ready for a week ender....cruiser!

[rasbury]

Well, have had my Tahoe for about 3 years now, q4l 3.0l I/O and have really enjoyed it in the Fl. water ways..I bought it right I think so should have no problem selling it with a little money left over....we have used this pretty much as a "cruiser" as we don't fish or ski but really enjoy the St. Johns River in central Fl as well as a few trips to both coasts over the last 3 years...including an annual trip to Cayo Costa area in Port Charlottee area which is REALLY cool and remote. Now then, it's time to have something we can get out of the weather and also stay for a weekend or just over night. I live very near a ramp to the St. Johns River area and just a little north east of Orlando. We have a lot of options within short distances, all of which I'm trying to determine what to buy.....I am looking at the Bayliner Ciera 2655 and 285...wanting to stay with single motor and a trailerable boat. Also, looking at boats around 8 to 10 years old to get the price around 20 to mid 20's (little higher if need be). Have a lot of questions I do not want to ask a salesperson or someone otherwise trying to sell me something! Seems like there are some pretty nice clean boats in what I'm looking at but concerned with the age...I can fix a lot of stuff myself.

is the 285 trailerable?
I thought I understood what draft meant (how deep it is in the water) but have seen max draft for example on a 285 and a little over a foot? I know from my boat when you take off I need a heck of a lot more water than that! What is the different draft numbers and meaning??

Financing- wish I could pay cash but I figure I'll leave the bill to my kids- on a boat that old, what kind of terms and rates will I run into? I used my credit union when I bought my present boat but they would only do 4 years on a 2007 which at the time would have been three years old.....

I know I will have to get a bigger vehicle than my Explorer and I figure with a V8 F150 I should be able to tow even the 285 ok on the distance I plan to work with....

I do not plan any off shore boating but it would be nice to know that I could. Mainly, inter costal and the St. Johns...very nervous about the skinny waters around the inter coastal as I do like to explore...perhaps a little inflateable or something I can strap to the back....

 

[Quit It]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

I won't get into the tow vehicle controversy, other than to mention that when the SAE towing tests are standardized I think a lot of 1500 series trucks are going to lower their max towing weight (some already have).

The 1' draft is if you had the drive up and were just above idle speed. Shop around, financing is out there.

 

[phonfish]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Are you sure you want to tow that beast? 9'10" beam is pretty wide!!! Dry weight looks like 7200lbs. My 2500 hd duramax would pull it, but, I would get a 3500 dually to be safe. If that things starts to fishtale on you, you're screwed. Not overkill,just being safe!!!!

 

[Dawg'sLife93]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

I've been looking at the 26-28ft range myself, I would suggest that you buy a 3/4 ton or better(F250,2500hd, etc), since you are buying anyway. I have an 1500, 2500, and 3500. In my size range, I really wouldn't want to try 95% of the boats I looked at behind my 1500.

As far as financing goes, You can finance it like a 2nd home, at least that is what my bank told me.

Good luck on you hunt, hope you find your perfect boat.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Since you will be trailering it, I don't know if you want as big as a 28. If you are just looking for an overnighter, you may be able to find what you want in a 24' or 25'. You need to remember that you are used to the ease of a smaller boat (and the reliability of a 3.0 liter motor - dang I love that engine). If you are just looking for a cabin to duck out of the weather in, a 23' with a cuddy may be a good fit too.

Everyone is different, but I, personally, tried to go from a 19' to a 26' figuring that my next step was a 32'+ boat that I would keep at a marina (so I got the 26' to see if I was really going to spend a lot of weekends on the water before I took on the expense of a boat slip). Turned out, I didn't spend weekends on it like I thought, so I didn't need so much cabin. Now I have a 24' bowrider. I still enjoy my 19' too though. I'm different than you though. I've dealt with older, project boats, so I don't tie up a lot of money in my experimentation.

I see a lot of weekenders in Sea Ray 215 boats. That would probably be small for your taste, but if you like to travel around a lot, you may want to take a smaller step before going big.

But, then again, you don't want to spend a lot of money and have boat envy for something bigger. That 28' boat is the largest you would want to try to trailer though.

Good luck!

 

[JoLin]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

I wouldn't do it, but I'm not you. Just be very aware of the TOTAL size and weight you're gonna be hauling...

If the dry weight of the boat is 7200, 50 gallons of fuel, 25 gallons of fresh water, gear and 'stuff' you carry aboard will add another 1000 lbs. You need a boat trailer that'll support 30' (LOA) and a minimum of 8200 lbs. That trailer will weight approximately 2000 lbs.

Your total tow weight has risen to at least 10,000 lbs., tongue weight 1000 lbs., total length 35-40' (on the trailer) and 10' in width. THAT's a big tow. Don't know FL law, but I'm sure you'll need special towing permits. AND, an f150 will be marginal at best. Loaded to the max. I wouldn't use one for that load. I'd strongly advise at least a 3/4 ton, long wheelbase 4x4.

My .02

 

[bekosh]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

I pretty much agree with what been said. That's a lot of boat to tow every weekend. They may just be underestimating the weight though. Mine is 28x9.5 with twin V8's plus generator. She's about 12,500 loaded up on the trailer and OAL of 36 ft plus the truck. I tow with a Ford F250 and I really should have a 1-ton for this load.


I originally planned on doing the same thing you are, but after a couple times towing her I got a slip and just couldn't be happier. Much more convenient and a lot less stress. Just pull up to the marina, hop aboard and away you go.

 

[agallant80]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

I would not do it with an F150. You are really pushing what the truck can do. You will need a 250-2500. I was towing a 25 foot cruiser with a 1500 and it was so much work to do it. The boat was just tossing the truck around. Now that I have a 2500 towing the boat is not such a big deal. as for towing a boat that large I will leave that up to you. I know NC does not require permits on wide boats if they are personal boats FL may be the same, something to look in to.

As for slipping it, I perfer not to do that, you get in to bottom paint, paing fuel dock prices, having to let the yard do the work and slip fees. It was cheaper for me to trailer the boat even after upgrading the truck and I can tow the boat to where I want to. We are towing it to Baltimore this weekend, the 4th we will be in Wilmington NC, later in the summer we are planning on towing it to Charleston, SC and next year we are planning on towing it to Miami to try Bermudia or the keys. Much less in fuel and time to tow it close to where you want to go. It opens up so much more crusing ground.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

8Klbs is about the max tow rating for most of the 2004+ F-150's (and other "1/2 tons"). With a 28' loaded up with gear, you'd be right at that amount, but you wouldn't have any payload left over for gear/passengers in the cab. Definitely 3/4-1 ton territory, and a diesel is really highly desirable. Like you mentioned, 28' is really about the max you would want to tow. You could probably find a late-90's Regal 2760/2860 Commodore for that price range, but again, it's an 8K boat by itself, and most are going to have twin engines (you wouldn't regret twins with boats of this size). The Bayliners would also be a good option for that price range, and would likely have the single BBC like you specified.

As far as financing, you can finance it as a 2nd mortgage, with the only stipulation being that you have to prove that you "lived aboard" for something like 2 weeks a year. Not too difficult to do I wouldn't imagine, but you'd need to read the fine print on what counts as "proof". (slip rental receipts, fuel receipts, etc).

 

[Slip Away]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

I originally planned on doing the same thing you are, but after a couple times towing her I got a slip and just couldn't be happier. Much more convenient and a lot less stress. Just pull up to the marina, hop aboard and away you go.

I did the slip gig for 8 years. while convenient for sure, the $3,000 for a slip fee, buys a lot of hotel rooms and boat gas. Plus you can trailer to any location you want and explore new lakes.

 

[rasbury]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Interesting...all good information. The newer F150's with the eco boost v6 motor are rated for 11300 lbs- actually more than the 5.0L rating but I won't be looking at a truck that new...I think I have figured out that the 28 ft Bayliner is just to big to be pratical for my budget and I really do not want to slip the boat. I store my Tahoe in my garage with the folding tounge that 19 1/2' boat actually fits but I have no where else flat to store a boat...couple more questions come to my mind...if I dry store it somewhere at a Marina, how do I keep everything charged up? Tell me about over night in one of these boats...I understand the a/c if equipped will only work on generator or plug in at a marina (is an on board generator an option on this boat?). How is the fridge powered? I want to go down the river, find a nice cove and be able to stay over night..do you have to leave the motor running to say keep the fridge going, watch tv etc??

 

[bekosh]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

The AC draws a lot of power so that pretty much requires shorepower or a generator. Wisconsin is different weather than Florida, but usually at night I get a decent breeze through the hatches to keep it cool.

The fridge should be an AC/DC model. Shore power/generator or battery power. I can overnight on 2xGroup 27 deep cycle batteries with just the fridge and lighting on and still have power in the morning. If I'm anchored all day running the fridge, radio etc, on batteries, I will usually run my generator for a while around dinner to use the microwave or stove and I will run the battery charger at the same time to top off the batteries.

 

[bekosh]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

I did the slip gig for 8 years. while convenient for sure, the $3,000 for a slip fee, buys a lot of hotel rooms and boat gas. Plus you can trailer to any location you want and explore new lakes.

To each their own. For me, it's a 30 mile drive to the lake and my slip fees are $1400. It's actually cheaper to pay for the slip and drive my 35mpg car, instead of putting gas in the truck and towing the boat every weekend. And since I have the trailer I can still pull out and go somewhere else if the fancy strikes me.

 

[Slip Away]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Long drive for you. Lake was a 5 mile drive for us. It was fine for those years, but the novelty does wear off in time. Boat gas and truck
gas does add up too, but we enjoy the freedom to travel.
You are making the progression nicely from your 1972 15ft. SeaStar TriHull, to the 1991 Wellcraft 216XL Eclipse and now to the 2870. So next may be a 35 footer ?? You have sure done your share of trailering with your first two boats. So I can see your current preference for a slip.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Interesting...all good information. The newer F150's with the eco boost v6 motor are rated for 11300 lbs- actually more than the 5.0L rating but I won't be looking at a truck that new...I think I have figured out that the 28 ft Bayliner is just to big to be pratical for my budget and I really do not want to slip the boat. I store my Tahoe in my garage with the folding tounge that 19 1/2' boat actually fits but I have no where else flat to store a boat...couple more questions come to my mind...if I dry store it somewhere at a Marina, how do I keep everything charged up? Tell me about over night in one of these boats...I understand the a/c if equipped will only work on generator or plug in at a marina (is an on board generator an option on this boat?). How is the fridge powered? I want to go down the river, find a nice cove and be able to stay over night..do you have to leave the motor running to say keep the fridge going, watch tv etc??

I'd forgotten that they up'd the max towing on the 09+ trucks, but I wasn't assuming you were going out and grabbing the EcoBoost with Max Trailer Tow. Even when it's rated at 11K lbs, I wouldn't feel safe stopping that much weight. Who knows, maybe it's capable of doing it, but it'd be out of my comfort zone. Most of the other models are rated between 8-9,500lbs max trailer weight, so just keep that in mind.

 

[agallant80]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Few things

1. 11K towing on eco boost is for the 4.10 rear end. Hard to find
2. You can use a portable generator on the swim platform if you want to run the A/C - google "swim platform generator" and read all about the debate on to do it or not
3. Fuel in a boat that big hurts. My 25 foot cruiser I can blow through $200 in fuel on a single weekend trip. Not to mention the fuel I use in my truck. Every time I do a long weekend on the boat i am looking at abou $300 in fuel for truck and boat
4. There are boat storage places around. I pay $40/month for mine. Its near a lake.
5. I only run the motor when I need to move the boat. I would rather put the hours on the generator but I have from time to time ran the motor when the battery bank gets low.

Hope this hepls.

 

[rasbury]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

wow, there will be a lot to learn about power management. My fav. place to boat to is Cayo Costa Island which is on the mouth of Port Charlottee- all of the homes there you can rent ( there are only about 3 to choose from! Gilligans Island darn near) are solar powered, pretty cool. I will for sure have to check into the transom mounted generator as we have to keep the wife comfy- if she does not feel she is not at the holiday inn, well, there will not be much fun!

thanks all for the input, I'm sure I will have many more questions when I actually have the boat!

 

[rasbury]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

is 200 hours a lot on a motor? I can only equate to a vehicle...you figure a vehicle that has 100m on it, if it averaged 45 mph that is over 2000 hours on the motor.....a lot of the boats I see are 200 hours for a early 2000's model which sounds like nothing...or is it all the parts around the motor that are the concern!

 

[agallant80]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

200 is nothig. Some people do that in a year but like any motor you can do stupid things to it and have issues. It is more about how well it was taken care of.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Re: ready for a week ender....crusiser!

Too bad you don't want a slip. My boat is in Sanford (see the avatar) and is for sale. It's a great boat to spend a week or two on.