Difference between 19' and 21'

[soundshark]

I started looking at 21' boats (Yamaha and Glastron) but no matter how I slice it, they are just pushing my budget too far. I saw that 19' boats can be had for a lot less (SX190 or 192) and would make me feel more like a responsible adult about spending. I don't really carry people, 99% of the time it's just me and my wife.
The question is, how different is the ride? Anyone familiar with Long Island Sound? And waters around NYC in general?

 

[justason]

I was looking a the 19ft Yamaha's when I started this.....This may be minor but one detail that I was really disliking was when sitting in the passenger seat facing aft, your head hit the window. maybe they changed it, but it was a deal killer to me. I found my 21ft used at <price of a 19ft new and have been pleased since. The Yamaha floor plan is generous in any boat vs the competition.

The speed, comfort, control on the 21+ is great, second engine has a comfort level when in the big waters. I've never been in a 19ft other than showroom so cant answer too much there, just know I love mine. More/More often my wife and I are alone in the boat now as well, ..It hasnt been to big for us yet....

look into the fuel consumption vs tank size between the two. Then, not sure about your boating history, but one common expression is "buy your second boat first"......that alone can save you big.

boattest.com has great reviews typically

 

[David D]

I've got the SX192 and am happy with it for a couple reasons: it fits in my garage and, even with a single engine, keeps up with my buddy's SX230 (not sure what year his is -- maybe an '05?). I've got the speed and it has to be better on gas. I really like the extra space on his boat, but for 4 people people or less, I think you'll be happy with the 19 footer (for now!). We frequently have 6 folks without issues, but it's best with 4 or less.

Also, I went for the 192 vs. 190 because there were a number of things there were "better", including the carpet, cleats, and stereo. And, if I remember correctly, the engine had more HP.

 

[kthrash]

buy a used 21' boat.. you can get a 1-2 year old one with little to no use on it for the price of a new 19' one.

 

[JJ-B-Boatin]

Go with the 21' used. I started out with an 18' boat because it was just me and the wife. We soon found out that we would take friends with us and wished we had a bigger boat. I now have a 20' I/O (wish I would have known more about Yamaha boats before I bought it) but can't wait for the day I can be in a Yamaha! I have always been told "buy your second boat first". I should have listened.

Good luck and be sure to post pictures of your boat when you find it!

 

[Dough]

Same here, bought an 18 footer and sold it the next year. It's just too small to ride smooth. I still see them hugging the bank at low speed on a choppy day and am so glad I went bigger. I almost ruined a good thing, wife didn't want to go out if she saw "waves"!

 

[octavio3311]

Being from Ct - I'm very familiar with the sound. Been out there plenty of times on my older Crownline and bros Scout.
I traded in a 2012 AR190 for a 13' 212x.
The 21'er is bigger, wider and much heavier. Our lake can get pretty ugly at times - and the 212 rides thru chop much smoother. That said - The 19o is an awesome boat - it is plenty roomy for its size. Just gotta plan ahead and avoid open water on those ugly days. Thing about the sound though - it sometimes starts off lovely, but then gets ugly fast.

 

[soundshark]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I'm still torn.
And yeah, the LI Sound is completely unpredictable - I would take out my jet ski on a beautiful day, and by the time I pull it off the trailer it's 3 foot waves. I made it to the Statue of Liberty on one of those days, all the way through East River. By the time I got home I swore I was going to trade the ski for a boat.

 

[Zeus2013]

@soundshark I am on LI also. I had a SX190. Loved the boat, but for me it did not handle the rough waters the Sound can have. We got bounced around. We upgraded to a 24' for multiple reasons, but one major was something that could handle the waves much better. The larger the better IMHO.

 

[aarons1k]

buy a used 21' boat.. you can get a 1-2 year old one with little to no use on it for the price of a new 19' one.

Perfectly said ! I did the exact same thing

 

[David D]

Being one of the guys with the 192 I would love you to get one too. But I really like the advice you're getting to go late-model used and getting a bigger boat. You'll have more boat for the same money. If you shop well, you'll get one with low hours and in good condition. Assuming you have the rig to pull it, I don't think you'll regret going used and larger.

A lot of us want new because it pumps our egos a bit - don't let that get in the way. Your ego will be stroked with a larger boat, even if it is used.

My two cents ...

 

[soundshark]

Thanks -- I would also like to finance the boat and Yamaha currently has a 2.99% promo on the 19' models. I think that may have attracted me as well.

 

[David D]

Yeah, I gotta admit the Yamaha financing got me last summer too - I get it. Tough decision.

 

[soundshark]

..also, is 21' that much more chop resilient? Or will it be just a bit better than the 19' and I would end up wishing I had a 23' instead? In other words, will I still be miserable just not as much?
I'm trying to measure the dollar to swallowing-salt-water ratio, and where the sweet spot is ))

 

[justason]

Being from Ct - I'm very familiar with the sound. Been out there plenty of times on my older Crownline and bros Scout.
I traded in a 2012 AR190 for a 13' 212x.
The 21'er is bigger, wider and much heavier. Our lake can get pretty ugly at times - and the 212 rides thru chop much smoother. That said - The 19o is an awesome boat - it is plenty roomy for its size. Just gotta plan ahead and avoid open water on those ugly days. Thing about the sound though - it sometimes starts off lovely, but then gets ugly fast.

Ya know. i forgot about the beam delta. Prob one of the biggest attributes to jumping up. My previous 18ft'r was under 7'6" or something silly....a bad wave hit would knock a filling outa your head. Much greater stability and comfort

 

[octavio3311]

Obviously the bigger the better.
My 212x handles chop better than others, but not as good as say a Cobalt.
The 212 weighs considerably more than the 190, but only 450-500lbs less than the 240.
If I boated exclusively on the LI Sound, I'd be getting the biggest I could get.

 

[OrangeTJ]

For the use you describe, I kind of have to wonder if a different style of boat might really be better suited. If it's really just you and your wife, I could see something like a 20-21 foot deep v sterndrive or outboard powered cuddy being perfect! The jets have some real ease of maintenance advantages over sterndrives but you may lose some of that with saltwater boating (the Sound is salty, right?). The layout advantages aren't as big of a deal if you aren't going to have 6+ people on board.

 

[octavio3311]

I agree.