New boat thoughts ???
 

Having new boat thoughts and would like Forum feedback.

I want a Bow-Rider 19-23' but want to power with an Outboard !

This is a tough combination, as most bow-riders are powered with an I/O.

Suggestions on boat manufacturers ?

Thanks !

Check out Hurricanes at Meredith Marina. They are pricey but offer more room than you average bow rider. Most of the boats that they offer in that size range are outboards.

There are plenty of options for boat manufacturers that make bow riders with outboards.

Locally, the ones that come to mind are:

1) Key West--Shep Brown
2) Robalo--Melvin Village
3) Pioneer--Trexlers

Other manufacturers are Sea Hunt, Scout, Tidewater, Grady White, Edgewater.

Can't go wrong with any of the boats listed.

Bigdog
 

May not be tough any more. Outboards are becoming more and more popular. 2 weeks ago saw a Searay bow rider around 25 foot with I think 350 hp out board mounted on the back of extended swim platform at MVYC valet. Still have a nice swim platform and plenty of HP now that they are making bigger outboards. Sweet looking ride. Check it out.

Irwin has multiple sitting out-front of the showroom as of last weekend

Thurston's Carries StarCraft with most have outboards on them, they make pontoons, and bow riders, they are a nice looking and seem to be quality materials, most will have the E-tech !!!!!

The Hurricanes we looked at weren't deep V's and people we spoke to weren't overly jazzed with the ride on Winni. These were 22' and under, though, so size might matter. Definitely nice room/layouts, though.

Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk

Those Hurricanes are nice! I rented one a couple years ago before I bought my first boat which was a Four Winns H190 with the Volvo Penta out drive. Only thing with them is that they're wide open with no Bimini and as another poster as aid they are flat and wide. There are probably Biminis available as an option.
The Four Winns was Nice boat but way too small for Winnipesaukee.
I would go with a 23-25' minimum for a bow rider after using the 19.
My tritoon is a 22' and feel that this is also the minimum for Winni as well.
If buying new go bigger than you think you need....you'll be glad you did unless you're trailering to multiple lakes...then a 19-20' is a good option.

I guess it depends on the type of boat you're looking for. Most pleasure boats are IO but most fishing style boats are outboards.

Hurricanes offer Biminis. You are right though, anything smaller than a 22 is going to get tossed around pretty good in rough water. You really have to test ride them to see which one you feel good about.

Outboards
 

The new trend is outboards. Manufacturers are coming up with more and more applications and they are getting bigger. I would not be surprised if in a few years you see more outboards than stern drives.

If you want something big and heavy that won't get tossed around, take a look at Robalo's. They are built like tanks.

This is the kind of thread I enjoy. You get to spend someone else's money on the boat of your dreams. :laugh::laugh:

Oh well then let me change my link to a 29 footer :emb:

Melvin Village Marina carries Robalo, they have a nice looking 21 or 22 foot "dual console" model that is outboard powered. I think Key West (Shep Browns) has a similar size dual console as well. If I'm spending someone else's money, how about a 23 foot Rossiter? I've seen a couple on the lake, verrry nice looking modern take on a small Bertram (in my opinion). The Rossiters are not bow riders though...

WOW 14 responses, and I started initial Thread at noon, I love this Forum ! :)

Didn't mention my current boat, an 18' Angler Center console. with Evinrude outboard. I love it, the wife not too thrilled ! :(

Hey, go ahead and spend my money, I just bought the Bahre estate.... NOT !!!! :)

Not interested in a Deck boat, not a fan of them for several reasons, mainly how they ride. The Bow on these type boats are generally wider than a normal bowrider, and IMHO not a good choice for Winnie conditions.
Would be great on Winnisquam or smaller lakes !

Thanks everyone, for your feedback, keep the suggestions coming.

BigDog

Checkout the new Robalo R222EX. As others have said, they are built well and have a nice deep hull.

We came real close to buying one a month or so ago, but I let my wife convince me to keep our more comfortable to hang out in, but rougher riding, Four Winns.

I settled for replacing the 2 stroke Evinrude on my Ranger center console with a new Mercury four stroke - but was originally leaning toward replacing BOTH boats with a single Robalo.

Found this 2004 Hydra-Sport 202DC on Craigslist.... She's a beauty !
https://newhaven.craigslist.org/boa/...173845203.html

Perfect boat for Winnie, but the engine has too many hours and I believe maybe has been in salt water, although the first picture of boat shows mountains in the background... Hmmmmm Will call the owner to confirm
Will keep searching.

I figure there will be more boats for sale at the end of Aug, moving into September, as those thinking to sell don't want to pay for winterization and storage fees over the winter....

450 hours is nothing. The bigger issue is that era (2002-2005) Yamaha V6 four stroke motors were known for what is referred to as dry exhaust corrosion. Google it. Some have it, some don't. If you are serious about the boat you will want that issue to be addressed.

I think you'll be surprised how many come with out board now, I saw a beauty of a Chaparral with one as well.

I want the new 20 foot Rossiter Coastal Cruiser in the worst possible way but fortunately the wait list is about a year and it keeps me from buying something I really shouldn't!

I have a hurricane right now and although its great for passengers it sucks for the captain. You sit very low and if anyone is in the bow its really reduces visibility. Also the captains chair is the worst seat & placement I have ever had on a boat.

Just curious, why are you limiting your options to outboard only?

Doesnt it have a fold up front on the captains chair that allows u to sit up higher? My Larson has this because it also sits low.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

I googled the Rossiter boats...nice looking and they remind me of the old ocean going thompsons and other lapstrake boats that were used for bass fishing...(striped bass, that is)

Full disclosure; I'm probably a boat dealers worst nightmare. The big boat is 29 years old, the fun boat is 28 (2012 outboard though). Both could still pass for nearly new condition. They each fit their roles well and the cost to replace either is (to me anyway) quite horrifying. A well made boat with good care will go a long time here in fresh water paradise, don't discount a good condition older boat that's always been here on the New Hampshire lakes.

As stated earlier on this thread more manufacturers are offering outboard engines today in runabouts. I think Regal in particular has executed this design nicely with their OBX series. These are beautiful boats. I love the arch.
http://www.regalboats.com/model/23-obx-deck-boat/

Before buying my wife's current boat we test drove a Robalo 18' center console. While it is certainly "built like a tank" we could not get the boat up on plane with three people in it because it was so heavy! The boat also had the maximum horsepower outboard on it (90 HP) and there was nothing wrong with it. The salesman at Melvin Village actually told us that "yeah someone has to walk to the front of the boat so it will plane"! Are you kidding me! Not sure if other models have the same issue but if you go on line the biggest complaint about Robalo's is their weight and a lot of people are complaining!

Dan

Crownline has a series of outboard powered offerings.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Brand new 20" Robalo on CL today in Portsmouth NH, 5 hours. Act fast!

Great looking boat, do you know what the 20 coastal goes for?

Dan, the Robalo R180's have a maximum horsepower rating of 150 and I have never seen one with less than a 115. Not surprised it struggled with a 90. You do bring up a couple of very valid points. First, dealers often try to rig boats with the minimum horsepower out there to keep the cost down. Second, always sea trial/test drive the boat to make sure it will work for you.

http://robalo.com/Robalo-Boat-2016.p...tion=tab_specs

My mistake it was the 16' R-160 we test drove not the 18' and the max HP was 90. It was a dog and couldn't get out of its own way. We ended up buying an 18' just not a Robalo and funny the max horsepower on her new 18' Bayliner is 90 and it has no issue at all getting up and out of the water with a max speed of about 40 mph. While the Bayliner is lacking some of the quality and bling of the Robalo, It's no secret that Robalos are one of the heaviest boats out there and understandable that an 18' would need a 150 to get it to perform... their 16' could use a 150 also!

Dan

Like ishoot, we have a Bayliner BR (215). It has the 5.0 IO, though, not an outboard. It's a bit harsh in the chop, but we generally take our time, not rushing around the lake. If money was no object, I think the Grady White Freedom 235 would be one I'd really be interested in. Classic lines, beautifully built, and really versatile. With the 300hp Yamaha out back, it would have very good performance.

http://www.gradywhite.com/models/dua...s/freedom-235/

The Robalo's are known for being heavy and slow, but on the plus side is that they provide a smooth ride - at least with the larger hulls. I spend a lot of time on Chesapeake Bay so, I was willing to consider trading speed for comfort. ;) Never did any research on the smaller hulls - but, I totally agree, not being able to plane fitted with max HP is totally unacceptable.

High $60s....:eek:

I disagree with the size restrictions mentioned. Many 23-25' boats at Winni and they are great for their purpose but can be a bear to get into any of the public docks and tougher to launch on smaller lakes with non-paved ramps. I used my 16 footer with a 40 hp for 10 years on the lake...just chose what days to launch from more protected areas and what days to stay home. I now have a 19 footer and any day I would not take that up there due to conditions is a day I wouldn't want to be on the water with any sized boat (except the Mt Washington).

If you plan to have more than a few people on board and want to tow a tube or two or water skiers...you might want to bigger boat but you don't NEED it for Winni IMHO.

A little bigger than what you're after, but the Chris-Craft Calypso has a 26 with an outboards. I am looking at the 30 Calypso, but have been on both and the 26 seemed to ride well.

Interesting thoughts but the conclusion is: You disagree with the size restrictions mentioned:Unless you want to use the boat whenever you want to (without having to pick your days) You want to tow tubers or water skiers, you like to go out with more than a few friends.

In my opinion most people use their boats for the exactly the purposes mentioned so a small boat would be the wrong choice. I want to use my boat whenever I would like to go out so I wouldn't want anything less than 25 feet and would also get the larger engine option so it is capable of anything I want to do. I currently have a 27 foot bowrider with 380 HP. The only days I won't go out are when it is raining. A great boat with a comfortable ride capable of doing many things well.

The OP did not mention trailering but admittedly that would be size and weight restricted by what he is towing it with.

One other interesting candidate is a boat that won't be on the market until the Newport boat show. Eastern (they manufacture their boats here in NH!) is coming out with something called the pilot. Supposedly it is going to be very similar to the Rossiter 20 with the closed bow. Given Eastern's down east lobster boat heritage I'm sure its going to be a bit more utilitarian which for those of us with young kids is a huge plus!

Just a thought

There used to be a boat builder in Rhode Island (Holby) that had "Pilot" 19 and 24 models that sound similar to what you're describing. I thought they were really nice looking boats. I wonder if Eastern bought the molds?

Might be what your looking for?
 

I'd highly recommend the Robalo R227 Dual Console with a 200HP Yamaha. Great solid well designed deep-v outboard boat. Perfect for the big lake. They recently had one in stock at Melvin Village Marine. Not sure of the price or your budget though! Here's a link:
http://www.melvinvillagemarina.com/d...=xAllInventory

If you can find a used one from a previous year, you could save a bundle. Best of luck with your search

A new one
 

Since I haven't seen anyone mention it, Cobalt has a new outboard boat:

http://www.cobaltboats.com/our_boats...p#.WYcOjNEpChA

I've not had an opportunity to demo it myself but having had 3 Cobalts, I'm sure it's a great performer.

Cobalt Outboard....
 

I saw that exact boat just off the Weirs last weekend. Perhaps Flightcraft has it for sale?

I had a Cobalt 250 bowrider for a number of years. We loved it. Cobalt makes a great boat and fit and finish is top notch.

Check out the E series from Crownline. You can get them with an outboard. Bought a new E6 (Although it has a I/O) this year and couldn't be happier.