinda torn between the two. I'm young (30, young?hmmm sure why not?) and single so the power boat would be fun/fast/cool but I also see the point of the cabin crusier for trips like PIB and taking more than 4-5 friends and haveing a better place to crash. Usage for me fri-sun night, not so much during the week unless I move by the lake. If I get something 27' or less towing up north once in awhile is more feasible.

 

[Spider]

Keep in mind what you think you will do the most often. Zipping around the lake with infrequent overnighters, or mostly overnighters regardless of where you are. Most smaller go-fasts have a cuddy at best. Not much comfort for sleeping. Only other thing to keep in mind is you can make a fast boat go slow, but you can't make a slow boat go fast. If I could afford one, I'd have a 38 Lightning. I can't afford even the gas for one though. Maybe in my next life.

 

[Shorgasm]

QUOTEReplying to cabin cruiser or power boat?

most cabin cruisers are power boats arent they??

i prefer a cruiser. i used to run in go fasts and cuddies, but it gets to cramped. occasional O/V'ers are fine, ask Bill 272 and Freckles. they do it even w/ 2 kids.
but for me, it gets to cramped. i like having the stand up room (something hard to come by in a go fast)
a stand up head (something else hard to come by).
i also, like the galley features in a cruiser for food. some go fasts have galley "features" but its harder to use those since you dont have head room.

then the cockpits are different, a go fast will fit you some people, but any gear you need to haul will make it get small fast. a cruiser will fit a few more people and gear.

but it would all depend on the size range your looking for..

ps, not all cruisers are slow.

 

[Goose]

cruiser, not that it's a good thing to get drunk and drive the boat, but if you do have one to many it's much easier to control a boat that tops out at 35 than to have the drunk temptation to rip across the lake wasted at 75, also more comfortable to pass out on instead of driving, can fit more hot large chicks on board, just ask pandora

 

[HazyMemory]

yea, all the things that they said

 

[sidelite]

Sounds like you realize that you have to figure out what is best based on how you want to use it. Personally, cruiser fits our use. We like to take a cruise for week or two during the summer, as well as spend several days on board at a time. My wife has the summers off (teacher) and the boat is only 18 miles from work for me, as opposed to home being 33 miles from work.

 

[Shorgasm]

QUOTE(Goose @ Nov 24 2003, 10:35 PM)cruiser, not that it's a good thing to get drunk and drive the boat, but if you do have one to many it's much easier to control a boat that tops out at 35 than to have the drunk temptation to rip across the lake wasted at 75,
thats not the image we want too show!!!

very true though..... as long as you stay on the hook. w/ a cruiser, you can go down below w/o hitting you nuggin cuz you've had too much to "sip", in a go fast, its certain head trauma!!!

 

[freckles]

We have a 336 Formula with HP500s that we trailer and launch. We chose a go-fast four years ago (with a 5 and a 3 year old) because we figured we had the rest of our lives to use a cruiser. Our boat will go slow if we want to. We like the choice.

Seriously, the boat we have now is the best compromise for us. We love our speed, and so do the kids. We've taken it to Cedar Point and camped. The good news is we get to CP in 2 hours. We've run up to Port Huron or down to Wyandotte for lunch. We don't have a standup head, but when we spend the night it's usually at a marina where we use their restrooms and showers. We eat a lot of sandwiches and "cooler food" during the day, but it's an excuse to eat out for dinner. We use a coffee maker and VCR when we're hooked up to electricity.

It's difficult to enjoy a pop while we're skipping across the lake without getting it all over, but the adrenaline rush tastes a lot better.

Bill does a lot of our maintenance and fixes, which helps on the wallet. We spend our winters saving for gas money, but we think it's worth it.

~Christine

 

[JABBERJAWZ]

Power boat because I like to water ski and I have no kids.

 

[damn yankee]

If you're going out for the day, then by all means get a go fast. If you want to spend time on it over night, you need a cruiser. A go fast will, of course go fast, but a cruiser is in there for the long haul. You won't go as fast, but you'll go further. Makes me think of the tortoise and the hare analogy. Here's how I define each:

Go Fast cruises about 30-35mph, tops out 50+ mph, cockpit seats 4, has a small cuddy(sleeps 2) and a porti potti. You live out of a cooler. OK for roughing it overnight. Anything bigger than 27ft you're talking 2 big V8 engines. And big $$.

A cruiser cruises about 25-30 mph, tops out maybe around 40mph. Wider beam than a go fast. Stand up head room, stand up head w/ pumpout, shore power, full canvas, full galley including running h2o, gas stove top and microwave, fridge, and TV/VCR combo. Seats 6 comfortably in cockpit, sleeps 4 easy. Lots of 27footers out there with a single big block, but anything bigger you need twins.

Bottom line is cost. There's alot of really nice older 27 ft cruisers out there for 15 - 30K. Not too many go fasts over 22-24ft for that money, and they're only gonna go 10 to 15mph faster. If you got the $$, like Freckles and XO, you can have the best of both worlds, speed and room.

This is a debate that I've been having with myself for a couple of seasons. I got a 24ft Formula with a single 454 and absolutely love the boat. But, it has draw backs that have me yearning for more capabilities and features. Namely, the ability to stay comfortably overnight and have all the comforts of home. I've done the trailer thing, dragging the boat to various spots in and around Michigan. Even though I've been to cool spots, I end up missing a comfortable boat to stay on and end up renting somewhere with a dock. The journey is just as important as the destination I'm told, and am beginning to think that way.

BTW, most women I've had on my ride aren't all that impressed by the speed. They much prefer a "real" bathroom and be able to make their own pot of coffe in the morning. That's why I end up renting a cottage, or find a hotel with dockage.

just my very long winded $0.02

 

[hammer]

Well said DY. I have had 2 offshores and 2 cruisers. Some prople have to get it out of their system before getting a cruiser. My boat has all the comforts of home and some. You'll always see me at Metro in April, May, Sep, and Oct. Will you see many offshores? not too many. We have heat (inside and out) full canvass, and GREAT food all the time on our boats. Hell, come by and I'll bake you a pie in my oven. Try that on an offshore.

I'm in a boat club that does a trip almost every other weekend. There are a couple offshores in the club but one just went from a 27' fountain to a 33' searay. Now they love it!!

 

[bestlight48312]

1) first boat ? 2)Are you planing on docking at marina ? 3) What do you plan on doing , during the day (water sports) ? 4) What do you plan on spending on gas ? Per weekend ? Bottom line is ,It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to point A to point B . Just being on the lake, I take my time getting back to land....IM for crusies (RELAX) In comfort .....THATS MY 02..

 

[Aggressortom]

Try out a fun run with me, Bill272, Bayley, Gary864, Convincer, and so on, then make your decision

 

[Cadmonkey]

Damn Yankee, good point on the "real" bathroom, I've heard that more than once.

Hammer you may be right I might just need to "get it out of my system" kinda like I did with taking the sportbike to the bar and blastin' triple digits on the superslab. oh wait that still happens now and then, minus the bar part.

Best light, yep first boat, probably docking at Miller in SCS next to a friend, not so much water sports I save those for my brothers place on Lk. Patterson in Hell, I plan on spending lots on gas(will that be enough?

), I figure If got a cruiser its gotta do at least 50. Looking to finance used at maybe 300/mth. I hear the rule a thumb is double that for average other costs (gas, fees, blah,blah,blah). I do like cruising along enjoin stuff, but when Sat morn comes and its time to get to Da' Moot.....well...I wanna get there NOW!

Of course my buddy keeps throwin' his 1998 27' regal at me but I'm not looking to spend 50-60k. real nice boat though. hmmm.

Aggressortom, I'm definitely not above being a boat whuure!

 

[PyrateJim]

We have an '88 SeaRay Sundancer 270. She's 27'8" true, nealry 32' LOA with a 10' beam. She cruises at 30mph and tops out at 39.6mph. Has room for 10 peeps, sleeps 6 (on beds), stand up head, galley, fridge, dual tables, cable tv/vcr combo, coffee pot, microwave and is pushed by twin 350's (226hp each). For the wife and I, along with the two kids (8 and 5) she is just right. Cedar Point is only a bit more than 3 hours away, 7 of Erie is kick'n it, you spin a hub and hit a tree

all in one trip,

She is in great condition, but would sell for the right dollar amount ($28k) as we are looking at a 360 for friends and longer trips on the lakes. The longest we gone on her so far is 6 days to PIB and CP.

Getting from A to B in a hurry is great, but as fast as life goes by, I like to see a bit of the lake during my short time on it.

Pyrate

 

[Cadmonkey]

QUOTE(PyrateJim @ Dec 2 2003, 09:04 AM)Getting from A to B in a hurry is great, but as fast as life goes by, I like to see a bit of the lake during my short time on it.

Pyrate
the faster you go, the more you can see right?

 

[PyrateJim]

The more you blink, the more you'll miss. Not to meniton that life will be all fuzzy, unless thats normal

 

[bestlight48312]

cadmonkey ,What ever you choose have fun ....( Theres any old saying ( 2 FT itch ) Yell catch

 

[freckles]

QUOTEIf you got the $$, like Freckles and XO, you can have the best of both worlds, speed and room.

I wouldn't say we've got the $$, but we do have the speed when we want it and we have enough room for short trips (less than a week).

We're not wealthy by any stretch. We work hard and choose how we want to spend our money. Our choice in boats reflects other choices we've made in our lives. We choose to spend our money on our boat, rather than other things people choose to spend their money on. We bought an 8-year-old used well-built boat with the biggest stock engines we could find. We choose to save money by trailering it and launching it (no marina fees and we can fill up the 130 gallon tank on land). Bill does our maintenance which saves lots of $$.

I don't cook on my boat because I'm "on vacation". We'll have breakfast and lunch on the boat, but I cook dinner every day at home, so I don't want to cook on the boat too.

I guess what I'm trying to say is:
You can have a go-fast boat
-and have kids
-and hang with people in cruisers
-and spend weekends on the boat
-and be safety conscious
-and not be an a$$hole
-and be in your late 30's (or older)
-and you don't have to be rich.

You've got lots of options. Explore them all.

 

[hammer]

As far as the dinner goes freckles, I actually enjoy cooking on the boat, something different, and ANYTHING tastes better on the water.