Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

[tpenfield]

Since I have my current boat (Formula 242) back in operation, I have started to look for a new (to me) boat . . .

I have been thinking about getting something with a bit more space and over-nighting capabilities.

So, I went to look at this yesterday . . . I took the Admiral along to get her thoughts on the style of boat, etc.



I had not seen any of the Formula mid-size cruisers up close, and this one was just down the road, basically. It is an older boat, but is a good opportunity for someone looking to get a nice cruiser. The price was right

It seemed like it would need a bit of work and fixing of some things along the way.

We decided that it was just too big . . . probably more something along the lines of a 30 foot sport boat would be better.

So, at least I learned something, and can now narrow the search a bit. . . .

So, I will start a chronology of looking for that 'next' boat . . .

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

There is another boat of interest nearby, so I will probably take a look this coming weekend.

It is sort of at the other end of the spectrum from the cruiser . . . an older Formula 311 SR-1 (1990) with twin 454 Magnum engines & Bravo 1 outdrives. Supposedly - only has 130 hours on them, which I find hard to believe after 22 years. If so, that may be of concern as it would indicate too little use (5-6 hours per year ???)

It may be too much of a GFBL (go fast be loud) boat, but like with the cruiser, I will probably learn something seeing it first hand. It is actually a year older than my current boat. So, age is an issue to consider as well.

I have been trying to decide what style of boat I should focus on for the next boat.

The cruisers are out (too big) . . . so it is more a matter of deciding between the 'sportboats' like Formula 330SS or Cobalt 293, etc

. . or . . .

going with the performance boats like Formula SR-1's & Fastec's, or Baja's, Fountain's, etc.

The concern I have with the 'sport' boats is that they tend to have about 20 degrees deadrise, which would be OK in my area waters, but not great, as the seas tend to be very choppy , especially in the afternoons. However, staying with a 24 degree deadrise hull, which is what I have now, means getting a performance boat.

So, I guess I'll have to check each type out and maybe even get a ride or two to compare the differences in rough water handling. I do like the newer performance boats with the stepped hulls.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

Are you selling the 242 or acquiring an additional hole in...er...boat?

 

[dingbat]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

The concern I have with the 'sport' boats is that they tend to have about 20 degrees deadrise, which would be OK in my area waters, but not great, as the seas tend to be very choppy , especially in the afternoons. However, staying with a 24 degree deadrise hull, which is what I have now, means getting a performance boat.

Lots of good riding boat built with variable deadrises at end up at 20 degrees at the transom. Mine varies from 30 degrees at the bow to 20 degrees at the transom. Combined with the weight, it’s a very soft riding hull

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

Are you selling the 242 or acquiring an additional hole in...er...boat?

Planning on selling, then buying a bigger hole in the water. . . . There are some folks over on the OSO forum site that are looking for a Formula 242. I may not 'officially' list the boat until the Fall or Spring.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

Lots of good riding boat built with variable deadrises at end up at 20 degrees at the transom. Mine varies from 30 degrees at the bow to 20 degrees at the transom. Combined with the weight, it’s a very soft riding hull

Yup, it is a matter of how quickly the chines flair out. . The Grady's are made for the ocean, and the shape of the hull is more variable than most, as you mentioned.

Many sport boats may not have as sharp a 'V' up front in order to get more cuddy cabin room, etc. Probably the best way to compare is to ride in some during similar conditions, etc. May be possible if I go look at some that are in the water

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

Went to look at a Formula 311 SR-1 today. Basically a bigger version of my current boat . . .



The boat was in very good shape. It looked as though it would definitely carve its way through the ocean. The cockpit area was a bit cramped, actually less space than my current boat. The head was enclosed, but way cramped. So, the boat got a thumbs down from the Admiral. Visions of blasting across the Bay at high rates of speed quickly faded from my mind.

But, like the other boat we saw previously, we learned something about that style/size of boat.

So, I think we are now narrowed down to the Formula 330SS (or possibly the 280SS), and probably mid-late 1990's to fit into a reasonable price range. It sort of reminds me of Goldy-Locks and the 3 Bears story . . . one was too big, one was too small . . . hopefully the next one will be 'just right!'

The broker that showed us the boat today expressed in interest in listing my boat. So, I will have to give that some thought as to the pro's and con's of having a broker sell your boat. Anyone have and advice in that regard? I would be interested in hearing your comments, etc.

So, I will be looking for a 1996-1999 (+/-) 330SS to go look at over the next few weeks.

TTFN

 

[Maclin]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

I was thinking when I saw that last pic that, hey, I know someone with a boat that looks like that, then remembered it was you...

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

I was thinking when I saw that last pic that, hey, I know someone with a boat that looks like that, then remembered it was you...

Yes, it sort of looks like my boat's older brother. . . Anyway it felt more cramped in the cockpit than my 24 footer and would probably be good for only up to 4 people.

So, we are going to check out some local 330SS boats . . . and maybe if I find a SeaRay 290 SS or a Cobalt 293 on the local market, I'll take a look at those as well.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

A quick update on the search for the 'next' boat:

I pretty much destroyed my current boat when it hydro-locked during the last time out :facepalm: . So, it puts a bit of pressure on to see if I can find a replacement boat sooner rather than whenever.

Anyway, while figuring out what to do with the current boat, I found a couple of mid-late 1990's vintage Formula Sun Sports to go look at this weekend. . . a 330SS (33 feet) and a 280SS (28 feet). Hopefully the concensus among the ranks (Admiral, et al) will be that the Formula Sun Sport will be a good fit for our boating needs going forward.

We shall see how it goes.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

We looked at a 33 footer today . . . Here are a couple of pics . . .





The layout is 'Admiral Approved' as it had plenty of cockpit space and abundant seating as well as a decent sized cabin with an enclosed head. So, it looks like this type of boat is the right one.

This one seemed to be in need of a bit of work and was probably on the big side. So, we have a 28 footer of the same design to look at on Sunday.

While we were there another person came to look at the boat . . . he said that he sold his boat last year and needed to get another boat "right away" . . . He looked around a little bit and then left. My wife and I figured that he was in danger of loosing his mooring for not having a boat on it, etc. Moorings are a prized possession around these waters.

Meanwhile, the only working boat that I have is the Sunfish . . . I put a coat of anti-fouling white on it today and will launch it tomorrow.

Anyway, I am hoping that the 28 footer that we will see on Sunday will impress, but we shall see.

TTFN

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

Looked at a Formula 280 SS today . . . same layout as the 330 SS, except everything is a bit smaller. Here are a couple of pictures from our visit.

New Livorsi gauges and the Livorsi controls . . . the controls were second hand, so not as shiny as the new gauges.



Here is a picture from the deck looking to the stern.



This boat was a 1995 model, which is the introductory year of the 280. . . . So, I'm thinking that a few years newer would have some refinements that were worked out in the first few years of production, etc. The 280 would be a more 'manageable' boat than the 330, but I did like the extra space of the 330. This boat did not stop us in our tracks, so we are planning a road trip to go look at a few more 280's and 330's.

It seems that the New England area is "depleted" of 280's, so we have to travel to the mid-Atlantic (same as when I bought the 242 SS).

Meanwhile, as for selling my current boat with the busted engine. . . I am getting a couple of inquiries per day on my 'fixer-upper' Formula 242SS, but so far no lookers or takers. I may pull the engine out of it, since it has to come out anyway.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

A quick update on the boat search front . . .

I sold my current/now former/ boat today . . . even without an engine in it, and got close to my asking price. So now I have some deposit money to work with for boat shopping.

I have a trip to New Jersey planning for next weekend to go look at a couple of Formula 280SS boats. One is a 1999 and the other is a 1996. Then, I see that a 2001 just came on the market in CT. So, maybe a stop there on the way back to MA. The local boats (280SS) are newer and a bit out of the budget range, so it looks like I have to travel to find the 'next' boat.

We shall see how the trip goes.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

I signed up for the BUC Value Pro service last night so that I can get fair market pricing data on boats over the next month or so while I search. Since NADA is not viewed as being all that accurate, I figured that I should get a second (& better) source for price guides.

I ran a comparison of NADA versus BUC for the model years 1995 - 2003 of Formula 280SS boats (w/ 5.7 Mercs). For a 1999 boat, NADA and BUC are within a few $$ of each other . . . in the years older than 1999 BUC is higher than NADA . . . in the years newer than 1999 NADA is higher than BUC. So fairly interesting to see the differences. On a graph they make 2 intersecting lines, with 1999 being the intersecting point.

I hope this will help in the search and price negotiations, etc.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

How did the 242 Hydro-lock?
I vote go for the newest possible, if I were home I'd post the picture I have of a 280SS I saw on Fire Island 2 years ago, beautiful boat and a great choice. The lower profile is very sporty plus it has a nice layout and timeless look. The 340PC you highlighted first doesnt have that look.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

How did the 242 Hydro-lock?
I vote go for the newest possible, if I were home I'd post the picture I have of a 280SS I saw on Fire Island 2 years ago, beautiful boat and a great choice. The lower profile is very sporty plus it has a nice layout and timeless look. The 340PC you highlighted first doesnt have that look.

Yea, I did figure out how the 242 / Mercruiser 7.4 hydro-locked. The port side cylinder head rusted through in/around the valve guides in one or possibly 2 places, releasing a fair amount of water right at the exhaust ports. The exhaust valves were trashed and some of the connecting rods on the port side bent.

I have been eyeing the Formula 280SS for a while, but wanted to check out a few local boats as well, even though they were not 280's. The 31PC that I looked at was like a house. I did like the space of the 330SS that we looked at, but it is a bit too big.

I'd really like to go newer as you mention . . . and it seems that the value/price increase is about $3000 per year. So, a 3 year newer boat would be about $9-10K more

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

OK, big travel/boat shopping weekend coming up . . .

Saturday: 3 Formula's in New Jersey

Sunday: 1 Formula and 1 Cobalt in Connecticut

There are a couple of boats in NH and Maine to look at next week maybe.

I'm just wondering if it is close enough to the end of the season to consider it the "Fall market" ???

 

[eng208]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

I like the 33 footer. I would also recommend getting just a little bigger than what you "think" you can manage. If you are very comfortable with your old boat, a 24 footer, an extra 9 foot is not going to be a huge adjustment. As long as the boat is in good condition and in budget, I say get the biggest one you can. Man, I do like that 33 footer in post 11. Dangit man, until I saw that, I was completely happy with the boat I bought last month.:facepalm:

 

[emoney]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

I think this is definitely "Fall Mkt". Stores are putting out the 'back-to-school' items and that confirms it.

Nothing beats shoping for the next/new boat. Keep us posted with tons of pics please.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Looking for a 'new' boat . . .

Saturday Update-

We looked at 3 boats today. . . A Formula 28 foot bowrider and 2 Formula 280 Sun Sports (SS).

The bowrider was pretty beat . . . lots of sun exposure on the vinyl, etc. Then I opened up a forward storage compartment and could see that there was about 8" of water in the bilge.

Then we looked at the first of the (2) 280SS models . . . here are some pics





This boat had some potential, but everywhere you looked there was something that was broken. So, it would need a lot of work to get everything back into operating condition. The sales guy started the engines, which was a good thing as they started right up and seemed to run OK.

Then we looked at this boat . . .





This boat was a bit older, but well kept and the vinyl was in very good condition. It was not in as stellar condition as the Ad listing led me to believe. It was also the very base boat and seemed to have none of the typical options and equipment that many of the other Formula 280 SS boats had.

We are looking at a 2001 Formula 280SS and a 2001 Cobalt 293 tomorrow.