codecruncher
Contributor
I've got the itch for a boat - been shopping various center consoles in the 17' to 21' range.
Use would be mostly local stuff like Lake Mendota/Monona around Madison, Green Lake, Green Bay, Door County, Sheboygan, and maybe Apostle Islands and Lake Michigan not to far out. Maybe at the friend's cabins around Rhinelander, etc.
What's doable? Is a 17' Boston Whaler Montauk type going to get me out to the popular Lake Michigan wrecks off Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Door County?
Or do you really need to be in a 21' - 24' CC with big bucks for the occasional jaunt to be safe?
Since trailerability is big and gas prices high, I'm thinking smaller with a 90 to 125 HP range and an AL trailer would be good. Tow vehicle is a 2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 - should be plenty at ~6000 lbs rated I believe.
Opinions from experienced folks? I owned a 23' sailboat for a decade, but never a power boat.
I'm only looking for 2 or 3 divers and a bubble watcher capacity. I don't need to subsidize the entire dive group...
Use would be mostly local stuff like Lake Mendota/Monona around Madison, Green Lake, Green Bay, Door County, Sheboygan, and maybe Apostle Islands and Lake Michigan not to far out. Maybe at the friend's cabins around Rhinelander, etc.
What's doable? Is a 17' Boston Whaler Montauk type going to get me out to the popular Lake Michigan wrecks off Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Door County?
Or do you really need to be in a 21' - 24' CC with big bucks for the occasional jaunt to be safe?
Since trailerability is big and gas prices high, I'm thinking smaller with a 90 to 125 HP range and an AL trailer would be good. Tow vehicle is a 2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 - should be plenty at ~6000 lbs rated I believe.
Opinions from experienced folks? I owned a 23' sailboat for a decade, but never a power boat.
I'm only looking for 2 or 3 divers and a bubble watcher capacity. I don't need to subsidize the entire dive group...