1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

[jmw129]

Hey guys thinking about buying a 1995 Star 17ft bow rider with a 120 outboard on back. Similar or identical body to the 17ft IO.

I need to know how does this Hull handle choppy water? Big waves? Very water / waves from other boaters?

I have a 1988 star now that is a fish & ski and this boat is a "Very shaky / banging" ride when going over or through medium or larger size waves. A lot of banging from the bottom of the hull in these situations making for a very sucky ride.

Was 1995 a solid or iffy Hull construction?

I do remember my 87 Larson 17ft IO being a much smoother and better handling ride compared to my 1988 star fish & ski.

Need to hear from anyone who has owned a 1995 or different year with same Hull design and want honest feedback on the ride quality, construction, etc.

Do not want to buy another "Bang Bang" if you know what I mean?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

I assume we're talking about fiberglass boat here correct? That 120 on the back isn't a Force is it?

I think most <18' bowriders are going to have similar ride quality and it isn't going to be great. For a smooth dry ride in some serious chop, I'd be looking for a saltwater-geared dual console boat.

 

[Starman8]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

Aluminum hulls run rough will pound you as well as subject the chines to possible damage, especially around the console area.

Glass are better ski boats, glass boats are heavier and better for bigger water.

My tin can is for quieter water and an occasional Lake Erie fishing run on calm seas. Even saying that, many Erie veterans will tell you regardless of boat/engine, many days you are limited to running 18-22 or so mph MAX.

The waves dictate your running speed, especially in any 17' boat.

 

[jmw129]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

Yes had a force engine but is junk. I have an Evinrude 120 V4 I can have put on.

So what is the ideal size & weight for heavy water? I boat a lot on the Mississippi,

The hull is a fiberglass bow rider.

How about a heavier 17ft fiberglass deep vee? better ride quality? wave handling?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

How about a heavier 17ft fiberglass deep vee? better ride quality? wave handling?

Does such a thing really exist? I don't think they even start getting deep and sturdy till 18'.

 

[barato2]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

yes. my fishing buddy has a boston whaler 17' (Montauk?) that eats any nasty water thrown at it. we were running full tilt into some nasty short-frequency 12-18" wind chop last trip out and not getting beaten to death or even very wet......i shudder to think what a SC 18' deep V would have felt like in those conditions. it's still a 17' boat and is a bit tight with 3 people fishing, and there ain't much protection from the elements, but this boat made me a believer in Whalers.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

yes. my fishing buddy has a boston whaler 17' (Montauk?) that eats any nasty water thrown at it. we were running full tilt into some nasty short-frequency 12-18" wind chop last trip out and not getting beaten to death or even very wet......i shudder to think what a SC 18' deep V would have felt like in those conditions. it's still a 17' boat and is a bit tight with 3 people fishing, and there ain't much protection from the elements, but this boat made me a believer in Whalers.

BW's are certainly known for being safe and seaworthy but this would be the first time I've heard anyone tout their ride quality.

 

[jmw129]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

yes. my fishing buddy has a boston whaler 17' (Montauk?) that eats any nasty water thrown at it. we were running full tilt into some nasty short-frequency 12-18" wind chop last trip out and not getting beaten to death or even very wet......i shudder to think what a SC 18' deep V would have felt like in those conditions. it's still a 17' boat and is a bit tight with 3 people fishing, and there ain't much protection from the elements, but this boat made me a believer in Whalers.

Please explain what you mean by "I shudder to think what a SC 18" Deep V would have felt like." I assume you mean SC = Starcraft and what can you tell me about a Startcraft 17ft or 18ft in this size range or 1995ish years.

Thanks

 

[barato2]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

JMW--aluminum boats weigh less than fiberglass ones of the same size. this makes them more fuel effiicient and easier to tow. they can be beached with less fear of trashing the hull. it also means they tend to ride rougher, as they don't have the weight to "shove" the water aside when the bow comes down. finally, alum boats do tend to be far noisier than f'glass ones.

all of this is inherent to the material, not to the brand.....whether the alum boat is a SC, Lund, Lowe, Tracker, Gregor, Bayrunner. Lone Star, Texas Maid, Valco, sylvan or whatever. i think you'd find that a glasser SC would be comparable with glassers of other brands. but bottom line is from what you said, you prolly won't be happy with any tin boat. the good news is that there are plenty of glassers out there for cheap.

be sure to check the floors and transom carefully......and invest in some serious protective gear if you need to do any glass work...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

barato2, the OP is ONLY referring to fiberglass Starcrafts. That's why I asked........

 

[jmw129]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

barato2, the OP is ONLY referring to fiberglass Starcrafts. That's why I asked........

Yes, I'm talking about Starcraft fiberglass only here BUT if you can recommend a better hull based on experience please do. I realize that Star has been around for a while so has other companies like Larson for example but Larson in recent reviews has alot of pissy boaters not happy with their quality of construction or ride quality. Which would be my big B*tch as well if the boat seemed junky.

Out of the 10 bowrider companies where do you think Star would rate overall??

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

I think Starcraft is pretty solid middle of the line. I've also read a lot of bad things about Larsons in regards to gelcoat and glass issues.

 

[jmw129]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

I think Starcraft is pretty solid middle of the line. I've also read a lot of bad things about Larsons in regards to gelcoat and glass issues.

How would you rate the TOP 10 bowrider companies (1 best, 10 lowest)?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

Doesn't matter when you're talking about older used boats. Only thing that matters is how it was taken care of. They all use the same powerplants. I will say that Tahoes would not be on my short list. But I'd still rather an immaculate Tahoe than a neglected Cobalt.

 

[Starman8]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

Sounds like perfect would be a 19' Grady White Tournament, a nice glass bowrider that can handle your needs.

 

[veilside180sx]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

Sounds like perfect would be a 19' Grady White Tournament, a nice glass bowrider that can handle your needs.

Open the checkbook. lol

Wellcraft, GW, Stripers...any of those make boats that would work just fine.

 

[jmw129]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

Open the checkbook. lol

Wellcraft, GW, Stripers...any of those make boats that would work just fine.

I was just on Wellcraft web site and their 21ft'er outboard is over 3,000 pounds.. I couldn't believe it. That is one heavy outboad application?

Is there a certain weight range that handles well / great such as 1,500+ pounds to 3,000lbs?

 

[veilside180sx]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

I was just on Wellcraft web site and their 21ft'er outboard is over 3,000 pounds.. I couldn't believe it. That is one heavy outboad application?

Is there a certain weight range that handles well / great such as 1,500+ pounds to 3,000lbs?

My buddy has a '87 200 Classic and the thing rides fabulous for a 21 ft boat. Unfortunately that weight is pretty typical of a well built 20+ ft boat.

His is powered by a 300 hp 5.7 Chev, so I'm not sure what the outboard would do for speed.

Unfortunately there is more that goes into it, than just sheer weight for ride comfort. Design of the hull is going to be huge, weight, seat location in relation to the center of mass, etc.

Out here though, the majority of the offshore boats 26+ feet are outboards. It's just whether they are single, twin, or triple powered.

 

[jmw129]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

My buddy has a '87 200 Classic and the thing rides fabulous for a 21 ft boat. Unfortunately that weight is pretty typical of a well built 20+ ft boat.

His is powered by a 300 hp 5.7 Chev, so I'm not sure what the outboard would do for speed.

Unfortunately there is more that goes into it, than just sheer weight for ride comfort. Design of the hull is going to be huge, weight, seat location in relation to the center of mass, etc.

Out here though, the majority of the offshore boats 26+ feet are outboards. It's just whether they are single, twin, or triple powered.

What about a 18ft - 20ft range?

Explain more about the design of the hull.. Are you talkng the front depth, the back depth, etc? I realize there are different type of hull designs such as standard V or Deep V.

I have a feeling the 2,000lb to 3,000lb boats stay in the water and cut through much better without "Skipping or jumping" along the water, waves, heavy traffic waves from either boats, chop, etc..

Your thought from your experience. The biggest boat I have owned is a 17ft looking to upgrade to 19ft or 20ft.

Also do you know the exact model of your buddy's boat? iboats has a section that will tell you the weight of the model based on year, and model.

 

[veilside180sx]

Re: 1995 Starcraft 17ft Outboard Bowrider.. Nice Ride? Bad Ride? Bang Bang Ouch??

I did say it in the previous post, but it's a "200 Classic".

Degree of the hull front middle & back, chine design, flare etc, all make a difference in ride quality and spray. A typical aluminum sled is 6 or 8 degrees, where a "deep V" is more like 14 or 18 at the back and 32-40 at the front. A reverse chine will help handling, but hurt ride quality as that portion for the hull will slap a little more as the water is trapped in the reverse v shape.

I've had that Wellcraft out in 10' seas, and didn't have to worry about safety. (although I don't recommend it)

What about a 18ft - 20ft range?

Explain more about the design of the hull.. Are you talkng the front depth, the back depth, etc? I realize there are different type of hull designs such as standard V or Deep V.

I have a feeling the 2,000lb to 3,000lb boats stay in the water and cut through much better without "Skipping or jumping" along the water, waves, heavy traffic waves from either boats, chop, etc..

Your thought from your experience. The biggest boat I have owned is a 17ft looking to upgrade to 19ft or 20ft.

Also do you know the exact model of your buddy's boat? iboats has a section that will tell you the weight of the model based on year, and model.