Re: Bowrider or Cuddy Cabin, why did you choose which..
Protected water, protected atmosphere (stars out at night, no fronts coming through) primarily day fun doing what you said, hands down bow rider.....with adequate freeboard forward for the unexpected times you get into some good sized waves, and even when you are making the loop to p/u your skier and experience your own wake....semiV's seem to be OK for the latter, but had a Caravelle 18' tri-hull and if you weren't careful, when making the U turn to p/u your load, you could take water over the bow if you didn't keep modest power on till past the wave.......obviously not good; wife never fully understood the physics of the manuever. Other point is, you can mount a trolling motor up there with a bow pedestal seat and make a bass boat out of it in a heartbeat if you are so inclined.
Cuddy, never had one but could have. Makes it a lot safer for you if you are in big water with big waves to take head on, or get caught in a squall, which down here are common in coastal waterways, especially in the hot summer months. For those not knowing what a squall is, it's about 15 minutes of the most intense weather that you have ever experienced excluding a hurricane, and then dissipates like nothing ever happened.
Only difference (squall vs hurricane) is the duration, wind speed about 1/3, and waves about 1/3 but with ample amounts of lightening that scoots across the surface of the water and I can assure you, you can be 5 miles away from a strike and still get some of the effect........Currently neither applied to me (moved inland) so those only attaboys for the design went out of the window. However, if I still coastal fished, the cuddy would win for the reasons mentioned and the water toy stuff would just have to be tolerated, or would have a separate boat for those functions....probably a separate boat......NO one boat can do ALL things for everyone and if you don't believe me just ask the old salts on here with a half dozen special purpose boats.
Additional comment on the Cuddy: Usually bad air circulation within in the summer, so inside is a sweat box, especially down here where humidity on salt water can easily stay above 90 all day. Then there is the crud. Seems you pile all the crud back in the cuddy somewhere and most of the time 50% remains there and new crud is deposited on top of old and on and on. Access to the bow area is usually limited; some have a bow hatch which helps in things like docking and anchor chores. Some have rails on the roof and adequate deck with to be able to walk around the cover to get to the bow area......mounting a bow mounted trolling motor on this critter.........forget it.
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On the potty thing. People have to realize that most pride and manners of personal hygiene go out the window when boating. Boaters know and respect that and deal with life's necessities as they present themselves. Whether porta potty , in the water while swimming or skiing, or over the side, non participants just move to the other end of the boat and mind their own business till the business if finished. If you are thin skinned and have a problem with reality, stay on the dock where the His and Hers are handy.
My 2c and worth every penny you paid for it......naw, this is good info and you need to read and think, I have walked the walk.
Mark
