Great Lakes Diving Boat

[pcarlson1911]

I need some help with a decision on a boat. I'll try to give you the background as simply as possible.

My goal is to be able to travel around the Great Lakes and dive in the summers. I'm a teacher, so I have the time. Many charters are only running weekend trips so it isn't convienient to dive charters only. In addition, I enjoy the research and preperation of diving on our own.

We have been looking for a suitable Great Lakes dive boat to meet these goals and along the way, we have been borrowing my brother in law's brand new17.5 ski boat. It is suitable for the two of us to dive off of and we have taken it as far as 17 miles off shore in good weather.

We found a Baha Cruiser 200 Fisherman for sale for a reasonable price. The three extra feet aren't as attractive as my percieved performance improvement in larger waves.

My brother and law saw that we were seriously looking at a boat and he said don't do it. You can burrow our boat anytime you want to dive anywhere you want. If you want to take it for two weeks to dive the UP take it for two weeks to dive the UP. He only uses that boat one week a summer.

This is a great offer, except, the boat doesn't handle well in waves.

What is the wave height on a decent day on the other Great Lakes. Erie seems to have a good number of 2 feet or less days in the summer. Are the other 4 the same, or are michigan and Superior typically bigger?

Finally, am I going to see that much of a div=fference between the 20 foot and the 17.5 foot. Is the hull design going to work that much better?

I tried posting in the boat forum, without much luck.

Let me know what you think!
pc

 

[hnladue]

I would say go with at least a 30fter. I have a 30ft Chris Craft that handles 5-6 foot waves without even thinking about them. It has an 8ft beam. My friend has a 34 ft with a 12ft beam handles waves even better!!! Remember the Great Lakes can turn around real quick and become a raging sea in no time!! Both these boats have a galley, head and sleeping area. Something to think about when traveling!! My parents spent 2 weeks on the boat one summer, traveling thru the locks up in Lake Champlain. Had a great time!

 

[aushealer]

If your going to be doing a lot of car hauling of the boat in your travels and don't mind an 'open' boat, try a zodiac style rib. Handles most conditions well ~ and wet, will get you out and in quickly, easy to trailer and if setup right easy to dive from. The down side, open boat, no galley, no sleeping, no head, etc. Depends on what you want to do and how you are traveling.

 

[SwimJim]

The first thing you need to do is take a U.S. Coast Guard boating saftey class. Noone should be out there without knowing the rules of the road. Personally I have an 18 foot Searay and she will take four footers no problem. A friend of mine has a Fourwinns(sp?) which I believe to be a nineteen footer and we've been out in 6 - 8's without problems. A thirty footer would be nice, but you'll have to decide how much you want to trailer. Personally, I'd probably max out at around twenty five feet or so. You should be able to find a cuddy with an I/O that would work great. Build yourself a proper dive ladder and mount it on the swim step and your good to go. Of course you'll want proper electronics, but thats a whole 'nother thread.

Jim

 

[Dean810]

The boat might be able to take the larger waves, but maybe not the passengers! Something to think about before going out.

My suggestion is when you get your boat, move over to Chicago!

 

[cobaltblue]

There's a lot of nice "fishing" stlye boats out there that will handle the water well and also dive better than most of the "family" style runabouts.

Seriously people, NO 19' boat handles anything larger than threes safely, nothing over 1 1/2 comfortably, and nothing under 50' is even getting close to comfortable in anything over six's. Remember our marine industry rule of thumb. However large the waves were someone is telling you about, they were really only half that size. For example, 90% of the piers/inlets on the Great Lakes will get covered or at least have waves breaking and crashing on them at four feet. Most people don't go out in anything over threes, it's not comfortable nor is it really safe. I have a 30' Sea Ray weekender, it's built like a tank, and will take 8-10's without a problem but it sucks, so do both the 34 DA and EC, in anything more than threes.

Just my opinion after 20 years in the marine business and over thirty boating.

 

[pcarlson1911]

hnladue -

30' is just too big. Doesn't trailer easily, hard on the tow vehicle, hard on gas on the road and in the water. 23' is my max, and the budget is small.

A place to sleep would be nice, as we could skip the hotel.
pc

 

[pcarlson1911]

Aus -
I'm thinking I want something more sustatial than a rib. I need a boat where no diving friends can come along and stay dry forthe most part.
pc

 

[pcarlson1911]

Swim Jim- Safety course has been taken twice, once as a teen and once as an adult. You aren't far off on your max, for me it is 23. a nice shamrock 220 adverturer with a yanmar diesel inboard.....drool

 

[pcarlson1911]

Dean - just come for a visit once in a while, or we will meet upon the road next summer.....