South of Heaven
New member
I went to my first boat show today and had an absolute blast! It was the first day of the Providence Boat Show. I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised.
The first boat that I got on was the Boston Whaler 285 Conquest. Pretty cool fishing boat with big Mercury Verados on the back. Nice cruising capabilities too. Nice boat but not really my style.
Next I got on a Edgewater 26 CC. Not my type of boat at all! I hate center consoles, I know that's a harsh word but I WILL NEVER own a CC. I do realize that they are a necessity for the fishing folks though. Lol.
3rd boat was a Everglades 33 footer CC. I must admit that this boat was cool. BIG BOAT and BIG POWER. Still not my bag though.
4th was a Ranger Tug 21 EC!! Pretty neat boat! I was surprised that it was there. I can definitely see the appeal for those types of boats. Its a nicely laid out design and I could see one or two people doing some coastal cruising on it. I liked how the helm seat flips back and to the side; it then enables either standup navigating or frees up space in the cabin for when on the hook/dock. Cool boat! I like it.
5th was a Cutwater 24. I like the Cutwater line but this 24 seems a bit cramped. I think I'd jump up to the 26 if I was in the market. I love the outboard power! It's cool to see more and more outboards on boats that usually had I/O's. Nice boat for someone though. I'd much rather have my 25 than this boat though....
6th was a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 855. WHOA!! VERY INTERESTING BOAT AND PRICE!!! This is a 28 foot, walkaround design with twin 200 OB's. The cockpit has good seating and it's very neat to be able to walkaround the whole cabin. Good for anglers. There is also a side door next to the helm, nice feature. Good cruising features. I LIKED THIS BOAT ALOT! They had a show price for only $129k out the door. After the show it'll be back to $160k. It's an amazing deal for a big 28 footer with twins.
7th was a Regulator 31 CC. Nice fit and finish. You also get the Regulator promise to quality and "over building". I actually spoke to the Regulator rep and he did a good job on "selling" the boat. I'll give Regulator a thumbs up on quality and fit/finish.
8th was Scout 35 CC. Another CC, lol. But this one was probably the nicest one there. HUGE boat with a stepped hull and Carolina flare. This boat had triple engines and a big berth for a CC. Nice head, shower, galley and sleeping for 2. I couldn't believe they had all that on a center console! Nice use of space.
I also saw a Pursuit 325 (I think?). BIG boat with nice cruising amenities. WOW. I didn't check it out as thoroughly as the other boats though because it was getting late. We actually spent close to 4 hours there! Time flies when you're having fun around boats. We listened to a ABYC guy talk about maintenance items and seamanship. Then we walked around the perimeter and checked out all the vendors. Some were good but others were duds. Lol.
Great time though. I may even go to the Boston show in a few weeks!
The first boat that I got on was the Boston Whaler 285 Conquest. Pretty cool fishing boat with big Mercury Verados on the back. Nice cruising capabilities too. Nice boat but not really my style.
Next I got on a Edgewater 26 CC. Not my type of boat at all! I hate center consoles, I know that's a harsh word but I WILL NEVER own a CC. I do realize that they are a necessity for the fishing folks though. Lol.
3rd boat was a Everglades 33 footer CC. I must admit that this boat was cool. BIG BOAT and BIG POWER. Still not my bag though.
4th was a Ranger Tug 21 EC!! Pretty neat boat! I was surprised that it was there. I can definitely see the appeal for those types of boats. Its a nicely laid out design and I could see one or two people doing some coastal cruising on it. I liked how the helm seat flips back and to the side; it then enables either standup navigating or frees up space in the cabin for when on the hook/dock. Cool boat! I like it.
5th was a Cutwater 24. I like the Cutwater line but this 24 seems a bit cramped. I think I'd jump up to the 26 if I was in the market. I love the outboard power! It's cool to see more and more outboards on boats that usually had I/O's. Nice boat for someone though. I'd much rather have my 25 than this boat though....
6th was a Jeanneau Merry Fisher 855. WHOA!! VERY INTERESTING BOAT AND PRICE!!! This is a 28 foot, walkaround design with twin 200 OB's. The cockpit has good seating and it's very neat to be able to walkaround the whole cabin. Good for anglers. There is also a side door next to the helm, nice feature. Good cruising features. I LIKED THIS BOAT ALOT! They had a show price for only $129k out the door. After the show it'll be back to $160k. It's an amazing deal for a big 28 footer with twins.
7th was a Regulator 31 CC. Nice fit and finish. You also get the Regulator promise to quality and "over building". I actually spoke to the Regulator rep and he did a good job on "selling" the boat. I'll give Regulator a thumbs up on quality and fit/finish.
8th was Scout 35 CC. Another CC, lol. But this one was probably the nicest one there. HUGE boat with a stepped hull and Carolina flare. This boat had triple engines and a big berth for a CC. Nice head, shower, galley and sleeping for 2. I couldn't believe they had all that on a center console! Nice use of space.
I also saw a Pursuit 325 (I think?). BIG boat with nice cruising amenities. WOW. I didn't check it out as thoroughly as the other boats though because it was getting late. We actually spent close to 4 hours there! Time flies when you're having fun around boats. We listened to a ABYC guy talk about maintenance items and seamanship. Then we walked around the perimeter and checked out all the vendors. Some were good but others were duds. Lol.
Great time though. I may even go to the Boston show in a few weeks!