Any experience with tri-hulls?

bdavis

New member
Hey everyone....haven't been here in a while since I sold my boat this spring(I know, I know....dumb move) at the time, I was supposed to be moving west to the prairies where I'd have to drive 4-5 hrs to find water deep enough to launch any kind of boat. Now, I'm staying put and have started looking around at a few boats in town i know will be for sale in the spring. My buddy has a 16 ft tri-hull with a 70hp Johnson. I know the boat's history. It's an early 80's fiberglass and has seen regular maintenance at the dealer. It does run like a champ. Was out in it last weekend. But not in rough water.

Now, my question is....how are the tri-hulls in the rough water? I've heard that they have a tendency to slap the waves and ride rough. I have a chance at buying it in the spring for a good price.(which is a good thing because I will be going through a divorce around that time) So, I plan on celebrating the joyous event by spending as much time out at camp on the water as I can next summer.
 

Doc

Liquid Addiction
Staff member
You hit on the one disadvantage of tri-hulls. They do ride rough in choppy water. With a little luck you will be able to find a deal on a V bottom. Even V bottoms are affected by rough water (as are all boats) but they can go through it better than a tri hull. The 'slap' of a tri hull in rough water can jar your teeth. :D I had it happen to me more than once. :D

Sorry to hear about the up coming divorce. :(
 

Bamby

New member
Can't know what kind of boating you enjoy doing yourself and I ain't ever ridden in tri-hull boat. But I ridden in and been around plenty of tri-hulled pontoon boats and they ride handle and perform real well and can be pretty darn fast if equipped with enough engine. Plus there is plenty of room to move around, stash and store resources, and you can also invite and bring along plenty of company with you on your outings. Unless I was going to be boating out on the ocean at times don't think I'd ever consider anything else for my kind of boating.
 

bdavis

New member
My type of boating includes fishing, cruising around on the lake, pulling the kids around on the tube. I stay mainly on one lake during the summer. I've seriously considered a pontoon but that won't happen for a couple years. It'd be nice out at camp to load up a bunch of people and go for a slow cruise around the lake. the lake I camp on is roughly 17 miles long from end to end with very few rocky areas, an average of around 20 ft depth in most spots. My first priority in a boat though is to get something that would be a multi purpose boat since I do go to a different lake in the spring for roughly a week of fishing where a pontoon would be very difficult if not impossible to launch since it's a steep launch off the shoulder of a bush road. It's doable with a 16-18 ft boat.

The tri hull I'm looking at has a new interior including floor. It's got a walk through windshield. The motor runs like a dream. I've known the boat it's whole life and know it has always been to a dealer every year to be serviced and has been well taken care of.

BTW...don't worry too much about me and the divorce Doc. I'm coming out on top in this deal.
 
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Doc

Liquid Addiction
Staff member
Knowing the boat that well I'd probably go for the tri-hull also.
Glad to hear you are coming out on top in the big D Brian, but I hate to hear of any one or any family having to go through that.
 
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