Go Fast Boats

R

rjr

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Joined
Jul 25, 2002
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9498
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This is probably a better topic for a winter discussion but I got to thinking about it after coming home in the rain yesterday.

Yes, I own a "Go Fast" boat. A 38' Formula. I bought it several years ago because I can trailer it, it's great in heavy seas, the ride is very comfortable, and cruising at 35 MPH is going slow.

The problem is that as I age (I am over 60) I can see where this much boat is going to be too much to handle. At least if I continue to trailer.

I don't usually travel faster than 35. Most of the time 25 would be great if it would stay on plane. Actually that and headroom are the biggest problems with Go Fast boats. Sailors will disagree but 30 really is a good cruising speed and I hate to give it up. I am willing to give up the ridiculous speeds this thing will do but I have not come across anything that will cruise faster than 20, have decent sea keeping, and be trailer able.

I have thought about boats like the Fortier 26 but the cabin is too small and its a little slow. If it were a 30 with an 8 1/2' beam it might be perfect. Has anybody seen anything like that? Should I just forget the whole thing?
 
Yup, the SS series of Formulas have more headroom than the Formula Fas-Techs, but they are still not full stand-up headroom until you get to either the 350SS or 370SS. The 330 SS will work for shorter people. But, none of those are easily trailerable....maybe the 330SSS for shart tows. If you still want a true go-fast, but want more head-room, check out "Black Thunder" brand. Not sure if they make shorter ones, but the ones I've seen are quite "tall" for performance boats.
 
Frankly, my trophy pro was happy to cruise at 30 - 35 kts.

The catch, as always, is that your comfort level depends on the seas... ;)
 
rjr

Wow - going from a Go-Fast to a 26 Fortier. Fortier is a great boat - um but...........

Hope you are well! Cheers!
 
If you want to continue to trailer, would you consider a 26' Formula SS? I'm 63 and launch and retrieve mine single handed, three times in the last month. I prefer to have my wife when launching and retrieving, but that's not always possible.

It can cruise easily at 35mph in 2 foot or less seas, and my wife and I sleep aboard several times a summer. The jump to a Fortier from a Formula would be interesting.

Peter
 
Just what and how much cabin do you need?

I used to have a Trophy walkaround. It had a minimal cabin: two could sleep and a manual head. AT 6' I could stand.

This boat was a Trophy 25??. Nominally 25' with 27' 3" being listed as the length.

/geirge
 
I hang out with a great group of guys that raft up somewhere most summer weekends. My wife isn't interested, so most of the time I am one of the bachelors. I do not need a lot of room but other than headroom, my 38 is great. Generator, air / heat, etc. But, like Cobalt said, single handing a boat this big is work!

At 6'3" the Fortier cabin is probably too small for me, and the boat to slow. I was looking at it's size, sea keeping reputation, and build quality thinking that they have the right idea. As I was zipping along Sunday getting stung by the rain drops the Downeast style had a lot of appeal. I guess that's why you see so many boats that style in the fishing fleet around here. I slowed down to 10 MPH for a while. It was beautiful, calm seas, the water dancing from the rain. I could almost see why sailors like it. But, my ETE to the mouth of the Connecticut River went from 20 minutes to 2 hours! In a FAST sailboat that would have been 4 HOURS!!! I picked it back up.

There are probably practical reasons, like center of gravity, that narrow beam boats are not tall, so I am probably wasting time worrying about it. But I will take a look at the 26 SS.

I keep thinking that if the motors were 5' forward I could cruise slower but that would surely reduce the cabin and wouldn't make the boat any smaller.
 
You may want to consider a Regal Window Express. It drives like a Porsche and at 6'4" I have no problem standing up in the cabin.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rjr

Is that the Regal 2550? How is it in 2 - 3 footers?

Click to expand...


Never been on the 2550. The 2860 has twin 4.3's, cruises at well over 30 and handles 2-3 footers as well as any 28 footer. It WON'T be a Formula or a Cigarette or a Fountain. It wasn't built to be.

I had my Regal 2465 out in 2 footers. I just had to slow down. I never felt unsafe. Regal builds a good solid boat.
 
I would still like to have the trailer option. Having the boat at home to work on means its ready to go when you get to the water. A big plus is always having the right tool at hand. I liked being in the marina when I owned a 28' Bayliner Contessa but I felt like I always had to be there to get my moneys worth. I never had the right tool for the job, and there were way too many distractions to get anything done quickly. I know, why own a boat if you are a cheap skate. That boat pounded unmercifully in anything other than glass smooth water. I always thought it was the size but have since discovered that a 28' boat doesn't have to pound. A friend has a 28' Trojan. Unbelievable ride! If I could trailer it I would buy one .
 
quote:
Originally posted by rjr

I would still like to have the trailer option. Having the boat at home to work on means its ready to go when you get to the water. A big plus is always having the right tool at hand. I liked being in the marina when I owned a 28' Bayliner Contessa but I felt like I always had to be there to get my moneys worth. I never had the right tool for the job, and there were way too many distractions to get anything done quickly. I know, why own a boat if you are a cheap skate. That boat pounded unmercifully in anything other than glass smooth water. I always thought it was the size but have since discovered that a 28' boat doesn't have to pound. A friend has a 28' Trojan. Unbelievable ride! If I could trailer it I would buy one .

Click to expand...


The 2860 is trailerable. 9.5 foot beam technically requires a permit. I know folks who do so. The permits are not that expensive if you decide to get one. Some folks don't bother as 1 foot is not that noticeable & are willing to risk it.
 
Permits are apparently fairly easy and straight forward. The problem is no travel at night, or on weekends. You must also travel the exact route laid out in the permit. Different permit for each state
 
at the thousand islands poker run a few weeks ago many boats are owned and driven by folks over 70 these beast are 40 - 50 footers with BIG power and cruise at 100 one turbine boat exceeded 200 with a gent in his mid 70s. i also went for a test ride with a guy mid 70s to test his 90 sunseeker it ran a bit over 45 and he docked that thing with ease!
 
Driving these boats is a piece of cake. Most of the problems end when the boats in the water. Picture yourself crawling over the windshield, and walking the foredeck to the bow. I am in pretty good shape so it isn't a problem now but I can't imagine doing it at 70 years old.

The real work is back at the house cleaning the damn thing. The deck is at the top of a 12' ladder. Fortunately, the neighborhood kids are almost big enough to hire for that kind of work.

I guess the solution is to get rid of the old lady and find a 25 YO to be my deckhand. Of course I wouldn't be able to afford much more than a dingy if I did that

One boat that hasn't been mentioned is a Grady White. I have never been on one but they have a small cabin, walkaround deck, and have a good reputation in 2 - 3 footers. Not sure where they cruise but the twin 250's I see on most of them should move them pretty good.
 
Grady, Pursuit, Robalo...but these boats are not cruising boats first and lack the seating you'll find in a cruising first boat.

Plus you'll lose all the space to bait wells and fish boxes.

Fountain has some nice cruising boats with headroom. Not sure about the trailerability...
 
30 mph cruz speed is easy in most twin engine express cruisers. My montery 282 with twin 5.0s will cruz at 30 and get 1.6gpm. Top speed is not much fun. I have seen 52mph under the best conditions. upper 40s in more the norm. 40 to 50 mph is just not very exciting in a express. But i do have 2 fridges and sleep 4!With a magma grill I can cook up a steak on the platform. Kinda like a motorhome that floats.....
 
Originally posted by rjr

Driving these boats is a piece of cake. Most of the problems end when the boats in the water. Picture yourself crawling over the windshield, and walking the foredeck to the bow. I am in pretty good shape so it isn't a problem now but I can't imagine doing it at 70 years old.

Put a hatch forward and go up through the hatch. I am 62 and plan on keeping a go fast for as long as I can still climb on board.
Click to expand...
 
Easy solution: a 38 or 42 Foot Sonic gofast with 8.6 beam. Non skid walk-around, standup more than a 6'4 cabin. All Sonics have big hatches that are easy to climb in and out of (unlike the Formula). I handle the forward cleat and anchor rode from inside the forward hatch when anchored in a storm. I think even the 35 foot Sonic has more than 6'3 standup cabin.

Why? Designed by Jay Ross who was at least 6'3 feet. Fantastic boats, I agree with everything you said about gofasts, that is why we LOVE our Sonic 30SS.

Any decent canvas shop can build you a good quick release enclosure for rain protection. You could even have one of those circular heated fishboat wiper windows installed in the forward plastic window if you wanted total functionality.

Wifey and I just wear sailor rain gear and military defog googles in the rain. Works fine.

My advice, just keep what you have, or trade for a Sonic.
 
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