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View Full Version : 2005 Stealth, 25ft vs. 28ft ??



Stealth Marine
09-24-2004, 07:52 AM
Question for everyone.
"IF" I was able to offer my current 25ft boat as a 27.5ft instead, and "IF" the price was the same and all the interior was the same, WHY would you want to buy the shorter boat and not the longer one?
I am seriously thinking about lengthening the 25, and I do not think it will result in a substancial price difference to the retail customer at all.
So I am currious if I have these two boats side by side, if all the sales of the 25 will just go away...

PHX ATC
09-24-2004, 10:34 AM
Storage issue might come into play for some folk, although I bet the minority.
I would jazz up the 27.5 instead of the 25 if I were looking and they were within $5K of each other, let alone same-o same-o.

Stealth Marine
09-24-2004, 10:44 AM
Storage issue might come into play for some folk, although I bet the minority.
I would jazz up the 27.5 instead of the 25 if I were looking and they were within $5K of each other, let alone same-o same-o.
The question is, just how many people will be constrained by the length??

dicudmore
09-24-2004, 10:52 AM
price being similar I can't think of many reasons to want the shorter boat, unless they perform radically different or something, which I would doubt...

Stealth Marine
09-24-2004, 12:55 PM
price being similar I can't think of many reasons to want the shorter boat, unless they perform radically different or something, which I would doubt...
All in all I would expect the longer boat to perform better than the shorter one. Granted, it will weigh a bit more, and might need a bit more power to obtain the same speed, but the ride should be just that much better as well.

dicudmore
09-24-2004, 12:58 PM
All in all I would expect the longer boat to perform better than the shorter one. Granted, it will weigh a bit more, and might need a bit more power to obtain the same speed, but the ride should be just that much better as well.
ride is a good thing :D
that lake is not getting any smoother thats for sure

luckymick
09-25-2004, 11:47 AM
Yeah, I'd go for the 27.5 (28 footer) all day long. Then again, I want to use my boat on the ocean some in addition to the big lakes (Mohave & Mead).
People that would want a 25 would probably have storage/towing constraints, small family, or just don't need the extra girth. I bet there would still be a market for both hulls: 25 & 27+.
Down side, as you mentioned Chris, would be the extra power required to push the longer hull to the same speeds (the mercruiser premium is a significant consideration - 496 vs 525 now that the 500 is discontinued!). I guess that would be the price differential plus the extra cost of materials...
Add the extra length and some of the changes you've been considering and you would have a really strong product at a great price point!

Kilrtoy
09-26-2004, 02:19 PM
if you could get a 27 for the same price as the 25 , why wouldnt you.....

SHOTKALLIN
09-26-2004, 07:23 PM
I would definitely get the 28'. The only down side i would think is not everyone has the storage space. Cant wait to see it.

rodnjen
09-27-2004, 06:30 AM
I guess I'll be the lone descendent (sp). Moving from 25 to 27.5 may make the boat less manuverable, harder to load and unload and offer little up-side on the ride. Yes, it may handle the chop a little better, but a well-made 25 should handle lake boating just fine.
People seem to be moving to bigger boats, but many of them don't know how to drive them, eventhough they think they do. It all comes down to what you use a boat for; if all you are doing is running up and down the lake, then why not get something that really performs, 27.5 takes a lot of HP to add excitement to the equation; if water sports are important then 27.5 will likely diminish utility.
I know everyone has different needs, so it really comes down to utility and intended use :2purples: .

Stealth Marine
09-27-2004, 07:01 AM
I guess I'll be the lone descendent (sp). Moving from 25 to 27.5 may make the boat less manuverable, harder to load and unload and offer little up-side on the ride. Yes, it may handle the chop a little better, but a well-made 25 should handle lake boating just fine.
People seem to be moving to bigger boats, but many of them don't know how to drive them, eventhough they think they do. It all comes down to what you use a boat for; if all you are doing is running up and down the lake, then why not get something that really performs, 27.5 takes a lot of HP to add excitement to the equation; if water sports are important then 27.5 will likely diminish utility.
I know everyone has different needs, so it really comes down to utility and intended use :2purples: .
Once again this forum proves its value!
Thanks for the comments.
In reality there are ALWAYS reasons why we lean in both directions.
I agree, the trend IS towards Bigger and Bigger boats.
And given a same or very similar price, I think most people would like the bigger boat.
But the reality is, that extra 2.5 ft WILL cost you in one way or another.
Towability, Manuverability, Top Speed, Storability, etc..
All of these have to be considered by each person who is looking for a boat.
For me and my family of 6, the 252 is a great boat, but then we tend to load that baby down on the weekends, and I wouldn't mind having a 28 for a moment. I just plain want MORE space to haul all the stuff my kids like to take to the coves. And the longest haul I have to make is about 1 mile to the launch ramp, not 400 back and forth to So. Cal.

Racer277
09-27-2004, 09:09 AM
Honestly this is a tough decision. Ride is important, but the boat price would raise for the same performance. I will be in the market for a 25+ in the next few years, and I will look at 27's for the ride.
The wife says ride is super important, at least until we get passed by another boat. Then ride and speed is important, and what the wife says goes....
Also, the extra storage would sell her every time.
Don't know about wakeboarding behind a 27 though, that sounds expensive.

Stealth Marine
09-27-2004, 10:57 AM
Honestly this is a tough decision. Ride is important, but the boat price would raise for the same performance. I will be in the market for a 25+ in the next few years, and I will look at 27's for the ride.
The wife says ride is super important, at least until we get passed by another boat. Then ride and speed is important, and what the wife says goes....
Also, the extra storage would sell her every time.
Don't know about wakeboarding behind a 27 though, that sounds expensive.
As always, Speed = $$$
Its not how fast you want to go, but how much you can afford!
As for the wife, sounds like she is a "KEEPER", women who like fast boats are hard to come by..

Under the Bridge
09-27-2004, 03:57 PM
Yes. I would trade the 25' for a 27.5'

Stealth Marine
09-27-2004, 04:02 PM
Yes. I would trade the 25' for a 27.5'
Would ya now?
You know, for a small fee, we could take that boat of your's and "Stretch-It"...
You know, sorta do a stretch-Limo conversion job to it :) ..

Tommy1005
09-27-2004, 07:47 PM
for me I would probably stay with the 25
1) it would be easier to tow with a 1/2 ton truck
2) it would fit in a 30' storage unit, instead of having to get a bigger one
3) the lake I would keep it on in the summer has lifts for the boats under 25' and over 25' you have to buy your own lift
4) For skiing, the 25 would throw a smaller wake and get out of the hole faster with the same power than the 27.5
That's just my 2 cents. I think there would be a market for both boats. I would also think that first-time boat owners like myself would tend to look more at 25' max for a boat and 27.5' might be a little too much for a beginning boater. That however would not be a consideration for me simply because my family has a 27' boat right now, so it wouldn't bother me.

Stealth Marine
09-28-2004, 07:08 AM
Thanks for your comments Tommy, I appreciate your taking the time to consider my question.
Clearly, there ARE two sides to this issue, and hearing from real world boat owners is a big help in deciding if its worth all the time and money to press forward with a larger version of what we already have.
It would cost me at least $50,000.00 to stretch the boat another 2-3ft, and I really don't want to do that if it going to kill off sales on the 25ft.
So I am trying to get a good feel for how people will split between the two boats, and your comments are most appreciated!!

Slib77
09-28-2004, 09:09 AM
I think one advantage of a 27.5 would be a deeper cockpit area and more legroom between the rear seats and front seats. That was our main concern with most of the boats we saw at the show.

Stealth Marine
09-28-2004, 09:37 AM
I think one advantage of a 27.5 would be a deeper cockpit area and more legroom between the rear seats and front seats. That was our main concern with most of the boats we saw at the show.
And that is the PRIME reason we are considering the longer version of the Stealth. An extra couple of feet would really "Open Up" the boat and allow a lot more useable space for the occupants to move around in.

Slib77
09-28-2004, 10:11 AM
Perfect :D

cc322
09-28-2004, 05:21 PM
Where would you be adding the length? If your adding it to the swim step I dont think it would be worth it, or even if your spliting the differance not worth it imo. Example some boats are called 25's when the true running surface is only 24. My 24Lave is sold as a 24 but the overall length is 25'2 which they could actually sell it as a 25 but they dont. If you are adding the length to the running surface , I think myself as a customer would step up in size. But a 25 is a real good allaround boat imo

Stealth Marine
09-29-2004, 09:15 AM
Where would you be adding the length? If your adding it to the swim step I dont think it would be worth it, or even if your spliting the differance not worth it imo. Example some boats are called 25's when the true running surface is only 24. My 24Lave is sold as a 24 but the overall length is 25'2 which they could actually sell it as a 25 but they dont. If you are adding the length to the running surface , I think myself as a customer would step up in size. But a 25 is a real good allaround boat imo
I was thinking about 1 foot in the Mid-Cuddy and about 2 ft in the rear passenger area.

prop check
10-03-2004, 12:57 PM
Wait before you try stretching your 25 to 27.5!!!!! go splash one of the old 28 virages :D J/K I looked at the 28 footers when shopping for my 25 and just liked the fact it did what the larger boats did and still pulled a skier and I can hook it up alone and it fits in my garage.

Stealth Marine
10-04-2004, 09:00 AM
Wait before you try stretching your 25 to 27.5!!!!! go splash one of the old 28 virages :D J/K I looked at the 28 footers when shopping for my 25 and just liked the fact it did what the larger boats did and still pulled a skier and I can hook it up alone and it fits in my garage.
We have considered going that route.
But if you have been up close to the Virage 27 you know that its a whole different boat. Its much taller on the sides and deeper in the cockpit.
Not sure if that is the route we want to go.
At this point its just an open discussion to see what people are looking for.
But my inclination is that the current 25' Stealth would be near ideal if it was 2-2.5ft longer.