Advice on 19' or 21'

[2kwik4u]

Did I mention the boat is a rocket with the twins?

I always thought the best "speed" boat of the Yamaha offerings would be a 21ft hull with twin 1.8HO's in it. I think the old 212SS was this same arrangement. I've only seen a few of the modified SVHO boats (SX192 @SamCF has is one in particular) hit 60mph. Not sure what the older 212SS runs, or what the new 212 Limited S runs, but I think they're in the 50's right?

I'm curious if the 25' hulls with the twin SVHO's take that "top spot" or not. Would love to see a 252E FSH hit 60mph. Not sure if it will quite make it or not.

 

[Sean R]

Drag, there is definitely more space on the 21, I just went from a Ar190 to the 212S. Not huge amount but my family and I can really tell. I have had 9 on my 190 4 adults and 5 kids, it was tight the boat was working to pull the tube with all that extra weight, but the 190 did it.The family we brought out that day loved our boat so much they bought it off me . All that being said it is a give and take our 190 was reliable, easy to maintain and store, an all around great boat. The 21',s are bigger, storage could be an issue, a little more maintenance and more expensive but my 212S is freaking rocket. If I was between an Ar195 and AR210, it would come down to storage for me. Both boats are awesome. I like the blue 2021 Ar195 and white 2021 Ar210

 

[2kwik4u]

Drag, there is definitely more space on the 21, I just went from a Ar190 to the 212S. Not huge amount but my family and I can really tell. I have had 9 on my 190 4 adults and 5 kids, it was tight the boat was working to pull the tube with all that extra weight, but the 190 did it.The family we brought out that day loved our boat so much they bought it off me . All that being said it is a give and take our 190 was reliable, easy to maintain and store, an all around great boat. The 21',s are bigger, storage could be an issue, a little more maintenance and more expensive but my 212S is freaking rocket. If I was between an Ar195 and AR210, it would come down to storage for me. Both boats are awesome. I like the blue 2021 Ar195 and white 2021 Ar210

Interesting post. We have an AR190 now and are considering an upgrade in the spring (if we can find a boat to buy that is). I somewhat have the mindset that once it leaves the realm of fitting in the garage, I want the biggest boat I can afford. However, the comments about the 212 being significantly larger than the 190, as well as the rocketship speed have me considering not getting the largest boat I can put my hands on.

 

[Sean R]

2kwik4u, we have or should I say had the same boat and truck for that matter. I've read a lot of you posts and you will love the 212S. But a the new 25' looks pretty bad a$$. I wanted a 24/25 but still to big for my winter storage.

 

[2kwik4u]

2kwik4u, we have or should I say had the same boat and truck for that matter. I've read a lot of you posts and you will love the 212S. But a the new 25' looks pretty bad a$$. I wanted a 24/25 but still to big for my winter storage.

Biggest thing about the upgrade is not breaking the bank. I could drop $100k on a Scarab 255 Open ID tomorrow, but I couldn't afford to trailer/drive/fuel/eat for the next 2 decades.

So even a new 255X is probably beyond the scope of where we're headed. We paid $30k for the AR190 brand new. If I could stay under say $55-60k I would be in good shape. There are some used 242X and 242Limited S models that are sneaking in close to that $60k upper end, but I find a few 212Limited S's for under $60k every now and then.

The big things we're looking for is a little more cruising speed, and a shade more space. 4 adults and 4 boys under 10 makes the 190 feel "tight". Manageable, but tight. I doubt we have more than that on the boat more than once or twice a year. Once we have that many people, cruising in the mid 30's is a WOT affair. I'm not a fan of running the boat quite that hard.

How do you feel about having 4 adults and 4 kids on your 212, and cruising in the high 30's/low 40's. Is that possible?

 

[HangOutdoors]

@2kwik4u As an example, 4 adults and 4 kids on my boat is not tight at all. Plenty of room. With 8 I get high 30's (38/39 depending on conditions), of course the 212 will go faster, although I spent 42k OTD new. Not sure if the "J" seating adds that much more space or not.

 

[Sean R]

I just got it last week and only have been out once, weather permitting going out tomorrow. It was just my wife , 2 sons and myself. Cruising at 30ish was awesome boat is a lot quieter at that speed. 4 adults and 4 kids would be alot more comfortable the 4 kids could all sit in the bow. Guys like us coming from a 19, we really would appreciate the 21. A 24/25 would feel huge. All that being said my family and I had 3 1/2 great summers on that 190, 3 1/2 years of sun burns and smiles.

 

[2kwik4u]

@Sean R @HangOutdoors Thanks for the info.

Just realized the 212S is "only" 57k MSRP. Even brand new they are under that top budget number. I thought they were a lot more than that for some reason.

I really like the tower/bimini/stereo on the 242XE, but don't really want the electronic throttles, or the ballast setup.

First world problems/decisions right?

Also, this is the tail end of season 4 for us on the 190. We love the boat. Super easy to pull, own, store, maintain. Aside from the pesky hot water leak it's been great for us. It's SOOOOOOOO much nicer than the '98 Rinker 18ft we had before. Stereo, Power, Space, Storage......all the things are better on the Yamaha. We already feel like we have a giant upgrade from before.

Buddy also floated the idea of some winter mods to "refresh" the AR190 and get a few more seasons of use from it. Seadeck, Ridesteady, and a sub are a LOT cheaper than a new boat. Doesn't get me any additional space or speed though

 

[HangOutdoors]

It's all about the bank roll. Once you figure out what you can spend vs what you want to spend then the rest lays bare.

 

[Sean R]

That is the one thing I am worried about, the connext screen. I read more issues with that thing then any timing chain issue. I got my 2020 212S used guy bought it in March wanted something bigger. It pretty much feel in my lap and was only 8 miles from my house. It really worked out well for myself and the seller, us being so close.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@2kwik4u But if you mod and keep the boat a couple few more seasons, perhaps those lovely in water seats and some other cool things will filter down to all the 25' and 21' models.

We are thinking about the AR250 for the spring, but I would be annoyed if the year after they filter down some cool things like the seating. You never know. I know it is always the game you play with these type of purchases, but I have a funny feeling about it.

Once I get to see an AR250 in person, it may help, but we keep talking, going back and forth about upgrading now or just adding a few more mods if any and seeing what comes up within 1-2 years.

 

[2kwik4u]

@2kwik4u But if you mod and keep the boat a couple few more seasons, perhaps those lovely in water seats and some other cool things will filter down to all the 25' and 21' models.

We are thinking about the AR250 for the spring, but I would be annoyed if the year after they filter down some cool things like the seating. You never know. I know it is always the game you play with these type of purchases, but I have a funny feeling about it.

You're not wrong. Not even a little bit. I'm more worried about moving up to a 21ft, and then in a year wishing I would have gone all the way to a 24ft. Once it leaves our garage and has to be put in offsite storage, the cost of ownership difference between the two really shrinks to almost nothing. You can find some '18-'19 AR240's for mid 50's. Get the dual 1.8's, tons of space, cable throttles, and then have some cash leftover for mods (like Ridesteady, SeaDeck, and Stereo. Same cost to get right into a 212S, brand spankin new (assuming I can find one), and have warranty again, and all those nice things that come with a brand new boat.

OOF.......I need to just go sit on some in the showroom and spend some time figuring out which one we want.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@2kwik4u Well you are in Indiana and I am in Michigan, I will let you know when my dealer or any dealers around here have any on the floor so that I can walk through them. Would be worth the drive in either direction for me at least. The trifecta would be a2021 212s (already seen and walked through), an AR250 and a FSH 25. Can only dream that they would all be there at the same time and available for viewing.

 

[2kwik4u]

@2kwik4u Well you are in Indiana and I am in Michigan, I will let you know when my dealer or any dealers around here have any on the floor so that I can walk through them. Would be worth the drive in either direction for me at least. The trifecta would be a2021 212s (already seen and walked through), an AR250 and a FSH 25. Can only dream that they would all be there at the same time and available for viewing.

Our local dealership usually keeps a "one of each" sitting around. They have a small "dock" that they back up I think 8 or 10 boats to so you can walk up the stairs and then have easy access to each of the models. Can even run "back and forth" and check things out between models.

Of course that was before the global pandemic and the hottest boat market I've seen in 15yrs.

I'll be out that way this weekend, I'll stop by and see what they have sitting around and let you know.

 

[212s]

I always thought the best "speed" boat of the Yamaha offerings would be a 21ft hull with twin 1.8HO's in it. I think the old 212SS was this same arrangement. I've only seen a few of the modified SVHO boats (SX192 @SamCF has is one in particular) hit 60mph. Not sure what the older 212SS runs, or what the new 212 Limited S runs, but I think they're in the 50's right?

Yup top speed so far is just over 52. Cooler air masses in the fall might see more, but that's plenty fast. We mainly cruise right around 5300rpm and 27mph which gives us 3.0 mpg in most conditions for economical distances cruising. The rest of the time it's whatever the situation calls for, like punching out of the no wake zone beside a pontoon boat and watch their jaws drop as we rocket away.

[q/quote]I'm curious if the 25' hulls with the twin SVHO's take that "top spot" or not. Would love to see a 252E FSH hit 60mph. Not sure if it will quite make it or not.[/QUOTE]
There's already a quick review of the 255 FSH with twin SVHO engines and it hit 54mph but only at 7400rpm. Should be more revs I think.

 

[212s]

Just realized the 212S is "only" 57k MSRP.

You just answered your own question...time to put a deposit down on a 212s.

I really like the tower/bimini/stereo on the 242XE, but don't really want the electronic throttles, or the ballast setup.

Sounds like us...must haves were tower and dual engine performance among other things. We don't surf so no need for the ballast, but skiing, boarding, tubing is great.

It's SOOOOOOOO much nicer than the '98 Rinker 18ft we had before. Stereo, Power, Space, Storage......all the things are better on the Yamaha. We already feel like we have a giant upgrade from before.

Same here...we came from a 20 year old 20 footer and this is a massive upgrade, both in space, performance, handling/ride, and tech. Very happy.

If space is your main concern, you really need to get into a 21' at least, possibly an AR240 as it's not much more but adds a bit more room and performs about the same with the twin 1.8L engines. For us, we could have made do with a 19 footer like the 195s as the kids are grown and not around as much. But the 212s means we can have more people when needed, and it has the twin engine performance with similar fuel economy to the single SVHO. The added size of the 24 footer was not needed, so this was the obvious choice for us.

 

[212s]

That is the one thing I am worried about, the connext screen.

I wouldn't worry about it too much...people only complain about the screen - no one comes here to rave about it. Plus you have the balance of the warranty which transfers to you. If it was a private sale, make sure Yamaha is aware so you're covered. Only issues we have had were minor like loose screws, debris in the bottom of the hull, typical stuff. Big selling point for us was the reliability of these engines, solid performers. And when it comes to electronics, they typically fail within the first few months if they're going to fail at all.

 

[212s]

I really like the tower/bimini/stereo on the 242XE, but don't really want the electronic throttles, or the ballast setup

Forgot to address this part about the larger bimini...we solved this with a "beach tent" to extend the shade all the way to the end of the swim platform. Another user here mentioned adding shade, and we found beach tents with poles and straps works great to get extra sun shade for all day floating.

 

[shnknapp]

Well, we put our deposit down on a 212SD. We actually made or decision a few weeks ago but I wanted to wait a bit longer as the boat probably won't come in until late November or December so the dealer will just store it until April for us.

 

[SCP1]

@2kwik4u But if you mod and keep the boat a couple few more seasons, perhaps those lovely in water seats and some other cool things will filter down to all the 25' and 21' models.

We are thinking about the AR250 for the spring, but I would be annoyed if the year after they filter down some cool things like the seating. You never know. I know it is always the game you play with these type of purchases, but I have a funny feeling about it.

Once I get to see an AR250 in person, it may help, but we keep talking, going back and forth about upgrading now or just adding a few more mods if any and seeing what comes up within 1-2 years.

I have to believe they will make this boat bigger and will get the features from the 250 in the future. Or they may add another model in between, I would like a 2022 AR230 at 22.5' however I think we are going to just get the 250. At the end of the day I doubt we will say we wish we went smaller.