What kind of boat is the equivalent to a Honda Civic or Accord.. you know ...reliable, runs forever, low maint

Question

Looking to purchase a midsize boat 20-28 feet, but dont want a lot of headache. I want a super reliable, low maintenance, moderate fuel usage boad that is mvery usable for a family of 5 - mixed use...fishing, tubing, etc. Any suggestions on a make/model?

Answer 1

i would look at the 20 wellcraft steplift they dont make them anymore as you can tell by my name i love that hull design  as for the engine thats the problem area   honestly there all good today but i would stay away from force engines and since your a honda fan  honda makes a engine that is based on the car engine   you didnt say are you looking for a new or used boat a used one usually comes with a engine a new one you can pick out the engine you want   if you post more info we would be glad to help you

Answer 2

The boats are usually made in the US. The engine is separate. I had a Yamaha outboard  for a few years with zero problems, the way it was made always reminded me of a Toyota engine.

Nice info JTexas.

The boat itself is the hardest one to answer.Will you be towing it ?  Bigger boat =  bigger tow vehicle = more gas to tow and run it. If you have it in a slip or dry dock it you will be paying a LOT more for gas than at the pump. I would lean towards a fishing boat that you can use for tubing, usually easier to clean. I always felt we needed two boats. If you live in North Florida and you need some ballast call me :)

Answer 3

here's the thing..."moderate fuel usage" just doesn't exist especially for a boat of that size.  Boat engines are always under heavy load, pushing water out of the way and/or lifting the hull and holding it out of the water at planing speeds.  The car analogy is, heavily loaded, going uphill 100% of the time, always in low gear, never coasting along in overdrive.

my opinion, the most reliable, low-mtx boat engines are the evinrude e-tech outboards -- but merc & yammy make great engines too.  You'll need a big 'un.

as far as boat mtx goes, you really have to stay on top of things, and fix little things as they break, or else you'll really end up with major headaches.  Boats operate in a harsh environment, lots of shock & vibration, lots of moisture, and lots of sitting around idle which is hard on any kind of machinery.

but don't let me discourage you, nothing better than spending some quality time on the water, esp. with the family.  Don't forget the dog, dogs love boats as much as people do if not more!

Answer 4

You don't say where you plan to use this boat... but I am going to assume - it is not on the ocean... that you are in fact going to use it on an inland lake - and not any of the Great Lakes.  If this is the case:

I recommend a pontoon boat...  I know you probably won't like my answer... but, for the money, least amount of hassle, easy to have engine repaired or maintained... it is a fact - you can't beat it.

Today, with the price of fuel being what it is (and it is $1 more per gallon on the water then it is on the street).

And the fact that you... with a family of 5...

I strongly suggest a pontoon boat.  Here is why:

1. for their size, they can still be trailered.

2. they are comfortable and roomy - also fun!

3. you can fish, tube, even BBQ on board, etc.

and with minimum sized outboard, you can have fuel economy as well as a lot less hassles with maintenance, etc.

I know, it's not s**y... but you and your family will have the time of your lives... (and by the way - the Coast guard says they are the safest - they are involved with fewer on the water accidents then any other type powered vessel on the water.

Furthermore - I would look for a good deal on a used one in the 28 foot and up range if you can find a good deal on it - mainly because the longer pontoons hold a very-much better resale... an old undamaged pontoon (one tube alone) in the length of 28' and up easily get $4,000 each on the used market - whereas an older used 20 foot pontoon boat may not get $4,000 total even if the entire boat and motor is in good order.  There is a high market for these used pontoons, as people try to buy them and build new decks, and even small houseboats on them... there is one guy at my marina that built a beautiful 80' houseboat using 6 pontoon tubes he bought on the used market...  

Oh... thats a good idea too... get a houseboat... or better yet, build your self one!

Happy & Safe Boating!

http://boatwrights.org/

Answer 5

Buy a Grady White, they are the best boats in the ocean.