Baja compared to Sunsation??
10-21-2010, 01:00 PM
#21
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In flat to mildly confused water I would put them neck in neck. When the water gets larger with bigger rollers I would give the nod to my 288 only because it has a little more length to span the water. In rough water a foot is like a mile.
Two weeks after I purchased my 288 I took it up to Michigan on Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron. Below is some video that was taken from that trip on Huron. Keep in mind I had very little seat time in the boat at this time and I know it was flying just a little nose high as I was still playing with set up but even with that it was comfortable. For any safety conscious in the crowd, yes I always wear my tether.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHVjG4sp-VA
Two weeks after I purchased my 288 I took it up to Michigan on Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron. Below is some video that was taken from that trip on Huron. Keep in mind I had very little seat time in the boat at this time and I know it was flying just a little nose high as I was still playing with set up but even with that it was comfortable. For any safety conscious in the crowd, yes I always wear my tether.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHVjG4sp-VA
10-21-2010, 01:07 PM
#22
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I have owned both. I have kind of come full circle in my opinions of Sunsation in the past and now.
I have owned three Baja brand boats including a 20 Outlaw, 245 and a 25 Outlaw being the most recent. My 25 was a great boat and in all honesty I might still have it had my wife and I not had our first child and I wanted to alleviate some debt. My only gripes about my Baja boats was the attention to detail in the rigging and some of the fit and finish. You do get a huge bang for your buck though. Yes there will always be Baja haters but in my opinion they have always been a great boat. One thing the haters need to remember is that there is always a better, faster boat out there.
My first experience with a Sunsation 288 was not a good one. In fact, after taking a ride in a poker run in one an aquantence of mine owned, I vowed never to get back in one. From the passenger bolster it felt unsettled and all over the place sometimes coming down on one side or the other when the going got rough. I am not a novice to rough water or performance boats and it is one of the few times I was nervous. The guy I was riding with had owned the boat for a few months but had owned several performance boats so I figured he knew how to operate his stuff. What I have later found is that the guy really did not know how to drive the boat and operate it in that kind of water which brings us to some differences.
As a guide, my 25 was a 2006 model with all the options including 35th anniversary package. My 288 is a 2001 model with Mcleod interior and some other custom touches.
The 25 being a standard deep v non-ventilated hull is kind of hard to get into trouble in. Not saying it is impossible but it is a no-frills hull without any tricks. Hammer the throttle and hold on and even a novice will be safe with mild power. The Sunsation requires a bit more input due to the step in the hull...older Sunnys had kind of a half step and newer ones have a full step. I would call my Sunny more of a driver's boat needing more input from tabs, drive and throttle to get the most performance and handling out of it.
The 288 is a bigger boat, if only by a couple feet. It feels bigger in rougher water and has just enough extra length to span bigger rollers. Now, while it has added room in the cabin and overall length, it is not much bigger if at all in the cockpit. In fact, I would say it has almost identical room as the 25 in that aspect. The sun pad on the 25 is bigger if that is important.
As far as fit and finish, I have been very pleased with my Sunny. The rigging is great and the glasswork and gell work are very good. The engine compartment is well finished and all wiring is done very neatly. My 25 was also very good but the wiring was not as neat and the finish in the bilge was a bit more confused looking. I would say out of 1-10 I would give my 25 a 7.5 and my sunny a 9.
Speed between my Sunny and 25 WITH EQUAL POWER is about the same. I got around 66 out of the 25 any day of the week in any condition with a 496HO and my sunny is a solid 70 no matter what with a warmed over 502.
As I said before, my 25 was a fantastic boat but this go around I wanted something different after three Bajas. I am extremely happy with my 288 but I would go back to a bigger Baja in a heartbeat when the times comes to make a move to a larger boat.
In the end you just need to drive and experience both and buy the one you like the best.
I have owned three Baja brand boats including a 20 Outlaw, 245 and a 25 Outlaw being the most recent. My 25 was a great boat and in all honesty I might still have it had my wife and I not had our first child and I wanted to alleviate some debt. My only gripes about my Baja boats was the attention to detail in the rigging and some of the fit and finish. You do get a huge bang for your buck though. Yes there will always be Baja haters but in my opinion they have always been a great boat. One thing the haters need to remember is that there is always a better, faster boat out there.
My first experience with a Sunsation 288 was not a good one. In fact, after taking a ride in a poker run in one an aquantence of mine owned, I vowed never to get back in one. From the passenger bolster it felt unsettled and all over the place sometimes coming down on one side or the other when the going got rough. I am not a novice to rough water or performance boats and it is one of the few times I was nervous. The guy I was riding with had owned the boat for a few months but had owned several performance boats so I figured he knew how to operate his stuff. What I have later found is that the guy really did not know how to drive the boat and operate it in that kind of water which brings us to some differences.
As a guide, my 25 was a 2006 model with all the options including 35th anniversary package. My 288 is a 2001 model with Mcleod interior and some other custom touches.
The 25 being a standard deep v non-ventilated hull is kind of hard to get into trouble in. Not saying it is impossible but it is a no-frills hull without any tricks. Hammer the throttle and hold on and even a novice will be safe with mild power. The Sunsation requires a bit more input due to the step in the hull...older Sunnys had kind of a half step and newer ones have a full step. I would call my Sunny more of a driver's boat needing more input from tabs, drive and throttle to get the most performance and handling out of it.
The 288 is a bigger boat, if only by a couple feet. It feels bigger in rougher water and has just enough extra length to span bigger rollers. Now, while it has added room in the cabin and overall length, it is not much bigger if at all in the cockpit. In fact, I would say it has almost identical room as the 25 in that aspect. The sun pad on the 25 is bigger if that is important.
As far as fit and finish, I have been very pleased with my Sunny. The rigging is great and the glasswork and gell work are very good. The engine compartment is well finished and all wiring is done very neatly. My 25 was also very good but the wiring was not as neat and the finish in the bilge was a bit more confused looking. I would say out of 1-10 I would give my 25 a 7.5 and my sunny a 9.
Speed between my Sunny and 25 WITH EQUAL POWER is about the same. I got around 66 out of the 25 any day of the week in any condition with a 496HO and my sunny is a solid 70 no matter what with a warmed over 502.
As I said before, my 25 was a fantastic boat but this go around I wanted something different after three Bajas. I am extremely happy with my 288 but I would go back to a bigger Baja in a heartbeat when the times comes to make a move to a larger boat.
In the end you just need to drive and experience both and buy the one you like the best.
10-21-2010, 03:58 PM
#23
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10-21-2010, 06:34 PM
#24
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Actually, the 25 and 288 freeboard feel about the same to me and I am 6'3". Here is a picture of my 288 and Violator's 25 next to each other. In wind blown slop I do feel like I got an occasional spray a little more in the 25 but I think it had to do with the fact the bow was not as far out in front of me on the 25 to knock a little of it down.
10-21-2010, 07:34 PM
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Actually, the 25 and 288 freeboard feel about the same to me and I am 6'3". Here is a picture of my 288 and Violator's 25 next to each other. In wind blown slop I do feel like I got an occasional spray a little more in the 25 but I think it had to do with the fact the bow was not as far out in front of me on the 25 to knock a little of it down.
but the 25 ol is a great boat. To me the 25 seems to have a bit more depth in the cockpit. The sunny will run and fly a bit more level when trimmed out. The 99 outlaw used to run a bit bow high.
10-21-2010, 07:56 PM
#26
Actually, the 25 and 288 freeboard feel about the same to me and I am 6'3". Here is a picture of my 288 and Violator's 25 next to each other. In wind blown slop I do feel like I got an occasional spray a little more in the 25 but I think it had to do with the fact the bow was not as far out in front of me on the 25 to knock a little of it down.
10-21-2010, 08:41 PM
#27
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The draft on the Baja is two inches deeper.
Here is a shot of the two boats on trailers next to each other along with a 33 for good measure. .
10-22-2010, 09:05 AM
#30
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I refurbished the trailer that came with my Sunny and added some additional features.
Here is a thread I did on www.bajaboatowners.com outlining the project. http://bajaboatowners.com/threads/25...ailer-Upgrades
Here are some before and after shots.
Here is a thread I did on www.bajaboatowners.com outlining the project. http://bajaboatowners.com/threads/25...ailer-Upgrades
Here are some before and after shots.
Last edited by haulinvols; 10-22-2010 at 09:09 AM.
