Thoughts on Captiva 170 OB for family of four

pburgh

My wife and I have been kicking around the idea of getting a small bowrider for use on the lakes around our home in New Hampshire.  We grew up on a lake, but since moving down here and starting a family, we haven't had any time to enjoy the local lakes.  Our boys are 6 and 4 and we found the Captiva 170 OB to be a nice size for the four of us.  The local boat show offered us a deal of $23,7xx on a green 170 with:

• Trailer
• Yamaha F90XA
• Wrap-around windshield
• Sony stereo
• Bow and cockpit canvas
• Bimini top (black)
• Carpet
• Tilt steering
• and a few other items I'm forgetting

The other boats I'm consider are: Bayliner 170 OB and Starcraft 172 OB.   I'm pretty sold on going OB after having some unpleasant experiences with I/Os in the past.

What does everyone think of the 170 OB?  It seems like it would work for us even when the boys grow.  Sure, the bow seats aren't the biggest, but the main cabin area is quite comfortable with everyone seated.  Any issues I should be aware of?  

Thanks!

69fastback

I think it just boils down to your needs, budget, and opinion. I was looking to spend low 20s on a boat, and for me, a larger used boat was better than a new smaller boat. We are a family of 4 as well, but my kids always want to bring friends along, so we always have extra people in the boat. My 232 is rated for 12, and I like no more than 6 because it just gets crowded.  I looked for about 6 months before I found "the boat," because I was picky. We got the 232BR, 350MAG/Bravo 3, 135 hours, and ridiculously clean, stored indoors, and well maintained for $18K. For me, it was better than newer a 17'-19' boat. 

pburgh

Thanks for the reply.  I've definitely been scouring the local listings for suitable used boats.  I'll admit, I haven't had much luck finding bowriders with outboards.  We went to the boat show just trying to occupy a lazy Sunday and found the 170.  

The idea of having a small, easily-towed boat is very attractive to me as we would be towing it every weekend.  I do see your point about it getting crowded though.  Most of our friends have similarly-aged children, and while the boat size will work now... it might not in 5 years.  Of course, I could just leave everyone else on shore, muwahaha.  

partlowr

That is a very nice looking boat, love the colors. What was the MSRP on that boat? Build quality on a Rinker is better than both the Bayliner and StarCraft that you mentioned. I think you and other posters have touched on a few the pros/cons of a boat this size. Just about any vehicle with a hitch is going to be able to tow this boat, storage will be easy and inexpensive. Capacity and comfort are going to be your biggest concerns. Your kids are still small/young enough so they will fit comfortably up on the bow seats for a few more years. I can tell you that no matter how big of a boat you have you always find yourself wishing you had a little more room. My 232 Captiva is a lot bigger and wider than the 170 and once in a while I feel cramped on it when I have 7 or 8 people(and the stated max capacity is 10) on it, but it is rare that we have that many people aboard. Keep in mind that in addition to bodies you are most likely going to have coolers, towables, bumpers and life preservers on board and not all of that stuff can be easily stowed, especially the towable and coolers and since you are going with a outboard you lose your platform area where some people tie up their tubes and towables.  So I guess what you need to ask yourself is how often are you going to have more than just your family and maybe a couple of your kids friends on the boat? you can't go wrong with Rinker build quality but is it enough boat?

pburgh

I believe the MSRP is $28,999.  

I appreciate your input.  Lots to think about, that's for sure.  I'd hate to get 5 years down the road and have a pristine boat... that's too small.  

aero3113

It's a nice looking boat but think you'll  outgrow it quickly with kids. You can get a VERY NICE used boat and bigger for 29K.

raybo3

Welcome to the RBOC. I also think you will out grow a 17 footer rather quickly. If your kids bring a friend now your up to atleast 6.... Just say'n. Also Rinker much much better quality than Bayliner or Starcraft. Good luck and keep us posted.

partlowr

pburgh said:

I believe the MSRP is $28,999.  

I appreciate your input.  Lots to think about, that's for sure.  I'd hate to get 5 years down the road and have a pristine boat... that's too small.  

The numbers seem right, sounds like a great price at $23K and change.

Glassguy54

My wife & I bought our first boat 5 years ago, a 19 ft Glasstron with 5ltr Volvo Penta V-8. It would jump right out of the water, but even just the two of us, it felt small and when we had friends aboard, it was cramped. 
We sold that boat after owning it only 10 months and bought a 2007 Captiva 246 with 350 MAG MPI engine & Bravo III dual prop drive. We love it. It is towable. We have taken it from East Central Iowa to Lake of the Ozarks, Mark Twain Lake, Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, and Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee, and up to the Mississippi just about every weekend during the season. It has many amenities that make time on the water more enjoyable. Integral swim platform, transom shower for rinsing off, cockpit freshwater sink, head/changing compartment, stowable snack table, bow filler cushions, beach re-boarding ladder, etc. and O/R yacht certification, tho we rarely have more than 6 aboard at a time. Super clean, always stored inside. When the guy rolled up the overhead door and I saw it for the first time I thought, "WOW, that's HUGE!" Now I get a chuckle when we idle through some marinas. We aren't the smallest boat on the river, but we're FAR from being the largest!!

pburgh

Wow, that's a nice looking boat!  Can I go for a ride?  Haha  

So let me ask this... am I limiting my choices too much by focusing on outboard power?  Am I not giving inboard power enough credit?  

Glassguy54

I guess you'll gain more cockpit square footage with an outboard, and easier servicing/repowering, but its kinda rare to find a larger bow rider/sportboat with outboard power unless you get something like a Grady White, Boston Whaler, Pursuit, Rampage, etc. More of those are now being offered as a dual console configuration instead of the more conventional center console, with the aim of appealing more to families with diverse interests-water sports, off shore fishing, flats fishing, etc. There is much to choose from and I'm sure you'll find the perfect boat for you & your family. Happy hunting. 

partlowr

pburgh said:

Wow, that's a nice looking boat!  Can I go for a ride?  Haha  

So let me ask this... am I limiting my choices too much by focusing on outboard power?  Am I not giving inboard power enough credit?  

You will not find too many 17-18 foot boats with I/O's, most of them(not all) are going to be outboards. If you expand your criteria into a 20 plus footer then I would give some serious consideration into an I/O.  There are many thing I like about a I/O versus an outboard. One of them I already mentioned in a previous post is being able to use that back area to strap on a tube or wake board and having a usable swim platform. The other thing I like about an I/O is a safety issue, most I/O's these days are neatly tucked away under the swim platform or euro platform keeping the prop and outdrive away from swimmers or anyone diving off your boat. Even if you have the motor turned off that prop sitting below the waterline can still be a hazard for a child or guest unfamiliar with boats might jump in and hit the prop. Non of the prop on my 232 extends beyond the platform so even if someone slipped and fell off my platform there is no way they are going to hit anything but water.  Since you have two young children that is something to seriously consider. Another safety concern, although a much smaller concern is simply line of sight out the rear of the boat when towing people on tubes, wakeboards or skis, if you are sitting down driving you are going to be hard pressed to simply be able to look over your shoulder and check for a fallen skier. Yes, you should always have a spotter on the boat but even when that spotter tells you "man down" the pilot of the boat needs to do a quick assessment of where the skier is down and get the boat turned around to retrieve them, the outboard is going to completely obstruct that view in most cases.

randy56

pburgh, welcome to the forum, I'm not sure of your fear of an IO, I've had both and they all need proper maintance, if they don't get,  trouble is coming.  Don't be scared of the IO . Having 14 boats and 3 jet ski's i would sugest looking for a bigger used boat. at least 19-20 ft. To start. It's up to your financing though. The size of the body of water make a differance, and how many boats are running around out there. The 17ft could be a rough ride at times. You may have to drive a few hours from where you live to find it. But there are people who buy boats, moterhomes, campers, motorcycles, after a year or 3 they decide it's not for them, because they have not used it very much.  Just like mentioned above glassguy54 made a great find. you can two.  Take your time. You and your family will enjoy boating. Hey, but on the other hand, there is nothing wrong with the 17ft Rinker. My first runabout was 15ft. 70 HP outboard.  lot of fun.

pburgh

Randy (and all), thanks for the feedback.  I think my fear of IO comes from the few Larsons we had growing up that always seemed to need work.  Possibly time I shed that bias, haha!  

I am not one to rush in to any big decision... especially buying a boat.  Sad to report that the night after the boat show I slept only an hour.  The remainder of the night I was laying there thinking about what I should do.  

pburgh

I'll throw one last wrinkle in to this conversation.  The 170 OB can be towed with my current SUV, but anything bigger and I'd be looking at getting a more suitable tow rig.  

partlowr

pburgh said:

I'll throw one last wrinkle in to this conversation.  The 170 OB can be towed with my current SUV, but anything bigger and I'd be looking at getting a more suitable tow rig.  

You can tow that 17 footer with just about anything, I'm guessing boat and trailer can't weigh much more than 2500 pounds.

partlowr

Yep, Rinker website says the boat is 1970 pounds with fuel and fluids, trailer is probably another 600 pounds. You're right at 2570 pound, pretty much anything on the road can tow that.

partlowr

I tow my 232 cc with a 2014 Mercedes ML350 which is an awd 3.5L 6 cylinder. It's a mid sized SUV and it has a 6600 pound towing capacity. I've had no problems, my only issue is my side view mirrors are not wide enough but I am going to buy those extensions that strap on this year.

Glassguy54

The 19 ft Glasstron we had prior to the Captiva 246 was towed with a Nissan Pathfinder with a 3.5 V6 that drank premium gas. You really knew that boat/trailer was back there and I only got 10 MPG while towing. I got the Z71 Tahoe and you had to keep checking the mirrors to see if the rig was still attached! I could zip down the highway at 80 mph like nothing and got better fuel economy to boot! Now with the Tahoe/246 combo, its a different story. There's no question its a heavy boat and I can't and wouldn't do 80mph, but it will pull it at 65mph and keep up with traffic for the most part, the exception being long steep grades. I will probably up grade to a 2500HD Silverado to make long hauls more comfortable and on the chance we may buy a bit larger boat at some point!

randy56

pburgh, now if needed, you have an reason to get a new truck! LOL

pburgh

I have a new found desire for a Captiva 226 (and a new tow rig).  My goodness it is a nice looking boat.  I will ditch the thought of going with a 170.  

raybo3

Good move pburgh........... Good luck 

randy56

Happy boating! Now you will have to change your name. pburgh226 haha

Glassguy54

I think you'll be much happier with the larger boat, but that's just my opinion. From personal experience, the 19 footer we had for 10 months before replacing it with our 246 was terribly rough if you encountered any kind of chop or wakes from other boats, etc. You really got a good pounding and my wife HATED it! The extra weight of a larger boat does wonders for smoothing out the ride. Also worth mentioning is that the larger boat will have a higher freeboard which will make your passengers feel much more secure and give you the advantage of an extra margin of safety for young children.

Glassguy54

I forgot to mention that the only time my wife likes a....oh, uh, never mind.

Skippy79

We had a regal 180br as our first boat, we had it for 9 months before trading in for a 232br. We are only a family of 3 and the little one was only 4 at the time, but we still found it too small for all the gear to come along for a good day out, coolbox, a few bags with clothes/towels stuff for the little one, then the toys, food and it was packed to the brim... Since the 232 we haven't looked back!. the only problem is that you always want to go bigger, I've been looking at a 276 for the past week or so and reckon that will be the next one in 2/3 years or so....