On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:11:04 -0700, crystalguy
wrote:

We currently live on a small lake (725 acres).
We currently run an 18 foot Searay bowrider.
We are interested in occasional trips to Lake Michigan.
We would be interested in a daytime trip and probably wouldn't venture
more than 3/4 of a mile from shore.
We would be interested mainly in tubing.
I would like to buy about a 24' to 26', but am unsure if that would be
a bow rider or cuddy.

My brother-in-law had a 17 ft bow rider on Lake Michigan for a couple
of years and he gave it up because it was too small. It all comes
down to how much time you have available, how often you want to use
the boat and what percentage of down time for weather you are willing
to accept. There are some days when Lake M is like glass,
particularly early in the morning. I have run at 20 kts in a 12 foot
inflatable in those conditions. Later that same day you may have 3 to
4 footers in the afternoon as the sea breeze kicks in. A 17 footer is
too small for anything more than a very light chop. A 26 footer is OK
up to about 1 to 2 footers but it will be difficult to run on plane
above that without getting smacked around.

The question of bow rider vs cuddy comes down to how you want to use
the boat. A cuddy is somewhat more seaworthy in rough weather, gives
you a cabin for the occasional overnighter, an enclosed head, and a
locked weather proof compartment for gear storage. A bow rider of the
same size will carry more people, be somewhat lighter/faster, and
probably less expensive than a cuddy all other things being equal. I
have a Searay 270 Sundeck in Florida which is an overgrown bow rider
and it offers many of the same benefits as a cuddy with a fully
enclosed head and a minimalist sleeping/storage cabin. It also rides
fairly well in a chop.