Need a New boat - Opinions Needed!

Alton Bay Resident · 12-20-2006, 08:46 AM

Everyone has their own opinion, here's mine;

If you plan on boating on the weekend you have to deal with boat chop. Add any wind and you have the makings of a rough ride unless you have a boat in size / design to minimize the impact.

I have been on Lake Winni for the past 6 years and have owned 5 boats; 16’ pontoon, 20’5” Searay Sundowner (cuddy), 23’ Campion Allante (cuddy), 26’2” Rinker Captiva and finally 2600 (27’2”) Regal (bowrider). Some call this the two foot disease (meaning always looking to go up in size by 2’).

For the most part, my reason for going up in size was to minimize the effect of the boat chop / wind chop i.e. get a better ride.

I bought the current boat I have in 2005 new. At the time I purchased it I had no intentions of getting another boat. A friend of mine bought one and suggested I take one out for a test cruise in that he suggested for a boat of this size, it really made a significant difference in the ‘ride’. I’m sorry I took his advice in that I’m now back to making bigger boat payments but overall very happy I made the move. The Fastrac Hull really does make a huge difference when combined with a boat of this size, 27’2” (including swim platform).

If you primary goal is a better riding bowrider, I would look for a used Regal 2600. The basic design has not changed since I believe 1999-2000. These are well made boats and if you find one with decent hours within your budget, you may want to check it out.

My $.02 worth. Good luck!

fpartri497 · 12-20-2006, 09:30 AM

I too had no Intention of purchasing a new boat again, since I allready had owned two stingrays. A 19 ft. and a 22 ft. both are fast but ride horrible in rough water.

june of 05 a new boat line from bennington pontoon boats came on the market,Its called AZURE. I purchaced the AZ 200 Sport deck boat after a ten min. demo ride on the lake. This boat Is very fast and rides like a dream In heavy chop. It came with a volvo penta 5.0 L V-8.

You might want to look Into this boat line.

Dave R · 12-20-2006, 10:10 AM

JasonG, Post your question on www.boatingabc.com. There's scads of info and helpful people dealing solely with boating there. Plenty of Winnipesuakee boaters there as well.

I think you'd be better off with a well maintained, slightly older, high quality boat. It'll likely depreciate less and last longer in the end.

codeman671 · 12-20-2006, 01:23 PM

I would suggest the Rinker Captiva 232. I own a 2006 Rinker RX1 which is slightly smaller and we are quite happy with it. You may be able to find a brand new leftover around $30k'ish. Last summer Silver Sands had a leftover 232 with the RX package 9wakeboard tower, racks, etc) and it could have been had for low $30k's for a brand new boat with a warranty (no trailer). The RX package was a few thousand more than the standard boat. Sometimes it is worth spending that extra few thousand to get a new one and not buy anothers headaches.

Give Barry at Silver Sands a call and check on availability of leftovers...

jrc · 12-20-2006, 10:39 PM

First of all I second the Rinker 232, there were quite a few of them at my condo. They're not too fancy but they're bulletproof.

If you can stretch a little more, think about a 26 footer. It might save you in the long run, by skipping a step in the two foot disease. I owned a 2001 26 foot Searay bowrider, it was a great boat for the lake. I never felt unsafe. They stopped making that boat, but there are similar models, or Irwin still has mine for sale

I'd recommend a pump out toilet versus porta potty, much easier. In a 23-26 foot boat 50+ MPH starts to get you into a performance area. You might need to look at a Baja Islander.

LIforrelaxin · 12-21-2006, 10:30 AM

Well there seem to be lots of good reviews for the Azure and the Rinkers here in this thread. Let me through a 3rd into the Mix. Four Winns, There boats are heavier then most resulting in a fairly nice ride, and when powered correctly they move right along. Winnisquam Marine usually has a good selection of used boats and I was on thier site just the other day and they have 3 or 4 boats in the 23' to 24' range. There boats are always priced well and after buying a boat from them last year, I can tell you they are not afraid to stand behind there boats. They fixed a few things for me, even after the warranty period was up, with out arguement.

12-20-2006, 08:46 AM	#1
Alton Bay Resident Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 23 Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 1 Post	Regal 2600 - Great Boat for Winni Lake Chop Everyone has their own opinion, here's mine; If you plan on boating on the weekend you have to deal with boat chop. Add any wind and you have the makings of a rough ride unless you have a boat in size / design to minimize the impact. I have been on Lake Winni for the past 6 years and have owned 5 boats; 16’ pontoon, 20’5” Searay Sundowner (cuddy), 23’ Campion Allante (cuddy), 26’2” Rinker Captiva and finally 2600 (27’2”) Regal (bowrider). Some call this the two foot disease (meaning always looking to go up in size by 2’). For the most part, my reason for going up in size was to minimize the effect of the boat chop / wind chop i.e. get a better ride. I bought the current boat I have in 2005 new. At the time I purchased it I had no intentions of getting another boat. A friend of mine bought one and suggested I take one out for a test cruise in that he suggested for a boat of this size, it really made a significant difference in the ‘ride’. I’m sorry I took his advice in that I’m now back to making bigger boat payments but overall very happy I made the move. The Fastrac Hull really does make a huge difference when combined with a boat of this size, 27’2” (including swim platform). If you primary goal is a better riding bowrider, I would look for a used Regal 2600. The basic design has not changed since I believe 1999-2000. These are well made boats and if you find one with decent hours within your budget, you may want to check it out. My $.02 worth. Good luck!

12-20-2006, 09:30 AM	#2
fpartri497 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Concord NH Posts: 681 Thanks: 97 Thanked 48 Times in 39 Posts	New bow rider I too had no Intention of purchasing a new boat again, since I allready had owned two stingrays. A 19 ft. and a 22 ft. both are fast but ride horrible in rough water. june of 05 a new boat line from bennington pontoon boats came on the market,Its called AZURE. I purchaced the AZ 200 Sport deck boat after a ten min. demo ride on the lake. This boat Is very fast and rides like a dream In heavy chop. It came with a volvo penta 5.0 L V-8. You might want to look Into this boat line. __________________ dont worry be happy

12-21-2006, 10:30 AM	#6
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas, Lake Ray Hubbard and NH, Long Island Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,912 Thanks: 1,048 Thanked 900 Times in 530 Posts	Another Opinioin Well there seem to be lots of good reviews for the Azure and the Rinkers here in this thread. Let me through a 3rd into the Mix. Four Winns, There boats are heavier then most resulting in a fairly nice ride, and when powered correctly they move right along. Winnisquam Marine usually has a good selection of used boats and I was on thier site just the other day and they have 3 or 4 boats in the 23' to 24' range. There boats are always priced well and after buying a boat from them last year, I can tell you they are not afraid to stand behind there boats. They fixed a few things for me, even after the warranty period was up, with out arguement. __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

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12-20-2006, 10:10 AM	#3
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,985 Thanks: 246 Thanked 744 Times in 444 Posts	JasonG, Post your question on www.boatingabc.com. There's scads of info and helpful people dealing solely with boating there. Plenty of Winnipesuakee boaters there as well. I think you'd be better off with a well maintained, slightly older, high quality boat. It'll likely depreciate less and last longer in the end.

12-20-2006, 01:23 PM	#4
codeman671 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,545 Thanks: 222 Thanked 829 Times in 500 Posts	I would suggest the Rinker Captiva 232. I own a 2006 Rinker RX1 which is slightly smaller and we are quite happy with it. You may be able to find a brand new leftover around $30k'ish. Last summer Silver Sands had a leftover 232 with the RX package 9wakeboard tower, racks, etc) and it could have been had for low $30k's for a brand new boat with a warranty (no trailer). The RX package was a few thousand more than the standard boat. Sometimes it is worth spending that extra few thousand to get a new one and not buy anothers headaches. Give Barry at Silver Sands a call and check on availability of leftovers...

12-20-2006, 10:39 PM	#5
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	First of all I second the Rinker 232, there were quite a few of them at my condo. They're not too fancy but they're bulletproof. If you can stretch a little more, think about a 26 footer. It might save you in the long run, by skipping a step in the two foot disease. I owned a 2001 26 foot Searay bowrider, it was a great boat for the lake. I never felt unsafe. They stopped making that boat, but there are similar models, or Irwin still has mine for sale I'd recommend a pump out toilet versus porta potty, much easier. In a 23-26 foot boat 50+ MPH starts to get you into a performance area. You might need to look at a Baja Islander.