Cuddy advice

[Pinnacle]

Although I have spent most of my time on the water in raggies, /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif, I am now considering buying a cuddy day boat. I have in mind something around the 22 to 24 foot mark witha single petrol inboard, which I would propose to dry sail - ie dry-store ashore except when in use - can you "sail" a mobo?. Primary cruising ground will be the Solent.

Can anyone offer some advice on the makes that are well built and might suit well and, heaven forbid, those that I should avoid?

All help greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Chas25]

How much are you looking to spend?

Would put the Monterey 218 cuddy down as one to look at, there is a newer 214 model if buying new but I prefer the 218!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Have a look at the Orkney range. Lousy website but they are proper little sea boats with a pukka Nelson type design

 

[Pinnacle]

Thanks for your replies. It's a little vague I admit, but at the moment I am thinking about a cuddy with maybe a 5 litre ish petrol inboard, with the ability to weekend under camper canvas/in the cuddy. No it won't be spacious, but it would be bearable for an occasional night. Probably a porta-potti, as there just won't be room for a marine head.

I have looked at a Sea Ray 230 OV (overnighter), so that is the kind of thing I am currently looking at. I am looking second hand and the budget is £15k to £20k - already sanctioned by SWMBO!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I still would love to get an AWB c 40 feet, but the budget won't stretch that far at the moment, but I do want to get out on the water - this looks like a sensible way forward for a year or two.

So what do you think of Sea Rays, Maxums, Bayliners, Fletchers, Four Winns etc? Is there a good one and/or a dog to avoid?

 

[dpb]

This is a very open question, can you pin point your key requirements regarding what you want your boat to do (speed ect) and what you want to do with it and even what style you prefer, that way we may be able to point in a vaguely right direction!!

 

[Pinnacle]

A bit tricky, but here goes...

Never owned a boat like this before, but would like it to be able to;

Pull toys
Be comfortable for 4 people, maybe six very occaisionally
Accommodate two overnight, just!
Be a suitable platform to spectate yacht races (Hamble series, Cowes week etc) from (so manouverable and able to get out of situations quickly)
Have somewhere dry to store spare clothes, bedding, food/drink etc
Be able to take us around the Solent when the weather is sensible.
Not drink too much juice /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


Hope that helps - and is not impossible!

 

[Alistairr]

No, not impossible the perfect boat would be a Rinker 232 Captiva Cuddy, Excellent boat, very well made, lots of space, and has a toilet, basin with persurised water and a Stove.
I've had 8on ours, and the cuddy is plenty big enough for overnighting, We had myself SWMBO and dog most weekends, I'm 6'4" and there is plenty of length, and you can sit in the cuddy at the table on those cold nights. The under bed bins are sealed and water tight, and there is a small wardrobe for hanging some clothes up in.

Anything you want to know about them, just ask me!

Cheers

Al.

 

[gjgm]

you can have alot of fun in USA sportboats. You ll be familiar with the Solent chop, but not in a sportsboat perhaps. Depending on the hull and your speed, it can get pretty bang-y, even painful. Better bet is a boat with a steeper dead rise. Trouble is , on the smaller boats, thats the wrong way for accomodation. In short, one with lots of space is likely to be alot less comfortable than a higher performance boat in the Solent.Some use the term "lake boat".. well, you get the intended use.
Id suggest you just start looking at different marques. Just like cars, quality in build doesnt come cheap.- its up to you to decide if you need a Audi or a Ford! Less of an issue when new, but better build tends to look better as the years go by.
Still, basically you are buying a lump of cheapish fibreglass, and a bloody expensive engine. No prizes for guessing which is more likely to break your wallet- so service history is a must. Getting one not kept in the water but on a trailer is a good idea too if possible.
Its small details on layout and practicality that make the difference. Lousy seat support maybe, or lots of quality s/steel fittings, badly located table etc. On the whole, the more expensive marques have more right, but it can come at quite a premium. Nothing is made so bad it wont float(!), so nose about- and definitely go for as big as you can. Thats my top suggestion.

 

[Pinnacle]

One boat I am looking at at the moment, has a deadrise of 20deg. Is this too shallow a hull configuration? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[jhr]

I have a Sea Ray 215, 2001 vintage. Deepish V and quite solid, so not as fast as some but will still crack 35 knots with a 250 hp Merc. The advantage of the deep V is that she handles the Solent chop better than some of her ilk. Solid build quality - as confirmed by my old man, a retired marine surveyor.

With a camper canvas you can sleep 2 + 2 kids but 2 are comfortable overnighting down below and you can easily go out for the day with 6. She is CE rated for 8, which starts to slow things down a bit (and makes getting on the plane a matter of shifting people around /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif). The loo is set to one side of the cabin, rather than under the bunk up for'ard, which you suddenly see the benefit of, at 4.00 am in the morning when you want a pee.

My boat, so I'm partial but several other Forumites have owned a 215 at one time or another and I've never heard a bad word said about them.

I reckon you'd get a 2000 model in reasonable nick for about £18k.

 

[Ianj68]

I would second jhr's advice on the Searay 215, certainly over a 230OV. I used to own a 230OV and it was a real struggle to overnight, very low headroom in the cuddy and a rather cramped cockpit. In my opinion the 215 is a much better option for overnighting, where the 230OV was a great day boat.

I.

 

[KCook]

[ QUOTE ]
So what do you think of Sea Rays, Maxums, Bayliners, Fletchers, Four Winns etc? Is there a good one and/or a dog to avoid?

[/ QUOTE ]
Every brand over here has its fans. Even the cheapest ones. Of course the fans for those will have a lot to say about value. For US builders their bowrider production (and profits) far outstrip the cuddy types. So, to put it delicately, they do a better job with the bowriders. When comparing cuddy boats you will need to become your own surveyor, for all practical purposes. Instead of blindly relying on brand name.

Kelly

 

[landlockedpirate]

I have owned a few and am a big fan of US sportsboats and cuddies. I think any of the well known brands would be safe money spent (Bayliner, Searay, Rinker, Four Winns, , Chaparal etc). I would avoid the lesser known makes, they may be cheaper to buy but they can be a pig to sell on.

All of these boats have nice cockpits, pleasant cuddies, porta potties and sinks. (22-24ft range). Make sure the camper canvas is in good condition and, as a rule of thumb,the uglier the canvas the more practical it will be!

These boats will be perfectly safe in the Solent (and even as far France/Channel Islands in the right conditions). But if you are looking for better handling the Searay 215 is a good compromise or even a Fletcher 22, great handling but lacking in fit out compared to the US offerings.

As mentioned above, condition is everything, I regularly see boats that are complete sheds and only a couple of years old. Remember if the boat is cosmetically tatty, the engine probably is too.

 

[CaptainMike1970]

We had the Sea Ray 225 Weekender with the Mrec 5.0L V8 260hp MPI engine with an Alpha 1 leg, VERY FAST, very stable, solent chop no problem, we had a proper overboard discharge electric vacufush toilet (big selling point for SWMBO) and the full camper canvas pack - as mentioned by others this really make the boat useable for weekends away. The Sea Ray quality is great, very solidly built, over engineered if anything.

5.0L V8 does not burn as much fuel as you might think, I have posted the actual fuel consumption figures here previously so a quick search should bring up the threads or PM me and I will see if I can find the info for you.

See back issue of MBM July 2004 for our owners report if you want more info or PM me.

Best of luck.

 

[Pinnacle]

I have found the post - overall around the 22 litres per hour, ish.

Thanks for the comments. I will post if anything actually happens!

 

[Pinnacle]

I would only be interested in one that is in good nick - I am the same with all my toys! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thanks for the comments - it's one of the brands you mention that I am looking seriously at. Promise I will post if a deal is done. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Pinnacle]

Thanks Kelly - I would only look at one that had been well looked after.

I will post if anything comes of my discussions! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[KCook]

Here is another thread, rather long winded, on a US site about cuddy selection -

http://www.boatingabc.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/100688/page/0/fpart/1

 

[RogerRat]

Interesting choice of boats, a friend of mine has just part-ex'd his Sea Ray 215 with Bates Marine at Chertsey against a Sea Ray 315.

Lovely boat, looks almost new condition imho. Good overnight acommodation for two and nice day area for upto six. Very quick and moderately economical. (modern efi)

Worth a look just to see for yourself, it was kept at Poole and dry sailed. Surveyed when he bought it and used sensibly, recent service, no hours since.

Best bit is, it'll be within your budget! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

PM me if you would like his contact details for more info.

 

[Pinnacle]

Happy birthday!!

Looks like you guys had a fab trip to the CI's over Easter. One question, why was jez looking so grumpy in the photo? (Or was it an illusion?)

Back to cuddies....

Thanks for the suggestion. I have looked at the details on the net. Looks like a really nice boat. I will send pm.