Need help picking a boat!

[biglurr54]

I live on a small lake in upstate NY. I currently have a small pontoon and a 17.5 ft crestliner bow rider. As my family is growing, the bowrider is feeling inadequate. We keep both boats in all season and will pull the bowrider to go camping and exploring on other lakes in the area. On the lake we live at, we only uncover the bowrider to tow the kids on tubes and starting to kneeboard (6 yo). I am looking to upgrade the bowrider for more room and an upgraded boat. My current 17.5ft feels small on some of the lakes we go camping on (lake George, 1000 island area, lake Champlain, lake winnipesaukee) but it is about the right size for our small lake.

I would replace the boat with a used boat and have a budget around $20k.

I'm torn between a MasterCraft Maristar (great for towing) or a Cobalt. (Great for exploring the larger waters). Both would be in the 21 to 23 ft range.

I worry the ride of the Maristar won't be great and I wont be able to explore a lake like I can with an outboard or I/o but for the majority of the time, it will be the right boat for us as it will be able to pull the kids on what ever sport the adapt to while at home on the lake.

The Cobalt will be good at exploring and should be able to do most of the potential water sports aside from wake surfing. I worry that we will get into wake surfing in a few years and have the wrong boat then!

 

[CaptainSteveo]

I live on a small lake in upstate NY. I currently have a small pontoon and a 17.5 ft crestliner bow rider. As my family is growing, the bowrider is feeling inadequate. We keep both boats in all season and will pull the bowrider to go camping and exploring on other lakes in the area. On the lake we live at, we only uncover the bowrider to tow the kids on tubes and starting to kneeboard (6 yo). I am looking to upgrade the bowrider for more room and an upgraded boat. My current 17.5ft feels small on some of the lakes we go camping on (lake George, 1000 island area, lake Champlain, lake winnipesaukee) but it is about the right size for our small lake.

I would replace the boat with a used boat and have a budget around $20k.

I'm torn between a MasterCraft Maristar (great for towing) or a Cobalt. (Great for exploring the larger waters). Both would be in the 21 to 23 ft range.

I worry the ride of the Maristar won't be great and I wont be able to explore a lake like I can with an outboard or I/o but for the majority of the time, it will be the right boat for us as it will be able to pull the kids on what ever sport the adapt to while at home on the lake.

The Cobalt will be good at exploring and should be able to do most of the potential water sports aside from wake surfing. I worry that we will get into wake surfing in a few years and have the wrong boat then!

Sounds like you need to determine what is more important to you. Wake board/surfing, or cruising and exploring.

The MasterCraft is fantastic at one thing: water sports. It's going to be more expensive to maintain and operate. They usually have big V8, ballist tanks with pumps to create large wakes, etc.. As you know you will not be able to beach it or safely traverse shallow area's having the prop under the boat.

Seems the Cobalt will do almost all of it well, cost less, but you won't be able to wake surf.

Which is the most important factor?

 

[biglurr54]

What makes a v drive more expensive to maintain than a I/o? Both boats have similar sized motors. Aren't I/o's more work to winterize and more complex due to the out drive?

 

[biglurr54]

Its a tough call and I am torn between the two. It seems the Cobalt fit and finish is nicer but the Maristar is pretty nice inside. It seems that most people are gravitating towards the V drive and away from I/Os these days.