First sportsboat - advice appreciated!

[gr1mb0]

I live near Poole and am looking to buy my first sportsboat - and I'd really appreciate some advice on:

- size of boat (I'm thinking between 5 and 7 metres)
- bowriders vs cuddys
- inboard vs outboard
- where to keep it (no space at home so looking for good value moorings/dry stacking or similar)

I intend to do daytrips in fine weather only (as far as this can be predicted!) - at least until I build knowledge, experience and confidence.

I'd like to be able to take the family out (wife and kids age 10/5/1 yrs), but ask the bowrider question because it would be nice to take some friends too (some seem to be able to take up to 10 people).... but with the kids on board, safety is a big priority and I've read some horror stories here regarding bowriders being swamped in not-very-rough seas.

I've researched some handling courses (2-day ICC style) too. I'm slightly concerned that these tend to be RIB or Boston Whaler style boats - will this feel the same as the Bayliner/Maxum/Sea Ray/Regal/Monterey/Chapparal/etc. etc. (decisions, decisions!) that I'm likely to be looking at... and if not, does it matter.

All advice very welcome and much appreciated... including advice on questions I should have asked but am too much of a novice to have known about!!


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[gjgm]

Id strongly recommend the P?boat level 1+2. It will give you some good basic close quarter handing so you dont look a complete twat hitting the S/seeker in the marina on your first day out- and subsequently hoprfully. And it will give you a good introduction to some basics of safety,charts, boyage etc etc. In fact, personally (and this is just my own attitute) i wouldnt take my family, especially one so young, out until I was sure I had some degree of competence. PB1+2 would be a start.
Bowrider or cuddy ? Are you EVER going to sleep on it? Cuddy is about 1/3 or your boat and 1/3 of your cost, but does offer some protection from the elements. But if its rough, you arenot going to want to be shaken about inside the cuddy anyway. Good storage though for lunch and extra clothes! Bowrider.. more space for day boating, as you say.
Size? Towing is ok on reasonable sized family car at 18ft, harder at 21, and you ll need a big (and I dont mean one of those feeble ones) 4*4 for 23-24ft. Remember you have to get it up and down a slipway, unless you are leaving it in a mooring. The smaller boat is very exciting in calm water as you are so close to it, but your young family might find it very scary in even small waves. Bowriders being swamped? Well I guess they are more open, but I dont think that is a design flaw. Bad handling, including being out in weather when you shouldnt is more likely.I m over at Chichester. Maybe be able to give you guys a spin b4 season is out, but no promises! Article in MBM this month on sportboats
By the way, think the CE rating on 24ft bowrider is 8 people, so go easy on the passenger count.
If you want a chat, pm me and I ll give you home ph no.

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[Solitaire]

The question you pose is far to complex and lengthy for it to be answered in any post. Even the posts that will follow will give conflicting and some times erroneous information. As you live near Poole, click on the link at the end of my post and have a look through the site it takes you to.
In terms of "doing" a course on <<I've researched some handling courses (2-day ICC style) too. I'm slightly concerned that these tend to be RIB or Boston Whaler style boats - will this feel the same as ..........>>
The principles taught are useable in any of the boats you name. That's what the course is designed for. I'd be happy to discuss via a PM (personal mesage) any concerns you may have.
As to bow riders? Don't, they are built for use primarily in the US, where folks pop around on lakes and don't go out in anything more than a F1. They are not ideal for use in UK waters. I doubt if you'd even keep it more than a season.

Good luck, but be careful what you read on the forum - "options can lead to insanity"/forums/images/icons/wink.gif




<hr width=100% size=1>Boating is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.powerboat-training.co.uk>Serious</A> Fun

 

[Happy1]

As someone who went through exactly what you are starting 18mths ago, I am sure I can be of some help. Send me a message and I will endeavour to help and explain a few things.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[hlb]

Yep. Forget the bow rider idea. It would probably sink on the way out of Pool harbour on a good day. The idea of the deck in front, is mainly to keep the sea out. Not keep you dry. I've had 3ft of sea on my deck a few times. I would not like to be without it.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[Alistairr]

What sort of budget are you thinking of?



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[gr1mb0]

Thanks for the quick responses... food for thought already. I'll send PMs to follow up as requested (thanks for the offers of detailed help) -- as soon as I figure out how to do it!

I'd planned on a budget of maybe £10k for a first boat (gauged by looking at what's available on boats-for-sale.com). Plus mooring/stacking fees since sadly, I can't budget for a 4x4 to heft trailers around and launch safely (costs would be high indeed if my Alfa got dragged into the water!).

General view seems to be 'steer clear' of bowriders, despite not wanting to sleep on board. Puts paid to the larger family outings (cuddys in my price bracket seat 5 or 6 max...?)... but safety is paramount (to whit - I'll take the advice about gaining confidence and some time before taking the kiddies on board).

I'll be checking out Cobbs Quay over the weekend and talking with anyone down there who can spare the time...



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[duncan]

please don't rule out ribs and dory's (Whaler types) - they are absolutely ideal for Poole and the surrounding coast as day boats.
There are currently dryracking areas in Poole Harbour - Poole boat park (will this exist when the new bridge is built?) Cobbs Quay and Rockley Park - go and look at them and the boats that are there - even better go on a Saturday morning and look at the type of families that use the boats and the issues they face; form this you will also see the ones that get used rather than sit in the racks all year.
If you want to go out on the water and see the next stage after launching ie. what they get up too out their and how the different craft react - pm me (left click my name and use the 'send private message' button at the bottom left of the screen) and I am sure we can arrange it. Others will no doubt offer too.
You have taken the first step by registering on this forum, broke and happy follow (not necessarily in that order) and there is no going back!
Finally it is likely that a group of us will be meeting in Poole/Wareham in October, some with our boats, and you could just turn up and join in the fun - arrangements will be made on here.

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[gjgm]

re bowrider

as a very happy bowrider owner (had several), got to put some balance in here! Today,I cant imagine why anyone wants a fly bridge or cabin, but there we go, thats what I want from my boat, and the boating we do. Whats more, my children have refused to ever go boating again in if get anything without seats in the bow-thats what they love about the boat, and the boat is for the family..Some years ahead, maybe we ll want something else.
But lets not scaremonger the bloke here about sinking in the harbour mouth with his family. I m at Chichester, and all sorts of small boats manage there without sinking -except a lifeboat wasnt it...
The forums all about opinions, and I m sure he ll end up very confused very soon !!

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[Solitaire]

Re: re bowrider

Not sacremongering at all - I'm sure there are some very happy bowrider people as you are. Having that bit of extra weight in the bow can help with getting on the plane for example. It would not be my first choice in UK conditions if you want to extend your boating season.

<hr width=100% size=1>Boating is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.powerboat-training.co.uk>Serious</A> Fun

 

[hlb]

Re: re bowrider

I've been here for donkeys years and quite understand about confusion. But then you mentioned opinions. Now thats different. Thing is about the sea. Everything is OK, till it's not OK. Now take our trip a few weeks ago. Just a little hop from Plymouth to Dartmouth, sea calm enough, been there loads of times. Boat built like a brick sh*t house. A good few thousand miles of experience. So takes short cut round Start Point. It was horendus. Well I've been in worse. But you get the picture. Got to Dartmouth and the prop shaft promptly fell off!! Point I'm making here is. One day if you have a boat long enough. you will hit that what you did not expect, and the boat has to be capable of alot more.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[DepSol]

I think I know of the perfect boat for your needs in v good nick at £10k. It was featured in MBM a few years ago and Jake Kavanagh can vouch for it as can most who have been on the MBM C I cruise.

PM me your number and I will get you the details.



<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.soltron.co.uk>the website</A>

 

[jon_bailey]

With due regard to your requirements you may want to have a look at my site produced earlier this year:

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://home.btconnect.com/bailey/>http://home.btconnect.com/bailey/</A>

If you have any questions then please PM for a response.

PS after a visit to SIBS earlier this week this boat could well be available again!



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[BrendanS]

Like the bit about ships radio licence!

What you after after at SBS?



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[BrendanS]

Re: re bowrider

Bowriders are a great deal of fun in some circumstances. If you want to take the boat further afield, it's not an ideal.

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[jon_bailey]

Brendan

I hope that you have had a good summer.

Of all the boats we looked at, rather than just oggled, it was the Doral 250SE that really took our fancy. Amazing amount of room for 25 ft, including a reasonable size mid-berth. Coupled to a Yanmar or Mercruiser diesel performance would be fine and my understanding is that they handle the weather better than the American equivalents. The huge (3ft) swim platform appears a little unecessary and just adds to weight and mooring costs.

It is just about towable although now we have mooring this will be an irregular occurence.

2nd hand they are relatively expensive although to a large extent this reflects scarcity and desirability. Just need a few more large orders to come in at work!

Jon

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[terryw]

Jon,
The large swim platform is an extra. We had the 250 without and found the standard platform adequate.

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