Looking for an open bow/deck boat- suggestions?
 

I am taking thoughts or suggestions on where and what to buy for a newer bow rider or deck boat. Looking for around 24'- for a little fishing but mostly tubing/skiing and pleasure boating (Braun Bay). Only must is that it has to have some sort of hard enclosed head/porta potty. Would prefer something a few years old to avoid another note but a good deal on a new one is hard to turn down.

Will def be at the Boston boat show and have seen quite a few good used boats at Winnisquam Marine. Would love to hear other ideas on where to look and what to get and also what to avoid.

Thanks

Wide open question
 

You are asking a fairly wide open question with this one and brand opinions. Kinda Ford/Chevy really.

What I can say is that if you intend to boat on Winni, it is helpful to have a brand that is serviced around the lake. This is especially true if you are going to have a boat with any remaining warranty.

Winnisquam is primarily a Four Winns dealer and there are two of them on the lake. Melvin Village is the other. Probably one of the more common brands on the lake if that's what your looking at.

Good luck in the search. Personally I'd go with either a Four Winns, Cobalt, or SeaRay for brands.

if you look on shep browns boat basin site they have a beautiful formula bowrider for sale at a very good price. give bill jr a call.

When buying used, the brand makes no difference, service-wise. I am fond of Cobalt, Bryant, Four Winns, Monterey, Sea Ray, Hurricane and Regal. I don't think you could go wrong with any of those, assuming the boat was well cared for.

If you want something better built and easier to take care of, a dual console, outboard-powered boat by Grady White, Boston Whaler, or similar builders would be quite nice. Kinda pricey though.

We love our four winns. We have learned over the years how Lucky we are that the salesman helped us more than we realized.

Some features that have become valuable to us:

Having a center wall and windshield to block the cold air on those cold days.

Repeat for a place to hide my wife on those cold days when it's raining.

Storage space for stuff, stuff and more stuff.

Being able to lay a 12 foot 2x10 in the bottom of the boat. (It's an island thing)

I have used the swim platform a 1000 times and never to go swimming.

The front end should be high enough above the water to keep the BIG wave from breaking over on the windy days or captain bonehead wakes.

I wish my Bimini gave me a little more shade. (Sun cancer is hitting my family members who don't even have a boat)

Enough space up front for 4 adults to sit sometimes.

Power trim so I can raise the bow to keep those adults dry after the fire works.

A head was a big deal before we had a place.

Ski Locker is nice.

I have had good success with the four winns.

Things I could live without.
Stereo
Head (although the changing room aspect is nice)
sink
rinse hoses.

RG is right about sinks...a total waste of space...everyone drinks bottled water and they are a maintenance nightmare.......kinda like the fore and aft spray hoses for little munchkins that drag sand onto the boat.........porta potti isn't bad, especially on booze cruise.

thanks to all so far
 

Thanks to all so far, keep the ideas coming...

As far as the sink, I agree but with a used boat can they be removed aftermarket? Would you wanna?

Also, to buy at the boat show or not? I have heard there are quite a few deals to be had at the show. Any truth to this and does that apply to right before and or right after at the marina's themselves?

keep it all coming...

Boat
 

Hancove, I'm working on my 5th boat. Do yourself a favor and get a Fourwinns. Best boat I've ever had. You might also want to think about The Melvin Village Marina. Great people (I don't work there..).

Used boat
 

hancoveguy, you mentioned wanting used to avoid having a loan. With the boat market the way it is right now, I think it's the way too go. You don't get the huge depreciation. The prices of used boats have tanked so you can pick up some good deals.

If you have a tow vehicle that can pull a 24ish footer, don't be afraid to look a couple states away to save $$$$$. Buying a used boat requires patience.

A lot of used boats have sellers who are doing rectal extraction to arrive at their asking price. Go to NADA if you see a boat you like and you'll see what I mean. Unfortunately many sellers tie the value of their boat to what they own on them.

Don't be afraid to make offers (realistic) on used boats you see as you'll be surprised at what they actually sell for.

Melvin Village and Four Winns
 

Great advice and have already been looking there- I just sold my 1st boat- a Four Winns vista cruiser- CANNOT SAY ENOUGH good things about Melvin village. Matt helped me out last summer for no other reason than to be a nice guy, and then we did mortal combat over a tip (I won). I would pay more money just to buy from them but they have nothing even close to what i want right now. I am planning on calling them after they return from the break and giving them a shot at finding me something.

Four Winns- #1 on my list- the funship looks like a fantastic boat.

Funship is fun
 

I forgot to specify that we have the 214 funship. Back then they did not include the swim platform in the length. Not sure now. About 10 days a year I wish I had a few more feet. The only negative for us is the wide VVV hull can hit pretty hard when it's rough. If you have a sink, I would leave it. (You can save a few bucks winterizing if you don't put water in for the year)

Sounds to me like you've answered your own question. I'm on my third Four Winns, two of which I purchased at MVM. The buying and service experience are second to none. Matt's father Tom sold me mine. He has semi-retired but still has a hand in it. If you are going new, they will be able to get you whatever you want, certainly by next boating season. If you want them to try and locate a used one, that's probably a different story.

Melvin Village Marina's customer service index (CSI) is 100%, as rated by the factory. http://melvinvillagemarina.com/CSI.pdf Impeccable, to say the least. The disclaimer here is that they only work on boats that they sell. If you research previous threads on this Forum you will find that it was, and probably remains a huge issue for some people. It isn't an issue for me because I'm one of their customers. Good Luck, IMHO, you can't go wrong at MVM.

Blue Thunder

Mvm
 

In July of this year, I purchased my first Four Winns Vista cruiser from MVM. I can attest that they are super people. Matt & Tom are # 1 In my book. The boat Itself, Im very happy with but the service Is second to none.

The whole orginazation Is Just busting at the seams with top notch people. Matt personaly drives down to West Alton marine and takes my boat up to MVM for service since I dont like to drive up there myself. If I ever buy another four winns. It will be from them.


:D

MVM has a 2009 Four Winns F244 leftover in stock right now on the site.

We just bought a 2004 Four Winns 230 Horizon this year. It really has a fantastic layout and a great swim platform. What's nice about this model is it has remained pretty much unchanged since 2004. The brand new 240 Horizon is 99% the same boat. Buying a used one looks current and saves nearly half the cost. I spent a lot of time and could not find a better family layout. Definitely take a look…

I will say it's not the greatest in rough water but certainly adequate for Winni unless blasting across the broads in 3-4' waves is your thing….

I have owned 3 Four Winns boats and loved them all. The last one we had was a 214 Fun Ship that we purchased new in 2002. When we were on the northern part of the lake over in Moultonborough it was a great boat. As time passed we moved to Meredith and found that the triple hull under the Fun Ship just hit the waves way to hard. Needless to say we went back to a traditional V hull boat and then moved up in size as well. Four Winns does make a great boat. If your going to be out on weekends int he busier parts of the lake, my suggestion is to stay with a v hull. Good luck with your search.:):D:)

Grady White
 

I (obviously - look to the left) suggest you consider a Grady White Tournament 225. Last boat you will ever need to buy!

Altho I must say, if you want a carpeted boat, 4WINNS is a good choice and moderately priced.

Searay vs Stingray ?
 

I am looking for a smaller boat (19 ft or so). Everyone on here has good insight into makes and models so I am interested in your views on a Searay vs Stingray in the 18 to 20 ft class. Also, is a 3.0 liter going to be enough get up and go??

Thanks

You probably should start a new thread.

Sea Ray has a better reputation than Stingray. To be honest though, I don't know if it's deserved or not on boats that size. Sea Ray sure makes some nice big boats though, those are the only ones I've checked out.

A 3.0 will be a dog in an 18 to 20 footer. 4.3 or bigger would be better.

new boat
 

I have previously owned three Stingrays. Great boats but ride rough. I do not reccomend anything smaller than a 22 fotter On winnipesaukee.My last Stingray was a 22 ft. with a 5.0 liter V-8. It preformed well In rough water. I have since moved up to a Vista Cruiser for more comfort and convienance.

:D

Four Winns is a good boat but I wouldn't take one for a gift.....because everyone else has one. They are mostly entry level boats and, sure, the service is good but there are many other better boats out there.
I would go on boattrader.com or one of the other used boat sites and find a 2-4 year old quality boat with low hours. There are HUGE deals out there because of the economy being in the tank and you can pick up a much better boat for the same $$ as a Four Winns.
Know I'll probably get blasted by all the happy FW owners out there :look:

Boats
 

If this is going to be your first boat, there is a saying about "buying your second boat first".

To answer your question, the SeaRay has a deeper V hull than the Stingray and will take the chop better. There's a reason the Stingray's are less expensive as the hardware and fit & finish are not nice as the SeaRay.

I'm not sure SeaRay even has the option to go with a 3.0L on a twenty footer and for good reason. The motor would be a dog for that amount of weight. The 3.0L engine on anything 19ft or longer is too small IMO.

If you are looking at the Stingray as a cost saving measure and you intend to boat on Winni, I recommend you look at a used boat to get the bigger engine and boat. About March 1st and people decide they don't want to pay for another season of boating you will see many boats come on the market. It is without question a buyers market right now.

You can even get under NADA for clean, low hour boats where two years ago would have been unheard of. I strongly recommend being flexible with looking outside of the area on Craigslist. If you are willing to drive with 300 miles you can save a HUGE amount of money on boats. One issue with this area is the inventory is lower so prices tend to be artificially higher (in a good market).

If I was in the market for a new boat, there are even some brand new short sales due to dealers closing shop and/or going bankrupt that have happened in the last few months.

Buy the best you can now, to avoid buying another boat later. It depends on your budget and a few other factors, but if you have a budget in mind - buy the best quality you can fit into that budget.

Example - and I'm not casting aspersions here btw ;o), just going on my own experience as an owner of many different brands and styles of boats. I have owned Formula, Cobalt, Donzi, Sea Ray, Sunsation, Boston Whaler, Wellcraft, Malibu... to name a few - currently I have a 2007 Cobalt 222 (which might be for sale in the spring, btw - I tend to turn them frequently ;) ). Hands-down, this is the best boat of it's kind (a high-end, production built boat) I have owned, and I am not just saying that. I looked at Formula and Monterey before I bought the Cobalt. Formula, waaaaay-too-proud pricing on a 24' (over $100k without a trailer), I liked my last two Formulas, but couldn't justify that kind of $$ for a 24' open bow lake boat. I probably would have bought the Monterey had the model I wanted not been sold out at Browns, and I couldn't get an ordered model in 'til late that summer. I went to East Coast Flightcraft, for what turned out to be the 3rd boat we bought from them, they had exactly what I wanted and made me a deal I couldn't refuse. They are great to work with and the product is second to none in the production boat arena. The moral of my story - if you can get a 24' "something else" for the same money you can get a 22' or 23' Cobalt or (clean, used, priced-right) 24' Formula, buy the higher-quality boat.

There is a difference, I can promise you that - I have seen it from the inside and as an owner, buy it right the first time and you'll never regret it. :cool:

We had a Four Winns for several years. It was a great boat that never had a problem. It was 20' long and when we first bought it it didn't ride too badly. But times changed on the lake and boats got larger and their wakes bigger. It rode very rough. If you put it on a plane and hit a wake, it would jar your bones.

So we bought a 25' Cobalt. The Cobalt is a much heavier boat and rides great. We bought both the Four Winns and the Cobalt from local dealers.

I have to say I've had more wrong with the Cobalt then the Four Winns. Little nagging things that never should have gone on as long as they did. I really like the solid feel and apparent quality of the Cobalt, but I also like the fact that I never had any problems - other then ride - with the Four Winns. I also like the fact that Melvin Village Marine also took care of me.

The deals at the boat show are normally better than at the marina. The manufacture will give money back to the dealer for the show period. This creates the "show special" deals. As far as the quality - many boats have the same power but if you placed them on a scale you will find the more expensive models weigh quite a bit more. This gives them better handling in extreme conditions. All will be fine in good conditions.
Thanks for the post. It is exciting to be searching for the correct vessel and I look forward to hearing about your choice and rationalle.

I've never tried this but friends have, and say it works. Find a boat you like at the show and return at closing time on the last day. The dealer will cut a rock bottom deal so he doesn't have to bring the boat back to his show room.

Thanks for your reply. This is my first pleasure boat. I have had bass boats in the past and presently have an 18.5 foot Bass Tracker. We are now looking for a pleasure boat for Winni and I think the comments here have caused me to adjust my thinking about what to buy. "Bigger and Better" than you think you need was also my Father-in-law's advice. I am setting my sights for a 22' to 24' now just have to think about what brand. I am thinking I should look at used boats 2003 and newer. I will keep following this thread for more info.

I have a 22' Stingray cuddy now. The ride is dependent upon the type of chop there is. Lake chop, not so bad. But at 3200#, a bit on the light side, and not a true deep vee either. A 24' Cobalt, as stated, is a great boat. So is the Regal. I think the Four Winns is a great boat as well, but your choice has to be layout and ride, not exclusive of the two. The Regal has a very good riding hull IMO. Don't overlook Rinker either, or the Monterey.

For our weather and general boating conditions, I will never own another open bow boat. They certainly have their advantages, but I like the cuddy. My first choice for my last lake boat would be Chaparral's 275 SSi cuddy. A big, heavier boat with all kinds of room, great layout, and ride is no problem. Big cuddy, great headroom, wide beam. There's nothing on Lake Winni that will pose a problem for this boat.

Owned a 19' Stingray with a 4.3 V6 great ski boat and could do 60 mph on a calm day. There's the problem, does not do well in rough water. In fact we were almost swamped coming back to the island from Alton one night when a wind had kicked up 5 footers - wife said, "Get something we don't have to worry about." I did not hesitate - bought the Grady that week!

214 funship
 

Okay, thanks to all for all the input. I am now leaning towards a few ideas. I am looking at a 2001 214 Funship w/ a 5.0 volvo. Has anyone had any experience with this boat on the big lake? It has a head and all the things I am looking for but its a bit on the short side. I am also concerned that unlike a comparible bowrider, there is no where for the passenger (s) to get out of the wind. With the bowrider you at least have the port side blocked from wind, this boat is mostly open on the port side.

Also, I would love to hear facts or opinions (just specify) how this boat will ride with 3 kids and 2 or 3 adults on a rough day. Obviously we wouldn't be out there when its that rough but there are days that start out nice and end up rough before you get back.

thanks

If you are concerned about rough water, definitely go for a deep V, like a Formula Bowrider. Otherwise stay off the 'Broads'. The funship is an excellent 'party' boat that is a cross between a pontoon and bowrider. A friend of mine has one. It is a great fair weather boat. If you are planning on extended season use. A convassed bowrider is the way to go.

A 21' is a bit small for rough water. You would find a couple of more feet makes a big difference. Due to the economy there are thousands of boats at bargain prices. I bought a Formula valued at $13,000 on NADA for $4,000. I had to trailer it from VA. It is in excellent shape.

Hancoveguy;

While I realize this is not the boat you are specifically targeting, have you thought of one of the newer high performance triple pontoon boats that are available. They have all the space and power you need and are unlimited in how useful and fun they can be. I have 24' Manitou for a couple years now and can tell you that it very easily handles any chop winni can throw at her.

I also have a 22' eastern lobster and the Manitou tritoon is much more stable and comfortable in rough water. With the optional enclosure, spring and fall boating is not an issue either.

I also do a lot of fishing from mine whether it's trolling, spin casting or fly fishing, there is so much open deck space that casting a 7' or 8' fly rod is no issue and plenty of room for other fishermen / women.

Towing skiers or tubing is tons of fun also, it turns on a dime and has loads of power. It can go 50+ MPH!

I have been extremely pleased with mine and find it to be the most fun and useful boat I could have bought. I have yet to see anything else I would have rather bought thus far.

Just offering you another option.

Good luck with your decision!!

Dan

Thanks Dan, I will open up my search to that area but I am thinking the newer tritoons you speak of are going to be out of my price range. I am trying to keep it between 10-14k. You say yours will easily exceed 50 mph... What size outboard does that require because that was my chief concern with a pontoon- lack of power.

Thanks again, awaiting further input

I have a 250 Evinrude Etec on mine... With the budget you mention, you may find something used with less horsepower. But there are deals to be had right now so you never know. New these boats are in the $50,000.00 range.

Good luck in your search!

Dan

hancoveguy,
In 2002 I looked at buying a used 2001 214 funship. When we looked at the 2001 compared to the 2002 it was an incredibly easy decision. The 2002 has a complete windshield with a fold away door between the front and the back. We stay in from Ice out till early November. I would estimate that the door and or window are closed about 75 percent of the year. It is great on the nice 25% of the time with company on board to keep it open. But my wife has little interest in the wind and wind chill the rest of the year. We open and close the door getting on and off the boat as we prefer to get on the bow quite often. But we tend to keep the door shut while on plane. I tend to sit with the seat propped up so my head is over the windshield like a dog out the window about 98% of the year.

Please take a hard look at the funship 2002 or later. We absolutely love it. There are 10 days a year when I wish it was 4 feet longer. There are 20 days a year when I wish it was a V hull to take the waves a bit softer.

I would buy the exact same boat again.

In that price range you should be able to get a 21-23' Chaparral Sunesta from 2000-2003.

http://images.traderonline.com//img/...mb_550x410.jpg

or a Hurricane Sun/Fun Deck from 20-23' from 2000-2005.

http://images.traderonline.com//img/...mb_550x410.jpg

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...-Deck-96220265

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...-Deck-95995629

Here's a pretty nice "tri-toon" with a Yamaha 150 outboard:

http://www.maccallumsboathouse.com/P...ail.cfm?ID=793

This 21' Maxum bowrider looks to be in pretty good shape:

http://www.channelmarine.com/site_pa...m_price_1.html


It's a little early to start looking but come mid-February, start scourng craigslist.org and boattrader.com.

Thanks for this last post. What a great cpl of links. These are excatly what we are looking for. PLEASE feel free to send any more like this that you see. I will be buying soon (atleast before ice out) and as soon as I do I will post pics. until then anyone and everyone is more than welcome to post suggestions. I will be following up on those leeds.

thanks again

Mash
 

Try this site.

http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=cpboat

It search Craiglist and EBAY for the boat you are looking for. This is what I use to find my Formula. :D

Bow Rider
 

Here's another link: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...ament-96090290

That's a nice Grady, but...

No Deck Boats
 

Unless you only plan on usung the boat in mild weather, I would avoid a "deck boat" of any kind. They can not handle rough days on the Lake. The deeper the V the better.

There was a red Chaparal Sunesta in the classifieds until 2 days ago. I have tried to find thead and contact the owner but was unsuccesful. Anyone know who had that boat for sale and if its still for sale. It seems like what I am looking for.

thanks

If it's the boat I am thinking of I test drove it this summer. Did the ad mention the optional trailer?? If so, that's the one. The boat was in pretty good shape. The trailer was unbelievable and like new. It had been for sale for quite some time. I bet you could get that boat with the trailer thrown in for free. I know he wants to move it fast. I may have a phone # for him if you need it, i'll just have to find it.

Good Luck!

Dan

I think thats the one. I hope the ad just expired. Pm me the # if you have it. ALso, feel free to share any more details of your test ride.

thanks

Since you are looking for suggestions... I can highly recommend a Regal 2500 LSR. It's the same hull as my boat, but in a bow rider form. It has all the features you seek, and a few unique features that make it very suitable for fishing. The look is quite different than most boats out there and it handles lake chop exceptionally well. I would recommend at least a 5.7 engine and a twin prop drive.

http://www.texasharborhelpers.com/ya...143301_std.jpg

P.M. Sent!

Wally's Marine
 

Wally sent an email about a week ago with a sweet FoutWinns 28, may be more than you are looking for with dual I/Os and such but it seemed a great deal.