what should I get next?

C

CaptCrunch

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My 25ft Chris Craft crowne was totalled during sandy. I had been contemplating going bigger anyway, but I also enjoy being able to take the boat out solo for an hour or so after work. If I go to a 30-33ft I'd want twins do I go i/o or inboard? Never had anything with twins before. Going to be looking in the used boat market.
Have never really been a fan of merc power. Is there a compromise to allow short trips but still weekend and such or am I dreaming and I really need 2 boats, a small ctr console and a cruiser
 
If you go in the 30-33' range you may actually find boat handling easier with the twins. I prefer inboards to limit the mechanical complexities. As far as power, I prefer Crusaders. These days in a buyer's market, I would pick up a runabout provided the extra docking and storage is not an issue just for those days when you just have an hour to play.

Gerry
 
You need a 1999 Sea Ray 330 sundancer with 2007 Merc 6.2 Horizon's / V-Drives with less than 120 hours on them. It's the perfect boat. I happen to know where you can find one.

My 2465 Regal was the perfect weekender for this economy. Trailerable and sipped gas. I dry stacked her during the week and slipped her on weekends. It was the best of both worlds. In the early spring, she came home for a much needed bath and wax.

However, it was as much work to get in and out of the slip as my 33 all things considered. The only difference was the lines jumped from 3/8" to 1/2".
 
There is no such thing as a boat you can't single hand in my book.
They all look scary when you first get in, but once you get used to it, you should be able to handle it without crew.
Unless conditions are such, but then hopefully you didn't go out in the first place.

Go as big as you can afford. Twins are way easier than singles.
If speed and fuel economy are issues, then go I/O.
If maintenance is a issue, go inboard.
My last boat, Cruiser Yachts 3470 was a great boat.
Had twin I/O's and I never had a issue docking it solo.
Fast and fuel efficient.
Maintenance was a pain and always worrying about corrosion.
 
Single handing is a function of your docking situation and the boat.

On my Trojan, it was easy to maneuver with twin gas but light. Wind would push me around and when docking in my slip which was to a port side tie with no pole to starboard, I would not take it out alone with the wrong wind direction.

The Viking weighed twice as much and with twin diesels, it went exactly where you wanted it. My last slip had four poles so docking alone was a breeze.

Current 29 Amberjack is very easy to handle alone, we fish it regularly and it provides us with the ability to weekend away.

Twin gas inboards are less expensive to maintain than I/Os. I/Os are more efficient. This was my first season with I/Os. Replaced the Mercathodes at the beginning of the season and did a short haul in July to replace zincs. No issues then or when hauled for winter.
 
My docking situation is changing too, currently am in Merrick on protects bay with 30ft of dock and 70ft of bulkhead. Were moving to Bellmore on a somewhat narrow canal also with about 30ft of dock and 90ft of bulkhead. If I found something locally enough as part of the seatrial i'd want to make sure I can turn the boat behind the house. I've been very happy reliability with my volvo i/o setup the past 7 years on my chris, and heard bad things about some of the merc bravo setups and some of the late 90s to early 2000s merc inboard setups
 
IMHO....it just takes time ....but you will get use to going solo in a 30-33 footer. I took my 37 Dancer out alot by myself......and docked it alone behind my house with only 50' of bulkhead . Like it was said.....go as big as you can afford......you will not regret it.
 
as mentioned, twins are much easier to handle than singles (well, in boats, anyway). the cost of winterizing / storing outdrives pushed me to inboards. much happier now. however, on the south shore, you may want to be able to raise drives when the water gets skinny. all boats are compromises.
 
How much more draft is an inboard usually then an i/o. What if it has pockets? Hoping to find something reasonably fuel efficient too, not that works too well with a boat. My current boat burned 10-12 gph.
 
About a month ago just before winterizing I took the boat to get new zincs and a bottom cleaning by myself. It was a completely calm day so not much of an issue. Of course I had a spring line waiting at the dock on my return at just the right length. I would not do it on a regular basis, but now that I did it it was not so bad.
 
You will burn more with a gas inboard than a I/O.
Draft is the same but I/O's can be lifted, so you can get into skinnier water.
Based on what your saying, cost, efficiency, sounds like twin i/o's are the way to go.
If you prefer volvo, look at boats with those.
Regal is all volvo and makes a nice boat.
Check out the windows express 3360, real nice boat, very open and airy.
 
quote:
Originally posted by CurrentSea

You will burn more with a gas inboard than a I/O.
Draft is the same but I/O's can be lifted, so you can get into skinnier water.
Based on what your saying, cost, efficiency, sounds like twin i/o's are the way to go.
If you prefer volvo, look at boats with those.
Regal is all volvo and makes a nice boat.
Check out the windows express 3360, real nice boat, very open and airy.

Click to expand...


CAREFUL of which outdrives. The plastic Volvos are a mess.
 
Heard bad things about the plastic volvos as well. I will stay away from those, so far a 328 chris craft express 2000-03 vintage has my eye or a 33 searay express cruiser I saw looks intriguing as well. Also like the formula pc's great lines on them.
 
Have to go off topic ! Marks lying ! I've seen him try and ock his lil gas boat ! He sucks at it .

Lol sorry pal

Rob
 
LOL, is i/os and inboards have any advantages or disadvantages with docking?
 
inboards are WAY easier to dock than I/O's, at least if backing into the slip.
 
Woodsong, that's def good to know for the restaurant and fire island trips.
 
I am not sure I totally agree.
I have owned both and I/O's sometimes are hard to walk over, where inboards are easier.
But if you have Duo props which most I/O twin setups are then you get alot of bite around the dock.
If you have single props, then inboards are easier.
Again, both have trade offs.
The only perfect propulsion system is IPS!!! ;)
 
Once you get comfortable skippering a 32' single handed is not an issue at all. And the twins will allow you to turn the boat around almost within its own footprint as long as the conditions are not extreme.

If I could offer any advice it would be to get lessons on how to handle twins in narrow channels and docking without the use of the wheel. Center your wheel and let the drives do all of the work. Whenever I got nervous I would reach for the wheel, and then all bets were off. I finally learned by putting my right hand on the throttles, and putting my left hand in my pocket.

o this day, I still dock with my hand in my pocket, :)
 
IMHO: Inboards are much easier than I/O's around a dock, but the I/O's are a bit more efficient.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
I wouldn't rule out either if I came across a boat that met my needs in every other way and was exceptionally well taken care of. Those two factors are much more important to me at this point.
The only other thing I would look at would be possibly getting a well cared for boat with tired motors. If the seller would consider this in the price that would be ideal in my book. Starting with a nice used boat with new motors is a good way to go.
 
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