xb2003 handling vs. scared wife

[pcrussell50]

i just read 1badss's thread... interesting...

ok, so i want an xb2003, but the wife already thinks i'm a reckless speed freak, and she'd rather have a pontoon boat.

my current boat little 16 foot speedster is good for mid-50's or so before it starts chine walking, BUT at about 40, it handles great and doesn't scare the wife.
anyway, at what speed does an xb2003 stop being "no-brainer, one-hand-on-the wheel" easy to drive? iow, so easy _anyone_ could do it even with a careless setup? mid-50's maybe?

thoughts?

BTW, i'm actually very careful... she just scares easily

-peter

 

[zatchmo]

In my boat it's more like 70-75. If it is badly out of balance it will start to walk about 80-85, but I can drive it with a BIG guy sitting beside me (mine is balanced for solo running) up to 75 with no issues at all.

 

[xb03fs]

I have only driven mine once and it was with the girlfreind and a standard lower unit. 45 MPH and below, pillowy ride, never been in somthing that sliced through waves so soft. Mid 50's locked in more, but still great ride. First hint of chine walk at 60.

Never got to try to correct with the girlfreind it was slow down. My last boat was a 45 MPH Fish and ski, so I would say up to 59 is very easy and under control. With a boat actually setup probably more before the chine walk shows up.

At 50 and below only way to compare I guess the only way to describe the ride is to almost compare to a pontoon at 20. What I thought was so awsome was even at these slow speeds the boat was up and out of the water, with the water breaking behind you unlinke any other boat I have ever been in that wants to plow at slow speed settings.....

Hope this helps but I am a noobi with NO DRIVING SKILLS at this point so

By the way already hooked cant wait to get back in the boat.

 

[lakeozarkbassboater]

hey, i see you are over in STL. i amy trying to close the deal on one of either two boats, one is a XB21 Pro Sport and the other is a 2003. maybe we can learn to fly an ALLY together some. good luck and leave the wife at home some LOL.

 

[john4utvols]

I have owned 3 Xb2003, About 65-70 it will start to chine walk and then the learning process will begin. Your wife will love this boat, the wind protection is the best. Many times I would cruise at 90 with one hand on the wheel while drinking my favorite beverage

 

[hullbilly]

IMO, you can cruise around in an xb2003 without getting on the pad no problem. It also will depend on your chosen trim angle and prop too. The cool thing about the xb2003, is that while just cruising, my wife feels very protected behing the "big" console.

Just don't let her ride while you learn to fly it on the pad!

 

[xb03fs]

Yeah wind protection is great! Kinda like riding in a convertable the wind will hit your hair but not your face. Even in my slow fish and ski at 45 my eyes would water. Not in this boat.

Lake Ozark Basser. Yeah we will have to get together sometime, never been to lake of the Ozarks so I would need a weekend guide. I spend most of my time at Mark Twain, its closer for sure.

 

[lakeozarkbassboater]

you bet, we can do it.

just drop me a PM.

i hope to have my ALLY in the real near future

 

[K-DAWG XB 2003]

I have owned 3 Xb2003, About 65-70 it will start to chine walk and then the learning process will begin. Your wife will love this boat, the wind protection is the best. Many times I would cruise at 90 with one hand on the wheel while drinking my favorite beverage

Sometimes it will start at 60 in mine. A buddy of mine wanted to drive it. So, I let him and he couldnt get past 63 on the gps. I finally told him to just stab it in the azz and slowly declerate when it got away from him. He saw 75 very, very briefly.......lol My wife dont like fly'in on the pad either. But, I think she has gotten use to the occasional blast to 80 then, back to cruising speed. I dont know if its just me or running the curvy river around here but, everytime I hit a decent straight away I like to kick it in the butt and feel the acceleration of a straight line run. That is definately the most gratifing thing about driving my boat. The feeling of being pushed back into the seat and hearing the sound of that 260 when it hits around 7000 rpm. WAPOW WAPOW!!!!!!!!

 

[GotMyAlly]

My 03 required some driving at the 65-75 mark. That's the speed that it was trying to jump up on the pad but not strolling quite fast enough to climb all the way up on the pad good. Once you hit about 80, it locked in and required very little driver input.