hot boat or power boat?

[22zxla]

Every month look forward to both magagines arrival! Both arrive on the same day, what do read first ? what one do enjoy the most? why?

[Carl C]

I have also been a long time subscriber to both. I like 'em both but read Powerboat first. Powerboat seems to be more mature and professional and also contains Donzi ads and features. Hot Boat is a west coast publication that seems to care more about the girls than the boats. Also very little Donzi representation. Lately Powerboat has been leaning toward bowriders and deck boats. Not a good trend IMO. I'd also like to see more smaller closed bow lake boats in both mags. I do get tired of reading about boats that cost a quarter million dollars and up!:checkered

[fasttrucker]

I let my Powerboat go and only get Hot Boat.I sure do miss Powerboat! Iam troubled by all the Hot Babes in Hot Boat!I think these west coast women need to head EAST!:lightning

[22zxla]

carl you really nailed your observations of both magazines. Last summer found a mag called speedboat it was actually better than both. It had plenty of usefull tips and articles for the average performance boater.Havent seen it on the news stands any more although since katrina we dont get much mail in new orleans like before. Curious if its still available ? Anyone know? Thanks

[Dr. Dan]

carl you really nailed your observations of both magazines. Last summer found a mag called speedboat it was actually better than both. It had plenty of usefull tips and articles for the average performance boater.Havent seen it on the news stands any more although since katrina we dont get much mail in new orleans like before. Curious if its still available ? Anyone know? Thanks

:spongebob I just picked up my first copy of Speed Boat, I highly recommend it, it has artcles written by Eric Colby who has written in Powerboat for years!
I like factual no BS articles, these guys appear to be truthful in your face actual mechanics, not drivers, not publicists for Mercs latest $800 Prop that still needs to be labbed to really bring out its best performance.

I found a great artical on actual horsepower required to gain a single mile per hour. It tested out to be 20 horses, per mph gain. It was a very interesting test. They also mention the intangibles,step hulls, etc.... they also do a reality check on the New CMI's on the 496. Gain was closer to 45 to 50 Horses, on a 22 Scarab, speed gain was 3 mph over all, but response and economy was better with the CMI's. Acknowledging that each hull is different...I found the article telling because the author has a 22 Scarab with a 496HO, so its closer to our hull designs.

I will likely subscribe to speed boat...I already get Powerboat...but I am always a few million shy of affording most of the featured boats...in most of these Mags.

:spongebob Doc

[ChromeGorilla]

IMO neither..... info is usually old and can readily be found on internet sites such as hotboat.net , offshoreonly.com, and other boating forums long before it's printed....... for example..... pics and info on the new 700Sci were all over the net within hours being unveiled in Miami..... maybe you can catch it in the following months boating mags.....

[Dr. Dan]

IMO neither..... info is usually old and can readily be found on internet sites such as hotboat.net , offshoreonly.com, and other boating forums long before it's printed....... for example..... pics and info on the new 700Sci were all over the net within hours being unveiled in Miami..... maybe you can catch it in the following months boating mags.....

True, but the Mags make great "Library Reading material" during intense meditative sessions!

If ya catch my drift Ole Ape Like Classic Cruise Boyah! :spongebob

Doc of a pretting big Library :cool:

[boxy]

:spongebob I just picked up my first copy of Speed Boat, I highly recommend it, it has artcles written by Eric Colby who has written in Powerboat for years!
I like factual no BS articles, these guys appear to be truthful in your face actual mechanics, not drivers, not publicists for Mercs latest $800 Prop that still needs to be labbed to really bring out its best performance.
I found a great artical on actual horsepower required to gain a single mile per hour. It tested out to be 20 horses, per mph gain. It was a very interesting test. They also mention the intangibles,step hulls, etc.... they also do a reality check on the New CMI's on the 496. Gain was closer to 45 to 50 Horses, on a 22 Scarab, speed gain was 3 mph over all, but response and economy was better with the CMI's. Acknowledging that each hull is different...I found the article telling because the author has a 22 Scarab with a 496HO, so its closer to our hull designs.
I will likely subscribe to speed boat...I already get Powerboat...but I am always a few million shy of affording most of the featured boats...in most of these Mags.
:spongebob Doc


Doc there is a great quote in this month's SpeedBoat, I'll dig it out and post it later.....

[ChromeGorilla]

True, but the Mags make great "Library Reading material" during intense meditative sessions!



Very true Dan.... very true.... :toiletpap :toiletpap :toiletpap

[Carl C]

Hey Chrome, I'm not sure what your new signature means but putting Bush and gunpoint in the same sentence might net you a visit from the Secret Service!:eek!:

[22zxla]

Glad to see speedboat is still around! Only saw 1 mag but its in my one seat library. the other two are good but get tired of seeing nothing but fountains.Although when they take out 5 page ads guess they will get plenty of press. Although donzi does get a little play in powerboat.

[boxy]

I found the quotes I was looking for........
The price as tested for the Fountain 47 Lightning was $827,574


"Get Shorty The running surfaces found on Fountain Boats have always been shorter than those on boats with similar LOA's. The 47 Lightning has 20" of bow overhang and 26" of swim platform. for a total of almost 4' of boat that never touches the water. That leaves a 43' running surface. Comparison shoppers will look at the Donzi 43 ZR ($621,917 with the same power) which should run speeds similar to my test boat and feels like a bigger boat"

"You pay for almost 4' of boat that you never use"

It's nice to see a magazine that doesn't blur the lines between editorial and advertising departments.

[fasttrucker]

Boxy,Ive run the tape on the bottom of my boat.:confused: when I was looking to buy.Also fountain and sonic.I think that should be a spec. that should be on all boat performance testing.Fountain really cheats with that long nose.

[Dr. Dan]

Boxy,Ive run the tape on the bottom of my boat.:confused: when I was looking to buy.Also fountain and sonic.I think that should be a spec. that should be on all boat performance testing.Fountain really cheats with that long nose.


I am not sure I would call it cheating? I think it's undeniable that Fountain is a very strong brand in Offshore Performance, it's also generally accepted by knowledgeable boaters that the characteristic "Beak Boats" are in fact shorter actual running surface than the LOA listed.

The fact is Reggie has done a better job than most at keeping his name in front of the boat buying public, he runs his boats, he challenges himself and his associates to step up and perform and to constantly be in the public and professionals eye.

I am not a Fountain Fan, I do like the boats, they run well and are faster running hulls on average than comparable boats. So ya have to give the guy credit...he is what he is....and ya have to respect that.

The neat thing is that Donzi is finally able to step up(no pun intended), that a younger owner in Outerlimits is challenging Reggie all of the time and that all of the stir in the Offshore Industry is really exciting! I can't recall a time in the last 40 years that we have seen so much positive design development and public ability to purchase these things as what is happening right now.

IMO it is a very exciting time in Offshore Performance Boating, especially considering the dismantling of the original Thunder Boat Row, this action and competition is a very fitting tribute to the Legend of not only Don Aronow, but Brownie and the many others who really were the Fore Fathers of this whole industry.

What a neat time to be alive, so much change in the World, So much Technology, it's great to participate in the positive side of Capitalism.

Off the Box Now! Sorry!

:rolleyes: Doc of Nostalgic Gastro Influxes & Beef :biggrin:

[22zxla]

Glad im not the only one that noticed the way fountain cheats on the lenght of thier boats. Always hated that long nosethat gives them xtra lenght.Also hate they way they sit in the water,back end sits so low!Also the older ones graphics suck! Like the way baja looks but who' s doing thier graghics? Every one is plain ,ugly and similar.

[gcarter]

I do get tired of reading about boats that cost a quarter million dollars and up!:checkered
Ditto sailing cruisers and race boats, sport fishermen, motor yachts, etc, etc, etc!!!:confused: :cussball:

[roadtrip se]

The internet sites are great for the latest information, but culling through all of the BS prevelant on those sites can be a little tiresome. The top end of the sport does attract its share of egos and $30K/year millionaires leveraged to the hilt to afford buying one of the latest, multi-colored behemoths. Because of this noise, I think some of the camaderie is lost, which is one of the primary reasons I bought a Donzi and walked away from big offshore boats.

Magazines, I'm with Dan. One needs reading material. I read Power Boat, Family and Performance, Poker Runs America, and Boating.

I just let my Hot Boat subscription lapse, because I wouldn't sit down at a bar next to most of their models, much less let them sit on my boat. Too much Larry Flynt influence lately.

The Speed Boat magazine I believe is an offshoot of Boating Magazine. I did enjoy Eric Colby's pointed comments, but they were a little repetitive.

Family and Performance Magzine also has some nice "how-to" jewels in it, but I never seem to get the thing consistently, even though my subscription is paid up.

Power Boat has changed ownership recently and broomed some of the staff that didn't seem to have a clue. I think the magazine is getting better all the time. The photography is fanatastic.

Poker Runs America is another great magazine if you want to see some great pictures. Bill Taylor runs quite the propaganda machine for the PRA, but the runs, the people, and the photography are top knotch.

As for Dan's comments on Fountain and what he has done for the industry, I agree. Boxy, the size and beak comments are tired and worn out. I owned some of his boats in the past and they were always great quality performers. My personal interactions with Reggie have never been overwhelming and I really don't like the guy, which seems to be pretty prevelant in the sport. But what he has done for the sport and continues to do for the sport, can not be taken away from him. A lot of the guys that are now running Outerlimits, Cigarettes, Nortech's, and even Donzi's ZR line got their start in a Fountain.

One final comment from the Sunday sermon, I have a dream that some day offshore racing will become a unified group once again. The only way to truly humble a Reggie Fountain is to give him some solid competition on the race course. With multiple sanctioning bodies and the constant, ego driven squabbles today, offshore racing is a joke. This former fan just flips right over those pages in the magazines...

Stepping off the truly rotten soap box now...

[boxy]

Tripper/Doc, I know the beak/lenght comments are tired, all I was saying was it was nice to see a magazine that didn't succumb to the 10 pages of advertising that Fountain usually purchases...
Plus I didn't print, SpeedBoat did.

[roadtrip se]

Tripper/Doc, I know the beak/lenght comments are tired, all I was saying was it was nice to see a magazine that didn't succumb to the 10 pages of advertising that Fountain usually purchases...
Plus I didn't print, SpeedBoat did.

and I'm looking to criticize a Fountain, do I use the old worn beak boat, short hull crap posted off all over OSO and Speedwake, or perhaps do I truly think for myself, and ignore the ad dollars for the 10 page spread in the front of my magazine.

Let's see, if Eric actually looked at the typical Fountain he would find:

- A driving position suitable for people 5'9' and shorter.
- An archaic dash that hasn't been updated in 25 years where half the gauges are blocked by the steering wheel.
- Wood construction all over the interior, including the seats and the stick built cabin. Plastic and fiberglass are more the norm now, but more expensive to build.
- A jumble of wire behind the dash with no seals on the electrical contact points.
- Paint jobs with no faring and no clearcoat protection, with some that go all the way to the water line and immediately start to chip off.
- Plastic ventilation hatches.
- Sea Ray style windshields that destroy the lines of the boat.
- Bilge coatings that absorb any dirt permanently.
- Vinyl seat coverings that are impossible to keep clean.

As a former Fountain owner, I could go on, but I think you get the point. Picking on Reggie about the beak and the over-stated length is softball, compared to what Eric could have really said.

Now Boxy, let's take this one up again on the docks at 1000 Islands, say about mid-July?

[Carl C]

Wow, RTSE, one minute you have nothing but praise for Fountain boats and the next your rippin' them a new A-hole!!:shocking:

[roadtrip se]

I standby what I said... I had a quality performance experience with my Fountains.

BUT, no boat is perfect, and Fountains aren't either. For that matter, neither are Donzis. I always wonder what goes through a new boat owner's mind when the first thing breaks, they have to make arrangements to fix it, either themselves or through a warranty claim, and they get all bent out of shape about the whole process. These aren't cars.

Ironically, I've had my Donzi Classic longer than all three Fountains combined, but it's a little differently configured from when it left the factory...

[Dr. Dan]

I standby what I said... I had a quality performance experience with my Fountains.
BUT, no boat is perfect, and Fountains aren't either. For that matter, neither are Donzis. I always wonder what goes through a new boat owner's mind when the first thing breaks, they have to make arrangements to fix it, either themselves or through a warranty claim, and they get all bent out of shape about the whole process. These aren't cars.
Ironically, I've had my Donzi Classic longer than all three Fountains combined, but it's a little differently configured from when it left the factory...

:cool: Yes now it has that Silly Blue Color Motor, How Trendy, next it'll be a Deisel - Yanmar... I suppose your's ride on a MYCO too .. huh Trippin Dude?

Hope that lower is polished Motor Head Boy!!! By the Way is that Barn Squirrel Proof?

Doc of Nothing :spongebob

[Carl C]

I'm just messing with you RTSE and I admit I had to look up "dichotomy" in the dictionary. My one and only experience in a true offshore powerboat was back in the 80's in a 33' Fountain Executioner on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. Courtesy of Mike Fox, may he rest in peace. I used to have the utmost respect for Fountain Powerboats but not so much anymore. Many of them are outdated.:hyper:

[roadtrip se]

:cool: Yes now it has that Silly Blue Color Motor, How Trendy, next it'll be a Deisel - Yanmar... I suppose your's ride on a MYCO too .. huh Trippin Dude?
Hope that lower is polished Motor Head Boy!!! By the Way is that Barn Squirrel Proof?
Doc of Nothing :spongebob

Dang it, those squirrels have been in the exhaust tips stashing nuts all winter!
Crafty little buggers. This year, I suggest we re-name AOTH the Awakening of the Squirrels in honor of my little furry guests!

Yes, yes, that blue paint sure clashes with red AND TEAL for that matter.
With today's fuel prices, Yanmar gray sure seems more responsible, NOT!
And all of that stainless and other bling.., how tacky and un-Classic-like!
Yuck.

"Keeper of the Evil Twin, can his half brother come out and play at Cumberland this year?"

[Dr. Dan]

Dang it, those squirrels have been in the exhaust tips stashing nuts all winter!
Crafty little buggers. This year, I suggest we re-name AOTH the Awakening of the Squirrels in honor of my little furry guests!
Yes, yes, that blue paint sure clashes with red AND TEAL for that matter.
With today's fuel prices, Yanmar gray sure seems more responsible, NOT!
And all of that stainless and other bling.., how tacky and un-Classic-like!
Yuck.
"Keeper of the Evil Twin, can his half brother come out and play at Cumberland this year?"

:spongebob I am working on it....

Keeper of the Squirrel Cage

Doc :beer: