Share your move from bowrider to cruiser experience
Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:04 am
Looking for personal experiences for dayboaters that enjoyed bowriders and moved up to a cruiser. What say you?
My wife & I have a 2014 R5 (arch/bimini, no enclosure) and love it on the Potomac River and on occasion trailer it to Smith Mountain Lake. The biggest detraction from our boating experience is lack of a cabin which would be useful to hide out from a sudden thundershower or take a break and enjoy the AC on a scorching day. I want to explore the Chesapeake Bay and parts of the Carolina ICW but I'm worried I'm limited with a bowrider. Conversely, I recognize there are several shortcoming I'm concerned about with a cruiser:
- losing bow seating area
- aft cabin may not be conducive for a good nights sleep (2 & a dog)
- big boat isn't trailerable
Found a FSBO 2012 Cobalt 323 (arch/bimini has enclosure) in another state and I'm being tempted in the offseason
My wife & I have a 2014 R5 (arch/bimini, no enclosure) and love it on the Potomac River and on occasion trailer it to Smith Mountain Lake. The biggest detraction from our boating experience is lack of a cabin which would be useful to hide out from a sudden thundershower or take a break and enjoy the AC on a scorching day. I want to explore the Chesapeake Bay and parts of the Carolina ICW but I'm worried I'm limited with a bowrider. Conversely, I recognize there are several shortcoming I'm concerned about with a cruiser:
- losing bow seating area
- aft cabin may not be conducive for a good nights sleep (2 & a dog)
- big boat isn't trailerable
Found a FSBO 2012 Cobalt 323 (arch/bimini has enclosure) in another state and I'm being tempted in the offseason