Comfort and Speed???

[thedukeryan]

I have a Wellcraft 233 that is comfortable but maxes out at about 50mph. My gf loves the fact that it rides extremely smooth in rough water and it has a cuddy that she enjoys as well. With that said I have a hard time getting excited cruising around at 30-40. Are there any smaller boats that will offer the same comfort as my Wellcraft while offering some more speed for me. If no smaller boats any suggestions for similar boats in the $10k range that have more vroom? If not I have been debating getting a pontoon and maybe a jet ski or two. I have never been on a pontoon but would a 24'-28' offer a smooth ride? If so I could burn gas on the jet and let her coast along in the pontoon. Any suggestions?

 

[Thad]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

Well, I had an idea for ya, but I lost it at the 10G's limit.

Take some of that money and upgrade the engine and drive combo.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

I have a Wellcraft 233 that is comfortable but maxes out at about 50mph.

Ayuh,.... But what Motor,+ Drive,..??

 

[thedukeryan]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

Replacing the drives and engine probably wouldnt be cost effective. The $10k would be after selling the Wellcraft and not play money that i have on hand to invest.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

You will get a very comfortable ride with good fuel economy with a 24'-28' pontoon, but the speed wil suffer greatly. Most will top out at 25-28 mph and that is with 150+ hp. You can get 50 mph but with twins, large i/o or 250 hp and there goes fuel economy and well over $10k out of your pocket, and you still need to get the jet ski.

 

[thedukeryan]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

Well Im thinking I could use the pontoon more or less as a dock on the water. My gf could care less about going fast. Thinking a 24-28' pontoon with a small outboard. Even if it putts around in the 20's she would love it assuming the ride is smooth. She is much more concerned with comfort compared to speed. Plus the size would make it enjoyable for friends without braking the bank on gas. Being a buyers market around here I could get a pontoon cheap as well as a Jet ski. Could probably get both for $5,000. So say the water is rough will a 24-28' pontoon still handle it like my wellcraft? Problem with the smaller boats that I like is they get real rough and my gf gets pissy. Another concern is I have two SUV's and a truck but would rather not have to take two vehicles. Any easy way to haul a pontoon and jet ski?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

A pontoon boat will ride poorly in rough water. If the water you boat in is choppy, I would abandon the idea of a 'toon.

50MPH is about the max speed for a stock boat, with the largest available power plant. Manufacturers like to keep the speed down in boats they sell for safety and liability. They seem to target about 45MPH or less, for stock boats with normal power.

I guess the question is what do you want? You said speed in the beginning of your post, and comfort in the end of the thread. If you want speed, drop a big block in your 23 footer. If you want more comfort, buy a longer boat with much more beam.

 

[rbh]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

I dont think you can use the words speed and comfort in the same sentance for a boat under thirty feet????
rob

 

[Maclin]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

I dont think you can use the words speed and comfort in the same sentance for a boat under thirty feet????
rob

+1 here....

My 22' cuddy rides well right at 40-42 in the rough. It can hit 50+ in the right config but needs nice water to feel good about it.

 

[JimKW]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

If you gf gets pissy when you go fast, get a faster less comfortable boat. It's the manly thing to do. If she doesn't like it, get another gf too. Just my two cents, and I have been married for 32 years.

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

You cant have It all so simply choose comfort or speed. I will say that your boat is plenty fast as it is and dropping money on upgrading engine/drive on a hull without a performance pad you may just waste your money. just start saving and buy a older hydrostream and throw a merc v6 on it. Would cost you 3-5k and you could have a 80+mph boat. I had a hydrostream with a 200hp merc and It would run 90 and I will just say I dont have it anymore. Coming from driving a cuddy to a 400lb boat with a 300lb motor will be a huge learning curve(and you may not survive). so the question is how comfy do you want to be or how fast do you want to go.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Comfort and Speed???

personally, I'd think you'd have more fun with a girl in a cuddy than alone in a jet ski or go fast.
I'm not sure I "get" the quest for high speed in boating (other than a racer) but that's just from my boating environs I guess.

 

[JimKW]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

The more I think about it I think a gf in a cuddy and a boat that will do 50 mph sounds like a pretty good life. I think I'm with Home Cookin on this one.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

If you could even think about going 40 mph in that Wellcraft it's not rough.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

The more I think about it I think a gf in a cuddy and a boat that will do 50 mph sounds like a pretty good life. I think I'm with Home Cookin on this one.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

What body of water are you boating on? I just can't imagine wanting or needing to cruise at more than 35mph on any body of water for extended periods. I could see it if you were trying to go from one port to another on the Great lakes or the coast but beyond that I just don't see the need. Most boats are most efficient when running somewhere between 25 and 35 and that would be the ideal long distance cruising speeds for efficiency.

To me a 23' boat that is comfortable and will do 50 when you want it to sounds pretty nice. What activities do you use your boat for? Just cruising quickly? Do you fish, ski, tube or anything else?

To answer the question about a pontoon on rough water...it depends. If you are on a smaller lake where waves don't get much over 1' or so in a wind driven chop then a pontoon is probably the smoothest ride out there. If you regularly have waves greater than 2' to contend with then a pontoon really isn't designed for that and can be quite dangerous.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

Keep the cuddy for banging around with the gf and buy a used single or double seat tunnel hull with a large merc outboard on it to crank around at 80+++ when you want to go fly by yourself.


on wanting to go fast... on the river and sound where I boat a lot... we wind up 10 or 20 miles from the launch just while skiing and piddling around. I often go as far as 40 or 50 miles or even more from the ramp when I'm out playing by myself... If I had a bigger boat that wasn't strictly for fishing on a budget, I would want it to go even faster so I could make the run out to ocracoke or other cool places we love without taking a day doing it. think on the order of 100 miles... a boat that runs 70 will cruise 50 for extended periods.. if it's big enough to handle the water you're in.

 

[imported_John o]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

A pontoon boat will ride poorly in rough water. If the water you boat in is choppy, I would abandon the idea of a 'toon.

At anchor in choppy water a toon moves quite a bit. Especially side to side roll. At speed in choppy water (1-2' chop) they ride fine (or at least mine does.) Wave period is normally shorter than me and the boat cuts through/passes over them with little problem. Again broadside waves are the issue.

If you're constantly in 2 and higher chop you may not like the ride as much.

50MPH is about the max speed for a stock boat, with the largest available power plant. Manufacturers like to keep the speed down in boats they sell for safety and liability. They seem to target about 45MPH or less, for stock boats with normal power.

Playcraft, Premier and Manitou all make stock boats that beat 50MPH. Manitou handles best, Playcraft is normally the fastest. However they will cost you. (new 40K plus)

On the used market you're probably looking at a two tube boat. Not a lot of performance triple tubes out there yet. You can get some nice boats with 40-60hp motors for around 10K or so. But they'll top out at 15mph (or so).

 

[Chiliando]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

personally, I'd think you'd have more fun with a girl in a cuddy than alone in a jet ski or go fast.
I'm not sure I "get" the quest for high speed in boating (other than a racer) but that's just from my boating environs I guess.

X-2

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Comfort and Speed???

Get yourself one of them there new Camaros and head to dragaway if you have a super need for speed.
+1 on banging the GF in the cubby. I see these nuts beating their bodys to nothing on ski whizes on Lake Michigan chop. Whew, what a ride ?