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I'm (not) on a boat!

Dave G

New member
I grew up boating. I can't fathom the hours I've spent on (or behind) countless boats in my life. My parents had a 16' WellCraft my entire life that my dad was able to justify engine swaps as I got older/heavier - the original 85hp Merc and then the 115 Tower of Power and finally a 140hp Evinrude. I've barefooted behind a first generation WaveRunner as well as a 28' Carver Riviera - both were successful experiments.

Over the years, my dad worked for a boat dealer and he and the owner were (still are) good friends. At the time (1980s-1990s) they were a Checkmate dealer so Checkmates were pretty common around the area. The faster boats were always Checkmates or Bajas (or bass boats :poke: ). I spent a few summers working at the dealership detailing boats and the 'Mates always got a little extra attention :)

Fast forward 20 years and I don't have a boat. I'm going through a bit of a midlife crisis and realizing I'm not getting any younger. I know I'll never ski as well as I did when I was 20, however that doesn't mean I can't try. But, the longer I wait, the harder it is going to be.

The plan was to wait until we moved somewhere warmer. The midwest boating season is too short. As most of you know, the "normal" boating season is Memorial Day through Labor Day. We're hoping to move within the next few years, but then there is a new house and the costs associated with buying a new house so I'm trying to move the boat up on the priority list. :)

I originally wanted a competition ski boat, but the reality is they ride like cr@p and aren't all that practical. If I can't ski behind it, it has to be fast :) This weekend we had the "What's important to you in a boat?" discussion.

Fast'ish (for me 65+)
Sunpad
Head of sorts (nature calls)
Must be able to ski behind it (one could argue you can ski behind anything)
Must feel safe at speed - I never got a response to "what's too fast?" :bigthumb:
It can't be teal, purple or pink. I prefer classic colors.
$30K is the high end of the budget.

I was originally trying to keep it under $20K, but the head and "safe at speed" requirement added to the size/cost of the boat. I keep coming back to the Convincor. My other choice, which is slightly less common, is the Fountain 24CS or maybe a 27 Fever. I don't know that I've seen a porta-potty in a 24CS though.

Anyway, I've been lurking around here for the last couple of years and figured I should finally register and say hi :cheers: This was a much longer intro post than I intended.
 
Hello Dave. Checkmate would be the logical choice, in my opinion, although I might object to the 'no pink' stipulation. As far as Fountain goes, see 'Seven person boat wreck' to see how they handle.
 
Welcome Dave G. You have a lot of criteria but that not a bad thing. I had two: Fast and look good. :D

I'm by no means an expert here but it kinda sounds to me that an Enforcer could fit your criteria and you could have a bunch of change left over. Again, I'm not an expert on all these hulls but I thought I read that the Enforcer hull had a little less bounce than the Persuader. I'm not sure how big the water is where you boat but I found my 21' Pulsare to handle all the lakes I've been in pretty well. I currently have a 25' Convincor and its a beast.

Another option for some rougher water is the 220 Convincor or the 240 ZT. These are all closed deck hulls with a spot below for a pot. I hope this helps.
 
Adding the Enforcer to the list...thanks!

I'm in the Chicago area, but I don't intend to take the boat on Lake Michigan. It's a bit unpredictable and I've never navigated water of that size. Most of my time would be spent on the Illinois River.
 
Adding the Enforcer to the list...thanks!

I'm in the Chicago area, but I don't intend to take the boat on Lake Michigan. It's a bit unpredictable and I've never navigated water of that size. Most of my time would be spent on the Illinois River.

Lake Michigan can def be an unpredictable force but if caution is used can also be a very nice body of water for an afternoon! I have had both my 23' Enforcer and my 21' Pulse out on it and ran from Hammond harbor to Chicago area and back a few times. I have also made the 2 hour drive up and put the boat in to get just out of the marina harbor and turn back in and put the boat back on the trailer...
 
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