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Researching Center Consoles - need suggestions
- Thread starter BillR
- Start date
Hey Bill would you consider a 35 Marlago? Everything that was in your list can be found in one of these boats. The speed is the only thing where it would come up short but trust me the ride and room make up for it. Has a vacu-flush head under the console with a nice sized cabin up front. Take a look at the listing that I have posted and let me know what you think. Like Alec said ride on one to make sure it is what you want. If you would like more info send me a pm and I will give you a call.
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...er&&hosturl=theyachtgroup&&ywo=theyachtgroup&
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...er&&hosturl=theyachtgroup&&ywo=theyachtgroup&
JupiterSunsation
New member
I saw that boat last Friday going down I-95....... I forgot Merc is now up to 350 as well!
That particular boat has a hard time keeping the outside motors attached.....
MarylandMark
Charter Member
Random thoughts:
Outboards
- obviously every thing is right there so working on them is easy. Outboard lowers can be swapped in like 10 minutes. Entire motors can be done in like an hour or so I'd guess. Whatever it is, being all right there is a lot easier than in a bilge.
- no bling to worry about. All those pretty motor mods and colors take some TLC to keep looking pretty. Outboards, cowling covers it all so it's all function over fancy
- no exhaust to worry about- "Do I get CMI, GIL, Stainless, etc". Or- "these rusted out and what do I get next" or "these have a header leak and blew my boat up" I think I saw some thing like 16K for a set of headers? Ha- I can get a brand new 300XS for that (with a 4 year warranty).
- not many mods. Good thing or bad thing- but most of the time leaving things stock will leave you more time boating vs more time wrenching.
- 300XS's come with a 2 year warranty with 2 more years available, 300 Verados come 3 years with 2 more available (free upgrade to 5 years promotion going on right now). I'm not sure about the others but seems like that is more coverage than any inboards out there.
- fuel economy is great- my boat for example: 10GPH per motor @ 40MPH and 25 GPH per motor @ 70MPH
- Quiet. I love the rumble of some big blocks but being able to talk at idle and WOT, pulling up to the dock without rattling your teeth, etc. Some love it, some don't.
- RPM's- I love how my outboards spool up so fast
Center Console
- same guy that would never step on their boat with shoes will trounce all over yours with them on. They will go right from a rocky parking lot to walking all over your boat. Most CC's the sole is non-skid so you don't have to worry about them scratching the top deck paint and things like that but still adds wear and tear.
-In a go-fast cabin boat, most of the time people are confined to the cockpit. In a CC, they are all over the place- more people more places means more mess.
- docking is always fun. People have all this room to move around, so they do. My boat has a narrow beam so them moving means my boat is moving- not really what I want when trying to dock.
- wind- get ready for it. Wind noise is my biggest complaint but I'm sure some of the newer performance CC's are addressing that. I built my 32'6" Concept with a helm from a 36' Concept to try to block the wind more (Concepts idea which I liked and still do) but it didn't help much with the wind. Nor-Tech has a neat little wind gate roll up thing to help with the wind down low which is nice. When it's cold, it's colder on a CC. Take whatever temp and toss in a 40MPH wind chill with it is the best way to explain it. Not a gust, a constant 40MPH wind..
- Easy access to almost every thing. Rod holders fill the freeboard- take those off and now I have a 2' x 6' opening to fish whatever I want through the boat. My radar arch/bimini top? 20 screws and the whole panel drops out of the bottom of it to get to whatever is up there. On mine- remote lights, GPS antenna, Sat radio antenna, AM/FM radio antenna, VHF antenna. It's all easy to get to- fish it down the tube, through the rod holder thing in to the floor and then up under the helm where all my electronics stuff goes. Simple to fix/replace most things that have the best chance of having an issue.
- spot lights on the top of my arch are real nice. I hardly ever run at night, but when I have had to- they are sweet! Yes, some go fast boats have them built in but it's just not the same as having remote controled 360 degree rotating lights 4 feet above your head. Lot more usable light where you need it IMHO
- floor compartments have a ton of storage but no matter what kind of seal you have, every one I've ever seen gets water in them. Yes, they drain and so on but every thing gets wet still. I keep cheapy life vests in one of my floor compartments as a just in case type thing for the Coast Guard. I end up having to pressure wash them a few times a year to keep them from getting moldy. Anyway- floor compartments are great but if you boat isn't under a cover or inside, they are going to get wet
- Beams- the wider the better. Balances the weight or people moving side-to-side better. If I'm running with 5 people and 3 want to be around me, down goes the tab to keep me level. Then one bounces over to say some thing to some one on the other side of the boat, off goes the balance so I tab back level, then they are back where they are so back off the trim some, etc. Not quite like if every one is kind of planted when running like a go fast boat. I went with Concept for the build quality and the narrow beam looked sportier as well as trailerable but seeing I keep my boat on the lift more often than not; I'd go wider next time.
- Seating- most bow seats are too windy and/or too bouncy, most rear seats feel too far away from the action and/or are windy so every one wants to stand around the helm. That's cool- but most boats only have room for 2. So now I have someone behind me trying to talk to me, so I lean back to hear them, then the person to my right will try to talk, then the person on my left and so on. Loud stereo helps here- shuts them up. CC layouts are great for hanging out, not so much when running. Yes, some have some cool setups (Alec's Nor-Tech comes to mind) but tossing out my own experiences.
- fairly cheap to keep updated and clean looking. Sort of a timeless style I guess, IMHO. After 10 years, slap in new upholstery, few new gauges and electronics and it will look brand new. I'm not so sure it is that easy with "go fast" boats. I could be wrong but older go-fast boats updated still look older to me, CC's have been about the same design forever.
- cover. Get a good one and it is still going to be a pain to put on. Support poles, water catching to form a "W" with the pole being the middle point in the W and the hull sides being the top edges of the W if that make sense. Sucks in the rainy season (I keep my boat covered on my lift).
-my next go around I'd do a flushable head vs the portable thing. I never use it but would if I had a flushable one. Just easier and I added it to my current boat at first but then deleted to get rid of the extra dead weight.
I'm sure I'll think of more and sorry if this was not very organized.
My last 3 boats- 1 was an open bow and then 2 CC's and my next boat will most likely be a CC as well. It's sooooooo nice that there are more and more options for "Performance CC's" out there!!
Outboards
- obviously every thing is right there so working on them is easy. Outboard lowers can be swapped in like 10 minutes. Entire motors can be done in like an hour or so I'd guess. Whatever it is, being all right there is a lot easier than in a bilge.
- no bling to worry about. All those pretty motor mods and colors take some TLC to keep looking pretty. Outboards, cowling covers it all so it's all function over fancy
- no exhaust to worry about- "Do I get CMI, GIL, Stainless, etc". Or- "these rusted out and what do I get next" or "these have a header leak and blew my boat up" I think I saw some thing like 16K for a set of headers? Ha- I can get a brand new 300XS for that (with a 4 year warranty).
- not many mods. Good thing or bad thing- but most of the time leaving things stock will leave you more time boating vs more time wrenching.
- 300XS's come with a 2 year warranty with 2 more years available, 300 Verados come 3 years with 2 more available (free upgrade to 5 years promotion going on right now). I'm not sure about the others but seems like that is more coverage than any inboards out there.
- fuel economy is great- my boat for example: 10GPH per motor @ 40MPH and 25 GPH per motor @ 70MPH
- Quiet. I love the rumble of some big blocks but being able to talk at idle and WOT, pulling up to the dock without rattling your teeth, etc. Some love it, some don't.
- RPM's- I love how my outboards spool up so fast
Center Console
- same guy that would never step on their boat with shoes will trounce all over yours with them on. They will go right from a rocky parking lot to walking all over your boat. Most CC's the sole is non-skid so you don't have to worry about them scratching the top deck paint and things like that but still adds wear and tear.
-In a go-fast cabin boat, most of the time people are confined to the cockpit. In a CC, they are all over the place- more people more places means more mess.
- docking is always fun. People have all this room to move around, so they do. My boat has a narrow beam so them moving means my boat is moving- not really what I want when trying to dock.
- wind- get ready for it. Wind noise is my biggest complaint but I'm sure some of the newer performance CC's are addressing that. I built my 32'6" Concept with a helm from a 36' Concept to try to block the wind more (Concepts idea which I liked and still do) but it didn't help much with the wind. Nor-Tech has a neat little wind gate roll up thing to help with the wind down low which is nice. When it's cold, it's colder on a CC. Take whatever temp and toss in a 40MPH wind chill with it is the best way to explain it. Not a gust, a constant 40MPH wind..
- Easy access to almost every thing. Rod holders fill the freeboard- take those off and now I have a 2' x 6' opening to fish whatever I want through the boat. My radar arch/bimini top? 20 screws and the whole panel drops out of the bottom of it to get to whatever is up there. On mine- remote lights, GPS antenna, Sat radio antenna, AM/FM radio antenna, VHF antenna. It's all easy to get to- fish it down the tube, through the rod holder thing in to the floor and then up under the helm where all my electronics stuff goes. Simple to fix/replace most things that have the best chance of having an issue.
- spot lights on the top of my arch are real nice. I hardly ever run at night, but when I have had to- they are sweet! Yes, some go fast boats have them built in but it's just not the same as having remote controled 360 degree rotating lights 4 feet above your head. Lot more usable light where you need it IMHO
- floor compartments have a ton of storage but no matter what kind of seal you have, every one I've ever seen gets water in them. Yes, they drain and so on but every thing gets wet still. I keep cheapy life vests in one of my floor compartments as a just in case type thing for the Coast Guard. I end up having to pressure wash them a few times a year to keep them from getting moldy. Anyway- floor compartments are great but if you boat isn't under a cover or inside, they are going to get wet
- Beams- the wider the better. Balances the weight or people moving side-to-side better. If I'm running with 5 people and 3 want to be around me, down goes the tab to keep me level. Then one bounces over to say some thing to some one on the other side of the boat, off goes the balance so I tab back level, then they are back where they are so back off the trim some, etc. Not quite like if every one is kind of planted when running like a go fast boat. I went with Concept for the build quality and the narrow beam looked sportier as well as trailerable but seeing I keep my boat on the lift more often than not; I'd go wider next time.
- Seating- most bow seats are too windy and/or too bouncy, most rear seats feel too far away from the action and/or are windy so every one wants to stand around the helm. That's cool- but most boats only have room for 2. So now I have someone behind me trying to talk to me, so I lean back to hear them, then the person to my right will try to talk, then the person on my left and so on. Loud stereo helps here- shuts them up. CC layouts are great for hanging out, not so much when running. Yes, some have some cool setups (Alec's Nor-Tech comes to mind) but tossing out my own experiences.
- fairly cheap to keep updated and clean looking. Sort of a timeless style I guess, IMHO. After 10 years, slap in new upholstery, few new gauges and electronics and it will look brand new. I'm not so sure it is that easy with "go fast" boats. I could be wrong but older go-fast boats updated still look older to me, CC's have been about the same design forever.
- cover. Get a good one and it is still going to be a pain to put on. Support poles, water catching to form a "W" with the pole being the middle point in the W and the hull sides being the top edges of the W if that make sense. Sucks in the rainy season (I keep my boat covered on my lift).
-my next go around I'd do a flushable head vs the portable thing. I never use it but would if I had a flushable one. Just easier and I added it to my current boat at first but then deleted to get rid of the extra dead weight.
I'm sure I'll think of more and sorry if this was not very organized.
My last 3 boats- 1 was an open bow and then 2 CC's and my next boat will most likely be a CC as well. It's sooooooo nice that there are more and more options for "Performance CC's" out there!!
These were my main gripes and the main reason I got back into a performance boat. Mark you said this stuff much more eloquently then I did in my post. I don't want to knock center consoles (I would probably buy another one at some point), but if you are looking for something easier to clean this is not always the case. Every compartment that gets water in it you will find yourself cleaning (if you are anal like me) and climbing in and out of fish boxes is not much better than the bilge. Everyone always gets excited about all the space, they don't realize everyone will gather around the helm. At least this was always the case on my trips. This only becomes a problem in rough water as all of these people were constantly bouncing into me!! There is just nowhere to put people once the water gets rough. Also, as a test sit up on the bow for a while in even 2-3' and also sit on the rear bench in the same water. I am willing to bet you will not enjoy it too much, in anything not setup like the Nortech, cig, etc.
Like I said they are a great boats to shoot around the bay and head to lunch on, but not something I would want to run up and down the coast. This comes from someone that ran a center console in the Atlantic ocean off NJ for close to 100 hours during the last 3 summers. If you could I would build a center console with a 3 man bolster at the helm with grab handles just behind the bolster for a guy to stand behind the bolster and to hold the handle on the bolster and the side of the boat put another handle. This would allow 5 guys to "comfortable" be near the helm.
Outboard motors are the big plus to a CC in my eyes, and the reason why I would want to own an outboard performance boat! They just love to run, even my 250 yamaha 4 strokes took everything I threw at them, and a good amount of time at WOT. Keep us posted, and if I can be of any help just let me know. Just please remember to ride on the boat in water other then glass, because in glass you will fall in love, but in 3-5's you will wish for something else. Again this was my experience with a 30' cc, so this probably doesn't apply to a 35' or 38' cc.
You can rationalize it all the way down to a sailboat that never gets untied, if you try hard enough.
The CC's are a fun toy. And they can run well and be a good time. But (purely my own opinion) offshore for me is the roar of a pair of blower motors and hanging on for dear life in water that is something other than mirror-flat.
The CC's are a fun toy. And they can run well and be a good time. But (purely my own opinion) offshore for me is the roar of a pair of blower motors and hanging on for dear life in water that is something other than mirror-flat.
wananewboat
New member
PromoProducts-BP
New member
The Intrepid 323 is a true battle wagon out in the ocean! It's not up to your desired speeds, but it really quick with twin 300s. There are a few 30' Intrepids out there with twin 350s that will run 70mph... They're expensive though.
BillR
Charter Member
Top Fish is too big and heavy. If I go this route, I want something a bit smaller (so I don't have to use 2 1/2 bays in the boatel - they put the TG in at an angle because it is too long to fit normal) and something that is easy to care for.
The TG is still mine, but I have an opportunity to sell it for top dollar. Just still not 100% sure that is what I want to do.
Lots of good info on this thread. Some of the pro's / con's presented never occurred to me, and has me now re-thinking the idea.
Keep the pro's / cons' coming. They help and I appreciate them.
BillR
Charter Member
Too big! I do like his 32 though!
MarylandMark
Charter Member
Yep! For me, I go boating 3-4 times a week but only do 3-4 poker runs a year so got a boat that fits what I do most the best. I'd love to have 4-5 boats to fit each mood- poker runner, sand bar boat, cruiser/entertaining boat, super fast boat and a pontoon boat. One day....
Good. I'll try to think of some more stuff as well. For me, the trade offs of a CC are better to deal with than the trade offs of a "go fast" boat but wanted you to know more about what you were getting in to that you may not have thought of. I'll brain storm again to think of more stuff- not boating season so kind of hard to think of all the stuff.
Allstar Marine
New member
Performance Center Console
BILL,
As everyone has stated I would highly recommend test ridding a number of boats before making your decision. Maryland Mark gave a great analysis of center console pros and cons. I would be glad to demo a new Latitude 35SS to you. Our boats can be built to order as per you specs. Power packages can be provide from Mercury, Yamaha, or Evinrude. The interior can be taylored to your needs utilizing vinyl, ultra suede, or carbon fiber. Latitude Powerboats are vacuum bagged and bonded around the entire perimeter of the boat. This is really apparent during a demo ride. Graphics can be added from mild to wild. Basically the only limitation is your imagination. The speed with twins will be right at 70MPH. Do yourself a favor do your demo rides in the rough that is where our boats perform their best. We build all of our boats with trim tabs although they are nearly never used except to distribute passenger loading. If you are in the market for a used boat I would highly recommend the Powerplay 33 which is the same platform as the Latitude. I have never met a disappointed Powerplay owner. If interested in a demo PM me or send me an e-mail. Performance oriented boaters like yourself are the reason ALLSTAR Marine took on the Latitude line. We discovered a market of performance boaters that had a change in their boating needs as well as were searching for an economic relief in fuel and maintenance costs and we believe we found the solution in Latitude Powerboats. Good luck in your search.
Fred Brady
ALLSTAR Marine - Latitude Sales
allstarlatitudesales@verizon.net
BILL,
As everyone has stated I would highly recommend test ridding a number of boats before making your decision. Maryland Mark gave a great analysis of center console pros and cons. I would be glad to demo a new Latitude 35SS to you. Our boats can be built to order as per you specs. Power packages can be provide from Mercury, Yamaha, or Evinrude. The interior can be taylored to your needs utilizing vinyl, ultra suede, or carbon fiber. Latitude Powerboats are vacuum bagged and bonded around the entire perimeter of the boat. This is really apparent during a demo ride. Graphics can be added from mild to wild. Basically the only limitation is your imagination. The speed with twins will be right at 70MPH. Do yourself a favor do your demo rides in the rough that is where our boats perform their best. We build all of our boats with trim tabs although they are nearly never used except to distribute passenger loading. If you are in the market for a used boat I would highly recommend the Powerplay 33 which is the same platform as the Latitude. I have never met a disappointed Powerplay owner. If interested in a demo PM me or send me an e-mail. Performance oriented boaters like yourself are the reason ALLSTAR Marine took on the Latitude line. We discovered a market of performance boaters that had a change in their boating needs as well as were searching for an economic relief in fuel and maintenance costs and we believe we found the solution in Latitude Powerboats. Good luck in your search.
Fred Brady
ALLSTAR Marine - Latitude Sales
allstarlatitudesales@verizon.net
Salesmanship
Sponsor
"If you could I would build a center console with a 3 man bolster at the helm with grab handles just behind the bolster for a guy to stand behind the bolster and to hold the handle on the bolster and the side of the boat put another handle. This would allow 5 guys to "comfortable" be near the helm."
That is a great idea!
I wonder who makes something like that?
That is a great idea!
I wonder who makes something like that?
Attachments
MarylandMark
Charter Member
Um....is that dude in pic 3 wearing capris?
Salesmanship
Sponsor
Norwegian.
Better than the dude in the micro shorts in pic 2!
Better than the dude in the micro shorts in pic 2!
One other pro/con it depends how you view it, is the fact that CC's are a lot quieter than performance boats people will feel the need to TALK! On any go-fast boat I would never think of having a conversation, but on my CC anyway everyone wants to ask questions and chat. Which in turn leads to more people around the helm. Like I said before I just went the opposite way CC to Top Gun. If you want to wait until the end of September I'll let you know whether I still think I made a smart move
.JupiterSunsation
New member
Bill
What if you just switched to a smaller go fast boat? 32 Sunsation, 33 Active Thunder etc. Even with 496's (non-HO's) they will still tag 75+.... Production boats like Sunsation you can still buy leftover 08's/09's from dealer stock. AT's you can build new pretty reasonably.
I would rather have a smaller go fast than a bigger CC any day! I just don't love CC's. I was at a waterfront bar a couple weekends ago and all the triple powered CC's were pulling into the fuel dock. I told my buddy I would rather have that (glancing at a Hinckley 36 Picnic boat) than any of those big CC's. The Hinckley is a classy day boat and since I don't fish (or care to) I wouldn't have to worry about blood/guts on the deck!
Plus with the 18 inch draft the Hinckley can go places the bigger CC's can't!
What if you just switched to a smaller go fast boat? 32 Sunsation, 33 Active Thunder etc. Even with 496's (non-HO's) they will still tag 75+.... Production boats like Sunsation you can still buy leftover 08's/09's from dealer stock. AT's you can build new pretty reasonably.
I would rather have a smaller go fast than a bigger CC any day! I just don't love CC's. I was at a waterfront bar a couple weekends ago and all the triple powered CC's were pulling into the fuel dock. I told my buddy I would rather have that (glancing at a Hinckley 36 Picnic boat) than any of those big CC's. The Hinckley is a classy day boat and since I don't fish (or care to) I wouldn't have to worry about blood/guts on the deck!
Plus with the 18 inch draft the Hinckley can go places the bigger CC's can't!
animalhouse
New member
Yellowfin 34 or 36. Stepped Bottom, composite construction and fast.
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