Which boat is better for a beginner?

[kirr45]

Hi guys,

I'm just getting into boating and I don't want to spend too much on the first one.

WHich is better: Monterey 224FS or Regal 2100?

I've read lots of things about both and how Regal 2100 has a special hull design which give it better handling or the Monterey having a hull design to make it plane faster and at lower speeds. These all sound good, but which one is better in reality?

Thanks.

 

[rubberduck]

I would say personal choice at that level, many will have manufacturer favourites, but in honesty, go for the best looked after with best service history.

 

[rafiki_]

I would say personal choice at that level, many will have manufacturer favourites, but in honesty, go for the best looked after with best service history.

+1.
It is unlikely you will keep your first boat for long, as you will find out what you really want for boating, so it is important that you can sell your boat when ready to move on.

 

[mlthomas]

We looked at four Winns and Bayliner too, given that we did not keep the boat for too long i'm pleased we went for the Bayliner (5 litre) 205 and were definitely not disappointed. New boat and got the full invoice price the following year on the upgrade.

 

[Spi D]

If sale is considered already when planning the purchase you should focus on ability to sell rather than specifically suiting your (still not defined-) needs.

That ie. would be the best priced, smartest, newest boat with a clean history and prefereably of a make still in production.

FWIW and if your interest primarily is for US boats, you can see J.D. Powers 2008 ranking here (not 100% representative since not all brands take part in their studys):
http://powerboat.about.com/od/buyingaboat/tp/2008-J-D--Powers-Boat-Rankings.htm

Already owned a Sea Ray once and was happy about it so that and Regal would be on my list - together with European designs as I find them well suited for our use. Sea Ray and several other brands are owned by Brunswick and they carefully design their offerings for different budget segments. Value is key, so they balance what you get against the price.

http://www.brunswick.com/brands/marine-boats/index.php

 

[mlines]

As far as i am aware both those boats have stepped hulls, its just that Regal make a branding feature of it (fastrac
) . Each manufacturer will have slight variations such as depth, angle and position of the step.

As others have said, at this size its abouut considering the condition of the boat, its fittings and an element of your "heart" -ie its the one for you.

Clearly i would look at the Regal -see my Avatar

You dont say how old the boats are? the newer the better with both these brands as they have both tried to move up in the market with better fit and fittings

Martin

 

[EugeneR]

Go for the one you like most, that meet your needs best, and you can afford. That implies one with a good service history, and is in well looked after. They are pretty much the same to use.

These boats are really good starting boats as you can replace almost everything easily, and are easy to clean and fix, in my view.

If stuck, go for something larger than you need now and avoid having to upgrade too quickly, as change is painfully expensive.