On Apr 22, 7:51*am, "jamesgangnc" wrote:


The majority of the small cuddies in use that I have been aboard have simply
been a big ski locker/junk storage. *You want to sacrifice a third of the
boat to be a bathroom. *In that size range they are just hot and cramped..



I'd have to agree to a point. I have a 23' cuddie w 350 GM). I like
it. it's big, yet agile, rides well and is a pleasure to ride and
drive. It's too big to be a runabout, and too small to be a cruiser.
and you sit high, and comfortable, but it's also not a bubble boat,
and the cabin? May as well not be. There's not room to sleep in it, no
room for really any kind of accessories, and yes, I wold have to say
its more of a storage locker for "stuff". Oh, it would be perfect for
carrying supplies for doing a good camping weekend on a lake or river,
but that's really about it. another unfortunate thinng about my cuddie
is that the only really accessable part of the floor space is about
the aft half of the boat. I wish that really didn't have the cabin
part, and wasn't necessarily open bow, but a short closed bow. That
would give much more free space for passengers and moving around and
ample space for storage.

But I bought the boat really right, and It's still well worth what I
gave for it, so. I can't (or shouldn't) complain.

On Apr 22, 8:37*am, "JimH" wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in messagenews:1pmr04pk9g2oorf2le492ns3t4j2g5vtht@4ax .com...

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:23:31 -0400, "jamesgangnc"
wrote:

My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
suit and just jumps in the lake to pee

Um....I don't know about that. *Mrs. Wave isn't that proletarian. *I
suspect that most other women, what with their unique
physiologies/anatomies and moments of periodic infirmities (like the
way I put that?) would prefer not to jump into the lake to perform
bodily functions.

Privacy curtains aren't an answer either for obvious reasons.

I think in his case, cuddy is probably the only way to go.

I agree. *Lake Erie water is presently 42 degrees and does not warm up for
swimming until the end of June.

You just don't see many bowriders on Lake Erie. *They are more for inland
lake use.

BTW, My cuddie came from the edge of Ohio and was used on Lake Erie
for many years....

Gene Kearns wrote:
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:23:31 -0400, jamesgangnc penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

I vote for the cuddy, too. After my son froze my butt off on a fishing
trip years ago, I gladly traded the bowrider for the cuddy. Now, in
January, I have a place to sip coffee and warm up before I go to the
back and do some more fishing.

|Small cuddies are worthless as tits on a boar hog in my opinion. They just
|end up being big storage areas.

How small is small? And you'll have the same problem with the
bowrider.... only the stuff will just roll and blow around.

|No one wants to ride in there so you're
|just sacrificing passenger space that you would have had with an open bow.

You are not *always* underway. My wife likes the privacy issue and,
being very fair, appreciates having somewhere out of the sun. She'll
also go below to read sometimes while we're anchored and I'm fishing.

|If you want to entertain that means other couples. Everyone will want to
|sit outside when the boat is moving.

That tends to be true.

|When the boat is sitting still the
|cuddy is too hot to stay in anyway.

It sure can where we live, but this guy is going to be in a colder
climate.

|\My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
|suit and just jumps in the lake to pee.

Yeah, right. Maybe 6 months out of the year, here, but the OP boats in
Lake Erie. That oughta make those puppies perky even if Mom is 85
years old....



Guy with a 21' Parker pilothouse has a great cabintop A/C on his boat
that runs off a small gasoline Honda generator he keeps at the stern of
the boat.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...21parkerac.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...keraccabin.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...arkergrill.jpg

When we were shopping for our last boat, it was the other way around... I
wanted the cuddy, and the wife wanted the open bow. She won, and I'm not
disappointed.

--Mike

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:23:31 -0400, "jamesgangnc"
wrote:

My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
suit and just jumps in the lake to pee

Um....I don't know about that. Mrs. Wave isn't that proletarian. I
suspect that most other women, what with their unique
physiologies/anatomies and moments of periodic infirmities (like the
way I put that?) would prefer not to jump into the lake to perform
bodily functions.

Privacy curtains aren't an answer either for obvious reasons.

I think in his case, cuddy is probably the only way to go.

"Tim" wrote in message
...
On Apr 22, 7:51 am, "jamesgangnc" wrote:


The majority of the small cuddies in use that I have been aboard have
simply
been a big ski locker/junk storage. You want to sacrifice a third of the
boat to be a bathroom. In that size range they are just hot and cramped.



I'd have to agree to a point. I have a 23' cuddie w 350 GM). I like
it. it's big, yet agile, rides well and is a pleasure to ride and
drive. It's too big to be a runabout, and too small to be a cruiser.
and you sit high, and comfortable, but it's also not a bubble boat,
and the cabin? May as well not be. There's not room to sleep in it, no
room for really any kind of accessories, and yes, I wold have to say
its more of a storage locker for "stuff". Oh, it would be perfect for
carrying supplies for doing a good camping weekend on a lake or river,
but that's really about it. another unfortunate thinng about my cuddie
is that the only really accessable part of the floor space is about
the aft half of the boat. I wish that really didn't have the cabin
part, and wasn't necessarily open bow, but a short closed bow. That
would give much more free space for passengers and moving around and
ample space for storage.

But I bought the boat really right, and It's still well worth what I
gave for it, so. I can't (or shouldn't) complain.

Odd. I spent three nights in the cabin of my 18.5 foot sailboat last
August.
It was cramped but I only went there to sleep. I was lucky that we had
access to a washroom each night so I avoided using my MSD.

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
. com...
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:23:31 -0400, jamesgangnc penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

I vote for the cuddy, too. After my son froze my butt off on a fishing
trip years ago, I gladly traded the bowrider for the cuddy. Now, in
January, I have a place to sip coffee and warm up before I go to the
back and do some more fishing.

|Small cuddies are worthless as tits on a boar hog in my opinion. They
just
|end up being big storage areas.

How small is small? And you'll have the same problem with the
bowrider.... only the stuff will just roll and blow around.

|No one wants to ride in there so you're
|just sacrificing passenger space that you would have had with an open
bow.

You are not *always* underway. My wife likes the privacy issue and,
being very fair, appreciates having somewhere out of the sun. She'll
also go below to read sometimes while we're anchored and I'm fishing.

|If you want to entertain that means other couples. Everyone will want to
|sit outside when the boat is moving.

That tends to be true.

|When the boat is sitting still the
|cuddy is too hot to stay in anyway.

It sure can where we live, but this guy is going to be in a colder
climate.

|\My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
|suit and just jumps in the lake to pee.

Yeah, right. Maybe 6 months out of the year, here, but the OP boats in
Lake Erie. That oughta make those puppies perky even if Mom is 85
years old....



Up here the water temp struggles to reach 60 until August...and then it
peaks around 62 or so...unless you're in shallow water, right on a sandy
beach.

On Apr 22, 12:11*pm, Gene Kearns
wrote:
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:50:42 -0400, JimH penned the following well
considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

||"HK" wrote in message

...| JimH wrote:

| "Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
| On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:23:31 -0400, "jamesgangnc" | wrote:

|
| My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
| suit and just jumps in the lake to pee
| Um....I don't know about that. *Mrs. Wave isn't that proletarian. *I
| suspect that most other women, what with their unique
| physiologies/anatomies and moments of periodic infirmities (like the
| way I put that?) would prefer not to jump into the lake to perform
| bodily functions.
|
| Privacy curtains aren't an answer either for obvious reasons.
|
| I think in his case, cuddy is probably the only way to go.
|
| I agree. *Lake Erie water is presently 42 degrees and does not warm up
| for swimming until the end of June.
|
| You just don't see many bowriders on Lake Erie. *They are more for inland
| lake use.
|
|
| What's the usual water temp of Erie in the summer months in your area?
|
|Mid 60's by mid June and mid 70's by the 1st of August. *It stays in the
|70's until about the 1st of October.
|

Holy moly..... that's c-c-c-cold!

--

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepagehttp://pamandgene.idleplay.net/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguidehttp://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I don't get into my pool unless the thermometer is above 80, and I
prefer 85. Ocean and lake temps. need to be about the same for me!

On Apr 22, 10:53*am, HK wrote:
Gene Kearns wrote:
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:23:31 -0400, jamesgangnc penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

I vote for the cuddy, too. After my son froze my butt off on a fishing
trip years ago, I gladly traded the bowrider for the cuddy. Now, in
January, I have a place to sip coffee and warm up before I go to the
back and do some more fishing.

|Small cuddies are worthless as tits on a boar hog in my opinion. *They just
|end up being big storage areas.

How small is small? And you'll have the same problem with the
bowrider.... only the stuff will just roll and blow around.

|No one wants to ride in there so you're
|just sacrificing passenger space that you would have had with an open bow.

You are not *always* underway. My wife likes the privacy issue and,
being very fair, appreciates having somewhere out of the sun. She'll
also go below to read sometimes while we're anchored and I'm fishing.

|If you want to entertain that means other couples. *Everyone will want to
|sit outside when the boat is moving.

That tends to be true.

|When the boat is sitting still the
|cuddy is too hot to stay in anyway.

It sure can where we live, but this guy is going to be in a colder
climate.

|\My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
|suit and just jumps in the lake to pee.

Yeah, right. Maybe 6 months out of the year, here, but the OP boats in
Lake Erie. That oughta make those puppies perky even if Mom is 85
years old....

Guy with a 21' Parker pilothouse has a great cabintop A/C on his boat
that runs off a small gasoline Honda generator he keeps at the stern of
the boat.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...00CC/21parkera...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...00CC/21parkera...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../21parkerg...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

George Forman "grill"......snicker....

I still drop in on rec.boats from time to time... and thought I'd post
an answer for this guy....

I would definitely go with the small cuddy if you're going to
frequently entertain guests, particularly women. You're really kinda
asking a lot from a 21-25 footer, wanting it for fishing *and* skiing.
At first I thought about the Wellcraft Coastal series, which are
superbly designed to make maximum use of interior space and deck
space. But then they're not all that hot for skiing. Just not that
kind of boat. Conversely a 22-23-foot ski boat isn't going to work
too well for fishing. It's not going to have rod holders, fish boxes,
bait wells, etc.

I suggest you do some homework: look very carefully look at the
features, in as great a detail as possible, of the various boats on
the market in that size range - and keep in mind that in terms of
available features, price, there can be a HUGE difference between a 21
footer and a 25 footer.

And don't get size-happy! Don't go buy some cheap-ass piece of crap
just because it's a foot longer.

Lastly, don't forget operating costs, what with gas hitting $4 a
gallon. Although a 25 footer will run fairly well with a single huge
outboard, they're usually set up with two big outboards or a big mutha
inboard, either of which is going to suck money from your bank account
like a vacuum cleaner. Spend the day cruising around in a rig like
that, and you're easily looking at some $150- $300 worth of gas.
Depends on your power setup, how much time you spend running around,
and how much time you spend anchored in one spot with the engine off.

Another possible factor is that if you're going to be towing a 25
footer, you'll need a 2500-3500-series dually truck with a big engine,
which will probably cost more than the boat.

A 21 footer usually runs something like a 5 liter inboard or a single
big outboard like a 200-250, which will be expensive enough.

I would also consider checking around for a clean, almost-new boat.
Since the gas costs went ballistic, I'm seeing used boat lots
absolutely packed with boats like you're describing. People just can't
afford to run them any more. Not just fuel costs, but boat payments,
insurance, towing, food/ice, slip rental, etc.

Summarily, unless you're rich enough that it just doesn't matter, you
have quite a bit to think about before making this decision.

Ron M.

("bstevens@ rock.com" is a fictitious email address)
Email me at ron AT peacefulhills DOT net

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
. com...
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:23:31 -0400, jamesgangnc penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

I vote for the cuddy, too. After my son froze my butt off on a fishing
trip years ago, I gladly traded the bowrider for the cuddy. Now, in
January, I have a place to sip coffee and warm up before I go to the
back and do some more fishing.

|Small cuddies are worthless as tits on a boar hog in my opinion. They
just
|end up being big storage areas.

How small is small? And you'll have the same problem with the
bowrider.... only the stuff will just roll and blow around.

|No one wants to ride in there so you're
|just sacrificing passenger space that you would have had with an open
bow.

You are not *always* underway. My wife likes the privacy issue and,
being very fair, appreciates having somewhere out of the sun. She'll
also go below to read sometimes while we're anchored and I'm fishing.

|If you want to entertain that means other couples. Everyone will want to
|sit outside when the boat is moving.

That tends to be true.

|When the boat is sitting still the
|cuddy is too hot to stay in anyway.

It sure can where we live, but this guy is going to be in a colder
climate.

|\My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
|suit and just jumps in the lake to pee.

Yeah, right. Maybe 6 months out of the year, here, but the OP boats in
Lake Erie. That oughta make those puppies perky even if Mom is 85
years old....

--

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://pamandgene.idleplay.net/

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats

We had a cuddy in my younger days. And was 90% a storage area. Did have a
portapotty but never used. A couple of times my dad took a nap in there,
but when on an inland lake, and was too hot in there in my estimation. I
have a Forward Console boat and the top snaps to the windshield, so I can
make a cabin out of it. Open, small bow, but not for sitting. Other than
the pedestal seat for bass fishing. I really like the forward console with
top configuration.