A Sailor going to the "Dark Side"

[sailincpa]

Hi guys. I'm a sailor (a "ragman") who has always used outboards on his sailboats. But I'm considering getting a small and cheap planing runabout to get me out to local restaurants and resorts in the area in 45-60 min or so (up to maybe 20 miles away) for dinner or Sunday brunch quicker than my sailboat can do. Might be fun to pull a skier, too. This is all in fresh water, I'm thinking like maybe a 14-15ft - 70's era, w/room for 4, able to pull a skier at with 3 aboard? Maybe $1,000 for boat & trailer w/o a motor. Local Craigslist and eBay say this is doable from a $$ standpoint. This is river country here, so swells/seas not an issue. I've alway had evinrude/johnson smaller motors (up to 15hp) on my sailboat (and maintained them mostly myself), but I have no clue as to boat makes/models or how big an OMC OB I should look at for this. What should I look for in a boat/motor combo to do this?

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

It would only be the "Dark Side" if you ended up with a Mercury.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

I would definitely say go for aluminum. With that said I will leave it up to you.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

I'd go for a 15 ft Lone Star or Texas Maid aluminum runabout and hang a 25-50 hp inline 2 or 4 cyl of your choice on it. The old Johnson javelins fall in that range, as do the Evinrude big twins, or a Merc classic 45/50 (I know you're weeping BoatBuoy)

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

i would go 16-18 75 on the low end 115 hi end, trim/tilt, johnny/rude. 14-15 will be cramped with 4 people. bow rider is an easy way to add more space, and good storage under the seats, for life jackets, and anchor & lines. wanting to ski go with the 115. in all my boats over the years, the 18 Cobia, bowrider was the best overall servicable boat, w/115. pulled skiers well, and plenty of room for cruising, mine consistantly ran 45mph with just me, and 41mph with a load, trimed out. i have now gone to a 18' Aluminum, with 90hp johnson, because it is lighter, and i have a smaller tow vehicle. it's not nearly as smooth riding, as the heavier fiberglass.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

i just went to the dark side, and bought a Hobie 18, to take to the Keys, had one when in college 30 years ago.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

You might consider a bowrider tri-hull. They're absolutely awful in rough water, so they can be a hard sell. Which works to your advantage. Rivers rarely get rough. You can probably pick one up in your price range. Shoot for one with a motor close to the maximum, usually a 50-60 twin or a 60-70 triple. V4-s are heavy and suck gas. 15-16' range would be good. But make sure the transom is stiff and that the floor isn't rotton. That's a major plage for those boats. Aluminums are far less likely to suffer from those maladies, but a bowrider aluminum will be hard to find in your price range. Avoid 1968-72 triples. They have electric shift and amplified ignition. Both can be bad news. Shoot for 1973 and newer.

 

[Deimus]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

I picked one of these up for $700 on craigslist. good fun and not too cramped put a new stereo in it for some tunage. plus its that classic era " speed boat" that you always wanted:devil:

 

[Bass-A-Holic]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

One of my buddies had a 4winns fling-14ft fiberglass w/ about a 115 hp I/O jet. if you want about that size of a boat, i think that type of boat would be pretty good for your needs. he only paid around $1500-$2000,and it
pulled real nice w/ 4 people in the boat. that thing was pretty fast too, did near 50 mph.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: A Sailor going to the

Re: A Sailor going to the

I still mean what I said about aluminum. Unless you get a whaler or a carolina skiff, you will want aluminum.