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What do you think about Stingray boats?!

Needafunboat

Needafunboat

Active member
So I've been looking for a little bigger boat since we got the bigger truck. A 234 persuader was my first choice, but I stumbled on one of the (very) few other boats that would work for me. A 23' stingray bow rider with a 454 mag in it. It needs a few little things, but overall the price is right, is in good condition and I think it's a great hull / motor combo.

Major con is that it looks too normal. The 2 check's I own(ed)drew comments and looks from everyone - and for good reason. This stingray has only a slightly racier profile than the typical me-too boat. I've always been a function over form person though so this isn't too big of a deal. It's nice looking, but not special looking like almost all checks are.

The pro is that it should fit what we do just right. Big enough to be comfortable on the biggest inland lakes and even play in some bays, small enough to tow pretty well behind the truck. Nice and deep, lots of storage. Of course the only reason it's on the list is because it has a good hull design and is a well made boat. It also actually has through-prop exhaust, which was a must-have for me. Silent choice would be fine too, but for watersports with young kids, a through hull just wouldn't work.

So I'll have a bunch of I/O questions in the near future. If it works out, I'll be selling the starliner in the spring / summer - but I'll still linger around here if you guys will tolerate me!

It's not a done deal yet so if someone has a 234, let me know quick!
 
I've been looking at Stingray boats myself for several years. I feel like you do, they're decent go-fast boats but most of them are about as plain looking as you can get! I think they're the closest family style hull to a checkmate for speed given the same motor. Not quite as fast, but fairly close.

If you can get it cheap enough, maybe put a 'wrap' on it with some good graphics to make it look better!
 
i like the stingrays, cooler is in the floor!! how cool is that!!
seriously though, what are you looking at, i have been keeping my eyes peeled for one, gotta sell mine first though. depending on the age of the boat......
anyway the 23 with 385/454 will run pretty well. i think in the low to mid 60s for sure! one thing i want is silent choice, im with you on the kid thing, im in the same place, but on the other hand with a boat looking so plain, the good exhaust sound will help with that!!
my .02

PM me with what youve been looking at, id be interested in getting some of your opinions as im in the same boat!! hahaha
 
Great Idea JW - I hadn't thought of a wrap. I was thinking maybe some nice vinyl graphics OR maybe a nice gel coat stripe -- I know a guy who does great gel coat work cheap (Kary!).

Good to hear you guys approve of those boats. I almost got a 195LX before I got the 'liner.
 
I love Stingray boats and believe me they can take it with the best of them!!!
This old boy you are looking at here run 95 on gps I had all to do to pass him with my Venom Pictured in the back round 600 big ones out of a small block mota with an alpha drive!!!!
Believe me guys when he pulled up to the launch ramp I chuckeled a little. When he started the boat the cops came because of the thunder made my 280 sound like a blender. They were about to write him up but his friend was a badge also SO THEY LET HIM SLIDE BUT TOLD HIM TO GET OUT OF THERE FAST. So I Look around the boat and see an alpha drive and I figure --well another guy with a car mota who thinks he can run -- And the dude is every bit of 300lbs. So I figure to myself ahhh maybe 70!!!
Well -- As they say "Good night Irene" -- In the morning me and a Skater could barley pas him and I was at 102 on my gps by the afternoon when the squirts where all parked at the beach, THIS GUY IN HIS OLD STINGRAY was spanking every big boy out there -- Yeap the boat is a good one and sharp too. As far as the Bow rider -- I dont know but Stingray sure can take it.

358a14y.jpg
 
i know my brother 22 like the triple digit on had a procharged 502 and ran in the 80s, 84 i think. that was probably 575-600hp (guesstimate).
they have good bottoms for speed.
theres a twin turbo silver one thats been for sale lately too, i guess he claims great speeds too.

but.........open bow it is. i cant wait to have a plain jane bowrider thatll scoot right past all those outlaws out there!!
 
Hold out for a Checkmate whats the big hurry. :confused: Sounds to me you are trying to
talk yourself into the plain looks.
 
Big Red, you're 100% right. The plain looks of the stingray (and about 90% of the other boats out there) don't do much for me. But I need a little tamer ride and a BR. My starliner gets rough in 2' chop and we love going to torch and some of the other big lakes where that's usually what you get. (ask ross). Too rough with the kids onboard. I'll probably pop an ugly wakeboard tower on it and I just couldn't do that on a checkmate. I'm after function here. And the stingray is very nice looking and a little racy with the wrapped windshield. Just plain colors.

So there are only a few BR's in the 21-24' range that I like. I'd buy a 234 with silent choice for sure, but the lower windshield and gunwale are not big selling points for me. The fact that it's a checkmate is a big selling point. This stingray boat weighs about 400 lbs more and I think has more freeboard too. So I'm giving up top speed but heck - I always have a 3 and a 5 yr old on the boat so my stop seed runs are far and few between. A 60 - 65 mph BR that has some torque and makes a nice wake board wake suits us just fine for now. Who knows what will happen in a few years.

Then there's price, BB BR's in that size range aren't cheap - and this one is in my range. I know the guy up the road (literally 2 turns from my house) will put his really nice white/pink/turquoise 234 up for sale in the spring for $17K again, but that's too much, even it it had colors I liked more.

Boat'n - I'll sell the starliner. But I want to go out on the stingray and tow it a bit before I let the checkmate go. I really hate to sell it, but 2 boats make absolutely no sense for us. If windy huge inland lakes aren't a concern - it's an absolutely perfect boat. It would be great on the rivers around Pitts where I grew up boating. There's usually quite a buyer frenzy in MI in May - June. Yes, even in this economy. I'll probably put it on the market then and try not to take too much of a loss on her.
 
To tell you the truth that 23 foot slingray wont be much better in 2 foot of chop. I would not rush anything boats are cheap now and the selection is big
 
Big Red said:
To tell you the truth that 23 foot slingray wont be much better in 2 foot of chop. I would not rush anything boats are cheap now and the selection is big
Click to expand...

:offtopic:off topic here, I know you aren't looking for a pontoon but I have had my 22' pontoon out in 4 or 5 foot waves with my two year old and 8 month old and you could barely tell that it was rough, that was part of the reason we decided to get the pontoon was for the kids and the mate for pulling tubes, skiers etc. I know that's probably not feasible for allot of people if you are trailering it all the time but for us their parked infront of the cabin and we just hop in the one best suited for what we're doing that day. If I didn't have the cabin I would probably just have a performance tri-toon. You can still do all the water sports and they are great in the waves.
 
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Needafunboat said:
Boat'n - I'll sell the starliner. But I want to go out on the stingray and tow it a bit before I let the checkmate go. I really hate to sell it, but 2 boats make absolutely no sense for us. If windy huge inland lakes aren't a concern - it's an absolutely perfect boat. It would be great on the rivers around Pitts where I grew up boating. There's usually quite a buyer frenzy in MI in May - June. Yes, even in this economy. I'll probably put it on the market then and try not to take too much of a loss on her.
Click to expand...

Say what? A 21' bow rider with a 225 for sale soon? Send me some pix! :bigthumb:
 
Big Red said:
To tell you the truth that 23 foot slingray wont be much better in 2 foot of chop. I would not rush anything boats are cheap now and the selection is big
Click to expand...

Really?! My starliner is a 1400 lb hull with less than 600lbs of motor and a very flat bottom. That stingray is 3500 lbs total and has at least double the freeboard and far more of a V. I know stingray's aren't deep V boats, but this one is nothing like my starliner and is close to double the weight. The starliner is great on everything but the big big windy lakes - and we've been hitting those a bit lately.

I've been surfing craigs and the classifieds all winter for something like this. It's only the third boat I really liked and the only one I liked that I could afford. The pricing on this one definately reflects our economic situation. Worst case is if I don't like it, I'll sell in the summer and make a buck.

JW - I'm going to wait a little while to the starliner up for sale. I want to take few trips in the new boat. But I'll let you know before I do anything. I had these visions of getting top dollar during the high season, but I'd probably sleep better knowing she has a good home.

Nick - thanks for the compliment! I'll be out on St. Mary's in SOMETHING in late April. I'll let you know when / what.
 
Thanks Anthony, maybe we'll put something together. :thumb:
I planned on replacing my Pulse 170 with a performance tri-toon, but haven't had any luck finding anything for sale.
 
hotdaddy27 said:
Sorry JW but, :rof::rof::rof::rof:
Click to expand...

Glad you said it HD. I was thinking it!

Deal's off JW - my starliner's not competing for your attention with a pontoon! :poke:

BTW - Kary's putting a new carpet in the boat in a few weeks. I was going to do a rubber floor, but if I'm selling - a nice new carpet will do just fine. I thought you were in his neck of the woods - if so, go take a look at it. It's a bit dusty right now, but it cleans up great (buy a case of magic eraser's and that white interior is easy to keep clean).
 
My neighbor has a Manitou SHP performance tri-toon with an HO ETEC on the back. It's a 50 mph boat that doesn't need a boat lift and can hold 12 people in comfort when it's time to slow down. They're certified ski boats also. I can kill 3 birds with one stone if I get a perf tri-toon :surf:
 
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