On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 08:15:53 -0500, John H
wrote:
On 9 Feb 2005 18:12:15 -0800, wrote:
~~ snippage ~~
I've never seen a major mfg. boat that is totally unsuited for safe and
appropriate use by somebody, under the right conditions. Two equally
knowledgeable boaters will evaluate the same boat, and one might rule
it out immediately and go on to buy something else, while the other
likes it so much he writes a check on the spot. Which one was "right"?
(Hint: most likely both, they simply prioritized different needs).
I really didn't expect an objective, million-dollar test. I just wanted your
subjective opinion of how the three boats compared in your experience.
Any boat looks, rides and feels good first time around - it takes time
to find the little things that annoy or fail. I really like my Ranger
and would hate to part with it, but over the four years I've owned it,
there are things that I notice that annoy the hell out of me - the
worst being the placement of the forward seat post.
That's why I have a thing about Bluefin boats. They aren't the
prettiest nor are they cosmetically perfect, but the damn things ride
like a dream in all weather, are very nicely fit out for fishing and
tough as hell.
Another boat that I have been consistently impressed with are the
Polar series boats. They are good looking, form/fit/function are damn
close to perfect and they are very nicely laid out from an ergonomic
standpoint.
We've had this magazine "pro/con" debate before. For my money, if you
want a truly objective report, ask owners about the boat, not the
dealer. A lot of negative boat reports are related to the dealer, not
the boat. You can get a good idea from the manufacturer's information
and reading "test" reports in the magazines, but you will get closer
to the truth by asking owners.
Later,
Tom