fountain 33 sport fish cruiser

Oceaneer, (good name BTW)

YF really isn't the appropriate place to ask this. Try tapping into the collective knowledge at OffShoreOnly.com. They have a spin-off site called AnglersOnly as well. You are likely to find the answers you are looking for.

That said, a very good friend owns the exact boat you're inquiring about, but it's equipped with triple 225 Opti's. He's had no issues with the boat and because Fountain's hull is stepped and laid-up lighter then the average center-console, it's a fast boat.

Personally, I'm not a fan of beak-boats. I remember (and this goes WAY back) a number of them having their cockpit floors removed to replace fuel tanks. Since then, Reggie is building a much better boat... and he'll be the first one to tell you.

I rather enjoyed Carl's tongue-in-cheek commentary on the beak boats!

If you end up looking for a PlanB, there are the Intrepid Walkaround models. Also OB powered, their nearest sizes are a 310 and a 350. Intrepid's rep on warranty stuff is completely over the top. Bad news is, they usually have a deep waiting list.

Kelly Cook

Yikes! I didn't know the Intrepids were THAT pricey. Sounds like you have covered the bases already.

Kelly

Are you dead set on a Fountain? If you've any interest in working with a semi-custom builder, a Sutphen is the way to go over a Fountain.

http://www.sutphenpowerboats.com/

They have a lousy website because they're about building serious boats, not serious websites... I had edited it out of my post, but it seems to have reappeared.

Richie Sutphen builds a serious, no-BS, no-beak, no-gimmick, honest and fast boat. I have no idea of his current prices, since each boat is mostly custom except for the hull shape.

That's my fault. I thought one of our mods removed the link, so I re-instated it. Sorry 'bout that! Nothing wrong with a link to Richie's boats.

Oceaneer,

I’ve been loosely watching the center-console market for the better part of 2 years. In doing so, I’ve come up to speed a little on these boats, but have never committed the pre-purchase research that would go along with being a serious buyer. I have a hard time digesting the digits that CC builders are trying to command. What was once a utility boat and accordingly priced, has gone way beyond the reach of most fisherman short of a sponsorship by Bud.

This past year's FLIBS was a wash out on Friday morning, so we sought refuge in the convention center, where a good majority of the leading CC builders were displaying the most expensive way to put seafood on the table. There were a few boats that stood out, including Edgewater, Jupiter and Everglades. The ergonomics, lay-out, features and quality of workmanship was class leading. Also notable on these three was the helm seating. They are actually seats (not a leaning post)… and quite comfortable too. Heck, one of them had an automotive-style center console between the seats for beverages, emergency brake, etc.

My biggest gripe with these boats is price and weight. They ALL have too much of both. There is simply no-reason to lay-up hulls this heavy when the engineering and technology exists to make them lighter, faster and just as strong. In questioning this, I’m told things like “ride quality” will suffer from their reps. Hogwash! All of these boats, at least the larger ones, are using deep deadrise hulls that are essentially the same 24-degree deadrise, four-strake hull that was lifted from Dan Weinstein’s Powerplay. Actually, Dan lifted it from Coyote if my memory serves me well. Anyhow, I’ve run a 33’ Powerplay in BIG seas, at nearly twice the speed of today’s CC boats. These boats were laid-up using the same techniques and materials Dan used for his race boats… and they were the softest ride on the water. Any water.

Until consumers start demanding it, it’s cheaper for these builders to overlook the extra resin, favoring a heavy lay-up for a “just-in-case” scenario… and saving them the aggravation of looking over the shoulders of a guy with a roller. If weight and money are a non-issue… take a look at these three boats. BTW… on the Everglades, I can hook you up with their Eastern US director. She’s smart on these boats and not too hard to look at either.

All this behind, my choice would probably be the new 34’ Jupiter. Their line is among the most popular in the market. They got to this point by building a solid boat, without too many bells & whistles to break. One of the same reasons that experienced offshore guys chose Powerplays over Scarabs. Built tough. Nothing to break. Looks good. Goes fast. Done deal.

And if you wanna go fast... I think Jay Pilini's new Spectre 34' or Reggie's similar-size beak boat is your best bet. I much prefer the first, but not overly impressed with the workmanship I've seen. Fountains are finished off better, but part of the price goes to Reggie's gold chain collection.

I took it out, being unsure whether or not it constituted an ad of some sort, and thinking it might have violated a forum rule.

I don't have any link to Sutphen, other than my dad owning three over the years - two 17'5" Sport Pacers in the 1970's, and a 1987 33' Outrageous. The Outrageous (with twin 360 HP 454 Magnums and TRS drives mounted way up high) would outrun any Fountain on the Hudson River, the Jersey Shore, and the Long Island Sound - even a 12 meter with triple 565 HP supercharged stroked 454s. That boat would handle rough water that turned Fountains and Hustlers back to port. It sounds like braggadocio but I assure you it's not.

Richie builds a fantastic seagoing boat... lighter, stronger, softer ride, and faster than the well known brands... but he won't do "production" boats. That's his strength and his weakness.

Are the owners more concerned with a wide dealer network to handle warranty worries and getting a boat "right now," or getting the right boat and having fewer headaches?

This isn't meant to be an antagonistic question in any way... it truly is a matter of the personality of the owner. Custom-building a small boat can be a headache on a proportional scale as a large one, obviously.

Serious RIB's, look at Ribtec in the UK.

http://www.camelboats.com/