Well...

[Jay Gadsby]

So... boating. I love it. I miss it. Been out twice this year. I still have 3/4 of a tank of fuel from the first fill up of the year. My two little guys are awesome, but require a lot of work. Wife and I were talking tonight. The HO may be going up for sale after this season. That would give us a chance to clean out some unwanted debts, and get into a better place faster financially. Sounds sad right? Well... if I suck it up now, sell the HO and work hard to get to that happy place... my reward, boating gods willing, would be my Outerlimits or something similar. We want something more family friendly. Something with AC, a head, maybe a small galley, but something still fast. It would mean a couple years without a boat, but seems to me the reward would be well worth it. Thoughts?

[nathan]

I have been there and it sucks but sometimes you have to make those decisions. I have made them before that's also why I do not have a "good" boat right now. but like you said you plan to sell the HO at some point and buy the outerlimits. Selling now may actually make it quicker to get the boat. You can always jump on a friend's boat to get your fix. good luck on your decision.

[Jay Gadsby]

Yeah...it does suck. At least by the time.we get a new boat, the boys will be 4ish and over 2 if all goes to plan. More boat friendly than 4 months and 2 years. Been exploring options already for family friendly, big cabin and cockpit. Formula 353 and 382 Fastechs are looking pretty reasonable. Most of the 382s have AC, which is a must. Don't want to buy a camper, just a camping comfy boat.

[XX14Nordic Rage]

Maybe a MCOB Rage if a current owner might like to move to a Heat...

[Jay Gadsby]

Haha, keeping it in the family would be a plus. I know she will be taken care of then

[XX14Nordic Rage]

I'd actually like to run down the lake some day and not have everything that's in the mid-cabin that's not bolted down flying at me. I'm also curious about how the Heat handles rougher water? I hear a lot about a 24 degree fee being the best hulls for rougher water.

[Speed_Beak]

Having A/C, genset and a galley would go a long way with keeping the family comfortable and happy, but having them in a fast boat is a tall order.

I've pondered the thought of moving to a cruiser, but I'm afraid trailer'ing it back and forth would become too much of a hassle.
Getting a slip has it's own set of problems and expenses.

Tough decision. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Jay Gadsby]

Yeah, getting them all together limits a lot. A Fastech 382 with 500s would be right about where I am now speed wise (low 70s). Pretty much all of them I have found have ac and shore power. Supposedly a Honda 1000ei will be plenty of power for overnighting and are pretty compact, just not sure if it would fit into the engine bay. The early 2000s models are coming down in price as hours go up, but it can be done. We shall see. My wife really likes the Flame looks wise, just harder to find with all the amenities. Pound for pound they seem a little faster than the 353 and 382, but not like Outerlimits vs Bayliner difference, just a few mph. I guess only time will tell.

[g in the 808]

Hey Brother. Only you can make that decision, however I can tell you my experience. I had a Baja 252 for years. Loved it, but I knew I wanted a bigger boat w/twins. Just could not pull it off with the own/operate expense that I was incurring with the Baja. reluctantly, I sold the Baja, paid off vehicle loans, saved money and watched the performance boat market for 18 months. The Sunsation came at the right place and the right time. I scooped it up and have not had a single regret since. (it was a long 18 months, but worth it).

[Jay Gadsby]

Thanks G Going into it with no payment on Ole Bess and such will definitely be a lot easier. This also gives me a break for this damn shoulder surgery I keep putting off. 9 months of downtime on my dominant arm. Ain't no boating to be done like that.