Formula Boats for Sale

Aronow, Thunderbird and the Porters

Don Aronow founded Formula in Miami in 1962. It was the first of his boat companies, and its 233 deep-V hull won races on the national offshore circuit. Thunderbird, started by Woody Woodson in the Miami area in 1956, bought Formula in 1964, and Fuqua Industries bought both in 1969.

Vic Porter had been building fiberglass runabouts in Decatur since 1958, first as Duo and then as Signa, a tri-hull line. Fuqua bought Signa in 1973 and made Porter president of its small-boat division. In 1976 Porter bought Thunderbird, Formula and Signa outright. The tri-hulls ended in 1979 and the company focused on Formula's deep-V boats. Vic Porter died in October 2021, and his children and grandchildren run the company.

Firsts and model lines

Formula credits itself with integrated cockpit liners (1980), Imron hull graphics (1982) and curved glass windshields (1984). It added Sun Sport bowriders in 1994, FAS3Tech performance boats in 1997, Super Sports in 1999 and yachts in 2002.

The 290 Bowrider is a good example of the current boats. Formula lists it at 29' long with a 9' beam, about 8,950 lb, 112 gallons of fuel and a 22-degree deadrise. That deadrise is steep for a bowrider and is the reason Formulas handle chop well, but it also means they need more power than flatter-bottomed boats of the same size.

What to check on a used Formula

Hull-to-deck bond. The best-known problem on older Formulas, mostly FAS3Tech 353 and 382 models, is the deck separating from the hull along the middle of the boat. Formula bonded them with Plexus adhesive, and on some boats it went brittle. The warning sign is a rub rail that moves when you pull on it, or a gap you can see into. Owners report Formula supplied the applicator to re-bond them, and that the repair is doable, but it is a job to price in.

Transom core. Owners say Formula stringers have no wood but the transom of older boats does. Have a surveyor take moisture readings around every fitting through the transom, especially the outdrive mounts.

Twin sterndrives. Many Formulas carry twin MerCruiser or Volvo engines. Get compression and service history on both, and on Bravo drives ask about bellows and gimbal bearing service.

Recalls. I found no Coast Guard recall listed for Formula, but run the HIN through the USCG recall search anyway.