Planing houseboat choices

[madman2021]

Interests are changing and I'm not using either one of my offshore boats for their intended purposes anymore. I do alot of 2-3 day inshore fishing trips and duck hunting in protected mostly shallow water. I've been using my 33 Bertram as base camp and to tow my wellcraft v20 for fishing and my custom tunnel drive for duck hunting. The bertram is just too small and draws too much water. I need a houseboat preferably in the 40-50' range but want one than can get on top and cruise in the 17-23mph range. Pluckebaum is the ideal boat but a little out of my price range. Trying to keep it under $75k. Would prefer an aluminum hull but would also do a 90' and newer fiberglass hull with outboards or inboards. No stern drives. Big block gassers seem to be the norm for these go fast houseboats. Wish there were some more diesel choices available. So far based on my research my choices are Gibson, Bluewater, Harbor master, some Lazy days, Hillburn and pluckebaum. Are there any others I'm missing?

 

[Stinnett21]

Wouldn't a 40 - 90 foot houseboat that's able to plane off draw just as much water as the Bertram? The planing houseboat went out of style years ago. Even then it took twin big blocks running near WOT, especially for the size your desiring. Not knocking what your wanting, Just think you are gonna have to compromise on something. In my memory, growing up around the Ohio River in 60s-70s, the only houseboats I remember seeing planing, at least what you could call planing, were small to medium size aluminum houseboats such as the Marinette. Maybe a Gibson but they mostly plowed.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you may want to look up displacment hulls and bow wake speed.

no way a 90' houseboat is a planing hull. its a modified displacement hull, it just has a slightly higher displacement speed than a 20' pontoon.

plus you need to consider the fuel burn of 700-900 hp worth of motors screaming at near WOT to move you at 20mph. BTW, its about 40-50 gallons per hour

 

[madman2021]

My mistake on the size range. I meant 40-50 foot range. I'm well aware of the fuel burn of the big block gassers. My Bertram has twin 454 carbed mercruisers. At 21 knots with the wellcraft in tow and generator running I'm burning 40 GPH combined. I'm only running 1-2 hours out each trip so the fuel burn is almost irrelevant. I've seen a few newer Gibsons in my area in the 40-50 foot range running on the lake. Looks like their running in the 20-25 mph range. Just not wild about a fiberglass house boat. I've seen too many with major rotting deck issues.

 

[Faztbullet]

Look for the pontoon style houseboats...faster

 

[Sea Rider]

Look for something that can achieve an incredible fast displacement speed along much less fuel consumption rate.

Hapy Boating​

 

[madman2021]

I like the pontoon style house boats but not enough freeboard and most have just a single engine. Not good for getting back to my house which is on a long narrow curvey bayou. Definitely need twins. My neighbor struggles to get his 34 manship back there.

 

[FrizFreleng]

I am partial to Holiday Mansion. Many available in the 36' - 41' range. Once in a while a 49' comes on the market. Usually twin gassers and they do get up and go.

 

[mr 88]

Look for something that can achieve an incredible fast displacement speed along much less fuel consumption rate.

Hapy Boating​

Hahahahahaha.. 50 ' houseboat with any engine [s ] is not going to get less fuel consumption at any displacement speed , including "incredible fast " than his 33' Bert.

 

[Texasmark]

I think it was the San Diego area but I was surfing Craigs list boats for sale by owner. 30+' toon, don't know if a tritoon or not pics were side views, had 2 ea new hot dog 300 hp Mercs on it and it was hooked up going by as the photo was snapped. Looked like a bass boat on the pad! I was going to clip the internet address and post it here but didn't know if that was ok or not. Price was $195k as I recall. Soooooo looks like you can have what you want....just need deep enough pockets.

 

[ahicks]

My thought regarding anything like a 40-50' pontoon is that it's going to get the living hell twisted out of it in any kind of weather. I don't know how you would get it rigid enough where that wouldn't be a factor.

 

[madman2021]

My friend has one of those 30+ foot twin engine tritoons with twin 400 mercury verados. It's a speed demon rides pretty good too in a bay chop. Wanna say he paid 250-275k for it. Way out my price range though lol.