Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

Hi,

As a first time buyer I’ve come across some important questions and
wanted to solicit some expert opinions. I live in Ohio and will be
boating often on Lake Erie. My wife and I are in the buying process
and are at a cross roads as to whether we should get an Open Bow or a
Cuddy, has anyone been in this position before and if so could you
offer some advice?

We are looking to entertain on this boat and do some skiing along with
fishing.

I should note that we do not plan on sleeping on the boat often if at
all and the boat size we are looking at is 22-25’.

Thank you for your help!

--
Posted at author's request, using fully moderated http://www.BoatingForumz.com interface
Thread archive: http://www.BoatingForumz.com/Open-Bo...pict98265.html

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:22:39 GMT, GoBrowns wrote:

Hi,

As a first time buyer I’ve come across some important questions and
wanted to solicit some expert opinions. I live in Ohio and will be
boating often on Lake Erie. My wife and I are in the buying process
and are at a cross roads as to whether we should get an Open Bow or a
Cuddy, has anyone been in this position before and if so could you
offer some advice?

We are looking to entertain on this boat and do some skiing along with
fishing.

I should note that we do not plan on sleeping on the boat often if at
all and the boat size we are looking at is 22-25’.

Thank you for your help!

Cuddy - in particular if you have wimmenz on board. Better to have a
place to sit down rather than hang off the side when nature calls.
Plus, in most cuddys in that class boat have some sort of
refigeration and service amenities - like a small alcohol/gas stove
and minor couner space. In the 25' class, you might even have a
seperate head.

The wimmez will appreciate the head the most. :)

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

Small cuddies are worthless as tits on a boar hog in my opinion. They just
end up being big storage areas. No one wants to ride in there so you're
just sacrificing passenger space that you would have had with an open bow.
If you want to entertain that means other couples. Everyone will want to
sit outside when the boat is moving. When the boat is sitting still the
cuddy is too hot to stay in anyway. When you're doing water sports everyone
not on the rope wants to watch. Can't watch from the cuddy. Think about
it, who is really going to want to spend any time in the cuddy. If you
really think you need bathroom space there are bowriders in your length
requirement that have small enclosed privacy areas between the main
passenger area and the bow. My experience is that everyone is in a bathing
suit and just jumps in the lake to pee.

"GoBrowns" wrote in message
news:359632_c23431da8c3316fe6a225a9e24b38592@boati ngforumz.com...
Hi,

As a first time buyer I've come across some important questions and
wanted to solicit some expert opinions. I live in Ohio and will be
boating often on Lake Erie. My wife and I are in the buying process
and are at a cross roads as to whether we should get an Open Bow or a
Cuddy, has anyone been in this position before and if so could you
offer some advice?

We are looking to entertain on this boat and do some skiing along with
fishing.

I should note that we do not plan on sleeping on the boat often if at
all and the boat size we are looking at is 22-25'.

Thank you for your help!

--
Posted at author's request, using fully moderated
http://www.BoatingForumz.com interface
Thread archive:
http://www.BoatingForumz.com/Open-Bo...pict98265.html

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"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'm not talking about curtains, there are bow riders in the plus 20ft size
that have created small "privacy" spaces to one side between the main
passenger area and the bow. Hard walled with a door. Just enough space for
a potty without wasting space. If all you really need is bathroom space
this is obviously the way to go.

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.

Certainly depends on the age group and the personal level of sports
activities. But the crowd we move in doesn't mind getting wet. If you're
going to ski, wakeboard, or tube then you're getting in the water.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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?

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

JimH wrote:
"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.



Thanks. I'd never get my wife to stick her toe in the water there even
in August...southern belle that she is. But the 70s was what I grew up
with swimming in Long Island Sound in the Connecticut summers.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

JimH wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
...
JimH wrote:
"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.
Thanks. I'd never get my wife to stick her toe in the water there even in
August...southern belle that she is. But the 70s was what I grew up with
swimming in Long Island Sound in the Connecticut summers.

Any warmer than that and the water feels like bathwater to me.



Yeah, the first time my wife took me swimming down in St. Augustine, I
thought...man, all I need are carrots and onions and I could make soup
out of this ocean water.

But you get used to it. Virginia Beach is as about far north for beach
swimming as we prefer these days. Very high 70's in the summer, plus a
hot wind and it's usually ok for us.

Virginia Beach is a great place to visit, btw, especially if you avoid
the crowded areas. It used to be a dumpy seaside resort, but in the last
20 years, the city fathers have spent hundreds of millions on cleanup
and amenities, and now strictly enforce traffic control, public drinking
laws, et cetera, so the people you don't want to see on a vacation
mostly go elsewhere.

Here's a site with lots of touristy photos:

http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l1...ch_photos.html

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:51:21 -0400, "jamesgangnc"
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'm not talking about curtains, there are bow riders in the plus 20ft size
that have created small "privacy" spaces to one side between the main
passenger area and the bow. Hard walled with a door. Just enough space for
a potty without wasting space. If all you really need is bathroom space
this is obviously the way to go.

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.

Certainly depends on the age group and the personal level of sports
activities. But the crowd we move in doesn't mind getting wet. If you're
going to ski, wakeboard, or tube then you're getting in the water.

JimH makes a great point although to be fair, we don't know where the
original poster is planning on running his boat. You make a good
point with respect to inland lakes where the water temp is up, but you
sure as hell don't want to be doing that in the North Atlantic often.

I think you under estimate the feminine component in all this. Then
again, if he's running inland, there may be facilities available
within a short distance.

With respect to cuddys, I respectfully disagree.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Apr 22, 10:24*am, "JimH" wrote:
"HK" wrote in message

...





JimH wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
...
JimH wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
news:MNednU2WQ46LdpDVnZ2dnUVZ_vadnZ2d@comcast. com...
JimH wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
news: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.
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.
Thanks. I'd never get my wife to stick her toe in the water there even
in August...southern belle that she is. But the 70s was what I grew up
with swimming in Long Island Sound in the Connecticut summers.

Any warmer than that and the water feels like bathwater to me.

Yeah, the first time my wife took me swimming down in St. Augustine, I
thought...man, all I need are carrots and onions and I could make soup out
of this ocean water.

But you get used to it. Virginia Beach is as about far north for beach
swimming as we prefer these days. Very high 70's in the summer, plus a hot
wind and it's usually ok for us.

Virginia Beach is a great place to visit, btw, especially if you avoid the
crowded areas. It used to be a dumpy seaside resort, but in the last 20
years, the city fathers have spent hundreds of millions on cleanup and
amenities, and now strictly enforce traffic control, public drinking laws,
et cetera, so the people you don't want to see on a vacation mostly go
elsewhere.

Here's a site with lots of touristy photos:

http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l1...ch_photos.html

We spent time in Virginia Beach a couple of times visiting with with my BIL
when he was a Commander of an air craft carrier stationed out of Norfolk.
Lots of things to do down there.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Your lies are getting almost as bizarre as Harry's.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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....

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"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.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"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.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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!

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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....

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

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

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"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.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Apr 22, 8:36*am, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
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.


Glad to know I'm not the only one - my wife for reasons I can't fathom
just refuses to pee outside or in the water, she just has no interest
in doing so; makes for extra logistical challenges when I take her out
with me on the waverunner for the day, for her comfort I have to plan
for stops at a marina or restaurant or public beach with facilities at
least every few hours. (I know, it sounds bad and it is a pain, but
she's nice and much more low-maintenance in most other ways!)

richforman

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

Ok - so I'm completely biased ...

For us, the bowrider was a better choice for both of us (she has no
problem dropping into the water for a refreshing break - even in Lake
Erie !!!) and that's what we've had in the last three boats. The one
before that, a 23' Maxxum, was a cuddy but like many others have
stated, it was used for nothing but storage. Our current bowrider,
the 24' Baja, has the fully enclosed space for a porta-potty but we
don't have one in the boat. Instead the storage area is used for - ta
daaaa - storage :-)

Also, as one other poster mentioned - it's got a small-block engine,
but still capable of delivering plenty of power. It's a 6.2L
Mercruiser putting out 320hp.

oh yea - and it's FOR SALE. And our next boat will be a bowrider
also :-)

-------------------------------------
G.D. Smith
Harpers Ferry, WV

FOR SALE: 2003 Baja 242 Islander
http://ICanHelp56.homestead.com/Baja001.html

and if you need a truck to tow it with, we have that available also.
But ONLY as a
package with the boat. I don't really want to sell the truck, but if
it helps move the boat ...

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
My experience with that is the reverse.....:)
JR
snerk

The wimmez will appreciate the head the most. :)

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"JR North" wrote in message
.. .


Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
My experience with that is the reverse.....:)
JR
snerk

The wimmez will appreciate the head the most. :)

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Talk about peeing in the river
http://www.bigducky.com/videos/funny...-pee-prank.htm

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Apr 22, 10:47*am, "Don White" wrote:
"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.

I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?

For me it's kind of hard curling up on a triangle.........

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

Thanks. I'd never get my wife to stick her toe in the water there even in
August...southern belle that she is. But the 70s was what I grew up with
swimming in Long Island Sound in the Connecticut summers.

Listen to your wife, Krausie. After all she's a medical doctor. By the
way, where is her degree from?

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Apr 22, 8:51*pm, "Don White" wrote:
"Tim" wrote in message

...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? * *;-)

Well, actually 6'3.5"

But I figure that's close enough.... anyhow, it still makes for a
tight sack in a cuddie. Now the old 27' Cavalier? I slept many a
comfortble night on that old rig.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Apr 22, 9:31*pm, "JimH" wrote:
"Tim" wrote in message

...
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....

=============

Toledo?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

No, just outside of Cincinnati, I think...

Can't rememeber the town, but I can find out though. I have the old
trailer license plate in the garage. it would probably tell the
county, even. i thought it ws interesting that the trailer plat would
have two stickers on it. One in each upper corner.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

On Apr 22, 1:29*pm, "John" wrote:



LOL - I have had women on my open bow scoot out over the edge and slip the
suit aside - But most simply jump in the water to relieve themselves. *

you mean something like this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQUA1CeiJmc

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)



That is normal. I probably have shrunk to Tim's 6'3.5" in my aged years.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"CalifBill" wrote in message
m...

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)



That is normal. I probably have shrunk to Tim's 6'3.5" in my aged years.

Well...I knew you 'piled it high' down there.................... ;-)

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"CalifBill" wrote in message
m...

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)



That is normal. I probably have shrunk to Tim's 6'3.5" in my aged years.

Well...I knew you 'piled it high' down there.................... ;-)


We have enough warm weather to grow enough food to feed the children.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"CalifBill" wrote in message
m...

"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)



That is normal. I probably have shrunk to Tim's 6'3.5" in my aged
years.

Well...I knew you 'piled it high' down there.................... ;-)


We have enough warm weather to grow enough food to feed the children.

Naw.. it's all that cheap harvesting labour supplied by Mexico.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

Don White wrote:
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
"CalifBill" wrote in message
m...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)


That is normal. I probably have shrunk to Tim's 6'3.5" in my aged
years.
Well...I knew you 'piled it high' down there.................... ;-)

We have enough warm weather to grow enough food to feed the children.

Naw.. it's all that cheap harvesting labour supplied by Mexico.




It'll be very interesting to see what happens when and if the righties
manage to get most of the undocumented Latino aliens deported. I suppose
Reggie's "brilliant son" and his "gorgeous girlfriend" will be out in
the fields, picking strawberries for a living.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

"HK" wrote in message
...
Don White wrote:
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
"CalifBill" wrote in message
m...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)


That is normal. I probably have shrunk to Tim's 6'3.5" in my aged
years.
Well...I knew you 'piled it high' down there.................... ;-)

We have enough warm weather to grow enough food to feed the children.

Naw.. it's all that cheap harvesting labour supplied by Mexico.


It'll be very interesting to see what happens when and if the righties
manage to get most of the undocumented Latino aliens deported. I suppose
Reggie's "brilliant son" and his "gorgeous girlfriend" will be out in the
fields, picking strawberries for a living.

Lots of the Latino's are legal. But if were brought back the Bracero
Program, we would eliminate the illegal problem almost overnight. They
would be able to get short time work permits. The farmers can not get
Americans of non Latino to pick crops. We pay enough welfare, that why
should you work hard for not much different in overall income. You, Harry,
might have to pick crops. Reggies son seems to have better degrees, from
better than Kansas State.

Open Bow vs Cuddy Cabin
 

Calif Bill wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
...
Don White wrote:
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
"CalifBill" wrote in message
m...
"Don White" wrote in message
...
"Tim" wrote in message
...
snip:
I think a sail boat is laid out a little bit differently, though.
Plus... Don, are you 6'4"?
snip:

Good Lord...another 6' 4" poster.
Anyone normal down there? ;-)


That is normal. I probably have shrunk to Tim's 6'3.5" in my aged
years.
Well...I knew you 'piled it high' down there.................... ;-)

We have enough warm weather to grow enough food to feed the children.
Naw.. it's all that cheap harvesting labour supplied by Mexico.

It'll be very interesting to see what happens when and if the righties
manage to get most of the undocumented Latino aliens deported. I suppose
Reggie's "brilliant son" and his "gorgeous girlfriend" will be out in the
fields, picking strawberries for a living.

Lots of the Latino's are legal. But if were brought back the Bracero
Program, we would eliminate the illegal problem almost overnight. They
would be able to get short time work permits. The farmers can not get
Americans of non Latino to pick crops. We pay enough welfare, that why
should you work hard for not much different in overall income. You, Harry,
might have to pick crops. Reggies son seems to have better degrees, from
better than Kansas State.



Sorry, never went to K-State except for "road trips." "Reggie's son" is
as imaginary as the rest of "Reggie's" life here. He's just a construct.