When does a fast boat....

[merc245]

I remember when I was out at Havasue many yrs ago U needed to run 125 mph to be considered a bigdog.Nowdays its a 150 mph.Boat tech is always evolving as is safety issues.What hasn't is the male psyche.

But enough of that,In my case I wish low eighties was possiable.But as it turned out.If I would of bought a boat capable of those speeds with the same mota 245hp(only the 260 was bigger at time of purchase).They would of been to light to run in my home waters at any high speeds.
So over the the yrs my driving style has come to match my equiment and conditions.
I've never been one for all out,smooth as glass speed runs: Boring(15 yrs with same 21p prop is my proof)My thrills come from LOCKING INTO a perfect hard a$$ 3-4 minute run across the top of a 1 1/2' chop.Running harder and faster across that stuff than any one else in a simalir boat is what I live for!!And thats only 60-65 mph most the time.

I was late in shooting this video this summer.The water had already laid down for the day(it stuck like mud). So the only DRIVING I had to do was when crossing other wakes at very relaxed angles

This was test video,but never made another last yr.will try again next yr.Most properly seen this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hl21mEwJAk

 

[Keytime]

thats a pretty broad statement there!!

are you refering to the drunk a$$ harleys guys, drivin from bar to bar??
or the sportbike guys doin 160 on the freeway?
or maybe even the 60 year retired guy on a goldwing just enjoyin his golden years???

thats like saying "boaters are dumb" because of the few dipchits out there..

I said nothing of that sort (your last statement). You came up with that on your own.
I've been riding bikes for years and I see lots of accidents where riders made some very poor decisions. Like boating, if you're skilled and ride/drive smart, your CHANCES of getting hurt are significantly reduced.
What I meant by "don't get me started on streetbikes" is that I could talk streetbike riding and safety all day long due to the inherent dangers and the steps I take to minimize them.

That's all.

 

[Mr. Buss]

I said nothing of that sort (your last statement). You came up with that on your own.
I've been riding bikes for years and I see lots of accidents where riders made some very poor decisions. Like boating, if you're skilled and ride/drive smart, your CHANCES of getting hurt are significantly reduced.
What I meant by "don't get me started on streetbikes" is that I could talk streetbike riding and safety all day long due to the inherent dangers and the steps I take to minimize them.

That's all.

well at least we are on the same page here, i guess i misinterpeted it!? my fault.

i hope you see it my way too, if you ride street you get tired of being stereotyped by the "kind of bike" you ride not the way you ride..

 

[Wide Open]

Chris, to answer your question of "as we push our boats further to their limits, does the risk become too high"? I think that's a matter of individual opinion, which is what we're getting in all of these posts. The risk is never too high, until something goes wrong. Remember what grandma always said when we were kids after somebody ran in the house crying with a banged up knee or a hickey on the arm from a thrown rock? I remember her phrase like it was yesterday......"It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt"! I think that's what we're dealing with on this topic.
In MOST situations, how many guys on here with HOT running boats can say that they are able to use the full performance potential of their boats ALL THE TIME....EVERY TIME THE BOAT GETS RUN? Probably not many if ANY! But you know what? It's still fun to use it when you can. And just as much fun to say you've got it! That's what makes this passtime/hobby/sport/lifestyle fun, enjoyable, relaxing, and addicting.

 

[Big Red]

 

[Kelly O]

I wrestle with this subject every season ! Boats,bikes,cars,sleds,atv's; that is why I like RC stuff. The big crash requires some repairs but no hospital visit.
This summer a guy wanted to trade a new Z06 for my ZT (still for sale). His wife was making him sell it, said he would kill himself driving reckless.

This would have been his first boat. I decided a 100mph boat would not be the best learning tool for this guy. Yes, I created the monster now feel responsible that it be used safely.


I did want the vette though !!!!!

 

[Old Hickory]

Interesting discussion and many of the comments are relevent to my situation. I have a wife and three small boys who can't wait for me to finish my Enforcer. If all goes well we will have her ready for next spring. The question I have been asking myself since I started this resto was some of the same questions posed on this thread. How much would be too much? Do I really want to risk the safety of my family and their well being due to my need for bragging rights on the water?

The answer is no. My Enforcer could potentially be a very fast boat; especially since I am rebuilding the transom so I can hang twins. my wife asked me several months ago.... How fast could this boat go? when I explained to her what the boats potential could be; she quickly informed me that if I expected her to ride in the boat; I had better consider the speed. She also reminded me that I would have three boys who would be teenagers soon enough; and knowing two of them; would be be all too happy to push the boat to it's limit. All these things I was contemplating, but it was nice to have her express her concerns as only a pretty wife can do

I believe there are limits; we have the choice to either impose them ourselves; or have them imposed on us with disasterous results. I personally don't want to be a recipient of the Darwin Award, thats for sure. In the ER we call it; God's way of thinning the herd.

Hick

 

[175checkmate]

How fast is to fast? Good question.
As said above. There is a major difference between having a boat that is capable of running right up to the edge, and running on the edge all the time. Common sense still plays a major role in this. Allot depends on how the boat is set up. For example. My trimate with the cleaver that was on it when I bought the boat, as well as the Michigan wheel I tried as the second prop made the boat the most ill handling monster I have ever drove. Almost to the point of selling the boat. I did not know any better at the time. Tried a bunch of props and found the laser to be the one for the boat. Now you can drive with one hand. There is a time and place for finding the top end number.
Same goes for the ZX14 I bought. One of the fastest bikes on the planet. Already modded for more HP ( I can't leave things alone). Capable of running 9's in the quarter mile. Top end of 187 and will get there in under a mile. Do I ride it like that. Nope, common sense kicks in.

 

[smallblockford]

it all depends for me it was 112 mph stv, it is to fast and you gotta watch out in my lakes there is a small designated speed area that everyone is in and it goes in a specified direction. it is simply to fast for the area you gotta watch you dont run someone down on a jet ski when they zig and zag and dont look behind them, every other boat on this lake is 80 or down, so no one is lookin for a 100mph boat to come up there back door and there isnt a lot of room.

to fast also depends on the hull. i have had more fun in various checkmates than i did in this stv. some of my freinds absolutly will not even sit in this boat, were i have had no problems scaring the crap out of the same freinds in other checkmates and yes they come back for more in those boats. and in return it is fun for me.

 

[check253]

We all make choices about how fast we're going to try to go. Regardless of the speed, there are some things that should be considered. I feel that wearing a kill switch should be like putting on a seatbeat i a car. A good friend was hurt some years ago when he hit a wave he wasn't expecting and was thrown across the boat. He was only going about 55-60mph. Getting hurt in a boat is something that can happen at moderate speeds. If I am going to go fast in my boat, I wear a lifeline jacket. I am also going to insist on passengers wearing one if they expect me to take them over 75-80mph.

 

[JY]

You can watch disaster unfold by doing searches on a fella named "kook" that was on the OSO board at one time. I think it was a 28 footer that couldn't handle the big power he put in it. You can go back and watch the engine build up, the subsequent chine-walking and control problems, then the accident shortly thereafter that left a close friend in a coma. The story crosses my mind whenever I get others in the boat - doing 75 alone ina small boat is one thing, but risking the lives of others in a effort to impress ain't ever gonna work. The link below is after the accident.




http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/general-boating-discussion/28866-kook-flipped-boat.html

 

[bigsbetter]

I haven't read any of the post, just the firs couple sentences of the first posters post. When will a fast boat be too fast? ....My answer will allways be...When the person driving it doesn't know what he's doing at that speed! I've got a buddy who's new to boating and has a 52 mph VIP. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARED IN MY LIFE RIDING WITH HIM!!!! Because I've heard stories about him (From his wife) about what he does while driving and stuff. He just does not have any knoledge about boats. It's amazing how unsafe he makes you feel, you could never imagine unless you were there. I drove his boat one day with me and him and our 2 wives, and his wife told me how safe she felt when I was driving! She was so relaxed and for the first time all year was able to enjoy a boat ride!

 

[Jamey]

It's funny you mention the difference in the last three decades Chris. My uncle bought my 1980 Entertainer I/O brand new when I was 9 years old. It would run somewhere between 60 and 70 mph (no GPS back then) and there was nothing on the lake that looked like it or could hang with it. Now that I have it fully restored, there is still nothing out there that will turn more heads, but 60 mph is probably average for todays boats. It's fast enough for me though ... it's kind of like having a vintage Vette. It won't perform with the newer models, but that doesn't really matter when you pull up next to someone in a $70k Fountain and here a guy's wife say "I wish we had found a boat like that one!"

 

[jonnyspeed]

The truth is that speed is relative. 50 mph in a small boat in say a 13 or 14 footer seems fast, but in a 38' Skater you would barely be on plane and would be pretty dull. The fastest offshore boats are running 175+ with some cats cracking 200. Relatively speaking, the faster you go the bigger and more specialized (design wise) your boat will need to be to be safe.

Put it this way... any redneck with money can put a huge engine on a lightweight hull and get big speed. Does that make it safe? Probably not. There are design limits that each hull is intended to perform best at. Pass those limits and you are asking for trouble.

I love speed too. Would I go 85+ in an 18' Check? Probably not. Would I go 110+ in a 38' Fountain? Heck yeah... and I'd take my family. Of course I boat on Lake Erie and not some super calm inland lake or river so that may have a lot to do with my opinion.

 

[Big Red]

The truth is that speed is relative. 50 mph in a small boat in say a 13 or 14 footer seems fast, but in a 38' Skater you would barely be on plane and would be pretty dull. The fastest offshore boats are running 175+ with some cats cracking 200. Relatively speaking, the faster you go the bigger and more specialized (design wise) your boat will need to be to be safe.

Put it this way... any redneck with money can put a huge engine on a lightweight hull and get big speed. Does that make it safe? Probably not. There are design limits that each hull is intended to perform best at. Pass those limits and you are asking for trouble.

I love speed too. Would I go 85+ in an 18' Check? Probably not. Would I go 110+ in a 38' Fountain? Heck yeah... and I'd take my family. Of course I boat on Lake Erie and not some super calm inland lake or river so that may have a lot to do with my opinion.

Whats wrong with a redneck stuffing a big engine in a small raft

Here is some food for your thought, the majority of people that were killed this year in a high speed boat were those people driving what you call safe Big cat boats. Now how safe do you think it is running over 100 in one And your referance works to ways any stupid office geek that can afford a 40 foot skater with twin 1500 can have one that does not mean he knows how to drive it. No different than buying a top fuel dragster

 

[jonnyspeed]

Whats wrong with a redneck stuffing a big engine in a small raft

Here is some food for your thought the majority of people that were killed this year in a high speed boat were those people driving what you call safe Big cat boats. Know how safe do you think it is running over 100 in one

Safety is also relative

Notice I said I would ride in a Fountain... Those big air packing cats scare me. But again, their "scary" comes a lot higher than a 19' STV. Also, it all depends on the water. We average 2-4 ft Lake Erie chop where I boat. That's why I sold the Pulse. I'm looking for something in the 24-27 ft range now.

 

[Big Red]

I also would rather be in a v bootom they tend not to flip as easy when the nose digs in a bit.

 

[mrmeaner]

Considering that I'm a new boater, my stock senator is plenty for me. Eventually I may want a faster boat, but hopefully not anytime soon. I live in the northwoods of Wisconsin so there aren't many big water boats around. But from what I've seen, most accidents (in any form of vehicle) are caused by inexperienced drivers or drunk drivers.

 

[BADBK]

Back from the dead after reading all the mayem on S&F last week or so...

Obviously, Checkmate's are "safer" hulls then the STV/MIRAGE's/ETC, but has anyone ever had a bad accident in one? I read about the Allison's coming around on folks every now and then too, anyone had any bad experieces in a 'Mate?

Running close to 80 in the 2100 Pulsare now and it feels rock solid on good water... tone it down and is still great in choppy stuff. I drove "through" a big ass wave few weeks ago, but I wouldn't call it scary, just sucked. Big ole 5-7' barge waves crisscrossing and there was only one way to go.... THROUGH them.

So... bad experiences, besides just hitting stuff? Anyone had their mate come around on them or ?????

 

[justincase]

The only one i know of is when i was a teenager the lake closest to me two guys flipped one over and sank it by the dam. If im at that lake and i am by the dam its kind of eerie and i slow down.