Recommendations for (smaller) Sport Boat

[bushway9172]

Hello all,

I am actually just a high school student. Although, I am the Captain of LEGAL LIMIT nearly 100% of the time, the boat belongs to my parents :lol:. I have been boating since 10 years old, and currently have my Boaters' License. :thumbsup:

Anyway - We keep Legal Limit at a local marina, but we have a mooring as well (which we are not currently using). Technically, we should be using the mooring, so we may be looking into purchasing a smaller Sea Ray (in the sport boat range) to keep on the mooring. In Florida, we rented a 20 ft Sea Ray Sport - Great boat. Fun, fast, good for tubing/wakeboarding/whatever. I'm looking for some input on this boat, and any other recommendations in the size range. My parents are not looking to spend too much, and I am just looking for some ideas. Definitely looking at used boats, - probably years between 2004 and 2009(?). This idea is in the early stages, as we have a long winter ahead of us.

Although we primarily boat in ocean conditions, we are not looking for the ultimate sea-worthy boat. We would use the 270 most of the time, especially for family outings, but if I took friends out, the smaller boat would be easier to handle with friends that don't have boating experience, rather than trying to manage docking/anchoring/etc. the 270 by myself.

Just looking for ideas/thoughts/tips/recommendations.

Thanks in advance,
Brandon

 

[jmlloyd526]

Look into the 195sport. I have this boat with a V8 and it is a 50+ mph boat with 4 adults on board. We wakeboard, Ski, Fish, etc. from this boat and absolutely love it. It is the perfect size to be trailered behind our SUV and big enough to do most anything you would need. Good Luck - J

 

[Mr Happy]

I'm thinking you might want to consider a bigger boat, possibly older for the same kind of money. There are a lot of good boats. Pick one that has had an "anal" owner. My boat is almost 20 years old and the seats all look like new.

Sounds like you will be going out in the ocean with your friends. My first boat was a 19 foot boat and we got beat up on an inland lake during the weekends. I could only imagine going out in the ocean when it would be glass.

Look for an older boat that has a deep V.

Good luck.

 

[bushway9172]

Great- Thanks for the response. What's the horsepower on yours? Another thing I'd like to know about is the difference between the 195 Sport and 205 Sport. Only because the conditions in our area can get pretty choppy pretty fast, in case we were out and about and the seas change, it's important to be able to safely return. Do you ever encounter ocean-like chop/waves (usually 1-3, sometimes 3-6 footers). In any case, I am aware that 3-6 footers would not be ideal for this boat, but am just looking for an idea of what these boats are capable of. I'm not sure exactly what model the boat we rented was (~2004/2005 195/205 Sport), but we weren't able to get a good grasp of how capable it was, since we were in Florida's (mostly protected) Intracoastal waterways going idle speed for the majority of the time.


Thanks again,
Brandon

 

[jmlloyd526]

The 195 and 205 are very similar and were the 2 that i was choosing between when i bought mine. One thing that sold me was the large swim platform on the back on the 195 that is not on the 205. With 3 kids, we spend a lot of time on the back of the boat while swimming and wakeboarding. I would bet that they both handle about the same since they are close to the same weight when equipped with the same engine. Concerning handling...that is a tough one. i have handled some 1-2 ft chop on busy lake days and on some larger lakes(25k acres+) and it wasn't too bad. As you know, the biggest factors are weather and the captain. I grew up in Florida and have been 40+ miles offshore in 20 footers and felt very safe and have been 1/2 mile off in a 30 footer and scared to death. Just be smart. Is a 20' sport boat capable of going offshore? Yes. Is it ideal? No. Good luck with your decision.

 

[bushway9172]

The 195 and 205 are very similar and were the 2 that i was choosing between when i bought mine. One thing that sold me was the large swim platform on the back on the 195 that is not on the 205. With 3 kids, we spend a lot of time on the back of the boat while swimming and wakeboarding. I would bet that they both handle about the same since they are close to the same weight when equipped with the same engine. Concerning handling...that is a tough one. i have handled some 1-2 ft chop on busy lake days and on some larger lakes(25k acres+) and it wasn't too bad. As you know, the biggest factors are weather and the captain. I grew up in Florida and have been 40+ miles offshore in 20 footers and felt very safe and have been 1/2 mile off in a 30 footer and scared to death. Just be smart. Is a 20' sport boat capable of going offshore? Yes. Is it ideal? No. Good luck with your decision.

Thank you! Looking more closely at online postings of 2006-2008 195 and 205.

Mr Happy, thanks for the suggestions, but we are pretty set on a newer boat ~20 feet, and we would not be using it all the time. Like I said, we already have the larger, more capable boat for family outings/longer trips. The Sport would be primarily for tooling around close to shore, tubing, out with friends.

Thanks again. I am still looking to see what's out there. Any more input is greatly appreciated. :thumbsup:

 

[195sport]

Ya know, I have a 195sport and am extremely happy with it. I do like the 205 however and if you compare the two there isn't a huge difference but there is some.

As you probably noticed online and as mentioned previous the 195 with the swim platform gives you lots of room back there....the 205 appears shorter but on the 205, the platform is actually part of the hull and not a bolt on. I don't know if you can add a bolt on to the 205 but if you did you'd have a good chunk of realestate back there.

The 205 has more seating options than the 195 and I think the 205 has a fold away bow ladder??

Engine options are the same for the bigger engines, for both w 4.3L or the 5.0L MPI or not.

Being a bit bigger, the 205 has more weight, but it is not much bigger.

They all have good hull design and 195 could stay out longer in less than perfect condtions than a few friends of mine than aren't sea ray owners.

I turned back once when conditions changed and made it confidently through 4-5 ft swells. It was not the most comfy ride but you wouldn't want to be out in that anyway as noone on board enjoys it.

So yeah, it will take conditions good as long as they aren't too rough,so you can make it in if things go to hell in a handbasket in a hurry.

 

[KayKook]

In Florida, considering your location and needs as well here is my suggestion, FWIW (not much) Outboard powered CC like a ProLine 20.

 

[rcknecht]

If I were you... I would want anything thats floats with a Honda Outboard... The four Stroke Honda's get great gas economy, good for kids without a lot of income. They also don't require much maintenance. I/O's are exposed to the salt water, outboards are kept our the water... I have a 190 deck boat which is a great boat... But it would be better if it came with a honda outboard...

 

[bushway9172]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

 

[jhild]

I’ll also suggest that you look at something with outboard power. That’s one of the primary reasons I sold my Sea Ray and bought my current boat. I just couldn’t stand the thought of all that running gear sitting in the saltwater all the time, especially on a mooring where you have no access to fresh water. Take a look at some of the dual console (DC) boats in the 18’-20’ range. Here’s a picture of my Whaler slipped in Falmouth this past summer. As you can see, my DC has a bowrider/deckboat layout. It’s just a lot more ocean/beach friendly than a similarly-sized sport boat. Just my two cents…

 

[Redhook98]

Pachanga anyone?????

 

[bushway9172]

I’ll also suggest that you look at something with outboard power. That’s one of the primary reasons I sold my Sea Ray and bought my current boat. I just couldn’t stand the thought of all that running gear sitting in the saltwater all the time, especially on a mooring where you have no access to fresh water. Take a look at some of the dual console (DC) boats in the 18’-20’ range. Here’s a picture of my Whaler slipped in Falmouth this past summer. As you can see, my DC has a bowrider/deckboat layout. It’s just a lot more ocean/beach friendly than a similarly-sized sport boat. Just my two cents…

Looks nice for sure. That's actually where we keep our 270 SLX. Not sure if we'll end up making a decision before the summer, whether or not to add a smaller boat to the fleet lol, but who knows?! :huh: