I want a boat and have questions.

[lhenry1017]

I'm from Michigan and have been around alot of boats as a kid. It's been a couple decades since i've been on one, till this summer. I forgot how much I loved it. NOW I HAVE TO HAVE A BOAT!

My family is large...8...but most are older teens and arent always with us....so i would like to fit 6-8.....the youngest is 5. I've been looking at a open bows, and smaller cuddies. ( i really want a small yacht, but wouldnt be able to afford the gas to take it out:}) We would like to tube some, fishing, swimming, and i think a cuddy would be great for the littler ones to take naps. I would like to go on inland lakes and the great lakes...(but not too far from shore....need to see land) I want a all day boat.

So, what is better on gas> i/o's, or outboards. How do I find out gas milage?

I don't want to start out with something that cost to much to upkeep, and I dont want something too small to meet my families needs. Also when looking for a used boat, what year is too old?

I was thinking a 21 foot cuddy? I know it would have to winterized and stored. I know there is maitanance cost. The only thing that worries me is gas usage. Something that cost over 100 dollars to fill...how long does it last?

Any advice would be great. I have been doing all sorts of research and am looking for a boat show to go to, so I can learn more.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

Welcome aboard!!!

A 20' cuddy with a 4.3L I/O is great on fuel efficiency. Try to stop thinking on terms of miles per gallon. A boat is nothing like a car or truck. Your fuel consumption will be measured in gallons per hour.

My boat is in my avatar and signature. I've got a 56 gallon fuel tank. I can fill the tank, boat around all day, cruising, fishing, tubing, swimming, grilling, and burn less than 10 gallons, depending upon water conditions. An I/O will burn less gas than an outboard. There are now outboards, though, which are fantastic on fuel economy. I don't think they can match an I/O for fuel efficiency, though. I could be wrong.

You need to take a safe boater course. Learn all you can about operating and maintaining a boat.

The cuddy cabin is great. It provides a safe haven from the sun. You are right about it being a great place for naps... and not just for the little ones!!! In rough water and descent swells, water will roll off the sides. You can still stuff the bow, but you're not as likely to swamp, like you would be in a bow rider.

Do a lot of reading on the forum. Use the search button for any and every subject you're curious about.

Good luck, stay safe, and have fun.

 

[seaboo]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

Just some thoughts: With a cuddy and 6-8 some are gonna be probably going to be riding in the cabin (not the nicest or funest place to ride). If you think you need a boat for your kids remember, they have friends and may want to take them out too (more people). My boat has a 60 gal tank and with that I can go out all weekend (depends on what you do, if you pull a tube all the time you will use more fuel of course). I don't look at the fuel cost as bad (for the money, what else can you do with your family for the weekend, and build memories)? To me it is money well spent. I like I/O's (I like the swim platform, we do alot of water sports and it is nice for that), the "doghouse" does eat up inside space but in my case it's a good trade-off.

Age on a boat is less relative (I believe) than the maintenance it has gotten over the years. A boat that has been well cared for for 15 years may be a better boat than one that has been neglected for 7 yrs. Just remember that some drive systems. and engines are out dated (manufacturer is out of business) and therefore getting parts or mechanics may be difficult.

 

[Philster]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

6-8 people? You need a decent open bow boat. 21' seems the minimum. A cuddy won't cut it. You simply won't have enough room.

If you have a boat big enough to haul 6-8 people and do water sports all day, you are talking about spending over 200-300 bucks on fuel for that day. A boat with power to carry those people and the size... out all day. Yeah, those fuel costs are about right.

.

 

[mpdive]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

All good points here. Grew up on the great lakes and you know how rough it can be. I think you need to make a choice of on where you are going to boat at and let that be your choice factor. Open bow loaded with people on the great lakes? I would probably shy away from that. Made that mistake on Erie in a small boat a half mile out and almost didn't make it in. There's a reason the great lakes have more shipwrecks per square mile than the oceans. As Philster said, a cuddy is going to limit you on seating for boating enjoyment. If you choose to stay inland then yes a bowrider may be what your looking for. As Veritas stated a 4.3 is good on gas and coupled with a decent size bowrider would give you all the inland lake fun you could handle.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

6-8 people? You need a decent open bow boat. I cuddy won't cut it. You simply won't have enough room.

If you have a boat big enough to haul 6-8 people and do water sports all day, you are talking about spending over 200-300 bucks on fuel for that day.

i think your on the high side on fuel costs but with that beast in your avatar , im not surprised. I have my 18 footer with a carbed 4.3 Ive taken 6 people out all day for under a hundred. I suppose if you are going to have 8 people on board ALL DAY long and doing watersports, your gonna need a 22footer with a V-8 at least. Yeah the the costs is going to go up. Usually when I have a large group, we set up camp somewhere , toss out the grill and the lawn chairs at a park or beach and take turns, I cant imagine 8 people , all on board, ALL day if thats what you wanna do, yep get a bigger, tho more expensive boat. My 2 cents

 

[AviatorJim]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

I'd say the biggest open bow you can find, with the smallest V8 Mercuiser you can find. A good top will give the kids shade for a nap. 6 - 8 people is a lot for any small boat, and if you want to have the power for skiing and wakeboarding with all those people . . . And stay off the great lakes.

An older boat would let you go bigger, but slower. And pushing a big boat fast enough for a good ride on a tube uses a lot of gas.

So I have 2 boats, a 25' cabin for the wife and I, and a 17 ft 4cyl Mercuiser runabout for tubing and skiing. Both are old and worn, but well maintained, so I get maximum fun for minimum cost. I have kids that nap in the runabout, and have had 8 people standing in the cockpit of the cruiser.

I doubt any of that is going to help you decide, but go for the fun. If you get it out 10 times a year, that is pretty good. That would be every weekend during the summer. An extra $50 to feed it per trip really isn't much. And after a season or two you will be thinking of upgrades or changing to something different based on how you use it. Worry more about getting it right on your next boat.
--Jim

 

[JoLin]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

I agree with Paul- think about how you intend to use the boat and give a bit more input on that. I wouldn't want to be stuck all day with 8 people on MY boat.

As for fuel consumption, yeah, gas is pricey but Lin and I almost never spend the day cruising. We'll go to some destination that's within an hour of our dock, raft up or slip it somewhere for the day or weekend, then head home. A day like that will cost me 20-30 gallons. Spending the day at the mall or going to the beach would have cost us a similar amount, and I'm not sitting in traffic

 

[Philster]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

If I tubed and did water sports all day with just 4 people, I'd blow through all 88 gallons before the day was over for sure.

Still, A small block V8, in a decent-sized open bow boat that would fit the OP's needs: How could you NOT spend 200 bucks out all day with six people doing water sports!?

TIP TO THE Opening Poster: Everyone I know that is overcome with boating so that it becomes a part of their life -- the kind of people, like me, who just have to be on the water -- well, we get on the water, and we might tube for an hour or two, but we find our favorite coves, sand islands, or other places and we swim, eat, play the tunes and meet other people.

One time, when I was learning the Upper Chesapeake area after boating somewhere else for my entire boating life, I hit the waters of the Chesapeake and cruised all day with my wife to learn the area. I emptied the tank. I never do that. Some days, I kill a quarter tank.

The avid boat lovers I know just get on the water. Tubing or skiing can't last all day. Find a place to hang out.

note: I am excluding fishing enthusiasts from all analysis here.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

I see more good points have been added. As stated, you are not going to do water sports ALL day. Unless you are all Olympic bound fiends. 2 hrs of ACTUAL watersports [or less] will probably be as much as 8 people could handle. Its tiring, people wanna eat and rest, play in the sand, build sand castles. Some tubes you can get now will take 2-3 or more riders, kill 2 or more birds with one stone.

 

[lhenry1017]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

Thank you for all the respnses. I have alot to consider. I told my husband to watch out, make sure I dont get a boat so huge we just dock it at the marina and never go any where. (he's just happy I'm looking at boats)

I'll let you know what happens in the spring....hopefully I'll have a pretty avatar!

 

[southkogs]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

6-8 people on bigger water - you might want to consider an older outboard fishing boat with a small walkaround cuddy. That'll give you a little (VERY spartan) interior space, and a big ol' well deck on the back. Not the most glamorous boat, but with the right O/B's you could have a nice family cruiser.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

i think you need a 24 to 26 footer. The 24 will do water sports better, the 26 will do people better. Cabins are good, closed bow runabouts are ok. Bow riders can be OK if you aren't in big swells that could wash in over the nose, but that can be controlled with driver skill and/or a bow seat area cover.
I say 24' with a V8. BTW bigger motors are good due to their torque, if you don't run around full blast all the time they are good on fuel too.

 

[TomB985]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

So, what is better on gas> i/o's, or outboards. How do I find out gas milage?

Go to www.boattest.com! I think I/Os used to be more fuel efficient, but this is no longer the case. Take, for example, a Bayliner 175 and Bayliner 180 test results. The 175 is slightly smaller, but gets worse fuel economy with the little Merc 3.0L I/O.

Bayliner 175 I/O = 4.65 peak MPGs
Bayliner 180 O/B = 7.03 peak MPGs.

Note that the O/B can't go quite as fast with the tested 90 HP Opti, but these engines are significantly more efficient. Outboards are hard to find on pleasure boats though, and because of that I ended up with my Larson I/O even though I strongly prefer outboards. Much more common, generally more power, and cheaper!

I consider outboards to be the premium option, while I/Os are the regular, run-of-the-mill choice.

 

[lhenry1017]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

Thank you all...I have seen the walk abouts....first thought is a its kinda a ugly boat, but functional. We really like to fish....more so than water sports. So I guess for my first one, I'm gonna have to compromise.

 

[Philster]

Re: I want a boat and have questions.

He was referring to WA boats, known as Walk Arounds, because you can walk around the cabin (very carefully!).


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