What is a good boat for all around use?

Question

I am looking for a boat that is good for skiing, tubing, boarding & fishing. I want about a 18 to 20 ft boat with an open bow.

Any suggestions?

Sorry, but a pontoon boat will not cover my needs, you cant really ski behind one.

Also, cost is not an issue, I have the cash to apy for it.

I GUESS PEOPLE DONT REALLY READ THESE THINGS.

A PONTOON BOAT FOR SKIING AND BOARDING!! AND AN INFLATABLE RIB????? WITH 40HP MOTOR??? WHAT THE HELL?!?!!? THIS GUY SAYS "Much would depend upon your budget, intended sea area, how often you would use the boat and what you intend to do with the boat when you are not using her.

In the absence of such information "

ALL THE INFO IS THERE!!!

OK PEOPLE, HERE IS THE DEAL, DONT ANSWER MY QUESTION IF YOU DONT READ MY QUESTION.

16FT?? 60 HP?? EVEN I KNOW THAT IS TOO SMALL. AND BESIDES, I STATED 18-20 FT!

Answer 1

I would look at either a Bayliner Bow rider (it has seats in the Bow\front of the boat) if you have a larger budget look at the range of small Beneteau power boats, they will cover your needs
Have a look at the 18 foot boats here. They are great boats, these ones are in Australia, but because they are Beneteau you can get them all around the world

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?Power=P&Hull=S&LengthFrom=0&LengthTo=20&PriceFrom=-1&PriceTo=-1&LengthType=ft&SearchMethod=quicksearch&Keywords=beneteau&AdvanceOptions=yes&KeywordsMatchType=0&TabID=3338&Alias=boatpointau

Answer 2

mighti suggest you look into the world of RIBs. (rigid inflatable boats) i got into these boats 10 years or so ago, and never owned a solid boat since!
18-20 foot is an ideal size for these boats. (mine is 18foot with a 75hp mariner)
they are the 4x4 truck of the water. go anywhere, do anything!
inland waterways (where mine is used mostly now) or offshore in a force 8 gale.
inflatable yes BUT, common misconception is confussing a RIB with an inflatable boat. the ONLY part that is inflatable is a 18inc diameter collar (sometimes a little bigger) that runs around the boat. instead of a solid side wall. this collar makes it extremely stable, extremely sea worthy and yet performs just as good, if not better than standard solid walled monohull boats. ive raced basstrackers etc with 150hp engines and out performed them in most areas. ribs can turn sharper without loss of speed, can go full lock at full throttle and you wont go flying like a solid boat. they are not common in the states yet, but in europe etc they are very common.
skiing, wakeboarding tubing all perfectly possible, pull a tube and wakeboard with mine. the rear tube section actually, at slower speeds, makes a really good wake for wake boarding if you like jumping.
they generally cost more than a regular boat and a bit harder to come by in the states, but there are many manufacturers that are making them, as well as some well established european companies who have come to the states. Avon inflatables is a good one to check out, they pioneered the RIB world on a public scale. (invented in the 60s by the royal national lifebat institution in england originally as a fast inshore respone craft)
www.ribmagazine.com a good source of info about them.
just a suggestion that is often not looked at. as opposed to pontoon boats lol

oh and fishing is not a problem either. the tubes are extremely strong, often with a kevlar core material. you wont puncture them. gone offshore fishing many times, never yet have i come close to even snagging the tube. and if by some reason you manage it, it is not one section, its divided up into chambers, so a small hole would be no signifcance and over time you might loose that chamber, but the boat will continue without danger

Answer 3

When I first read your question my immediate solution was a Rib!
Ideal for all of your stated requirements, but then I read your subsequent comments.
I'm a bit confused now.
First of all I cannot find the answer that you are referring to. There's nothing listed below your question with those words in the answer?!
Secondly, what's wrong with a Rib? It will do exactly what you want if you put a decent outboard on it. I've been skiing off the back of one.
It would be helpful for people who are trying to help you by answering your question, to know things such as where you intend to use the boat, how often, whether you want to keep it at home, transport it each time or keep it in a marina and pay the costs.
Anyway, you've asked and my answer is a RIB.
Good luck
Sue

Answer 4

Since money and size (you've already decided 18'-20') aren't issues and you've chosen the open bow type, that leaves hull design as the main thing to worry about. You definitely don't want a round hull. That leaves shallow-V and deep-V. Shallow_V (flatter than deep-V) is mostly for speed. So, a deep-V hull will give skiing, tubing and boarding speed and will also give better handling qualities for fishing and cruising.
One other thing, for boats less than 30' long you want longer rather than shorter, so go with the 20 footer.
Of course, trying to get all types of performance in one boat means trade-offs. It won't fish as good as a dedicated fishing vessel and it won't ski as good as a dedicated ski boat.

Answer 5

Searay, Four Winns, Regal and Bayliner all make boats that would fit your bill.

As boats depreciate very quickly, I would recommend purchasing a used boat (1 to 3 years old). Most manufacturers warrant their hulls for a minimum of 5 years, so should there be any major structural problems, you would be protected. What ever you buy, spend the money to have it inspected (motor and outdrive) by a certified marine mechanic prior to purchasing.

Lastly, I would get something with at least an 8'6" beam (the extra half foot makes a world of difference) and go as big as you can afford on length.

Check out these sites for used boats:

www.boattraderonline.com
www.iboats.com

Answer 6

I agree with Dan, either look at the 18 foot Beneteau power boats or the Bayliner. A Bayliner would make a better ski boat than a baliner

Answer 7

There are many out there that will fill the bill, you may look at this TAHOE Q7i SF, as the base model would really full fill your needs. I would upgrade the engine to the 5.0 Volvo 270 HP as I recall seeing one test where the 5.0 Volvo actually got better fuel mileage than the base engine. Anyway, looks like a reasoable compromise to me. Any time you look for a multi-purpose boat, there are compromises to be made. Here is a link
http://www.tahoesportboats.com/boat/index.cfm?boat=2177

Answer 8

The whole answer depends on whether you are going to trailer it to the water every time, or keep it at a marina. If you have a smaller car, you'll need a smaller boat. For skiing and boarding, as well as partying, I'd vote for a deck boat. It drives like a runabout, but has the room of a pontoon. Check out Hurricane deck boats, they might have just what you need!

Answer 9

Easy! Boston Whaler. You said money is no object, but the older ones are better in my opinion. They made many variations of their 17' hull which could be just what you are looking for. Larger hulls of the 'outrage' designation may fill the bill for you, since they were in the 18'-24' lengths. They are unsinkable. With reasonable care, they last virtually forever, and hold resale value very well should you decide to sell.

Answer 10

Get a 16 foot run-about Bow rider with a 60 HP outboard. you have speeds up to 40 Mph, great for water skiing