I need some advice on having an express cruiser on LP?

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Mike McD

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HI,
I'm considering storing a 38' express cruiser near Lake Powell. Does a boat of this type make sense on the lake? I like the idea of being able to get farther faster to explore etc. I've only been on the lake once and was just blown away by the beauty and seeming endless areas to exlpore....am I making a mistake by considering doing this? Any comments are greatly appreciated!
Cheers, Mike
 
Mike, there are many, many express cruisers on Lake Powell, probably second only in number to houseboats, and they are on the lake in sizes from 24' to over 60'. They are great for all of the reasons you state - plus fully contained for extended periods of use.

But, to accomplish what you mention you like to do, explore, you do need to have a jet ski or a dinghy (this is my choice) to be able to get deep into the canyons, both of which tow easily behind your cruiser although your cruise speed will be limited when towing. Without a smaller vessel to explore, you are quite limited in what canyons you can go into - a 38' won't get you too far into some of the lake's best canyons.

Storing it near LP as opposed to in a slip is a good option to avoid the mussel issues and save $$, but a boat of that size could definitely justify the convenience of being in a slip also. -Doug
 
Pegasus said:
Mike, there are many, many express cruisers on Lake Powell, probably second only in number to houseboats, and they are on the lake in sizes from 24' to over 60'. They are great for all of the reasons you state - plus fully contained for extended periods of use.

But, to accomplish what you mention you like to do, explore, you do need to have a jet ski or a dinghy (this is my choice) to be able to get deep into the canyons, both of which tow easily behind your cruiser although your cruise speed will be limited when towing. Without a smaller vessel to explore, you are quite limited in what canyons you can go into - a 38' won't get you too far into some of the lake's best canyons.

Storing it near LP as opposed to in a slip is a good option to avoid the mussel issues and save $$, but a boat of that size could definitely justify the convenience of being in a slip also. -Doug
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Thanks Doug!
 
Hello Mike, a few years ago we downsized from a 55' pontoon type houseboat that we slipped just a few down from Pegasus to a 30' Sea Ray cruiser. We did this right before the mussels became too bad. Even though we really miss the houseboat it was the best move we ever made. We do our own launch and retrieval and store it inside at Antelope Recreation Center in town for much less cost than the slip was. I would think storing a 38' footer would be better at Antelope Point Marina as they have inside and outside dry storage and do provide launch and retrieval service for a fair price. With a cruiser, you really can cover much more lake and a much smaller beach area is needed for a landing spot. Most of the time we even tow our 21' open bow like the houseboat days to even increase our coverage of the lake. -MarkLP Sea Ray Pic.jpg
 
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leardoc said:
Hello Mike, a few years ago we downsized from a 55' pontoon type houseboat that we slipped just a few down from Pegasus to a 30' Sea Ray cruiser. We did this right before the mussels became too bad. Even though we really miss the houseboat it was the best move we ever made. We do our own launch and retrieval and store it inside at Antelope Recreation Center in town for much less cost than the slip was. I would think storing a 38' footer would be better at Antelope Point Marina as they have inside and outside dry storage and do provide launch and retrieval service for a fair price. With a cruiser, you really can cover much more lake and a much smaller beach area is needed for a landing spot. Most of the time we even tow our 21' open bow like the houseboat days to even increase our coverage of the lake. -MarkView attachment 5678
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Thanks for the reply Mark...great Pic!!
 
We have a 38 Cruiser Yacht and use it at Lake Powell, and other lakes.
Absolutely love it. Our family of 4 can be gone for almost 4 days before needing a pump out and water.
We've cruised from Wahweep to Bullfrog and back several times. It may take us 3 days each way, but that's the fun. Especially with Dangling Rope waiting in the middle to refresh.

It's nice to cruise for awhile and be able to stop and camp if you find a choice spot. Cruise all day, or a few hours. No worries.

We used to do the houseboat, but a Cruiser has worked out better for us.

We pull it out and store it at All Water Storage near Big Water.
 
At some point in time we would like to switch from a houseboat to a cruiser. I think it would be a great way to see more of the lake and be able to do it with a smaller crew.

But that is quite a ways in the future. We enjoy water sports too much right now and the cruiser life doesn’t really lend itself to that.
 
Ryan said:
At some point in time we would like to switch from a houseboat to a cruiser. I think it would be a great way to see more of the lake and be able to do it with a smaller crew.

But that is quite a ways in the future. We enjoy water sports too much right now and the cruiser life doesn’t really lend itself to that.
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We moved to a cruiser from a HB back in 1998 and have never looked back. Just two of us can now handle the boat whenever we go out and we can accommodate fewer people (which is a good thing). We still have the ski boat and dinghy and use of a HB when necessary. Best of all worlds 😁. A 38' cruiser will be awesome!
 
john said:
We have a 38 Cruiser Yacht and use it at Lake Powell, and other lakes.
Absolutely love it. Our family of 4 can be gone for almost 4 days before needing a pump out and water.
We've cruised from Wahweep to Bullfrog and back several times. It may take us 3 days each way, but that's the fun. Especially with Dangling Rope waiting in the middle to refresh.

It's nice to cruise for awhile and be able to stop and camp if you find a choice spot. Cruise all day, or a few hours. No worries.

We used to do the houseboat, but a Cruiser has worked out better for us.

We pull it out and store it at All Water Storage near Big Water.
Click to expand...
Thats the boat Im looking at..probably a 2012 or so. Are you happy with the boat overall?
Thanks, Mike
 
I love it. Easy to drive, plenty of room for everyone. It's the best.
This is our 5th year with ours (2014 model) and I can't find a reason to move into a new one.
I have the Axius system so it makes docking and trailering easy.

We have 4 of us. Kids are 13 and 10. Plenty of space for Kayaks, paddle boards, even my scuba gear.
 
Pegasus said:
We moved to a cruiser from a HB back in 1998 and have never looked back. Just two of us can now handle the boat whenever we go out and we can accommodate fewer people (which is a good thing). We still have the ski boat and dinghy and use of a HB when necessary. Best of all worlds 😁. A 38' cruiser will be awesome!
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The problem with that is it would leave us with just the two of us in the Malibu to do watersports. And everyone knows I’d never bend any rules and be without an observer....😏

Honestly pretty happy with our current set up. But desires change and we will evolve.

Want to do a cruiser and tour the great loop and intercostal at some point in time. But that is retirement dreams.
 
I just bought a 1999 Freightliner single-rear-axle tractor for towing my 32' Chaparral Signature the 120 miles between our house and Halls Crossing. I haven't made the trip with it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. My '02 F-350 SRW with 254,000 miles was beginning to really struggle on some of the climbs along the way towing a 14,000lb boat. I too have a family of 4 and we very much enjoy having the cruiser at Powell, but we don't normally take week long trips. Usually 2-3 days.
 
So here is our 30' Sea Ray cruiser in the Page Walmart lot being stocked for another great LP adventure. I mounted a 3500 watt generator on the trailer to keep the boat's 12/110 volt ice freezer alive, top charge batteries etc. Once stocked, easy trip to the ramp and the fun begins. Down loading after the trip is a breeze too, right out of the boat into the truck. Sea Ray on trailer.jpg
 
leardoc said:
So here is our 30' Sea Ray cruiser in the Page Walmart lot being stocked for another great LP adventure. I mounted a 3500 watt generator on the trailer to keep the boat's 12/110 volt ice freezer alive, top charge batteries etc. Once stocked, easy trip to the ramp and the fun begins. Down loading after the trip is a breeze too, right out of the boat into the truck. View attachment 5692
Click to expand...
Mounted generator..great idea!!
 
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