1999 VENTURA 20 v. 210 VENTURA

[gbennett]

I am considering buying a 210 VENTURA. In my area I have looked at two 210 VENTURA boats. I really love this model.

On the other hand, a [1999---ALWAYS USE FOUR DIGITS FOR YEAR] VENTURA 20 Is on the market at a good price point with a YAMAHA F200 engine. This boat is very appealing because the 210 VENTURA boats have their original Mercury OptiMax engines, making the investment a lot more troubling since I'll likely be the guy who re-powers those boat. I don't have anything against OptiMax, but a four-stroke-power-cycle engine would be superior for my purposes and likely more financially sensible.

I can't find a lot of info about the 1999 VENTURA 20. I do not konw how a 1999 VENTURA 20 would differ from a 210 VENTURA--other than being one foot shorter, not having a marine toilet, and having different aft seating. I think overall the cockpit space on the two boats is similar because the 1999 VENTURA 20 does not have the "chunky" transom of the 210 VENTURA.

If I only wanted to use the boat for operating in a range of five to ten miles from shore, the 210 VENTURA would not cause problems on "decent" days.

Q1: would a 1999 VENTURA 20 also be able to operate in a range of five to ten miles from shore on "decent" days without problems?

Q2: is the hull of a 1999 VENTURA 20 significantly different from the 210 VENTURA?

ASIDE: we are young family with two children under two-years-old. We are located in the lower Hudson Valley. We use the boat mostly to go on trips in local waterways but would occasionally like to trip out to Long Island, the south shore, Fire Island, and similar destinations.


Thanks for any insight that will help us make the right decision here.

[Phil T]

The Ventura 20 was originally the Dauntless 20.

The Ventura 210 is a different model completely. It is a beast and a tank.

If I had my choice, Ventura 210 hands down.

[gbennett]

The Ventura 20 was originally the Dauntless 20.

The Ventura 210 is a different model completely. It is a beast and a tank.

If I had my choice, Ventura 210 hands down.

Thanks Phil. What about the 210 makes it such a hands-down decision for you?

I have also heard that the 1999 Ventura 20 is the same hull as the 1998-1999 Outrage 20. I guess all three models were using the same hull?

It looks like the 1999 Ventura 20 has as much usable space throughout the boat as the 210 Ventura in spite of the lower LOA because of the 210's transom. I have been hunting down measurements for the bow area, cockpit area, etc., but haven't been able to dig up anything useful.

But the 210 Ventura would be steadier in nearshore applications, and feel safer than the Ventura 20 for passengers and kids (higher freeboard I'm assuming, etc.).

[fno]

The 210 Ventura is basically the same hull as my 210 Outrage. It is a far better ride and handling from the older hull. I have ridden in both and I agree with Phil. Not that there is anything wrong with the older hull. Another thing to consider is horsepower as another reason to repower. If there is anything less than 225 HP on any of these boats you will want bigger motor no matter who makes it. I upgraded from a 175 HP Optimax to a 225 HP Mercury engine (YamaMerc) and have not looked back. That was in 2015 so the next outboard motor may be a 275 or 300.

[Phil T]

The Ventura 210 is heavy and solid with an empty weight of 3300 lbs. This is 1,000 lbs over the Dauntless 20.

A Ventura 210 owner, BlueWaterPirate, posted dozens of threads detailing his 4,000 hrs of use off the coast of the Carolina's. It was reading these over the years and a day spent on one off the RI coast years ago that really sold me on this boat.

They are not many available and they were expensive to built so prices are higher than comparable 21' Whaler models. Most owners of the Ventura 210 hold on to them.