First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

[JoLin]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

JoLin, unless the lake has a LOT of boats on it, this is almost perfect for water skiing. I use a lake that's a half mile wide and about two miles long and it's ideal for skiing. No real wind and never seen rough water on it. A ski to one end, turn around and come back and I'm ready for a break.

Gotcha, Bubba. It's all iin what you're used to, and it sounds absolutely claustrophobic to me.

Mischief Managed's suggestion about buying a smaller boat and taking folks out in 'shifts' seems like a good idea.

 

[fonnie23]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

Thanks for your feedback. Did you see the message I sent you also? Thanks!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

Craig, I stand corrected. I was thinking about the standard two-hull aluminum; I'm not familiar with the improved versions which, it sounds like, solves the reasons why conventional 'toons aren't good for water sports.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

I disagree with the statement that pontoon boats aren't good for water sports. There are high performance tritoons out there that run 45+ mph (mine's closer to 39 mph) and turn like a v hull.

There is more to watersports than power and speed... Yes, a pontoon can go fast enough, and it can turn for tubing (which isn't a sport...) Big problem is the wake. Its nearly impossible to wakeboard behind one, and the multiple rolling waves are irritating to ski behind. Yes, it can be done, and all the manufacturers love to show glossy brochures of people doing it, but reality is that a conventional hull is infinitely better. A tri-toon is good enough for complete beginners or for someone really desperate to get out on the water.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

I have always thought of pontoon boats to be the marine equivalent to a mini van :noidea:

OUCH !!! That hurts Ted !!! Didn't expect that from an Iboater of the Month !!! Hey "Craigmack", I say we line up next to that Formula and put a hurtin on it :laugh:

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

Having a "10" depends on the judge. A woman likes one with a "bathroom" kitchen with fridge and sink, nice place to lay out. Cute color.
running is optional.
A guy like one that has a big motor and a beer cooler.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

I wonder if its possible for the OP to rent a Pontoon and then a Bowrider, may make it easier for him/her to clarify his/her position, the needs dictated in the post are going to be difficult to narrow down.

What boats are most common on the lake you plan on using? I don't discount a Pontoon for anything, and in your area there may be plenty of them to get into, I think if your going to jump in I would suggest a bowrider, with value in the price so that you can turn it over should you realize your family needs are different then what you have, the bowriders are pretty commonly known as the utility boat or a boat that does nothing perfectly but does everything ok and thats why I would suggest going that route, but you could certainly do most of those things from a pontoon as well.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

Thanks for your feedback. Did you see the message I sent you also? Thanks!

I finally noticed a PM from you and replied to it. They are hard to spot...

 

[tpenfield]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

I have always thought of pontoon boats to be the marine equivalent to a mini van :noidea:

OUCH !!! That hurts Ted !!! Didn't expect that from an Iboater of the Month !!! Hey "Craigmack", I say we line up next to that Formula and put a hurtin on it :laugh:

There is nothing wrong with mini vans . . .

 

[jkust]

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

Great discussion...most practical vehicle i've ever owned was a minivan. Not fast, nor powerful but did everything you asked it to do. Your requirements are interesting because of the small size of your lake. 500 acres is pretty small and 8 people is a lot to ask. I almost never see a 22 foot bowrider even on our 130,000+ acre lakes but I certainly see a number of pontoons that large. While I don't care for pontoons as the only boat to own, I wonder if you are a good candidate. I won't discuss the fact that you can get a pontoon that costs over 100k with substantial power because those are outliers as were extremely large bowriders when they first arrived on the scene.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First time boat buyer: What's the boat equivalent to a 10 year old Honda Accord?

"and all the manufacturers love to show glossy brochures of people doing it, but ..."

true dat. The pictures show ridiculous uses for their boats that won't be as jolly in real life. And every time we discuss boats suited for waetr sports, we get a "I use my X for watersports all the time" but that doesn't say ANYTHING about whether it's a good fit. On my river, I see all kinds of absurd mixes, from 12' jons to 26' cruisers, dragging people around--not to mention jet skis. But that doesn't make it a good idea.

No boat is fitted perfectly for all uses. The buyer has to figure (and a new boater cannot know) the percentages of time in a certain activity--and that includes how often really will you have 8 or 10 or 4 or 2 on board. But the more you move toward a boat fitted for one purpose, the less functional for others. Multiple boats solves that.