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Would definitely prefer an Ri, my budget is mostly what keeps me away. There are a few nice Ri on the market around the country. I want one with heat, and prefer to have closed loop cooling to simplify winterization by eliminating the need to drain the heater core. I expect to winterize myself to give me the option of using the boat over winter if the opportunity arises. It seems Centurion went to closed loop in 2020, and used 2020 seem to be in the 140k+ asking, which is decidedly over budget. It would probably not be that bad to deal with the added complexity of draining heater cores on a slightly older Ri, something I am keeping in mind if I see the right boat.

This is really great information, thanks for sharing it along with your thoughts and experiences. This is my first boat purchase, I appreciate you taking the time to post. I have been considering either Vi24 or Fi23 and have had the same concerns on the freeboard/storage depth. Demo'd the Fi, but not seen the Vi on the water. Mostly sold on the Fi, but a new Fi23 is out of reach and used inventory nearby is limited. Thought I'd consider new Vi24 (assuming they could offer it in-budget), which would make me more comfortable buying sight unseen. Just having a hard time getting past the low profile of the Vi24.

Sounds like the surf wave was the primary consideration when ruling out the Vi, were there other things that steered you away from it? I've been considering either a Vi24 or Fi23. Have you had any difficulty with getting service from your local dealer in AZ on a new boat you bought in Orlando?

The paint scheme on the Supremes is among the best out there. Do you do your own winterization and how difficult is that?

Ri, Fi, Vi, or other models (past or present). There is plenty of information out there comparing them or highlighting features, but not much from owners on what they like or dislike about them. What is your ride and what do you think about it?

Glad to hear your local dealer treated you well, that is a concern I have. Hopefully it is the same over here. Launching and loading seem to be where most of the stress is, but luckily I'll have a small crew. I'll be docking sometimes when going solo, but in those cases it will probably be a very slow time at the ramp. Thanks for the links and loading advice. I have not heard those particular points in the videos I have watched so far, and good tip on the slow-speed handling of these boats, something that might take a newbie by surprise. Looking forward to the day I master that.

Good advice, Dreamer. I'll wait it out a bit and come back at it after a few days.

Thanks for your perspective and advice on this. It is looking like pricing on used Centurion is universally (at least on the east coast) the same as you describe in TX. Definitely willing and able to go higher, not so certain I will have the opportunity. There are other very similar boats across state lines, so all is not lost. One thing I have read about here and other places is the importance dealer support and relationship, which is what makes me so concerned about the "vibe" of this interaction and what the future might hold if I end up buying this one. They're not the closest to me, but I hate to alienate anyone nonetheless. I'm in NC, but appreciate the offer for sure. I'll be spending a few early weekday mornings on the ramp when nobody is around to try to get my act together. Hopefully this will help me avoid or minimize the stage fright factor when a line of experienced folks are waiting for me to back down the ramp and launch.

After years of reading, taking classes, and watching videos online, I have finally decided it is now or never. I’ve been looking for a towboat for a few months now, favoring Centurion Vi and/or Fi these days. There is not much in the way of friendly/trusted guidance for me since I don’t personally know any boaters that have recently purchased a boat or are active in the boating community. Therefore I have decided to post here to see if any benevolent souls would like to share their wisdom. To date, all of my interactions have been with salespeople. Not all of these have been good, honestly. Further, a few of the videos I see of experts talking about new boaters seem to suggest an intolerance for the newbies in some cases. Right now, as an outsider, I can tell there is a lot for me to learn about boating culture and etiquette. I am generally strive to be considerate and patient with others but no doubt make my mistakes. One recent mistake was inadvertently making a “lowball” offer on a used boat (about 6.5% below advertised). This was done by email after visiting and demo-ing the boat. Given the lack of any response, I did further research my offer should have been higher. Frankly, I have a hard time going back with a new offer because I feel like the relationship with this dealer is more or less destroyed by mutual bad feelings. Maybe this is the norm in this world, and I need to understand if I make an unacceptable offer I can expect to be ignored. Obviously, I do not yet have a boat, but I welcome any advice or respectful beatings the community is willing to offer about this or any other boating-related topic for the new guy.

Looks like I can only edit and not delete.