Where are the cuddy cabins?

Chip S

Chip S

Active Member
Jun 17, 2019
432
Bordentown, NJ
Boat Info
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter
Engines
2023 Mercury 150 hp Four Stroke Outboard
Does anyone make a cuddy cabin anymore? We're starting to look for a new boat but can't find anything that meets our requirements. This is what we want:

22 foot to 24 foot cuddy cabin
full size head with holding tank (not porta potti)
Mercury outboard
seating for 6

20 years ago we would have had at least 10 boats to chose from. Now we can't find anything to spend our money on. Does anyone have any suggestions?
 
Are you looking for overnight capability? I ask because many/most of the newer bow riders have rather nice heads even without the cuddy. The Sea Ray SLX/STX boats are slick...
 
Chip, you probably won’t find a vacu flush with holding tank on that size. So let me ask why want. I have always had a pottie with macerator. All the problems with vacu flush toilets here and from friends, no way. Keep it simple. Nothing will ruin a holiday weekend faster than a full sh!t tank or a toilet that wont flush. I dont have those problems.
 
We been saying the same, where are the 25 - 30’ cabin cruisers? We raised or kids living on boats every weekend. Its either bowriders with outboards or yachts. So i was asking a dealer guy sitting at a tiki bar one day. He said, young people dont want that style boat, they dont want to overnight. And the bowriders allow 10 friends on a 25’. Our boats are long gone.
Thats why i own a 30yo boat.
 
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I'm on a smaller dock with mostly day boats and I know secretly when they pass by while I'm chillin with a fresh cup in hand they wish they bought a boat with a cabin.
 
Stee6043 said:
Are you looking for overnight capability? I ask because many/most of the newer bow riders have rather nice heads even without the cuddy. The Sea Ray SLX/STX boats are slick...
Click to expand...

We usually use our boat as a day boat but need to overnight once or twice each season. That's why a cuddy is perfect for us. Switching to a bow rider would eliminate some of the trips we are currently taking.
 
Chip S said:
We usually use our boat as a day boat but need to overnight once or twice each season. That's why a cuddy is perfect for us. Switching to a bow rider would eliminate some of the trips we are currently taking.
Click to expand...
I had a bowrider once, once. It didn’t last long, hated everything about it, never again. I’d rather call it a day than own another. Might be fine on a Tennessee lake. Not on the Chesapeake.
 
Chip S said:
We usually use our boat as a day boat but need to overnight once or twice each season. That's why a cuddy is perfect for us. Switching to a bow rider would eliminate some of the trips we are currently taking.
Click to expand...

Whelp I did a quick search for cuddy's on Boat Trader and found 84 listings for 2010 and newer 20-25' boats. I think one thing you might be struggling with is the need/want for outboard power in a cuddy...

Why not get into a Sundancer with sterndrives? It'll check most of your boxes, sans outboard power.

Beauty of a Sundancer 240:
https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2011-sea-ray-240-sundancer-7932945/

Slick Beneteau, OB powered:
https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2022-beneteau-america-flyer-9-sundeck-7853267/
 
Ya, outboard in a cuddy is the issue. Cant say i saw them even a while ago, but Chip looking for new boats and asking why cant find that combination new. I think (my opinion) is the cuddy mostly stored pfd, anchors, coolers. So now they figured a way to fit a shitter under the dash for the girls, 5 people in the bow and everyone happy.
 
Stee6043 said:
Why not get into a Sundancer with sterndrives? It'll check most of your boxes, sans outboard power.
Click to expand...

I had a sterndrive for 14 years. Never again. Too much maintenance for my old body. Only outboards for me now.

As Pirate Lady said, I'm looking for a new boat. I already have a used boat, no need to buy another one. :)

The Beneteau is a possibility, but they are built really cheap. Aluminum bow rail, aluminum cleats, etc. It's hard for me to spend new boat money on something built like that.

I really like my current boat, but something a little bigger and new would be nice. My wife says I can buy a new boat as long as it has a cuddy cabin. The bow riders with the console head compartment aren't good enough.
 
I’m in the same boat :rolleyes:

I’m in salt w open water needs 25% time and prefer safety of closed bow (cuddy cabin) but the heat in Florida...nobody is sleeping in an overnighter without ac.

The reason I want the cuddy is that it rains every afternoon during summer.

Heading back to Miami from Key Largo I had to go through a monsoon. Couldn’t see past the bow. I had to ditch into the first mangrove I could find and tie up to a branch.

It got dark, cold, windy and wet.
My wife slept through the storm
as I watched folks in all those center consoles w their little t-tops get hammered.

Nope. Not gonna go through that.

Id love to find a 80’s vintage 240 cuddy cabin like I had through that storm (not Weekender) but haven’t seen any water ready.
 
The only new OB boat that comes to mind would be something like the Regal 26XO

Is anyone making new boats and marketing them as "cuddy cabin" anymore?
 
Ranger Tug's smallest boat (23) has everything on your list except it's a Yamaha OB.
 
After i sold my immaculate perfect condition low hour with A/C 7.4 Bravo 1 268 Dancer, 10 years ago. (Fkn dummy) and got out of boating for 10 years, i really wanted 23 Trophy walk around, hardtop, no canvas, outboard, rake the leaves out, no maintenance boat. Wife said Sundancer, proper cabin, head, fridge, beds, or nothing. Guess what i got?
 
Pirate Lady said:
After i sold my immaculate perfect condition low hour with A/C 7.4 Bravo 1 268 Dancer, 10 years ago. (Fkn dummy) and got out of boating for 10 years, i really wanted 23 Trophy walk around, hardtop, no canvas, outboard, rake the leaves out, no maintenance boat. Wife said Sundancer, proper cabin, head, fridge, beds, or nothing. Guess what i got?
Click to expand...
A happy wife, I hope.
 
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