'05 216 vs Bu Sunsetter pre-2005 vs Bu Sunsetter 2005

[89SN2001]

We are looking for a bowrider to better accomodate 3 children and one of their friends or ours. Looked at the 206--bow seemed to small. We were set on seeing a 216 but had to drive 4 hours to MWCC to do so and we did. When the door opened we loved it. When we got in and sat down we found the seats to be hard, unusual cut and low on the back (back seat) I feel like I am falling into the corner in the bow. Love the storage. Really wondering about the skiing. We test drove a leftover 05 Bu Sunsetter last Tues. Really big--maybe too big. Have looked at pre-05 sunsetters on the old hull. Test driving one on Saturday

Help?

Any opinions?

[AbunDiga909]

RE:

The 216 is/has been/will always be my favorite Correct Craft, and I HIGHLY recomend it to anyone. Your situation seems perfect for what this boat was made for. Like you said, the bow is nice and long. Its the only DD that I can actually stretch out comfortably in, w/o needing to hang my feet over the side. The wake will easily suit your 3 children and your friend. The wake is very 'kid-friendly.' Best wake for boarding is between 16-21 MPH w/ stock ballast. Stock ballast will be plenty for your kids. It will be more than adequete (sp?) for them until they are about 16 and/or doing some serious inverts. I really think you'll love this boat, first impressions are usually right...

You say your wondering about the skiing. Again, depends on your level. But remember, this boat has the same hull that was on the '02-'05 196--The TSC2 hull--world class. Only difference is this is 2 ft. longer, how much worse could it possibly be... I'll tell you that its not that bad. Unless you're Andy Mapple, you won't complain. It is very suitible for the course. Even at 28 MPH only, the wake flattens out, and you have the signiture TSC2 Double Rooster. Instead of the bump that you find on the older Nautiques, on this hull, it is as if that rooster tail was flattened, and spread out into a nice, wide, long, soft wake transition. It is like skiing on butter... It's also like driving on butter.. 8-) This boat handles like no other! Go w/ the BU, and you'll drive a Cadilac, go w/ the 216, you'll drive a Porsche...

If you have any more questions, PM me anytime, I've got plenty to say about this boat, and a lot of pics if you're interested in anything specific.

[scottrob]

wrt seats being too hard and low backs. I have a 216 and am 6'2", no complaints at all - very comfortable. Can fully stretch in front and in back can comfortably rest my feet on the motor cover.

Skiing - I just bought mine and am waiting for the weather to allow the final judgement, but:

(a) 196 is too small a boat and I needed option to wakeboard
(b) 206 was too short in bow - which you noticed
(c) 216 was AWSA certified '03-'04 until SV-211 came out. Comparing this wake to other boats is clearly the CC advantage.

Unless you can afford the SV-211, best all-around boat is the 216.

The dealer I bought mine from is a pro-wakeboarder (Cliff McInnis) and he learned / trained on the 216 initially - I am told he can still do some pretty sick tricks off the 216.

My opinion is stay with the 216, unless you can afford the 211 AND you are ok with how much closer everyone is in the 211.


Scott

[AbunDiga909]

It's not that the 216 wasn't AWSA certified when the SV-211 came out, its just that CC didn't pay to get it tested at that time. It's still the same boat as the '03-'04 models, which were approved. The 211 has great ski wakes at speeds lower than 30, but when you get around 32 MPH, the DD in the 216 really comes out, and it starts to plane off that even the 211 can't do, and the wake really starts to dissapear.

And just one more thing about the seats, you're judging it now when its cold and hard out. The seats are going to be stiffer than normal at this time. Once your in the heat of the summer, the seats will be a lot softer, and feel perfect. Firmness is good in summer...

[89SN2001]

Someone else did tell me about the cold seats idea so since we couldn't go back to the 216 (4 hours away) We went to the dealer to sit in a 196. It was much softer but still not like our 89. I also felt like the rear bench seat was deeper than the 216 and more straight across (without the corner wings)

[AbunDiga909]

Well, comparing the seats of the new 196 to your 2001 isn't really comparing apples to apples. Your 2001's seats have had 16 years to be worn into and have many hours on them. I'm sure once you start using the seats of whatever boat you buy, they will gradually get softer. The 216 is a very shallow boat, no doubt. But some may like it like that, I do. I love how the bow is nice and shallow and I don't fell like I'm sunk into a hole like on the MC's and Centurions. Some may say its not safe, but if you know how to keep people in control in your boat, and be responsible, it shouldn't be an issue. It makes me feel a lot less enclosed, and a lot more outdoors, same reaosn behind my liking of the CC windshield, oppose to the MC/BU style.

Not everything is going to feel perfect to you, or totally natural. It just takes a little getting used to, thats for sure. But hey, what do you expect. 16 years later, they must have made some changes to your boat for the better, I doubt you'll be complaining about it after your first season...

[krs0394]

For what it is worth, we went through the same thing when we upgraded to the 216 from a 196. We looked at the 206 but found the bow area to be too small. We did not want to buy a 206 and wish we had more room. Now we can comfortably fit 3 adults in the bow area and still see where we are going. I have found we enjoy having the extra room when friends and family stop. I don't feel you would have any regrets with a 216. Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

PS -- Be careful of BU seats, the ones on my lake seem to tear/puncture easily.

[scottrob]

Austin is right, the '05 certification was CC option to not pay for. Same hull - same result if they had.

All I can tell you is that if you compare the 216 with any other DD out there, it is the best room, quality, and handling you can find.

You may like one over another in a given area - but the whole package is why CC is CC.

I'm ultra anal about comfort, quality, and skiing - so, 216 is my choice and I'm stickin to it :grin:

BTW - My buddy bought a Malibu DD March of last year and I cannot wait to pull him behind my boat and make him want to sell his...

[bkhallpass]

Got to disagree with Diga about the 216 vs 211 at speeds under 30. IMO the 216 is a better
ski wake under 30 mph than is the 211, when you go above 30, the 211 becomes a much
better ski wake, but not the near world class ski wake that you will get from the 216. Heck,
at 36mph, even the 210 isn't bad for skiing. BKH

[AbunDiga909]

Got to disagree with Diga about the 216 vs 211 at speeds under 30. IMO the 216 is a better
ski wake under 30 mph than is the 211, when you go above 30, the 211 becomes a much
better ski wake, but not the near world class ski wake that you will get from the 216. Heck,
at 36mph, even the 210 isn't bad for skiing. BKH

I actually have never gotten the chance to get behind a 211. I got that information from I think it was Gary Meloon. He was saying that the hydrogate was so good that it even made a "nicer" wake than the 216 at slower speeds, and it wasn't until you got to comp. level speeds where the 216 pulled ahead. But I have never confirmed this myself. It was hard for me to believe at first to...

[SGY]

I've driven and skied the 216. I was very impressed. I've also driven and skied the pre-05 SLXi. Again I was impressed. The Bu seemed more cavernous than the 216 while the 216 seemed more solid and tracked better IMO. Now the difference could have been that I'm used to driving the CC style boat. The Bu had very light steering and felt on top of the water. The 216 seemed glued to the water with higher effort steering. The Bu changed direction quickly even with the slightest steering input while the 216 was slower to respond but was less likely to get pulled off course. I preferred the 216 because that is what I'm used to. My buddy preferred the Bu because that was what he was used to.

The 216 was quieter than the Bu. With the Bu you had a more throaty exhaust. With the CC, the exhaust was quieter but replaced by gear whine. (I was surprised to see the Response LXi was quieter than the 206 in the WSG tests this year.) The CC is quieter from shore, but Bu has caught up on the in cabin noise for sure. The CC tranny seemed smoother than the Bu tranny. In and out of gear you'll notice that the CC is smooth; on the Bu, you'll get a small lurch. Some folks like the lurch on the Bu--it lets you know you are in gear. For some, the CC smoothness takes a few minutes to get used to. The 216 was a bit better in the rough stuff than the Bu. I'm nit picking here, but I noticed some hull flex on the 2001 SLXi that I drove.

I was very impressed with the room in the 216. Like I said, the Bu seemed like a cave with tons of space. On the ski wake, well that's subjective and again depends upon what you are used to. CC has a distinctive wake which I'm very fond of. Abun had a nice description of the wake. At 15 off 30-32 mph, both wakes are very nice. The Bu wake is soft but a bit bigger and washy compared to the 216 wake which seemed a touch harder but smaller and more defined. On edge both were not a problem.

No doubt you will have a decision to make. I hope the info you get here helps. Sometimes it boils down to how are you going to feel when you are in your chosen boat and the competitor floats by. It seems silly, but will your heart long for the boat floating by or will you give your boat a little love tap and smile. For me, CC was the choice--and in no small part because of this silly emotional little test.

Good luck.

[89SN2001]

SGY

Thanks for finding me over here on PN and for suggesting posting the question here too.

The emotion thing--definitely not silly. That is how we ended up in this big decision process to begin with. We thought we were done when we signed the deal on the 2005 Sunsetter, but when it came time to getting an ad together to sell our Nautique, my heart just stopped. I can't believe we are not going to have it anymore. Got a guy coming to look at her next weekend who only lives 15 min away. Maybe he will allow me visitation!!

Thanks for all the input.

Hydrogate was mentioned above--Anyone know why it is not an option on the 216?????

[M3Fan]

SGY- Very true words. If I ended up with a competitors boat, and saw my current boat float by, I'd really be second guessing myself.

[NautiqueJeff]

Hydrogate was mentioned above--Anyone know why it is not an option on the 216?????

That would require a hull modification, and I personally don't think that CC wants to put that effort into it at this point in the life cycle of that particular boat. My guess is that the 216 will not be produced at all for much longer.

[SGY]

What Jeff says may be true, but that doesn't diminish the quality or usefulness of the 216.