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Random Quote: I prayed the Serenity Prayer but never received the requested wisdom.
pursuit...i sold a 31 contender in june (2004) and bought a 2005 in july. my .02 worth contender is selling so many boats the quaility has gone. the pursuit is so much more boat, not as fast but a heck of alot more boat. like i said my .02 worth in the end you will need to make your own mind up.
I have the Pursuit and (mostly) love it. I would be happy to answer specific questions or advise you on what to look at prior to sale. PM me if interested.
thanks for the help guys. unfortunately someone just put a deposit on the pursuit I was looking at, so I'm looking for another one. Everything considered I think the 3070 offshore cc has it way over the contender FA.
Elusive: the bow walkaround around area looks a little tight, is there room enough up there to cast to breaking fish without falling overboard? Thanks again
thanks for the help guys. unfortunately someone just put a deposit on the pursuit I was looking at, so I'm looking for another one. Everything considered I think the 3070 offshore cc has it way over the contender FA.
Elusive: the bow walkaround around area looks a little tight, is there room enough up there to cast to breaking fish without falling overboard? Thanks again
The w/a is about 10" wide and 10" deep. If it's not too rough, there is space to stand on the bow just rear of the pulpit. The full rail provides a good hand hold if necessary
i run a 96 2870 offshore and love it the bow has room to throw a net and fish off of. I run 53 miles to the stream with twin 200 it does fine and is fash for its size
You didn't really say how you want to use the boat. The Pursuit will have the better finish and better cabin area, the contender will probably ride better thru heavier seas due to it's 24 degree deadrise...but then when you drop anchor, it also will pitch and toss a bit more.
I'd vote for the Pursuit because you do seem to want a cabin area....if you were looking at center console boats, then I probably would give contender the nod. It will also likely be easier to sell the 3070 than the contender fish around when you decide you really have to have a 34' boat.
Ultimately, it's your use and your sea trial that will determine which is better for you.
__________________ The views and/or opinions stated by the author in this post are only the views and opinions of the author
I am biased as I just bought a pursuit 3070 express. I like my boat a lot. a contender was not in the running as they don't make a cabin boat. One of the reasons I say pursuit is that many of the contenders are bought for the tournament fishing series and run hard for a year and sold. If your desire is to be a hardcore tournament type fisherman this (the contender) is probably a better choice. at the very least I would try to get some history on the boat. the guy who did my survey, John Campbell in Marco Island stated that even contenders will not last with an intact hull through 2 ska tournament seasons. On another thread someone observed that you don't see 10 year old contenders around. they are undoubtably great boats and maybe run much harder than other brands that might not last nearly as long. but if I was looking at 5 or 6 year old boats I would at least think about these things. good luck
There aren't many contenders up here in New England and no dealers in the area but there are plenty of pursuits and good dealer representation. I guess that should be a big factor considering purchase and resale
I think 10 years ago is when the first 31 Contender was made, before that the 25 was the biggest. They hold up to just about anything. I like the big Pursuit. If you want a cabin and cockpit room, I'd go for the Pursuit. I have eyeballed that big Pursuit and it look very nice to me. I think if I were choosing between the two I like the Pursuit better. I am not sure about the Pursuit, but the Contender 31 is 33 ft overall. I like the Contender for plain hard core fishabiltiy and ease of maintenance. The Pursuit is more for pleasure fishing and comfort. If I were getting a Contender it would be a plain center console. If I'm getting fishability and basic hard core. then the Contender does that well. If I'm getting something loaded with comfort, Pursuit seems to look like they do that very well.
Funny Funny.CBP
I have fished a contender all through buzzards bay and vineyard sound with multiple offshore trips for 12 years. The contender is built for new england waters.
You must have gotten a bad one fly, we got a 2005 31 Open and its been great. Got 150 hours on it, no problems with boat, no stress cracks. Love the F250s, 57 mph top end and at 40 mph we get 1.5 mpg in 2 to 3.
The "new england waters" comment was just meant bring up some new england contender owners but there dont seem to many. why wont any of the dealers up here carry them? The only dealer in my area is in Maine and he is primarily an RV and used car dealer and has only one contender in stock. What the hell is up with that???
and has only one contender in stock. What the hell is up with that???
I don't think my local dealer keeps many Contenders in stock. Most people want to take advantage of the semi-custom advantages (~6 pages of options) offered by Contender, and order one exactly like they want it. That might be the case with the dealer you mention...
Pursuit 3070 Offshore CC or Contender 31 FA 
