Bayliner 305 owners please advise-gctid368253

[Guest]

I would like to ask Bayliner 305 owners how their boat handle choppy waters and how easy( or difficult) it is to control the boat under windy situations.

Thanks

[Guest]

mines slightly bigger but bout the same....it handles chop and big waves way better than we do......the boat takes the beating better than I can handle it all.....we got caught in a squall that kicked up 10-14 ftrs....the only hard part we had was turning when I came off of a wave..the bow hooked ....it was my fault cuz I should have timed it better....almost rolled us but I was able to power out of it.....

as for high winds...it takes lots of practice but you have to change your methods at docking....either bow in or approach at an angle...either way...it's hard and you have to really be careful with docking.....

:arr arr

[Guest]

I dont have alot of big waves, but we do have alot of chop. She takes it well, and takes large wakes with ease I dont even have to slow down often she will just cut right through.

[cwiert]

How big a chop are we talking? Overall I think the boat handles very well. If its really bad out, I dont go out. But I think the boat has handled what has been thrown at it very well. Cruising from BLock island to Newport, RI we hit some pretty good chop and the boat did fine. No complaints from the admiral, which means she never felt uncomfortable or unsafe.

Wind can be a little tricky...especially if you have your canvas top up and all the glass up too. It just acts like a sail. But when docking, having the twins really helps combat this. Plus the twins are separated pretty far apart which gives you even more controlability than most other 30 footers I've seen that have the engines much much closer together.

Hope this helps.

[Jeffw]

As a former 305 owner, I can tell you it will take more big water than you will want to take. Backing into a slip in a crosswind is a little edgy, the bow slips around a lot, but you'll get the hang of it with practice.

[Guest]

I think it is a great handling boat, I dont get much chop, but it can get very windy. As someone said above, the drives are spaced much further apart than other similar boats- that helps.

[CaptTom]

OK, I've only had the helm of a 305 for about a half-hour, once. My impressions matched the above, pretty solid and dry in chop compared to similar boats. And as always the boat is going to be able to endure more than the crew will.

I wanted to point out that it's true having the engines farther apart helps a lot in handling. But technically, it forces a significant reduction in deadrise. The flatter surfaces aft do mean more pounding in chop than a similar size and weight hull with more deadrise. And the entry forward isn't as sharp as, say, a downeast lobster boat hull. This maximizes usable interior space at the expense of a bouncier ride. Everything in boating is a compromise. Bayliner has done a great job with the 305, it's really a joy to run and very comfortable to stay aboard.

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I am talking about the San Francisco Bay chop and wind.

[Guest]

used to live out there..know the chop well....it will handle it waaay better than you will.......

:arr arr

[RGrew176]

CaptTom wrote:
OK, I've only had the helm of a 305 for about a half-hour, once. My impressions matched the above, pretty solid and dry in chop compared to similar boats. And as always the boat is going to be able to endure more than the crew will.

I wanted to point out that it's true having the engines farther apart helps a lot in handling. But technically, it forces a significant reduction in deadrise. The flatter surfaces aft do mean more pounding in chop than a similar size and weight hull with more deadrise. And the entry forward isn't as sharp as, say, a downeast lobster boat hull. This maximizes usable interior space at the expense of a bouncier ride. Everything in boating is a compromise. Bayliner has done a great job with the 305, it's really a joy to run and very comfortable to stay aboard.

Yeah, but you can tuck the drives in and utilize the bow to help break through the chop. A few seasons ago I was headed home from Put-in-Bay and Lake Erie was acting up with a good 4' chop. I had two choices run just above hull speed and keep the pounding to a minimum or tuck the drives in along with just a little trim tab and make a decent run. I was running about 8 MPH before I tucked the drives and added some trim tab. Once I completed that process I was able to throttle up and run a decent 20 MPH for the rest of the trip home.

As with any boat/hull there are limitations but there are things you can do with a 3055/305 to make your ride much better in less than ideal conditions. It beats sitting at the dock, at least sometimes.

[Guest]

These are always difficult questions to answer, because all of us have different perceptions of what is bad/hard. I find that the 3055 rides very well in rough water and gives a dry ride. Using the tabs and trim to change the boat's attitude can really make a difference in how it handles varying weather.

It has a lot of surface area, so wind does push it around, but any big cruiser will be like that. I find that it's important to swing the bow into a crosswind and time it so you back into the slip as the bow comes into line. Not terribly complicated, just takes a little practice.

[Guest]

SwampNut wrote:
These are always difficult questions to answer, because all of us have different perceptions of what is bad/hard. I find that the 3055 rides very well in rough water and gives a dry ride. Using the tabs and trim to change the boat's attitude can really make a difference in how it handles varying weather.

It has a lot of surface area, so wind does push it around, but any big cruiser will be like that. I find that it's important to swing the bow into a crosswind and time it so you back into the slip as the bow comes into line. Not terribly complicated, just takes a little practice.

My problem is by the time the bow comes into line the wind has it moving at like 5 mph and it comes into line and goes past and just keeps going no matter how much throttle I give her. Me and backing up just dont work I fail lol....Nomatter what I do my bow decides what I am going to be allowed to do.

[Stratocaster]

There has never been a better candidate for a bow thruster than a 305/3055. In a crosswind, the stern acts like a big pivot, and that bow swings around faster than you can believe.

It isn't like the wind will blow the entire boat sideways. The bow will swing until it is facing straight downwind, and then the boat will start to move! A thruster would make this maneuver a no-brainer.

Many times, I tied up on an outside dock and waited till the wind died down to slip the boat.

[Guest]

So, I understand that in cross wind situations the swinging of the bow could be difficult to control. Did anybody install bow thrusters on a similar boat? How much did it cost?

[Guest]

majoma wrote:
So, I understand that in cross wind situations the swinging of the bow could be difficult to control. Did anybody install bow thrusters on a similar boat? How much did it cost?

it can be a real pita tbqh. Even driving along on a windy day, the bow sometimes decides which direction we are going to be heading. Shes light, full chain rode would help but man thats $$$ and overkill for where I live.