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I have read in the past things like, theres a big difference 2 feet makes. Currently my Dauntless 160 measures in around 16.6 feet. She always exceeds my expectations on the ocean. I admit, I usually stay within a few miles offshore and upon occasion go out several miles, keeping eyes wide open. Our whaler holds 45 gallons in the hull and weighs in around 1500..giving us a great ride for the size of boat it is.

For those of you that have started out in a shorter boat like mine, and have progressed to 18 or 20 feet, what have you experienced in performance, ride, comfort, confidence out there etc.

Thanks in advance for your input. Happy Holidays

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Ask your girlfriend bigger is better. No kidding, you will always get a better ride out of a bigger boat of the same type. But bigger also means bigger HP, bigger trailer, bigger truck, bigger storage, more fuel use, etc., etc. It is like riding a small compact with shorter wheel base at 35 mpg compared to a longer wheel base full size sedan at 18 mpg.
You must weigh each factor to see if you want to up-size.

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Bob -

2' can be huge.

I have had serious time in 13', 15' and 17' models.

In 2007 or so I trailered down to Eliot, ME and met up with Brian from Dover, NH to go to a gathering on the Merrimack River around Newburyport.

I was solo on my 1991 Outrage 17. Brian was solo on his 1989 Outrage 20.

The forecast was bad but Brian and I were a go. Whats a little weather? It turned out to be really bad. We battled constant rain, 20 mph and 3-5' waves all the way down and back.

Brian was just bombing along at 26-28mph while I was getting the crap kicked out of me. I changed tacks, speed etc to find a better line and reduce the pounding and catching of air. Brian, was just riding on top and throwing water like no ones business.

Bottom line, Brian's boat would span the waves while my boat was too short and would pound, buck and stuff.

I recall the 30 mile trip took almost 3 hrs down and 2 hrs back (tail wind). To this day, we both still laugh at how crazy the trip was.

There is a significant difference between 16 and 18, 17 and 19/20.

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We moved from a 1978 Montauk 17 to a 1986 Outrage 18 and the difference huge - more length, more beam, higher gunnels, way better ride, more capacity, etc. Sometimes huge gains can come with small changes.

I'm still waiting for the person that wants to downsize from their Outrage 25 to my Outrage 18.

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We've got an older 17' that seems huge compared to our previous 13',
obviously...
The 17' rides like a boat as the 13 rode like a dinghy.
Before that comparing a friends 15' seemed like a huge step up.
We were used to pushing around the 13's trailer with bare feet,
not so with the 15/17!

I helped a guy repower his 18' outrage and was surprised how much bigger that 1' was to our 17.
it seemed like double the mass,
like the jump from the 13 to 17.

Part of me wanted to look for a bigger boat,
but then I realized for our uses it wasn't really necessary.
Besides no way could I afford a (150-200)? hp 4-stroke yamaha like he got,
let alone the gas consumption goin out every time.

At the end of summer a 23' dead engined panga was on craigslist for a steal at $3K,
and after looking at it I hesitated at the sheer length of the trailer package,
although the width was similar to the whaler.
Our trailer fits exactly behind our garage with a folding tongue,
but that extra 6' would need to be rented from our neighbor!
The panga sold by the end of that day...

Anyway its tough to hold back,
but in San Diego there are some screaming deals on boats right now!
Buyers market.

TP

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The Classic 16/17 models were 16'7" in length.
The Outrage 18' is 18'6" in length
For clarification, that is 2 feet longer and it is also a foot wider which is really a huge difference.
http://users.sisqtel.net/~jkriz/Outra...fleet.html

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Im finding this quite interesting to read about, even though I noticed such a large difference when comparing boats in the boatyards. My operators manual actually states my dauntless is only 16' 3. With motor its prob 18 or so. Its the beam that makes it...7' 1 .....Its a nice feeling platform..I respect its size...staying along the coat most times...Im sure someday I will experience taking a wave over the bow... For most of what I do out there, it is great, however, every once in awhile I dream of that adventure to Acadia, and Im sure that 20 foot Eastport cuddy I was checking out last year, would be a better boat for that.. time will tell..Boat envy..i guess thats what its called..Thanks u guys

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It depends on how you intend to use the boat.

After a lot of shopping and study I have just bought a 1985 Super Sport 17, passing on an Outrage 18 and a really sweet Outrage 22, both older models.

No doubt the larger boats have a better ride, are drier, more stable, etc, etc. but we were looking for a light boat to use in creeks and rivers where we live. The boat needs to live on a trailer, be easily launched and not cost a fortune when the time comes to re-power. The bigger boats were too much for my 62 year old body to launch easily, too much to tow behind the small SUV we have, and 50-754 percent more to re-power. Add to that the serendipity of finding a boat is nearly pristine condition with a low hour three year old engine and it became a no-brainer.

There will be days when we won't want to use the boat and certain trips that we won't be able to take but we live on the water and on those days I'll just sit on the porch.

For us the small boat answer was best.