Back for More! Looking into a bigger boat for big water - Deck or other

It's been a while since I posted here, but I still have the Starcraft Super Sport and I've since added a Starcraft Falcon. Now my family is bigger and so are my goals.

We are looking for a boat that is bigger and faster, with a goal of potentially bigger water than we saw before.
1. We'd like a capacity of 10 or more so that we can host other families.
2. I feel like our current Starcrafts are good for handling waves, but I'd like to do Lake Champlain and skirt the edges of the Great Lakes, ie Thousand Islands and 30k Islands. For comparison, my Super Sport has handled Chautauqua and Lake George like a champ. I handled rough water on Lake George decades ago in a 16ft Seaswirl.
3. I never broke 30mph on my Supersport, and I don't want to run WOT full time. I'd like to bump up top speed for a couple reasons. First, I'd like to do some trips with enough mileage that I'd want to cruise easily at 30mph. Second, I mentioned wanting to skirt the great lakes. I don't want to be out in the roughest water, I want to get the heck out of there and into a bay or inlet. So a max speed of 40 or more.

So with all that said, I had been looking at aluminum deck boats 20-24ft, preferring the 4.3 Mercruiser but considering outboards over 150hp. I want to keep towing weight down so that I'm not forced into too big a truck for towing, and I also want bang for my buck in speed. I have two reservations though. First, I'm not sure the deck boats will handle the rougher water as well as my Supersport, but please tell me if I'm wrong. Or if it's a big difference between Princecraft, Suntracker, Fisher, Lowe, etc. (Princecraft looks best, Lowe looks worst).

But I've been tempted to think outside of the box. I've a seen a couple V-hull boats rated for 10 people (Starcraft Chieftain, Sylvan). They tend to come with a cuddy. I'm open to remodeling a cuddy into a bowrider - I rebuilt my Supersport interior already. These boats seem lighter than the deck boats, which is a win for towing and efficiency.

Can anyone sanity check me here? I need to stay in the 4 figures for price as well. I'm not ruling out a fiberglass deck boat or a pontoon entirely, but fear they won't give me the best of all worlds that I'm shooting for.

One final tangential factor is that I'm a little confused on state by state towing width restrictions. Some say PA and NY are 8ft, some 8.5ft. Nearly all aluminum deck boats I see are 8.5ft, while I believe a Chieftain is 8ft. I definitely need to fit PA, NY, OH, MD, VA. NC, TN, KY, MI, MN, Ontario and Quebec. Is that an actual issue? I see hardly any deck boats for sale in PA, so I wonder.

One final tangential factor is that I'm a little confused on state by state towing width restrictions. Some say PA and NY are 8ft, some 8.5ft. Nearly all aluminum deck boats I see are 8.5ft, while I believe a Chieftain is 8ft. I definitely need to fit PA, NY, OH, MD, VA. NC, TN, KY, MI, MN, Ontario and Quebec. Is that an actual issue? I see hardly any deck boats for sale in PA, so I wonder.

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Ayuh,...... Federal law is 102",.......

Are you actually looking to fit 10 people?

Remember the limits are inclusive of gear and such. Be cognizant of total weight, especially if you are playing in or around big waters. Keep in mind that those numbers are from 40 plus years ago when Americans like me were not all fat. Iirc the weight was based on 150 lb per person and there are few of those people in this country nowaday.

Coolers, phones, woman's bags of everything needed for a two week vacation on an afternoon trip etc.

If you want 10 actual persons you want a big pontoon.

10 people will include a mix of kids. Adults will probably average 175lb. More adults would mean lower head count. Large groups would be short trips.

Other times it will hold 2 adults and 2 kids with clamping gear. That's where the trips on the bigger water come in.

I did get some research in on vehicles and I see they updated PA laws in 2018 - the material I read before came earlier. That may explain why I don't see many deck boats around in PA.

Tri-toon with a performance package. Very few aluminum deck boats anymore. They transformed into tri-toons. A few builders still offer them in catalogs but no doubt you'd have to special order. I haven't seen one at a boat show in 10 years.

OK, good to know about tritoons. I haven't considered them my cup of tea thus far. I tend to prefer the lower seating position of aluminum deck boats. Can anyone with hands on experience argue the tradeoffs?

I too like the lower to the water style over a toon but for moving people it's the way to go.

10 people
skirting the great lakes
something to handle rough water

Having grown up on Lake Michigan, you could do a pontoon until the wind changes direction. then you will want something that can take a pounding

I recommend that you look for a deep v at least 24-28 feet, most likely twins.

for reference. the boat in my sig is rated at 12 people. any more than 6 and they are in the cabin down below. having been out a few times where the wind shifted just enough that light chop went to 6 foot rollers.... 26 feet wasnt large enough. I would recommend something a bit bigger

a 24-28 foot pontoon will have room for 10.

Find a 26' Sea Ray, with 8'-6" beam.-----I doubt a pontoon is suitable for open water.

I'd suggest a center console but you're looking at a tow vehicle upgrade.

Toon will do fine provided the St Lawrence river is calm. When it kicks up, and it will, you will want something else that can handle the waves...or even that from a passing freighter.

I have a 27' x 10' beam Whaler with a rated capacity of 10 or 12 people , no way am I putting 10 comfortably on it , even if half of them are kids . My 32 'x 13' beam is laid out different and 10 people would not be a problem . Hard to imagine a legal ( no wide load permits ) towable boat that will meet all of your criteria . Good luck ! .

FWIW:
I have a 24' twin tube pontoon, 25" diameter tubes, 115hp.
I'm still learning, but I began operating my boat on the chesapeake bay last year. I've asked lots of questions and analyzed conditions every time I went out last year. I learned that a 10+ knot wind , in general, is a limit if trying to head out on the central part of the bay. I take a pounding from the wind generated waves. I'm ok in the side areas. I am not under-skinned, or lifting strake equipped.
That could help some. It's just that bow lift range is not equal to a V-hull. And attempting higher speeds gives additional pounding on the exposed cross members. I can't vouch for tri-toons , or the newer ones , but they are better at rougher conditions.

jlh3rd said:

FWIW:
I have a 24' twin tube pontoon, 25" diameter tubes, 115hp.
I'm still learning, but I began operating my boat on the chesapeake bay last year. I've asked lots of questions and analyzed conditions every time I went out last year. I learned that a 10+ knot wind , in general, is a limit if trying to head out on the central part of the bay.

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Guessing you’re up north?
A 10 knot north or south wind in Mid-Bay (Sandy Point to Smith Point) would not be fun in a pontoon of any configuration.

I am. Bowley marina. NNW hart-miller. Nice to know my conclusion is backed up by your experience.
I made the Annapolis/Blue Angel run last year. Planning on doing it again....conditions permitting.