Potential New Guy

[RyanB]

Potential new guy here. Been boating for years, just got back from a trip to Lake Powell. I made the mistake of having my friend take his boat (a Super Air Nautique), and leaving my Crownline at home. Now my wife is hooked on surfing. This has the potential to be the most expensive boating trip I have ever been on.

Truth be told, I have been eyeing a tow boat for a while. A few trips back, I had a 237 Wakesetter running with me at Lake Powell. He was able to keep up with me, and looked to have a decent ride, up until we were running about 40 MPH.

So, I am considering either a 237 or 247 (leaning towards the 237), and would like to keep purchase price under $55k. Is there something else I should be looking at?

My priorites are (in no particular order)

Ride that won't beat the snot out of you on relatively rough water

Cruising speed 30 - 35 MPH at an RPM that won't cost an arm & leg on a long run

Water sports in this order - surf, hydrofoil, ski/wakeboard

Comfortably having 6 + people and 2 big dogs in the boat

Looking forward to your feedback!

[RyanB]

And a few photos.

And the current ride.

[formulaben]

Not to be negative Nelly, but what exactly are you doing that requires you to run 35-40mph? You list that as a priority, but the difference in fuel consumption from 25 to 40mph is huge, and most people can't tell the difference. If your first priority is surfing you'll probably want/need a prop that either doesn't allow you to go that fast or you'll be very close to the rev limit; the two criteria a diametrically opposed...

[RyanB]

Good question. We spend a lot of time at Lake Powell. Some trips are just with the wife and I, so instead of water sports, we spend the time touring the lake. It is not unusual to cover 90 miles in a day. A cruising speed of 25 MPH will not cut it. 30 maybe. My Crownline will cruise at 35 - 40 without killing me at the pump. I am willing to drop by 5 MPH on that speed in order to be able to surf.

That part is honestly a deal breaker. If I can't at least cruise 30 - 35, a tow boat is a no go.

[Falko]

Well, that's one of the biggest drawbacks to an inboard. They aren't fast.

[FastFreddy]

You can cruise at 30 all day long with a prop like the 1235. It won't be as efficient as your Crownline but the boat will cruise at 30mph all day especially if the it is loaded lightly.

[Michigan boarder]

You could just switch props when it's just your wife and you, before you head out for the day. Takes about 20 minutes, tops. Have one prop for the big group and tow sports, and the other prop for speed & cruising.

[jk13]

Also, unless you are running very heavy to surf the 1235 that Freddy mentioned was the go-to prop on these boats until just over a year ago. Now the new larger diameter torque monsters are what the ballasted guys use. May not be necessary in your case, at least right away.

I would think by looking at your current boat the 23 LSV would be a great fit for you. Be aware that if you go 247 you might need a tow rig and storage area upgrade, depending on what you have currently. Thus making it an even more expensive weekend. That's a big and heavy boat and should probably be purchased with an upgraded engine in it (Hammerhead or 8.1), so that may also narrow the search.

[Arizona247]

The 247 handles Powell very well. I was there over the Labor Day weekend and spent all day Sat site seeing, 32-35 MPH all day, no problems. I would recommend the 247.

[Levi900RR]

Just for fun... My 03 21LSV surfs great and cruises at 35MPH with the stock prop.

[Ndawg12]

Welcome to the crew Ryan, btw it's a 23LSV (not 237) and a 247LSV. Given that price ceiling I would be looking in the 2006-2009 range for the 23 and 2006-2007 for the 247. I have an 07 247 and a good buddy with an 07 23. The extra length is very noticeable and the 247 rides a little better in chop, obviously cause it's bigger and the nose sits higher. But for a regular crew of 6 and 2 dogs the 23 will be more than adequate for a long comfortable day and gear, the 247 a little moreso Put on an FAE and unplug your tach gauge and it will cruise just fine

[D-GOOSE]

My Crownline will cruise at 35 - 40 without killing me at the pump. I am willing to drop by 5 MPH on that speed in order to be able to surf.

That part is honestly a deal breaker. If I can't at least cruise 30 - 35, a tow boat is a no go.

Welcome to the crew and glad you already understand you can't surf at 10 mph and cruise with just one prop or. Like others have mentioned a 23 LSV or 247 is what fits your needs. Try the stock prop at first and see how you like that. Then adjust props as needed. One thing that will change your prop need is how much extra ballast you throw in and people.

[Chia]

you don't need that speed. Your use of the water will change with a towboat. It is actually useful for a lot more than just driving 90 miles around the lake.

[TallRedRider]

RyanB, Where are you?

Come to St. George and do some foiling with me. You can spend some time in my 247 and see how you like it. Your wife can surf behind it and see how she likes it. I do have it set up for regular surfing (not goofy). That could be changed if needed.

I cruise at 30 MPH at 4000 RPM with a few people in the boat and that feels very comfortable at Lake Powell. It can obviously go faster, but it feels like a lot of RPM to cruise faster than that.

And of course, if you like it, you could take it home with you. But come down to St. George and do some foiling regardless of what you plan on purchasing. It might give you an opportunity to feel what a boat in your budget is like, without having to see a 'test drive'. You can see the boat in my signature below.

But I'm not going to let the dogs test drive the boat unless I have a check in hand

Edited September 11, 2014 by TallRedRider

[Afun]

You cover 90 miles in a regular boating day?? You really sound like a good candidate for one those new Bryant Stern Drive Wake/Surf Boats

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[RyanB]

Thanks for the advice. It looks kind of like what I expected, what I want is do-able, but there will be sacrifices - as with everything in life.

Sorry for the wrong model numbers. I know a few of the postings listed it as a 237. Will make note for the future.

Someone mentioned overall size and weight. The 07 - 08 23 is listed as the same weight as my Crownline - 3900 pounds. The 24 shows only a few more pounds. So I should be good there. The length may be an issue (especially with the 24). I am already over length when I tow tandem, what's another couple feet between friends??

I really need to do an on water test so I can answer my questions first hand.

[RyanB]

Normal tow vehicle

Extended tow vehicle (probably pushing it a little far with the 24)

[RyanB]

RyanB, Where are you?

Come to St. George and do some foiling with me. You can spend some time in my 247 and see how you like it. Your wife can surf behind it and see how she likes it. I do have it set up for regular surfing (not goofy). That could be changed if needed.

I cruise at 30 MPH at 4000 RPM with a few people in the boat and that feels very comfortable at Lake Powell. It can obviously go faster, but it feels like a lot of RPM to cruise faster than that.

And of course, if you like it, you could take it home with you. But come down to St. George and do some foiling regardless of what you plan on purchasing. It might give you an opportunity to feel what a boat in your budget is like, without having to see a 'test drive'. You can see the boat in my signature below.

But I'm not going to let the dogs test drive the boat unless I have a check in hand

Thanks for the offer. I live in Colorado, so St George is a bit of a haul for a test run. 30 MPH is reasonable.

I will have to check out your listings. The pups only go in my boat. And my wife doesn't allow anyone else's dogs in our boat, so I understand where you are coming from.

[Tims]

Ryan,

How bout some more detail on fuel burn requirements vs speed? Personally, I think that most of the heavier tow boats cruse comfortably at around 25mph. Go faster than that, and fuel burn goes way up if you have a large diameter low pitch prop which are necessary for surfing. Sure they will go 30, but you will be running around 3800 rpm to do it and burn way more fuel that what you do now with your I/O.

[isellacuras]

I think the suggestion of two dynamically different props is a good one. It is easy to swap out and can make all the difference. If you will be out with the wife for an all day cruise, slap in the 537 or similar and cruise comfortably at 35ish. If you will be out with the crew, put the 2315 or 1235. (Or the many in between) and sacrifice the top end for the day.

[RyanB]

Ryan,

How bout some more detail on fuel burn requirements vs speed? Personally, I think that most of the heavier tow boats cruse comfortably at around 25mph. Go faster than that, and fuel burn goes way up if you have a large diameter low pitch prop which are necessary for surfing. Sure they will go 30, but you will be running around 3800 rpm to do it and burn way more fuel that what you do now with your I/O.

On our "long cruise days" I will burn 30 - 35 gallons of fuel. I would be fine at 40 - 45 if the boat has at least 60 gallons of fuel capacity. This is probably only 5 - 10 days / year, but it is important to me.

Maybe I we just need to make more friends that have time to go to Powell with us. Then we could spend more time with water sports.

3800 RPMs doesn't scare me. That is around what my IO runs if I am 35 - 40 MPH.

[TallRedRider]

The Malibu 247 has a 90 gallon fuel tank. It does drink deeply when cruising over 30 MPH for sure. I think I usually lose about 10 gallons per hour at that rate.

Bummer you live that far away.

[formulaben]

Ryan,

How bout some more detail on fuel burn requirements vs speed? Personally, I think that most of the heavier tow boats cruse comfortably at around 25mph. Go faster than that, and fuel burn goes way up if you have a large diameter low pitch prop which are necessary for surfing. Sure they will go 30, but you will be running around 3800 rpm to do it and burn way more fuel that what you do now with your I/O.

This is most likely a "stock" pitch prop, so you'll have to account for the fact that this chart shifts laterally with prop pitch, but you get the idea. In this chart the best cruising speed for mileage is ~27mph, but 30mph offers only a slight hit on mileage, keeping it right at 3mpg. To go up to 40 mph the mileage then drops to 2mpg, a 50% hit, with 45mph cutting mileage in half (100% hit.)

[RyanB]

A couple options here. Interested in your opinions.

Option 1. I'm not convinced that a wake boat is right for us. Buy something a little olderand keep my Crownline to make sure we like the Malibu. Buy one of the two below boats, keep my Crownlineuntil we make a decision. If we like the Malibu, we sell both the CL and the Malibu next year, and buy something a little newer and nicer. If we don't like the Malibu, sell it, and be happy with the sterndrive.

Two optional boats for this scenario.

http://denver.craigslist.org/boa/4611353596.html

http://denver.craigslist.org/boa/4631616447.html

Option 2. Go all in, and buy something closer to what we are looking for. Sell the Crownline, and let the chips fall where they may. Two optional boats here.

http://denver.craigslist.org/boa/4633261322.html

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2008-Malibu-Wakesetter-247-LSV-102325130

So, which option would you go with, and which boat? What are the main differences you see between the older boats vs the newer boats here?

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[RyanB]

I should say that the Crownline has treated us VERY well. Bought new in 2004, we have put 675 hours on it, and had some great times. If the next boat is 70% as good (and reliable), that would be a win.

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