Family of 5, 19ft or 21ft?

[Newbie@boats]

Been a while since I’ve been on the water, never been on the water since having a family, now that the kids are older it’s something I’m looking to get back into. I’ve had all sorts of boats when I was younger-so not technically new to boating but new to boating as a family.

I can find 19ft boats a dime a dozen in my area 21ft + aren’t as readily available in my price point-looking at used not new. I’m looking for something that easy to trailer and easy to unload and load up at the boat ramp.

From everyone’s experience would a 19ft boat be comfortable for 5 people? Or should I coomplety steer clear and looking for a 21?

 

[southkogs]

I did a family of five on a 15' for a while ... that was tight. After that I had two 19' (one is technically 19.5). We fit fine. It wasn't spacious, and you couldn't invite a lot of friends. But the family and the dog did fine on it.

Got any rentals in the area? Probably pretty easy to rent a 19' for a half day and feel it out.

 

[mr 88]

21' is going to be a much better ride in any sort of chop . You'll have room for coolers and gear , not so much in a 19' . Two feet is a huge difference when your talking a 19 vs 21 ' hull . I would be sticking with a 21' , something will show up , be patient.

 

[Scott Danforth]

depends on the boat, the size of the people and the water you are boating in.

I had 2 younger daughters that would bring their friends on my 19' searay. 2-3 in the bow, 2-3 behind the window, its doable.

however not in rough water, or in inclement weather.

I can find 19ft boats a dime a dozen in my area 21ft + aren’t as readily available in my price point-looking at used not new.

if you are looking at used fiberglass, take a look thru the restoration forums to know that with a used fiberglass boat, you may be getting something that needs work, even if it looks good

 

[Pmt133]

I used to do 6 on the 4 winns no problem. Before the repower. 4 was comfortable. 6 doable but you had to get creative with locations of things.

Not all 19 foot boats are created equal though as was said.

 

[Ifishmuskie2]

Boat layout!
With 6 people I would like at least a 150hp.
I could do it with a 19’.
If you get a wide boat then it’s not much different towing a 19 vs a 22’.

 

[airshot]

I am an aluminum hull fan, glasses are to much work and after 25 years, no one wants them. Aluminium m boats carry a much higher resale value and require less HP and fuel to operate. Keep in mind, people don't like riding in the bow in a chop or on a cool day. Also the danger of burying that bow on rough seas. I had a 22' ' Islanders that my family loved, the cuddy cabin made space for all the stuff people bring along, and had room for 6 seats.
Neighbor has same 22' hull but in a bowrider model, his family loves their layout, but rarely use the open bow for riding, there are 6 seats not including the bow. Both boats are easy to tow ( 2500# max) and easy on fuel. These 21-22' aluminum hulls are very popular. Don't be afraid to open your search area, when I bought my current boat, it was a 200 mile drive but well worth it. I know folks that have traveled far longer distance to find the he right boat !

 

[redneck joe]

Where do you live and what body of water will you be on

Age of the kids and do they have friends

All day or just a few hours

Are you doing shore time or all on the boat



With wives and family a big challenge will be to not over pack stuff. For a day on the water not much is really needed. Wife and I do not use towels, we use a large handcloth so about 70% less space than two towels. Just enough to dry hands and face as needed and they dry in the sun quickly. A gallon jug of lemonade or whatever, half frozen take up way less space in a cooler than a case of something in cans for the kids, and cheaper, less watse in a trash sack. Chip bags have lots of air in them, crackers do not. Girls do not need to bring a purse with all that crap that purses have in them (other than chapstick). No makeup or hair brushes.

Be thinking about the above and decide where you want to go.

 

[Texasmark]

Been a while since I’ve been on the water, never been on the water since having a family, now that the kids are older it’s something I’m looking to get back into. I’ve had all sorts of boats when I was younger-so not technically new to boating but new to boating as a family.

I can find 19ft boats a dime a dozen in my area 21ft + aren’t as readily available in my price point-looking at used not new. I’m looking for something that easy to trailer and easy to unload and load up at the boat ramp.

From everyone’s experience would a 19ft boat be comfortable for 5 people? Or should I coomplety steer clear and looking for a 21?

I had a family of 6. We bought a new 18' Caravelle tri-hull, bow seating with a 125 Johnson. We boated on 40-60k acre lakes around here which were usually wind blown. It was a good match. Kids would ski in tandem and I could slalom with the rest of the family in the boat at 35 MPH or better.....stayed below that because when I fell it hurt too much.......

Thing I found over the years is that when considering the family sized rig, on land they are too big and on the water too small. So I can't advise you either way as my experience has conflicts with either boat you mentioned.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Pontoons or deck boats if possible for groups, depends on where you are boating. You do see pontoons in salt water more often now.

 

[Sprig]

Bigger is better. I have never heard anyone say I wish I would have gotten a 2’ shorter boat. Almost everyone wishes they would have got a slightly larger boat No matter what size boat they get. I’ve owned a lot of boats and not one time did I wish I had got a slightly smaller boat. We’re not talking going from 15' to 30’ , we‘re talking 2‘ feet. You won’t regret getting a 21’ but you might if you get a 19’. That 2’ can make a lot of difference as far as room, storage, comfort etc.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Our family of five has a 19' bowrider that we mostly trailer to nearby rivers (Mississippi and Illinois rivers). When you load a 19 footer with 5 people (and honestly, usually more than that because the kids will want to bring a friend), cooler(s), beach bags, tubes/skis, etc., the boat gets pretty crowded.

If you plan to beach the boat and use that spot as a staging place to take smaller groups out, a 19 footer is fine. If you plan on spending the entire day on the boat, it will feel pretty cramped, even with only 5 people. It's definitely doable, but you'll be tripping over beach bags, life jackets, etc. quite a bit.

 

[Scott Danforth]

many 21' boats have a port potty closet in front of the left console. if you have a wife and/or daughters, they will want that.

 

[rolmops]

I would go at a minimum 22 foot so there is enough space for everybody. Families need a porta potty so a cuddy cabin will allow for some pooping privacy.(there are little poop tents for porta potties on the market) A 22 foot Starcraft Islander or its sister ship, a Sylvan 22 footer would be perfect. These aluminum rigs are becoming rarer, but still available.
Not all boats are created equal, but all boats have a a sticker that shows the maximum amount of people legally allowed on them. That should be the first thing to look at. Overloaded boats and specially overloaded Pontoon boats are death traps. Just think of that over loaded pontoon last fall on Lake Tahoe.

 

[aspeck]

As many have said already ... depends on the layout of the boat, the age of the family, and how much you and your kids are interested in inviting others. I have a 19' dual console. Rides nice in rough water, the 150 pushes it well, and when my youngest wanted to bring friends, there was room for them between the bow and stern seating. There was room for me to bring a couple friends if fishing was on the agenda. It was/is the right boat for us layout and size-wise. But not interiors are created equally and not all families enjoy the same activities. When the kids wanted to go tubing, the cockpit got a bit more crowded and a 21 -24 footer would have been nice.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, Here on Barnegat Bay, NJ, a 21 footer is a good choice, for the following reasons, IMO.
A 21 footer is large enough to stand up to most of the normal conditions on the bay. The bay is 20+ miles long and about 3 mi wide. The 21 footer can usually take the extra wind and waves, when they occur.

I had a SeaRay 19 footer which handled the waves real well, as the hull was really good and it had a 4.3LX so the weight was on my side. Not all boats have this good of a hull. Also, the I/O took up a lot of room in the cockpit. I moved to a 21' Outboard boat, which has lot more room.

We have 2' waves each afternoon, say 3PM, but it is calmer other times. A good 19 footer is fine, a 21 footer is better.

Lots of the bay is real shallow, say ankle or shin deep. These shallow spots occur 1/2 mile from shore and other places that are unusual. They can surprise you. With a 21 foot OB boat, you have a good chance of refloating her with your crew pushing, vs sea tow.

Gee, I think the bottom line is that you need a boat that is safe, and after that one that is comfortable in normal conditions, and carries the crew you want. On my bay a 21 footer is about the best compromise you can have, IMO.

 

[Pmt133]

Funny enough, the one time I put myself on bottom was Holgate. Found out my chart was very wrong as I'm looking at the markers wondering "I'm not in the channel am I?" As I pull up on a sand bar. No harm was done. And unless you get a hard south wind or a crap ton of boat traffic, it is usually just fine in a 19. 21 is better. The 33 is really nice lol.