2017 Models at Phil Dill Boats

[jawsf16]

So I took a day of leave and decided that a 30 minute drive over to Phil Dill was in order. They just received a few new 2017s and had them in the lot. Flashy, shiny, and new! Also, I have not really spent much time in the 2015+ boats so I decided to shop those with my wife. We hopped in the E series LS and quickly realized that Yamaha is a company with very few 6'4" product testers. Had to duck to get under the cage, and again to get out at the bow - my wife was giggling uncontrollably. Driving while standing up (something I do almost exclusively) would have been a direct trip to the ER. I had the same realization on the 2011 Limited S when I was in the market for a new boat a few years back. I see a regular LS next door and tell my wife that the tower/bimini is on the AR240 and we hop up. I didn't have to duck too much to enter the boat, but again driving while standing was not happening - wife said "Well, that one's out too!" The leading edge of the bimini is directly over the helm and about 6' tall. I left Phil Dill with much sadness, and not because I was without a new boat in tow...

Morale of the story is tall guys who like driving their boats while standing are limited to a towerless boat OR the 2010-2014 AR240 (which has quite tall bimini clearance at the drivers position.)

I also don't care for the overly-tan interiors, so this narrowed my new boat search (hey, I am always looking for the NEXT boat) to a 2016-2017 Black SX240.

Thoughts?

 

[tdonoughue]

Practice sitting while driving?

More seriously, do the biminis adjust like on older models? I know on mine there is a push button that lets you extend parts of the bimini...

 

[jawsf16]

They don't seem to be very adjustable and the towers are definitely not!

Sitting while driving?? I might as well by a Pontoon!!!

 

[0627Devildog]

They don't seem to be very adjustable and the towers are definitely not!

Sitting while driving?? I might as well by a Pontoon!!!

I'm 6'3" with a 14' AR240HO. . . . And luckily never had an issue. While I do not frequently stand while driving (I stand/lean on the bolster) I can walk through the boat without hitting my head on anything. If this is not the case in the newer models it would be a huge detractor as I look to upgrade.

 

[jawsf16]

I'm 6'3" with a 14' AR240HO. . . . And luckily never had an issue. While I do not frequently stand while driving (I stand/lean on the bolster) I can walk through the boat without hitting my head on anything. If this is not the case in the newer models it would be a huge detractor as I look to upgrade.

You and I have the same boat and I have no issues with the tower or top. In fact my speakers sit above the tower so I don't whack them with my head walking through the boat.

 

[Julian]

I'm 6'1" and have connected with the bimini a few times....I've connected with the tower speakers more often! Yes...their bimini is a little low...if you are 6'4"....its going to be a problem!

 

[buckbuck]

@jawsf16
any problem fitting in a F-16?

 

[NewBoater]

I've bumped my head a few times already coming from the swim platform back into the boat and catching the Bimini top. Doh!

 

[jawsf16]

@jawsf16
any problem fitting in a F-16?

Seat full down, rudder pedals to the floor and I still couldn't see the HUD until after pulling 4-5 Gs. You are supposed to have a fist between the helmet and the canopy, I could only fit an open hand. My seating height is right at the upper limit.

 

[buckbuck]

Reminds me of a friend who flew and trained B-25 pilots in WWII. He requested a transfer to fly P-51's but was denied because he was too tall.