Help with US sports cruiser manufacturer pecking order

I seriously suggest you take a look at the S28. The last thing you want to do when spending £30k+ is wish you had. It's obviously a different beast compared to the others but once you've discovered how good boating is you'll want to stay on the boat longer, with the S28 you can do that in comfort. It's also much more re saleable and it's diesel.
 
KevB said:
I seriously suggest you take a look at the S28. The last thing you want to do when spending £30k+ is wish you had. It's obviously a different beast compared to the others but once you've discovered how good boating is you'll want to stay on the boat longer, with the S28 you can do that in comfort. It's also much more re saleable and it's diesel.
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+1 - you should really look at the S28, in my opinion its just in a different league. We wasted money buying a small American sports cuddy as our first boat before quickly moving up to an S28 equivalent.
 
Well, sounds like we should look at an S28 before jumping in then.

Only problem is finding one to view. The one linked at Essex Boatyard is an 8hr round trip. There is one in Brighton but it's petrol engined and still a fair old round trip.

There is one in Guernsey with KAD32's and as I am in St Peter Port in a fortnights time so might make time to visit the broker.

In the meantime, anyone know of a friendly owner of an S28 in the Poole area that I could have a 10 minute nosey around?
 
This place makes me laugh, whenever a newbie comes on saying he wants to buy a boat at £x, sure as eggs is eggs, people will demand he must buy a boat at £x + £10k or £50k etc etc.

The OP came on with a budget of £30k, the only S28's you will find at that price are tired and unloved single engine jobs or twin petrols. He would also have to go much older than he wanted and probably have to pay double service costs. Buying over your budget (for both purchase and running costs) is as much of a mistake as buying the wrong boat.

No argument, the S28 is an excellent boat, but a decent one is out of the OP's price range. There is nothing wrong with the boats he is looking at and TBH these kind of boats suit petrol engines both in terms of performance and running costs. A nice single engine petrol sub 28ft sportdcruiser will always sell and as long as you buy at a sensible price you wont lose much money either.

If you have 40k and can afford to run and service twins, buy an S28. But if you have £30k and want a boat 10 years newer, stick with the type of boats you are looking at.
 
I had a 2006 Monterey 250cr with a Yanmar 4LHa diesel at 240hp. It's about the same size as the Regal you're thinking of. The Yanmar is a very very good engine and was designed to replace big V8 petrol engines.

I would say £40k for a petrol Regal is big money. You should be able to drive a hard bargain on one that price as there are loads of V8 petrols for sale in Poole. Just go to Parkstone Bay Marina (where I kept my Monterey), their place is full of them (nice people though. I enjoyed it there).

American sports cruisers are great fun and great value. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. They are thirsty though and in Poole, you'll either be doing short trips to Studland where petrol doesn't matter too much or trips to the Solent where bills mount up quickly. Think carefully about where you berth the boat. From Cobbs to the ferry is about 20 minutes at 6 knots ( you'll burn huge amounts of fuel at the 10 knot speed limit). Parkstone bay is closer but tidal and Salterns is closest but very expensive.

The advise about trim tabs is very good. All of these single engined boats will be very sensitive to trim. I fitted trim tab indicators to mine and it transformed the boat. It's almost impossible to get the trim right without indicators and you'll find yourself heeling over without them.

Good luck with your search. You're in a great position to buy at the moment. Don't rush things as boats move very slowly (or not at all) in the winter if they are priced high.

And remember, you might pay a premium for a diesel in huge first place but you'll get it back when you sell and it will sell much more quickly than a petrol. I ran my Monterey for 2 seasons and only lost £1000 when I sold it (through Parkstone Bay). It sold very quickly but I priced it properly. If you want to PM me I'll be happy to talk numbers in terms of what I paid for her and sold her for. Maybe it will help in your negotiations.
 
With kids, I suggest you look at the Bayliner 285 - it offers 6 berths including an aft cabin with king size bed and a proper door for privacy. If you do a search on here, you will find a large amount of praise for it.

You should be able to get a 2004/2005 in very good condition for around £30k, including bow thruster etc. I know, we sold ours a few months ago and it was in "exceptionally well maintained" condition according to everyone involved.

I prefer a good fuel-injected petrol - such as the MAG 350 MPI - above diesel. Much quicker on the plane and on that size boat you are still spending less per mile than a >35ft-sh boat on twin diesels. The only exception is when you need range e.g. longish channel crossings, since diesel will significantly extend your range per tank.

ps. Bow thruster is very useful on a starter boat. I would hold out until I find a boat with one, whichever make/model you go for!
 
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landlockedpirate said:
This place makes me laugh, whenever a newbie comes on saying he wants to buy a boat at £x, sure as eggs is eggs, people will demand he must buy a boat at £x + £10k or £50k etc etc.

The OP came on with a budget of £30k, the only S28's you will find at that price are tired and unloved single engine jobs or twin petrols. He would also have to go much older than he wanted and probably have to pay double service costs. Buying over your budget (for both purchase and running costs) is as much of a mistake as buying the wrong boat.

No argument, the S28 is an excellent boat, but a decent one is out of the OP's price range. There is nothing wrong with the boats he is looking at and TBH these kind of boats suit petrol engines both in terms of performance and running costs. A nice single engine petrol sub 28ft sportdcruiser will always sell and as long as you buy at a sensible price you wont lose much money either.

If you have 40k and can afford to run and service twins, buy an S28. But if you have £30k and want a boat 10 years newer, stick with the type of boats you are looking at.
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Actually, he didn't state a budget.

His original list included boats between 35k and 40k

I guessed that his budget was therefor sub 40k and found a boat that seemed to be within his budget that he might not have considered.

You'll notice I also answered the initial question about quality of manufacturers. I never said he had to buy anything, I merely suggested something that actually, if you look at his response, he appreciated.

So why don't you take your sanctimonious self important musings and keep them to yourself.
 
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Thanks for all responses, I'm happy to hear views from anyone who takes the time to post.

I think I will take the approach of looking at as many boats as possible. Of the 8 or so I have seen to date the Regal has really stood out based on its presentation but I think I need to curb my enthusiasm before jumping in, if nothing else a period of time with no sale may result in being more receptive to a competitive offer (famous last words.......).

Or I could try a cheeky-ish offer now and leave 'on the table' so to speak. Sounds like concerns on future resale for a 5.7l petrol could be justified so all the more reason to push for a cracking deal.

I understand the purpose of trim tabs but what are indicators? Would they be standard fit or an aftermarket fit?

Budget is as little as I can get away with! The reason we have looked at £30-£40k is because that is what has caught our eye locally. But really it's about getting the right boat for the right price. Ideally something as new, shiny and easy to own as possible which probably does point towards the US manufacturers I suppose. I will look at an S28 though as there is no point asking for opinions and then ignoring them, I appreciate that they will be significantly older but for example that one in Essex still looks sharp for being 17 yrs old.
 
Whitelighter said:
So why don't you take your sanctimonious self important musings and keep them to yourself.
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Having a bad day ? :rolleyes:

Sanctimononius and self important ramblings is what this forum is all about. :D

Its always the same:
diesel-good, petrol-bad,
1 engine-bad, 2 engines-good,
USA boat-**** lake boat,UK Boat-F10 no problem. Blah blah blah.

I dont contribute to threads on 50ft fly bridges cos I have little knowledge or experience, but after 20 years of owning a variety of small sportscruisers, I can make some valid points about the OP's questions. Most people who warn against these type of boats have either never owned one, owned one but couldnt muster the required skill level to make it go where they wanted or dont own a boat at all.
 
I've owned petrol engined sports boats - a Chris craft crown and a Bayliner 285 - not my fault you have a chip on your shoulder about others not supporting/liking them.

Doesn't change the fact that your little rant was unjustified. I hadn't ignored the ops budget, the boat I linked to wasn't a manky single engined or petrol model and what's more despite your protestations to the contrary is a good alternative to the original list.

In the sane vein it amazed me how many people on here become super defensive about their own choice of boat, launching a tirade should anyone dare to suggest it's not the best or most suitable.

I'm sure the op will make up his own mind but I don't see why suggesting a similar type of boat, in budget, which may do a better (or worse I acknowledge) job in the long run warranted such an attack
 
New boats for new user threads often run like this but this one has had some really good and entertaining replies. I'm not a personal fan of the U.S. lake boats either as the top moulding is greater than the hull below. They always look like corks bobbing around and the climb through the windscreen is not ideal imho.

I hasten to acknowledge though that many people have bought them, usually as their first boat and most of them remember them fondly and would own one again happily.:o

The point mentioned above about you'll be changing it soon, probably in less than two years is so true, (obviously not all cases) but so many of us do. The S28, believe it or not will save you a boat change in the short term as it is in a different league.:cool:

I think the suggestion was valid and def. worth a look before any decision.

RR
 
Diesel engine is far better than petrol (unless speed is more important than fuel economy).
I just bought a 11 year old boat and don't regard it as old. Many boats of this age are in excellent condition.
For your budget look at a Sealine S23 or S25. I had a S23 for 6 years - great use of space and a practical boat.
 
landlockedpirate said:
This place makes me laugh, whenever a newbie comes on saying he wants to buy a boat at £x, sure as eggs is eggs, people will demand he must buy a boat at £x + £10k or £50k etc etc.

The OP came on with a budget of £30k, the only S28's you will find at that price are tired and unloved single engine jobs or twin petrols. He would also have to go much older than he wanted and probably have to pay double service costs. Buying over your budget (for both purchase and running costs) is as much of a mistake as buying the wrong boat.

No argument, the S28 is an excellent boat, but a decent one is out of the OP's price range. There is nothing wrong with the boats he is looking at and TBH these kind of boats suit petrol engines both in terms of performance and running costs. A nice single engine petrol sub 28ft sportdcruiser will always sell and as long as you buy at a sensible price you wont lose much money either.

If you have 40k and can afford to run and service twins, buy an S28. But if you have £30k and want a boat 10 years newer, stick with the type of boats you are looking at.
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I think the point here is to try and help the OP get as rounded a view as possible. Its not about stretching the budget, its about looking at various options that may or may not be better, but haven't been investigated yet. I wish I had come on here and asked the question prior to buying my first boat as I would have welcomed the debate, and been very open to new ideas / suggestions (as the OP obviously is).

Regarding the suggestion to look at an S28 - if you look at the OP's first post it states the prices of the boats on his list range from 30K - 37K. An S28 could well fall within that range so is a good suggestion to investigate.
 
rhino_mac said:
I had a 2006 Monterey 250cr with a Yanmar 4LHa diesel at 240hp. It's about the same size as the Regal you're thinking of. The Yanmar is a very very good engine and was designed to replace big V8 petrol engines.

I would say £40k for a petrol Regal is big money. You should be able to drive a hard bargain on one that price as there are loads of V8 petrols for sale in Poole. Just go to Parkstone Bay Marina (where I kept my Monterey), their place is full of them (nice people though. I enjoyed it there).

American sports cruisers are great fun and great value. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. They are thirsty though and in Poole, you'll either be doing short trips to Studland where petrol doesn't matter too much or trips to the Solent where bills mount up quickly. Think carefully about where you berth the boat. From Cobbs to the ferry is about 20 minutes at 6 knots ( you'll burn huge amounts of fuel at the 10 knot speed limit). Parkstone bay is closer but tidal and Salterns is closest but very expensive.

The advise about trim tabs is very good. All of these single engined boats will be very sensitive to trim. I fitted trim tab indicators to mine and it transformed the boat. It's almost impossible to get the trim right without indicators and you'll find yourself heeling over without them.

Good luck with your search. You're in a great position to buy at the moment. Don't rush things as boats move very slowly (or not at all) in the winter if they are priced high.

And remember, you might pay a premium for a diesel in huge first place but you'll get it back when you sell and it will sell much more quickly than a petrol. I ran my Monterey for 2 seasons and only lost £1000 when I sold it (through Parkstone Bay). It sold very quickly but I priced it properly. If you want to PM me I'll be happy to talk numbers in terms of what I paid for her and sold her for. Maybe it will help in your negotiations.
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Thanks or the advice, I will drop you a PM re the numbers.

We will be based at Cobbs, I agree that the distance to the ferry could get a bit tiresome but as we are new to it I am sure we will be anything but bored in the first couple of seasons. Seems a nice place though and for us (from Wimborne) it is 15 mins and we would be sat on the boat.

I'll have a look to see what Parkstone Bay Marina have on their website.
 
Not suggesting you buy this for one moment - but a lot of boat for the money

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Power-Boat-Cranchi-Perla-25-/291238964070?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

I owned a 26' boat in the late 90's with a 5.7 engine and the fuel costs just crippled me. I was spending £200 a day just going for a little run - a decent cruise would cost more than that. It took the fun out.

Remember - money spent on the boat will stay on the boat, money spent on fuel has just burned away.

I don't "dis" petrol boats, but fwiw and in my opinion, petrol is for up to 20-22' - and borderline up to 25' - beyond that you need a hell of a running budget, live in the states or just crave speed above all else.

Also when reading "reviews" on the net, remember fuel is cheap in the states. A boat that takes 5 sec to get on the plane and "only" does 35kts is horribly underpowered in the UAE OR US where they like a zillion horsepower, boat on mirror smooth lakes, and don't care about the fuel - whereas over here, 30kts is considered a very acceptable speed on a choppy solent.

Make sure you know what you want.

I also think the S28 is a stunning boat, and £40k for a twin diesel is a good price - it will save you a boat change, although it's too big to tow, so you will increase your berthing and servicing costs over a 25' boat that you intend to tow for example.....
 
Dorset Dan said:
Thanks or the advice, I will drop you a PM re the numbers.

We will be based at Cobbs.
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My Nimbus( my fourth boat ) is berthed at Cobbs. There are a couple of S23s on A pontoon and also an S28. There is also a an S28 on C pontoon. Staff in the Marina Office will probably let you have the gate codes if you tell them your reasons-especially as you are considering keeping a boat at the marina.

Just to repeat what other posters have said - a bow thruster on a single engine boat is very useful - although lots survive without.

With the benefit of hindsight if I was starting boating today I would have bought an S23 as my first boat and then traded up to an S28 after a couple of seasons.

PM me if I can be of assistance.
 
ontheplane said:
I owned a 26' boat in the late 90's with a 5.7 engine and the fuel costs just crippled me. I was spending £200 a day just going for a little run - a decent cruise would cost more than that. It took the fun out.



...
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You were using over 325 litres a day ?!? Thats at least 3 to 4 hours at WOT and about a tank and half on most small sportscruisers. Thats some day out :rolleyes:
 
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