38 Riviera Restoration

7000 visits in 9 weeks!!

Almost to the 7000 visitor mark.. that's a lot of Roamer cultists... soon fans will be going mad, fences down, dogs lose with multiple redlining 327's, 427's, 6v53, 8v71 and tubo Yanmars. Who will post the next piece of Roamer art?

Bertam 31's have cultcomp... Oh yes the Bertam 31 too a great legend... yet the Roamer far more pleasant to cruise. Gals like their nice kitchens and baths!

Which reminds me of this Taiwanese shwabby Homer Roamer used to board. She was blow drying her hair one day in the Head on the Head... 1500 watts blasting... All of a sudden-- POOOF, SPARKS, SMOKE and WIFF.. burned-up the 80 pound Isolation transformer! From then on, She-shwabby was affectionately referred to as: "The Gook of Hazard." Appropriately named by the everso politically incorrect Homer Roamer.

Who will be the next Roamer photo... a repeat offender or a new Roamer waiting to surf the alloyed waves?

Where's Commander Cody's 460 Roamer?

Some Roamers have the ultra torquey 460 Hot Rod Lincolns under the hood! Where are you boys?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id_tiUHnZ_8

Bold shot Bold shot!

Look at all those pursuits staring at your transom.... keep it clean bouys.

Nice transom, plus that's quite the broad. 15' Broad that is.. The 37/38 is 12'10". I gotta say, I think the 41 is one of the sweetest of all.. I mean, you look at that bad boy and you just don't mess around. And, I know from mine, since I have been on it since new it has not deterioted a bit (well it's been fixed... there was some stuff)... the only squeek was a window I fixed. Best photo yet here Captain Roamer Jim.

There is another 41 named the Sundowner (Where are you?) He had the guys from Palmer Johnson down to redo his hull.. he says its perfect.. Then he put in a pair of 42O Cummins. There is another 41 beauty called the Kelly Ann..... hopefully these guys will see the post and add their shots soon.

Sea Rays?

Hope you are polite and don't stick you nose up.
Just kidding... How do you do in seas next to them? Of course speed is somewhat based on power, but power for power, I know for a fact the 38' Roamer smokes a Sear Ray of like size. How do you compare the ride, seas, speed ect next to you 41.. fans want to know?

I bet your Roamer is more stable and does not roll as much... what's your take?

Your Roamer Looks New!

Really, she beautiful.... keep soothing our eyes. I agree with you. Roamers have a nice wide walk--around, seat upfront, bridge... just a lot more machine. They could never build them now as they are so hand crafted. They would cost a fortune. I find on mine.. everyone likes to ride upfront on a nice day and sit on the forward lounge. The most people I ever had was 21 and she was fine. People have so many places to sit.

I just think this is a superior design.. sure the new boats direct more to the cabin, but when I am on my Roamer.. I do not want to be in a cave. If I want a cave, I will go to the mountains.. So many boats are caves now.. What's with that?

Question I have is... if you are in a let's say running with a 46 Sea Ray vs. a 41 Roamer (about the same waterline since Sea Ray cheats with that snout).. does your Roamer bash the waves better than the Sea Ray or what is the difference in all aroud ride characteristics in your opinion if you could share this with us?

According to Jim Wick/LPX, formally of Chris Craft back then in Holland michigan, mid to late 60's Roamers do much better in a following sea than Commanders. That surpirsed me as I thought Commanders would do better but he says not.

So what is your take, followng sea, broad sea, rolling sea, head sea, sitting still?.... this is a question Romerfiles would enjoy hearing your answer to. Do you find the qualtity in rough seas to be better, worse or the same? You know 40 years is a long time.. your thoughts/experiences?

Are you steel or aluminium?
Also, thsoe 427's need to hit 4000 to have the right load on them... you probalby know that. I wish I never sold my 427 blocks frankly.

The Presdient of Sea Ray wanted to buy Her? Payton Manning?

What's that saying? Thing is, they need to be in nice shape.. that's the key. They can take the seas, yours even better as it has higher free-board.
We have had her in two Great Lakes, down the Atlantic coast in a bad offshore storm from New York Habor to Cape May... never an issue. I mean you have to slow down, but the bow kicked the sea right away.... I mean you can get sea sick and all.. but the boat just keeps going. Our largest waves were 12 footers in Lake Ontario, Hell, I was about to put on some Gordon Lightfoot Edmund Fitzgerald tunes as I plucked the barley corn off my Mae West. That was nasty.. 427's 12 mph up the swell, 25 mph down the swell.

Today, she is pushing tremendous torque/ 730 lb each engine plus she is 2.4 gear ratio and 23 by 31 props (4blade).. She just blasts though anything. She is hitting 36.5, but had she's geared her higher otherwise would be in the 38-39 mph range. She goes the same speed with 10 people or 1... does not matter. Frankly, she putts along best at about 25. After that the wind is blowing the cubes out of your Tin and Tonic. When first repowered, we were cruising at about 28 and two new 35 foot Sea Rays came up on us.., about 4 foot swells in the Cheapeake. I waited until they were a bit ahead... they probably thought she was some tired old barge with a sweet paint job. I put the pedal to the medal, twin turbos kicked, sqealed and she lunged rd with that wine you often heard on 18 wheelers (thats' what she does.. squeals, leeps like a cat as turbos kick. The Sea Rays speeded up, but we kept blasting farther ahead... had them by about 5 MPH I would say. The would need at least 425 hp a side to beat us it seemed. They probably has twin 454's is my guess.

This was important as it feeds into Homer's terminal immaturity

How's this for starters...

These are just baby swells compared to the big stuff... looks good to me.. this is a 38' on Lake Michigan

Chicken... Sea Ray vs. Roamer

There is near zero chance a Sea Ray would win a head-on.. Roamer would crush it... like a Hummer spanking a Camry.

Is this the original Roamer Baby?

My gosh.. I did not know about this one! This boat looks perfect too.. What's going on with all these choice Roamers popping out of the woodwork? This is the greatest stuff.. people are eating this up.. were else can we see these but here... more more more Roamer photos.

This is the Roamer Revolution.... a disjointed group of floating alloy junkies starting to strut their stuff. The Chris Craft alloyed tradition wages a friendly competitive war on the plastic Sea Ray. Now, when Murray and his boys and that Piper acquisition mess lost Chris Craft (we all know about these years).. Sea Ray was just a good little speed boat, but no Chirs Craft. We are coming back for our seat.. You've had it for a while but we are coming back. Chris is a little more expensive, but go look at a new one and you will know why... best design team in the world.. came form Riva. Anyone who knows Riva knows what this means.
Watch out Sea Ray.. Chris Craft is coming back for our turf, the quality is higher as is their all new neo classic Italian good looks. Thanks to Oxford Educated Stephen Julius and the design team he hired from Riva Italy. Go Chris Craft Go!! Rupert Murdoch grabbed the Chris Craft name and Julius bought it back as well as rights to Indian Motorcycle.

Please tell us more abpout her?.. her history ect....

Sea Ray history? What's that?