Considering these two boats.
Cafe
Solid ride
Predictable deep vee
Full Cabin
Playboy
Better top end for the same power
Updated styling
These are my assumptions. What are the real positives / negatives comparing these two types?
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Considering these two boats.
Cafe
Solid ride
Predictable deep vee
Full Cabin
Playboy
Better top end for the same power
Updated styling
These are my assumptions. What are the real positives / negatives comparing these two types?
You pretty much sum'd it up right there. I"ve spent lots of time on both boats and loved them both.
Only other thing I can say is the Cafe feels like a bigger boat, possibly because it has more free board and is heavier. There's some great deals on Cafe's. Only a handful of playboys (35 T/S's) built.
The price can be double between a Playboy and a Cafe due to age differences.......
I love both boats, but I think it comes down to money. The Playboy will cost more but will have better resale and the Cafe comes in at a great value. My advice if you buy the Cafe find one that has already been gone through and spent all the money already then you can get a smoking deal. But then again the playboy's are already 80 mph+ boats.
Not alot of people cross-shopping a Cafe and a Playboy because of $$$ in my opinion.
Determine what is important to you for YOUR boating experience. Is the full cabin with enclosed head important enough that you would sacrifice top speed and hull efficiency? Are you comfortable with having a stepped bottom boat (ie is this your first HIPO boat?).
I know when I was shopping the cover-girl cabins didn't work for what my wife and I were going to be using the boat for so we ended up in the cafe, but I would certainly love an extra 10++ MPH I'd get in the stepped hull....
My current boat is an 80 mph boat, but I have to pick the days to be comfortable. Besides, 60 mph is a nice cruising speed for me. An extra 3 feet and 2000 pounds would make a difference.
I'm comparing the cafe to the playboy based on length only. 35' is about as long as I want to go. I've given up hauling 14 people with me wherever I go, so my interest has turned to ride comfort with classic styling. I want to like the cafe because of the practical cabin and standard vee I am familiar with. I'm not sure if a cafe with 525's will be a bravo eater though.
The cabin layout on the Cafe (and the gun) is one of the best I've ever seen, layout wise. I love ours in our Gun.
A Cafe with 525EFI's and Bravos will run 75 or so. Not a bravo eater that I've seen, if you know how to run it (i.e. easy on plane, get off the throttles when aired out). A buddy had this combo on his Cafe for many years and blew maybe one or two drives in that time. The bravo is definatley a week link, but I think you'll be fine if you dont beat on it.
Both are really nice boats. IMHO, you can't beat the layout of the 31-foot Bullet. Because of its weight and deep V, it rides like a much bigger boat.
Good luck! :cool:
Clay,
I had considered a Bullet as well, but thinking the Cafe will give me a noticeably better rough water ride and a little more room in the cockpit and cabin. :)
The number of Bravo's you will break will be DIRECTLY correlated to your right hand...
Speaking of Cafe Racers....anyone know this boat? I really wish my boat would sell right now!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/35-CI...3A1%7C72%3A317
Well it looks like I'm leaning toward a Cafe. The Mrs. likes the idea of a/c in the cabin. I've checked the more popular sites for ones that are for sale. Should I be afraid of Hawk 525SC's? About 200 hours on rebuild.
Maybe its time to start a "looking for a cafe racer" thread. :)
I'd go for the Playboy...T/S; fewer built; better resale; faster.
But does the Playboy offer the same ride quality at the same speed as the Cafe when the water gets rough on a holiday weekend at LOTO?
I can't speak specifically to the Playboy since I haven't had the pleasure of riding in one but I can say that my T/S doesn't have any problems at all...but then again how can the Cafe possibly offer the same ride at the same speed as the Playboy when it isn't as fast?
<That's what I was after. I run the Envision down the lake around 40 mph when its really rough. I see longer boats moving comfortably faster. Would a 35 T/S or Playboy ride as well as the Cafe at say, 60 mph under those rough conditions?>
I have no experience in a larger boat at LOTO, I was just assuming that when a 35-40 ft boat passes me around 60 mph it's because they can, without getting the crap beat out of them. I am simply trying to balance amenities and performance in a 35 ft hull. The Cafe cabin looks functional comparied to the Playboy, but the Playboy will have newer power that is less maintenance intensive (and its faster). I just want to make sure I know what I'm getting, and giving up, when I make my selection.
Thanks....
The difference in weight between the two is about 600 lbs. (8,800 PB vs 9,400 Cafe) if that is any help. Regarding the cabin, that is up to you...we never use ours for anything other than stowing gear. The head is still a virgin.
Fact is the T/S boats are much faster and once you learn how to drive them can be relatively comfortable at speed in water most would not even try to boat in; including LOTO on a Sat afternoon. I rarley run under 60 mph.
Good information - Thanks!
In my opinion both are CIGS and NEITHER is going to have comprimised ride quality in the rough.
It boils down to what is important to you - the extra speed/efficiency, or the cafe cabin and looks?
The way we use our boat - I absolutely LOVE the cabin, but will be the first to admit I'd love an extra 10-15+ mph for comparable power - in the end the cabin is more important to me (not to mention I am on a budget)
It sounds as though I need to look at both the Cafe and the 35 T/S. Does anyone know of any available for sale at LOTO? We'll be down there late next week.
Thanks all for your input.
Greg
My neighbor has a 35 TS he talks about selling. It's not LOTO though, North East Ohio
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/at...3&d=1246934132
Must be one hell of a cooler!!!!
Okay maybe we are both wrong
To add to the discussion
It's rare to see a guy pull his boat onto a scale and leave without a look of surprise on his face.