Quote Originally Posted by tre View Post
I have a 2020 SE. Your price is good. The stern thruster option is new for 2021 so we don't have it. I would have to think really hard if it is worth the money. We put about 60 hours on our boat so far this summer and I can think of 2 situations where I wish I had a stern thruster and about 5 more where it would have been nice to have. Is that worth 8500? The SE is a big boat and I had a couple windy days where I had issues. With the wind blowing directly at the side of the boat, I was unable to turn into the wind at idol speed. My options were to turn the other way or apply more throttle. Neither were great options at the time because the wind was blowing me into shore so I was unable to turn toward the shore (too shallow). There were also a few windy days where docking would likely have been easier with a thruster. I purchased some bumpers and attached them to our pier at rubrail height to protect the boat should I rub the pier on a windy day. That solved the docking problem though I assume a thruster would make it easier on those few super windy days. If it were a $1,500 option, it would be a no brainer. For $8500, it is a tough one. The SE is fantastic. We love it. The 450 motor is more than enough power. We picked the optional 16x15 prop which does not seem to be an option for 2021 though they do have a 16x13.9. Like you, we have most options with the exception of tower speakers. I always hit my head on tower speakers and we rarely use them in prior boats so I chose to forgo them in our new boat. For me, this was a great decision since I have not hit my head once this year. The clamping board racks are worth every penny. I can put a wakeboard and a thick surf board into the same rack. The held our board well all summer and did not put a scratch on any board.
Yeah it’s such a hard decision. They don’t seem like they do much but to your point in those funky situations is where it really counts. I had the exact scenario you described above except I was in a crowded area with a lot of boats around, a floating dock, wicked chop and wind and panicked a bit and made the same maneuver it sounds like you did and thrusters may or may not have helped but letting you point the nose without adding speed which gives you a little more time to bail in the direction you feel comfortable. They are delayed though and you need to be ahead of them just like the throttle.

How much difference do you guys notice between SL and SE when loaded up with people? 10k for an extra ft is a tough sell but I’m leaning that direction.