How fast is a fast boat ?

[farmo83]

A friend of mine was saying he went out in a fast fishing boat this past weekend and they "hauled ass" in it. I asked how fast he thought they were going and he said somewhere between 30-35. I didn't say anything mentally blew it off, it got me thinking though what I consider fast is most likely way different then pretty much everyone else.

So what is a fast boat to you?

Personally I'll say any boat that I can get nervous in, which can vary, I've been terrified in a flatbottom at 65, and walked around a big eliminator at over 100 mph looking for a beer.

 

[SBMech]

A friend of mine was saying he went out in a fast fishing boat this past weekend and they "hauled ass" in it. I asked how fast he thought they were going and he said somewhere between 30-35. I didn't say anything mentally blew it off, it got me thinking though what I consider fast is most likely way different then pretty much everyone else.

So what is a fast boat to you?

Personally I'll say any boat that I can get nervous in, which can vary, I've been terrified in a flatbottom at 65, and walked around a big eliminator at over 100 mph looking for a beer.

Like you said depends on the boat, but personally I consider anything that runs north of 80 to be "fast". Some are "really fast" and then there is "HOLY FUCKING SHIT" fast....

 

[RiverDave]

In smaller boats anything over 80 is ripping.. and in larger cats anything over a 100.. I'm not talking about what kind of ride it is, because I have been in small boats at a 100 that was no big deal, and big boats at 80 that I was praying I'd get out of alive.. But just for the description of "fast" that's kind of where I set the thresholds. LOL

It's one of those pendulums that swings around though depending on who you are with, etc.. 150 is thundering for most people. Go hang out with Vern / Gary Smith / Romer when he had his boat / John Roth, etc.. and 150 isn't even a blip on the radar. That's like cruising on a Sunday afternoon.

RD

 

[GRADS]

Any boat that does over 55 in my opinion.

 

[TBI]

A friend of mine was saying he went out in a fast fishing boat this past weekend and they "hauled ass" in it. I asked how fast he thought they were going and he said somewhere between 30-35.

Your friend must be used to jet botes

 

[ElAzul]

All jet boats are obviously fast

 

[Scott E]

Unless you can beat the 100MPH jet boat, you're too slow.

 

[GRADS]

So what is a fast boat to you?

A jet boat on Craigslist.

 

[hallett21]

85+. However like RD said 85 in a big cat feels like nothing. But either way you're still moving

 

[Bpracing1127]

I think my boat is fast @60 (23 ft ultra)
My fathers old boat was fast at 80+ (25ft daytona, with a blown 540)
My fathers soon to be old boat felt fast at 70 (29 Nordic , blown 540)
Friends htm 50 felt fast (n/a 565)
My friends duck boat felt fast at 12 mph (15 hp ob)

 

[28Eliminator]

I went 110 in a 28 daytona this weekend. Felt like we were on a fast cruise..

Went 80 once in my 28 eagle.. felt like 200. It's all about perception and Boat of course.

 

[was thatguy]

Our Miller feels real fast at 85.
In fact I think that's fast enough for that hull.

 

[FlyByWire]

I get nervous in mine close to 70. I'd consider that "fast" for a boat...

..went 136 in Don's F32 a few weeks ago and it was one of the more visceral things I've experienced in a long time, even though the boat seemed pretty docile at that speed.

I go fast for a living.. but shit seems FASTer on the water..

 

[TPC]

70MPH+ Freshwater
45MPH + Ocean.

 

[Bigbore500r]

Any larger cat with canopies you can pretty much take a nape in at 100, as long as the driver is wearing his lanyard

I can tell you that as a teenager, 40 mph in the old 16' 1959 Sabercraft garage sale boat felt fast as shit. That was when the floor (bare hull bottom) flexed enough to pop the seats loose and the plexi-glass windshield came loose and whacked my girlfriend across the face

When they tell you the hull has a 90hp maximum.....they mean it!

It definitely varies by boat. My boat starts to feel "good" right about where it runs out of power . Id love to cruise at 70 and be able to run up to 90+

 

[fishing fool]

If he was in a smaller bass tracker then 35mph is fast. If a newer ranger/ champion or similar boat then they will do 50mph. But yes 35mph would seem fast sitting low to the water with little to no freeboard.

 

[renodaytona]

I've had my Daytona up to 115 it's flying, but I've been 85 in my pop's shovelnose hydro and it was a white knuckle ride at those speeds.

 

[Don Johnson]

Speed in anything is so relative.... The equipment/vehicle has a lot to do with it, the conditions have a lot to do with it but for me, if I am in the passenger seat and not in control of the vehicle, I feel trust in the driver plays the biggest part of the whole "fast in something" conversation. If I have a high level of trust in the driver and the driver exhibits a real respect for the equipment, conditions and other vehicles you are sharing the space with then I can be very comfortable in the passenger seat at high speeds. If I don't have that trust and/or the driver exhibits poor judgement and lack of respect for the equipment, conditions and others then I let the driver know right away that this ride is over before it really starts.

 

[Dirtbag]

fast in a boat is any speed at which you have to hold the beer at least 3 inches from your mouth in fear of chipping a tooth.

 

[Enen]

Speed in anything is so relative.... The equipment/vehicle has a lot to do with it, the conditions have a lot to do with it but for me, if I am in the passenger seat and not in control of the vehicle, I feel trust in the driver plays the biggest part of the whole "fast in something" conversation. If I have a high level of trust in the driver and the driver exhibits a real respect for the equipment, conditions and other vehicles you are sharing the space with then I can be very comfortable in the passenger seat at high speeds. If I don't have that trust and/or the driver exhibits poor judgement and lack of respect for the equipment, conditions and others then I let the driver know right away that this ride is over before it really starts.

This x1000

 

[lake p.a.l.]

Speed in anything is so relative.... The equipment/vehicle has a lot to do with it, the conditions have a lot to do with it but for me, if I am in the passenger seat and not in control of the vehicle, I feel trust in the driver plays the biggest part of the whole "fast in something" conversation. If I have a high level of trust in the driver and the driver exhibits a real respect for the equipment, conditions and other vehicles you are sharing the space with then I can be very comfortable in the passenger seat at high speeds. If I don't have that trust and/or the driver exhibits poor judgement and lack of respect for the equipment, conditions and others then I let the driver know right away that this ride is over before it really starts.

I agree with all of this, very well said. It's sad to me how many people driving boats don't warrant my trust to ride with them. I fully realize I'm not perfect behind the wheel but always tell my passengers to PLEASE let me know if they are uncomfortable in any way. My boat barely touches 100mph and on flat water, behind the windscreens, can feel boring to some people.

 

[welldigger00]

I took some friends for a ride on lake mead over the weekend, they are the wake dozer crowd. I ran from south cove to temple bar and back, cruising along a 100' or so off of the canyon the whole way. I'd keep it in the mid 50's, then run it up to the mid 80's and back down, the whole time monitoring people's faces. If they stop smiling, you know they're not having a good time. They all had a blast, it helps too that the lake was glass, and there was no others boats the whole time.

 

[stokerwhore]

fast is watching your fuel gauge needle plummet. fast is "shit i coulda boated all day but i came under boost" lol. fast is ah, shit there went that tank a fuel. fast is burning gallons per mile instead miles per gallon. seriously, fast is currently 30 miles an hour slower than it used to be when i had better eye sight and waaaay more seat time consistantly.yikes:rolleyes

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

70MPH+ Freshwater
45MPH + Ocean.

That has to be one of your better signature GIF's to date......just sayin


65 feels fast in my boat
95 was a cruise in buddies cat

Depends on the boat....IMO

 

[amh44]

I have a Daytona 25 that dose 98mph and that feels fast to me for a first boat but the bigger you go it dose not feel as fast my dad had a nortech 3600 cat that did 145 and you could do a U-turn at 100 that is fast to me

 

[stephenkatsea]

A friend of mine was saying he went out in a fast fishing boat this past weekend and they "hauled ass" in it. I asked how fast he thought they were going and he said somewhere between 30-35. I didn't say anything mentally blew it off, it got me thinking though what I consider fast is most likely way different then pretty much everyone else.

So what is a fast boat to you?

Personally I'll say any boat that I can get nervous in, which can vary, I've been terrified in a flatbottom at 65, and walked around a big eliminator at over 100 mph looking for a beer.

If that "fishing boat" is an offshore Sportfisher, 30-35 is very respectable. On a fresh water bass boat it would be laughed at. 100 was once considered fast on Havasu. Shit, it still is. But, the real big boys are now well into the 180s. Then there is Lake of the Ozarks and Spirit of Qatar at a smooth 244. Our US aircraft carriers spec their speed at the upper 40s. But, their top speed is Classified. Love it. It is all relative. We used to consider fast on Havasu when you could see "facial skin moving", usually about 70 or so. And that is still getting it.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

At low 60s topped out my boat does not feel that fast to me.. fun to drive at that speed, but pretty stable. When it comes down do it I don't really have a desire to go much faster on the water in my own equipment. Maybe that will change down the road.

 

[CHEETAH24]

This about sums it up
[video=youtube_https;SN-es54F30s]https://youtu.be/SN-es54F30s[/video]

 

[white tortilla]

when your vision is to blurry to make out your surroundings.

 

[MOUZER]

in a 18 ft flatty 90 +

 

[TCHB]

After riding in a couple nice DCBs and Skater above 130 is fast.

 

[77charger]

Fast it depends on boat but any over 80 i would consider fast.Yeh i know cats barely get cruisng there etc but im speaking for a majority of boats overall.

Then theres quick and fast

 

[Jimmy]

We boat a lil differently over here so I'd say anything over 65mph ud have a fast boat.
99% of the time u'd have a skier on the back and 40 mhp feels quick when ya hanging off a rope.

 

[jpf091959]

In the early 1980's had a guy come to Northern Idaho and he said they don't have fast boats in up north like they do down south. My brother in law a 18 bubble deck overdriven V-drive with nitrious. Pretty fast boat back in the day. The boat was real ill-mannered. So we took the guy for a ride. It accelerated really hard and at 80 we would hit the nitrious and the boat would gain 1000 rpm instantaneously and head for the sky. You never knew if it would land right side up or upside down. It would walk on the prop so bad you couldn't go straight.

Well the guy was puking up his lunch by the time we headed back to the dock. That was 85-90 mph.

It is all relative.

 

[McRib]

I think it comes down to wind in youre'ore face. 60 in a potato chip with youre'ore knees in youre'ore chest is fast. 150 in a deep cockpit with head phones on is like whatever. Fastest I've personally been is 147 in a MTI. Felt like we were just cursing cause we were on glass and I had no wind in my face.

 

[lbhsbz]

I think it comes down to wind in youre'ore face. 60 in a potato chip with youre'ore knees in youre'ore chest is fast. 150 in a deep cockpit with head phones on is like whatever. Fastest I've personally been is 147 in a MTI. Felt like we were just cursing cause we were on glass and I had no wind in my face.

I think you're right. My 18' bahner tunnel runs right about 85 in just the right water...mid 70s in most water..you sit ON my boat, not in it. My buddy at the river has a Mirage that runs in the mid 90s...you sit in it, not on it. He's been behind the wheel of my boat and says mine feels faster, even though it's not even close.

 

[Dalton]

60 is an experience my commander, I saw a flat in front of foxes that I swear was blurry like a cartoon when he hit the gas

 

[Ouderkirk]

What constitutes fast depends on your level of familiarity with it.

A fast boat is only fast if you are not accustomed to the speed of boats. To your friend who thought 35 was fast, it probably was to him.

When I had my first boat (third owned) that did 70+, I would take people out in it and not thinking, mash the throttle and cruise at 55mph. Many of those folks had never been in a boat that did over 30-35 mph and they were terrified. To me, I had gradually stepped up to it and it was just normal, 55mph was a cruising speed. When I dropped the hammer, they went out of their minds above 70mph.

I have become more careful now, asking my passengers about their experiences before hitting the throttle.

 

[Rogers Hopeful]

My Rogers I consider fast. Had it going 60MPH last weekend with the Bimini up (looked like horizontal sail at speed tho). Its no craigslist jet but it does run

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Mine feels fast at about 70 since it's pretty dry and just slightly dancing. I am extremely familiar with my boat though and am comfortable driving it at those speeds. For passengers though, I see them white knuckling it and don't drive it that fast that often at all. Now that I have the 2 girls, I rarely open it up all the way.

But, I agree with everybody else. Fast is relative. I had a buddy who's dad had a Rodgers jet with a 468 and nitrous. He took me for a ride in it and insisted that I wear a jacket cause "it does about 100". I had to double check the shore line to make sure I wasn't just super out of it cause there was no way in hell that was anywhere near 100. But, it felt fast to them. And truly, that's all that matters.

 

[Backlash]

If you don't get hurt when you jump out, it's not fast enough.

 

[Rattle Can Lou]

Drove Scott Steele's K boat about four years ago...like maybe 105 or 110 maybe...that was haulin ass...but great fun. Last night I drove a 21 Eliminator Jet day cruiser...51 MPH on GPS..of course that was the owner with the GPS...I hated every minute of it...every turn I made I thought it was going to swap ends..we sat up in a nice area just BSing for an hour or so...a guy in the boat asks the owner if he could drive back...no experience at all other then PWC driving...this guy scared me crapless...and I've been around this shit my whole life...so in the end, its all relative like everybody else says...

 

[rivrrts429]

Nobody asks for another ride in my boat once they've gone 100 lol. It feels real light once its packing air. I'm not a good passenger myself so maybe it's a back seat driver thing.

I've been in bigger boats at 120-130 and it's like a Sunday drive. I've been in the ocean in cruisers and it felt blistering fast because of the swell. It's all in the context of the situation I guess.

 

[footer]

As has been written, it's all very relative, and probably not about mph.

I was bow ballast on a 22' aluminum river boat with a tiller-steering Merc 200 Verado going up a 100' wide winding river in Alaska after sunset. The guide knew exactly where he was to the foot, and spends hundreds of hours a year operating his equipment. The boat had no speedometer, so I have no idea of our actual velocity, but we were hauling ass. Unforgetable ride for me. Another day on the river for him.

Overpowering something can make it feel fast. I knew a guy that had a 200 Evinrude on a Glastron GT150. That thing looked super fast wide open. In grade school we put a 15hp Kohler engine on a Baja mini-bike while my dad was at work. That was crazy fast.

As a driver it's really interesting how different hull/engine combinations feel at different speeds. My buddy's 16' Hydrostream doing 75 felt faster than my 21' Eliminator doing 85, maybe because it was closer to the "limit" of the hull, whatever that means.

Fast is fun. I know that.

 

[coolchange]

Exceeding the limits of the hull or conditions is fast no matter what speed it is. lol.
Back in the day an 80 mph river boat got respect. A 100 mph boat got legend status. Now thats nothing. When Iwas a kid i had a kneeler hydro with a 12 hp on it. Felt world class when in reality it was about as fast as the first jet skis

 

[Tpltrbl303]

Who's driving