Buying our first boat! Trialing a 218 ob on Friday.. reviews and advice appreciated

Texgirl

So.... what started as getting a 10k used boat search has ended up looking at new boats way more expensive than I would have ever imagined!! That is another topic.  We want to fish, do water sports, have a 12 year old son, take friends and family along etc.  So, we looked at Chaparral h20 21 foot sun and ski, liked it a lot but was worried about it not having enough seating sometimes but LOVED the fishing aspect of it.  Anyway, now we are trialing the 218 ob later this week and I like the space it has and we can fish etc.  I am worried about the engine not being big enough when we get more people on the boat for water sports etc. (150 suzuki) and I don't like the color (left over 19 black and white with gray interior.. blah blah blah. ) But, pretty good price I think at 44 something. There is a 2020 monaco blue and tan interior I really like but its more money. There is a used 2018 2486 ob that I may be able to get for 60k.  I am afraid that is too much boat for us at 24 feet and we may have to nix that one due to length and storage limitations.  Bottom line is I don't want to not be happy and I want to make as much of the best decision I can on this!  Any advice appreciated.
Also what do about the potty situation.. any and all boating advice appreciated. thanks so much!!

cjjjdeck

Was waiting to see if anyone who owns or had owned one of your choices was going to respond before I did, maybe you'll still get something...
I will share some things I hope will be helpful to you:
First off, all the boats you are looking at you would probably be happy with.  Chaparral and Hurricane are both long time good quality boat manufacturers.
 
Power - As a rule of thumb, the bare minimum of power choices should be no LESS than 75% of the maximum power rating of the boat.  For example: 200 HP MAX Rating X .75 = 150 HP
Usually, the closer you get to the maximum rating, the better overall performance.  This is especially important if you want to engage with watersports activity.   Having said all the above, hull design, weight and other specifications also have an effect on overall power/performance.

Hull Difference - The 3 boats you mentioned have hull differences.  The Chaparral is a bowrider design and the Hurricanes have a deckboat design.  Bowriders start out wide at the stern and eventually taper to a point at the bow, deckboats pretty much maintain the same width from stern to bow which attributes to the greater amount of usable room in the cockpit.   The Chaparral probably has a 20 degree deadrise angle on the hull, the Hurricane SD 2486 has a 16 degree and the SS 218 has a 12.5 degree.  The higher degree deadrise angle , the more a boat cuts through the water before getting on plane.   Higher number deadrise angle can often translate to having a smoother ride in rough waters (weight and length of a boat also can have an effect on a smoother ride).  Lower number deadrise usually helps a boat get on plane easier/quicker and the boat has a tendency to ride more on top of the water.  Whatever the top water conditions are, a low number deadrise angle hull will feel it more.  The type of body of water you are choosing to go on may have an effect on the choice of boat you ultimately choose.  Hurricanes hull design (Called a Category 5) lends itself to lakes, rivers, and bays along with open ocean based navigable waters no greater that .75 miles from shore.  My model Hurricane is 23 foot long and has a 12.5 degree deadrise and I have had been very satisfied with the ride, performance and stability in rough waters on northeast lakes I have navigated.

With regards to the "potty" situation.  My personal opinion is I would rather have something on-board and not use it than not have one and need it.  I choose to go with a portable version instead of a built-in.  Depending on what body of water you're on, pump-out stations can sometimes be non-existent, rare or in an inconvenient area (at least where I go boating).  Being able to take the unit out and dump it in any toilet made more sense to me.  At one time I actually had to use mine in a lake cabin I rented due to the power going out and the cabin toilet needing a pump to pump sewage uphill!

I think many people that own a Hurricane have owned other boats (like bowriders) and have found the deckboat to be the most versatile and roomy.   Try to find/buy a boat that gives you pretty much everything you need/want as boat values go down very fast if you end up disappointed and try to resell it.  

Continue to ask more questions!

Texgirl

Thank you soooo much for your very detailed reply!  It has been a long week of researching and thinking and learning!  I ended up cancelling the lake trial for tomorrow with the 218 with the 150hp because in my gut I know I want a 200!!  We will be doing water sports and we will have lots people stuff etc on the boat and I do not want to be  under powered.  I found a SD 217 with a Yamaha 200 hp .. main issue is it is in south carolina and I am in texas!  We are willing to make the drive, seems like fun after being stuck in house all this time with covid.... so seriously considering it.  Main concern with this is getting warranty service done if needed since we did not buy local... stinks because I would love to buy local but no one has what we want!  I even asked if we can upgrade engine on the 218 we were supposed to trial tomorrow and he said not, too much trouble, would have to order the boat.. well.. can't order right now due to covid everything is all backed up summer would be over.  Anyway.. we shall see but thats the way we are leaning... love the color!!

cjjjdeck

Looks like a really nice boat!

When it comes down to, you are spending a lot of money, you should be getting something as close to what you want as possible.  It is why I was fortunate to time being able to order my boat exactly the way I wanted it.  Needless to say, I love my boat and have not had the desire to change, upgrade or say to myself "I wish I had....".  I think your concern for power has merit considering what you want to use the boat for.  150 HP is the minimum power for the SD 218.

Your concern for service locally is a genuine one.  Boat dealers can be (are) a very finicky bunch, and there are lots of threads out there with people complaining about having trouble with local dealers after they bought the boat from out of the territory.  It might be worth having a discussion with your local guy about how he feels about that.  Since he doesn't have what you want and you don't have time to order it. he/she might be willing to keep your relationship on track.  Also, I know my Hurricane Dealer is willing to swap boats with other dealers to help keep a sale/customer.  If he knows Hurricane is the final decision and you're not shopping any other brands, he/she might be willing to make some calls or do a search.   It seems the relationship with boat manufacturers and their dealers are not the same as with car dealers.  When it comes to the motor, boat dealers seem to have no problem where you bought the boat as long as they are a dealer for the motor manufacturer.  It is what it is......

One thing I thought I would mention is one difference between the SunDeck verses SunDeck Sport and FunDeck models that I think is important is the walk-through windshield.  When weather changes while you're on the water or when you want to go boating on cooler days, your passengers will appreciate sitting behind the windshield.  As hard as it is to believe, not all passengers appreciate blasting wind in their face when underway even in nice weather, some prefer sitting behind the windshield.  It also is easier to have conversations with people while underway as well.  This doesn't get discussed too much.

Another subject that doesn't come up as often as I think it would is outboard verses I/O power........

Texgirl

thanks so much for all of that information!  It is very frustrating for sure... I agree regarding the windsheild.. I think it will be nice to have for sure! I wish this dealer would be willing to do something like that, swapping etc... but they don't seem to be.  My husband was sold on the outboard due to maintenance being easier etc.... 

This boat does not have the fishing package.... I am now trying to figure out if we can add the fishing chair .. dealer says he can order it and has all of that figured out but is making sure they are able to install etc.  

Thanks again, the saga continues...

Texgirl

So my saga continues and here is the update... another dealer that had a 218 was willing to upgrade the motor for us.... so this boat does have the fishing package which the boat is south carolina did not have and the local boat was 3k less.. so we won't have the windshield.. which I know would be nice but we are willing to deal with the trade off.  We did our sea trial today.. really fun and we are super excited and hope to finalize the deal and pick up the boat next week.  

cjjjdeck

That's great news Texgirl!  Make sure you post some pictures when you can!

Texgirl

From yesterday!  

cjjjdeck

I'm having a hard time looking at all those sad faces, LOL!
Beautiful boat!  You and your family will love it, glad you got what you wanted, including the fishing package!

Texgirl

cjjjdeck said:

I'm having a hard time looking at all those sad faces, LOL!
Beautiful boat!  You and your family will love it, glad you got what you wanted, including the fishing package!

LOL... I didnt realize we were all smiling so big till you said that!!  We are super excited.. can't wait.  I grew up fishing on a fishing boat with my family and loved it but I always admired the leisure boats with all that comfy seating!  Super excited we can do both on this boat.. should not have waited so long!  Better late than never! 

cjjjdeck

Yeah, my Lund Pro-V fishing boat wasn't quite cutting it for overall family use.  I also decided I wasn't a pontoon boat kinda guy , although there is nothing wrong with them.  The deck boat is perfect for fishing, watersports and cruising activity.... a perfect family boat.   My Hurricane is 8 years old and I still don't have an interest in getting anything else other than what I have.

Texgirl

Thats awesome!  I am super excited... we pick up Thursday!