Which boat??

[robjnh]

I owned a 202BR before we bought our Malibu Sunsetter. We loved ever part of the boat except the prop being so close to the kids when the climb up the swim platform. An extended swim platform may fix this problem and all I/O's have this problem to a certain extent. The resale is very strong on these boats as well. They had no trouble with the sunpad and the boat was super deep so we felt very comfortable with them in the boat.

FWIW, We have since moved to a Malibu Sunsetter since we are on Winnisquam and spend 90% of our time skiing, wakeboarding or Tubing. The benifits to an inboard are the prop is under the boat, we can use a boom (metal pole connected to the center sky pylon) to teach the kids to ski and cruise control. The big disadvantage is it cannot handle any rough water and the cost about 15% more than regular bowriders.

The Boston Boat show is coming next week. Check it out at the Bayside expo center. It is one of my kids favorite things to do. Also don't forget to test dirve before you buy.

[Rinkerfam]

I'm going to throw another brand into the mix for you to consider. Take a look at the Rinker 212 Captiva. This boat has a walk through transom which makes entry/exit easy. You can also opt for an extended swim platform which all but eliminates the outdrive danger. Construction, fit and finish on the Rinker line has put them on many boating magazines favorable lists. Also, dollar for dollar Rinker still offers more standard features that other manufacturers have as expensive add-ons. As far as power goes, you have several choices with Rinker. I'm a Merc. fan, and fuel injection is definitely the way to go.
Happy shopping!

[Mee-n-Mac]

I think the others have asked some good questions. If you'll be boating on Winnipesaukee, the boat with better rough water ability is desired. Less so if you'll be on 'squam. Both boats are well made so the Crownie may have a few more niceities and perhaps better fit-n-finish but you'll have to decide if they are worth the extra $$. You've hit on one of the more important things, deck layout. I'll add some other things for your consideration. Are you comfortable at the helm ? Does the seat have enough range of motion to fit you? Can you stand w/o the seat interfering (better yet does it have a flip-up bolster)? Does the throttle fall to hand? Does the carpet snap-in, -out.

Storage space is another large issue. Where will you store the PFD's (in-use and out-of-use), the fenders, the anchor, the docklines, etc ? No boat ever has enough storage but more is better. With kids I anticipate ski and wakeboard storage as well.

Unique to bowriders I would ask if there's a windblocker to stop the wind from flowing under the windsheild and back into the cockpit. What are you getting for canvas ? I'd suggest that you get a cover for the bow that can be used independantly from a cockpit cover or mooring cover. This way if you're out on cold or windy days you can stop the wind (in lieu of the aforementioned blocker) or more importantly (in the event of big waves) the water from entering the bow section. Also are you going to want a Bimini top ?

On the question of engines I would strongly suggest fuel injection. It'll pay for itself in economy and in frustration reduction. Given you'll be towing kids around I'd opt for a V8, over a V6, for the broader torque curve. Besides Dad or Mom may want to go skiing as well

Lastly it sounds like you're buying a new boat vs a used boat. Given you've admitted to being new to boating, it often is that people in your situation don't quite know what their real boating needs are ... or that they may change after a couple of years. Trading in a used boat (now having some experience on the lake) for the next one (you really want) is less expensive than trading in a new boat. I've not checked to be sure but I suspect you could find a few boats, 2-5 seasons old, of the type you're looking at, in the various marinas around the lake(s). Then again don't let me be a sour grape here, if you know what you want, go for it. Neither boat (or the Rinker) is a "loser" by any means.

[SPANKY]

sounds like you've got some good advice so far. i stopped into the manchester boat show over the weekend to see some of this years boats. another thing you may want to consider on your boat purchase is the amount of freeboard it has ( the distance from the floor to the top of the gunnels ). more freeboard would make the seating deeper ( safer ) in the bow section. and as mentioned, i would definitely suggest a bimini top so you can easily have a bit of often needed shade. two more suggestions, and something my next boat will have, stern mounted controls for both the stereo and the tilt / trim, nice to have when your anchored and floating on a tube or pulling into a sandbar. neither of these are expensive options, and would make for great convenience. good luck and let us know how you make out

[Belmont Resident]

I also started out in the boat size your looking at. One of the most important things to consider is where you are going to use the boat. So many people voice their concerns about how rough the lake is, many of these boaters are in 19-22' boats. Even on a day with no wind the chop created by the sheer volume of boats can have even the experienced boater scratching his/her head. If you are going to be on the big lake and you have not already you might want to consider testing out the boats you have decided on.
Take a ride over to Weirs bay, it doesn't get much worse then that.
Others have mentioned extended swim platform, a must have with kids.
I've seen first hand what a prop can do to knee's, of course they do sell covers you can put over the prop. Another bonus is a walk through. Walking over a sun deck will trash the pad in 2-3 years both from boarding with shoes and from swimmers.
Whatever you decide good luck and remember the boater safety requirements for you and your children.

[SHICKS]

After I sold my Sea-Ray 18' I researched both of these boats. The Crownline does not have as deep of a dead rise as the forwinns. This makes is get on plane faster, but not as good in rough water, correct me if I am wrong.

The quality and resale seemed better on the crownline and the boat felt wider from the inside. I liked the gel coat and vinyl on the crownline at lot better. I think Crownline may have another 20ft boat in their lineup with a deeper v.

Steve

[Dave R]

Feel compelled to chime in on carbs vs. fuel injection. FI is very nice but it can be quite expensive. My advice is: shop for displacement, not HP. A bigger carb engine can cost less money than a smaller displacement FI engine and will give more satisfying performance due to increased low end torque (which is a function of displacement). Two engines with the same HP rating ought to give the same top speed but the larger of the two will get you on plane more quickly and offer better mid range punch.

Carbs get a bad rap but they really are not at all bad in a boat. FI is wonderfully suited to engines operating in extreme temperature and altitude variations, and under constantly variable loads (like in a car). Pleasure boats operate in a very limited temperature range and altitude change is obviously not an issue... They also operate with very stable loads. The only advantage FI has over a carb in this regard is easier starting and the newest Mercruisers have "fixed" that "problem" (you need to pump the throttle a couple of times when cold on the old design) with new carbs this year. I am certain FI has no more than a negligible advantage in fuel economy at anything above idle speed.

I would not get either boat with it's base engine if it's a 4.3 V6. Opt for a bigger displacement V8 if you can afford it. You won't regret it, especially when it comes time to sell the boat. Also, if you choose a Volvo Penta package, do not spend any extra money on thier 5.7 liter 320 HP GXi vs, the 5.7 liter 280 HP GX. The GXi offers almost no real power advantage over the GX. The GX makes around 300 HP and is likely de-rated to make the GXi more attractive...

[Just Wonderin]

JD Power and Associates has a website that rates consumer satisfaction on cars, boats, electronics, etc.

Here is the link to boats. Just click on the type of boat you're looking for and see what other owners have to say.

http://www.jdpower.com/cc/boats/index.jsp

[robjnh]

Dave,

I completly agree with you on the FI vs. Carb. I had a carb on my Crownline and never had any problem starting it. I did however have a lot of people that never even came to look at the boat when they discoved it was not FI.

Most people have FI drilled into there heads as the only way to go so if you think you want to flip the boat in a few years you got to go along with the crowd IMO.

I would also throw in that if you think you are going to tow a lot, I would opt for the Volvo or the BIII. Dual prop gets out of whole much better.

[secondcurve]

The most important thing you can take away from these excellent comments is size does matter! I wouldn't go with anything less than 23 feet out on Winnipesaukee. Trust me. Also, look at used boats. They depreciate so quickly. I think a model that is about 5-years would be the best. Good Luck!

[Liquorish]

After owning 3 Four Winns, I have nothing but good things to say about them,and Winnisquam marine, those guys are great.. However, at 20 ft, especialy on the big lake be prepared for some tough rides.. my first 4 winns was a 20ft Horizon, fun boat but tough in rough waters, which seems like all the time on Winni... Both boats would be a good choice, but I would reccomend buying larger if you can. Good Luck