My Requirements of a Power Boat

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In general, I am looking for something to . . .

• go beaching and boating.
• can take up to 8 people comfortably.
• can handle 3-4 foot seas.
• will suffice for the occaissional overnight.
• has plenty of engine life left and has been well maintained.
• good performance, gets up on plane fairly well to conserve fuel.
• Is feature rich and well designed.
• Will fit on my mooring (approx 24 ft).

Along the way I took in a few boat shows and became familiar with the various boat designs that are available. Overall, my preference is for a boat with a large cockpit area and a cuddy cabin. A full cabin would offer more amenities, but adds weight and bulkiness to the boat. Full cabin boats in the 24 foot range tend to be too heavy for their length and would be more difficult to hold up on plane.

There also seems to be lots of bowrider models around. The advantage of a bowrider is extra seating capacity. However, bowriders are not that great for the ocean waters and generally can be considered "Lake boats". After all those considerations I figured that I should look for a sporty boat with a cuddy cabin. These are commonly referred to as "sport boats", and they offer a balance of performance and amenities.

Now it became a matter of brand selection.

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