Advice: big multi-use boat, mostly for wakeboard'g

carlos 08-02-2004, 4:30 PM

I'm looking for boat for multiple uses on the Chesapeake Bay and would appreciate any advice. I'd guesstimate we'd use it:
60% for wakeboarding (novice - intermediate)
15% for waterskiing
25% for cruising to friends' houses on the Bay

The waterskiing (as unpopular as it may be here!) is needed because I'd like to take out my parents, who at 65 can still ski beautifully but are too old to risk some of the hard falls a beginning boarder gets. They introduced me to boating as a really young kid.

The cruising on the Bay would only be in relatively small seas, certainly nothing over 3 ft., but I want to get across that we're not using this boat on a small calm lake. For instance, the old ski nautique my neighbor has sits way too low in the water to be safe in even the smallest seas, so he's stuck in our little creek. And the more friends and family we can safely take out the better -- ideally we'd get 8+ people on without worrying about safety (both seating and handling).

For wakeboarding, we do have some nice flat water in our inlet, assuming our neighbors don't shoot us for our big wake! We don't need (or probably want at this point) a huge wake, though maybe in 5 or so years our kids might.

I don't think I'm interested in an enormous(i.e., 28ft+) boat, but I admittedly haven't tried one. I'm thinking more along the lines of a roomy 22-24 footer.

Price, while it always matters, isn't as important as really being able to do all three things (wb, ski, cruise) pretty successfully without completely comprising any of them.

Anyway, all this has me thinking about a Tige 24V. Thoughts or other suggestions? Thanks!

(Message edited by carlos on August 02, 2004)

(rock_n_boardin)

Tige 24V sounds like a good choice for what your needs are. Also 22V or 22I.

(krbaugh) · (krbaugh) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 08-02-2004, 4:46 PM

Lots of great choices. Tige that where already mentioned Centurion Enzo and Avalance, Malibu Sanger etc. Go to the web sites take a look. Find the dealers in your area and arrange a test ride of the boats that make your short list. I would recommend that you factor the dealer in to the equation a good dealer is a MUST!

(Message edited by krbaugh on August 02, 2004)

deltahoosier 08-02-2004, 5:52 PM

three foot seas seems to be awfully big for a tournament style ski boat. We got caught out in the delta once in two to three foot waves in Frank's Tract and I had to turn the boat away from the waves and still had spray coming over the side. I have a 21' Malibu VLX. Most of these boats have low noses. My Malibu seems to be not as low as some I have seen. The Tige's and the Centurion's seem to have a low nose. My old MB Sport had a very low nose. Most of the boats you are talking about are not made for rough water.

My 2.5 cents......

(krbaugh) · (krbaugh) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 08-02-2004, 6:05 PM

Cyclones Enzo's and Avalanches all V drives do not have low nose. Now the old DD Centurions where pretty low. Put a couple of people in the front of my 2002 Eclipse DD and you had to be on your toes or your toes where sooooon to get very wet

(Message edited by krbaugh on August 02, 2004)

(jnewcom) · (jnewcom) **Join Date: Mar 2003** 08-02-2004, 8:49 PM

the new X-80 would be awesome for you, but it'll put a BIG hole in your pocket

(dadthedriver) · (dadthedriver) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 08-02-2004, 9:10 PM

Tige 24V it will do what you need to do nicely

(justridin) · (justridin) **Join Date: Oct 2002** 08-02-2004, 9:16 PM

As mentioned above, drive the Tige 24v. Several good boats to choose from but at 4500 lbs and a trimable hull the 24v is in the top three best choices.

(512boarder) · (512boarder) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 08-02-2004, 10:12 PM

doesnt the 04 xstar bow sit comparitavly high in the water, being compared to other boats besides the x80

absolutofft 08-02-2004, 11:06 PM

the xstar bow sits high while getting on plane but that's about the only time :-)

carlos 08-03-2004, 7:23 AM

Thanks for the thoughts. Much appreciated.

(doch) · (doch) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 08-03-2004, 11:24 AM

you could get an i/o w/tower and perfect pass

ilovetrains 08-04-2004, 9:19 AM

I have been out on Chesapeake and frankly, cannot think of taking a tournament boat out there. An i/o may be the best choice, 24 ft i/os have much deeper hulls than 24 ft v or d drives. So far the deepest v-drive I have seen is the Malibu 25. It could do it. Next is the Nautique 226. We put one next to a Tige 24v at the dealer. The 226 was much deeper, while the 24 is longer. the degree of entry of the hull on the Tige is shallower, which I believe makes it more likely to take on water in those seas.

wakecord 08-04-2004, 9:27 AM

Rinker RX2:

TALL hull, lots of freeboard.

http://www.rinkerboat.com/xtreme.shtml