- Joined
- Dec 7, 2002
- Messages
- 13,071
Only two good days to own a boat....the day you buy it, and the day you sell it
I can tell none of you guys sell boats:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
Looking for a Boat, need advice.
- Thread starter JOHNDEEREGN
- Start date
Welcome!
By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.
I can tell none of you guys sell boats:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
limited edition
Thats radical!!!
I will sell you mine,could meet you half way on delivery too.
I am glad to see some one can afford the gas!!
one thousand One........ One thousand 2....... one thousand 3...... well there went 10 gal. of gas!!!!!!I bought this one about 6 years ago, gave 7K for it and ran it for about 3 years and pretty much got my money back when I sold it. 21' Maxum, It had a 4.3 Merc Crusier inboard, seating for 8, and bimini top. As everone here has said, don't go with anything smaller than 21'. I think if you look long enough, you will find a nice used boat and not take the depreciation hit.
Attachments
83turbomon
Starvin Like Marvin...
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2009
- Messages
- 3,704
i guess something that aint gonna sink
chopped39
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2004
- Messages
- 4,266
A good friend of mine has a 1997 Rinker which had a 305 in it which now has a 406 in it .I love this boat. I have seen some 2005 models for $16,000 .If I buy another one it will be a rinker.I like the new style where you dont have to crawl over engine cover to board the boat.They have a walkway to rear deck. just a thought.good luck
boats
I bought 2 boats at a dealership that had repo'd 3 boats 1 was a 2009 Bayliner 205br and the other was a Sea Ray 340 amberjack. The bayliner had a value around $23900 and I paid 6800 for it and the Sea ray it was valued well over $100k , I paid $20k for it . I bought a used trailer for the bayliner for $650 it didn't match and was a tad bit small, I rented a trailer and moved the Sea Ray to a different lake and a guy offered a trade for the boat with a small piece of lake front property that has a small 900sq ft house on it. The boat never made it to the water for my maiden voyage. Trade done! I owned that boat less than 12 days. Long story short I still own the bayliner and I think it is a great boat for what I paid for it. Look around and try to find repo'd boats or dealerships that specialize in consignments. There are some really great deals out there.
I bought 2 boats at a dealership that had repo'd 3 boats 1 was a 2009 Bayliner 205br and the other was a Sea Ray 340 amberjack. The bayliner had a value around $23900 and I paid 6800 for it and the Sea ray it was valued well over $100k , I paid $20k for it . I bought a used trailer for the bayliner for $650 it didn't match and was a tad bit small, I rented a trailer and moved the Sea Ray to a different lake and a guy offered a trade for the boat with a small piece of lake front property that has a small 900sq ft house on it. The boat never made it to the water for my maiden voyage. Trade done! I owned that boat less than 12 days. Long story short I still own the bayliner and I think it is a great boat for what I paid for it. Look around and try to find repo'd boats or dealerships that specialize in consignments. There are some really great deals out there.
I just bought this 1984 Mach 1 from a good friend for $3500. Its a 24ft with a 350, a fridge, sink, and a cuddy that will sleep two adults easy. We had it out all weekend and had a blast. I'm getting ready to put new graphics on it and I'll be good to go. Look around, theres deals out there, let someone else take the hit.
Ty,whatever kind of boat/motor you end up with just make sure it has a stainless steel prop. You will hit the prop against something and it will not break pieces of the prop like the other ones will[ask me how I know!]. For what it is worth I bought a 1976 21ft ebco I/O new and kept it for 20 years and only replaced the starter. It was a merc/cruiser. One thing you have to remember is you have to drain the block and make sure there is no water in the lower unit before you store it in the winter.If you forget to do that,grab your wallet!!
I just bought this 1984 Mach 1 from a good friend for $3500. Its a 24ft with a 350, a fridge, sink, and a cuddy that will sleep two adults easy. We had it out all weekend and had a blast. I'm getting ready to put new graphics on it and I'll be good to go. Look around, theres deals out there, let someone else take the hit.
Nice find!!! Same size I used to have. But.... please don't tie it off to the pier using the forward had rails as a tie point. They're not designed for that kind of stress. Use the cleat, that's what they're for.
Now, imagine towing that boat all the way across the country from VA to CA behind your GN!!
. I did, way back in 1989... I new someone would notice that! That dock was small, and we werent there long. I need to add some more cleats, its only got the one way far forward, and one at the rear. I'm going to add one right by the window. Good advice though.
I would of love to of seen that! Thats a lot of boat behind a car. It makes my dually look little!
I would of love to of seen that! Thats a lot of boat behind a car. It makes my dually look little!
Mike Licht
I was here first
- Joined
- May 23, 2001
- Messages
- 4,642
If you are going to inland lakes and just want a fun boat take a look at some of the jets, Sea Doo's are nice I have a 17' Sugar Sand with a 175 jet that does around 50MPH and we have tons of fun with it tubing and fun stuff, I have $3500 in it with the trailer and it is is excellent condition. It is all about maintinence with boats and they need pleanty
ML
ML
Ty
consider a jet boat, no props, no out drive, just two cables,
no worry about kids getting near the prop, the gas consumption is the same as a prop, check the insurance, it may be cheaper for a jet,
if your just day trips, smaller 16-20ft works great, if your camping, or groups of friends, 20-25ft works best, I'd get a V bottom so it rides better, the semi V and flat bottoms are for going fast, looking good,( and bouncing the boobies)
I'd get a small block chevy power as parts are everywhere, and get used to doing some research for parts, cause if it has the word "marine" that means twice as much $,
local starter rebuilder did my alt and starter for same as car prices.
owned my blown BBC jet boat for 15yrs, the berkeley jet never cost me any $$ for repairs.
I did mod it to work better with the blower motor.
good luck and I recomend a used low hr boat for your first one.
see what your needs are, and move up later down the road.
consider a jet boat, no props, no out drive, just two cables,
no worry about kids getting near the prop, the gas consumption is the same as a prop, check the insurance, it may be cheaper for a jet,
if your just day trips, smaller 16-20ft works great, if your camping, or groups of friends, 20-25ft works best, I'd get a V bottom so it rides better, the semi V and flat bottoms are for going fast, looking good,( and bouncing the boobies)
I'd get a small block chevy power as parts are everywhere, and get used to doing some research for parts, cause if it has the word "marine" that means twice as much $,
local starter rebuilder did my alt and starter for same as car prices.
owned my blown BBC jet boat for 15yrs, the berkeley jet never cost me any $$ for repairs.
I did mod it to work better with the blower motor.
good luck and I recomend a used low hr boat for your first one.
see what your needs are, and move up later down the road.
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2002
- Messages
- 13,071
Thanks Lee,
WHen I hit the motel tonight I will do some searches on these
Sounds like it might be a good option.You can't imagine how strange it looked!!!! Big 24' boat on a longer than needed big heavy tandem axle galvanized trailer (my boat never saw fresh water) behind that little G body.
Believe it or not that entire trip was made incident free. Stayed in 3rd gear so as not to load the motor too bad, took the southern route (I20 toI10 to I8)to stay out of Rocky's. Hit some smaller mountains in San Diego County and had a few overheating issues, but just pulling over and letting it idle for a few miuntes took care of that.
Not a tow I would recommend for anyone but my job transferred me to CA back then and just had to get there.
Ty, I have that exact boat right now. It is a great lake cruiser. The only issue I have had with it is the throttle is coming loose from the pilots side panel.
Mine has a the 5.0 and is not fuel injected (2004 as well).
4W makes a nice boat.
what year?
I have a 2003 Stingray 190LS 4.3 V-6 that I paid around $20k for in 2003. I haven't priced recently but Larsen is a good boat so that sounds like a good deal if new. Get the bowrider rather than the cuddy. You are not going to spend your time in the cab and ....this is very important: do not get a toilet. Guess who gets to empty it? If you are on a lake, there are probably restaurants all around anyway to use the bathroom.
BobbyBuick
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
- Messages
- 2,209
in this order for me best boat made Cobalt,next Crownline,Searays are nice ,Rinker is a good Value but not the quality,Chaparrel is nice .Im partial to Crownline Mine is an older 94 plus the crowndevous are awsome those people know how to party
We have a lake house and I've owned boats for years....All depends on what you want to do:
Buy Used. Depreciation on a boat is a killer. Look for a well cared for boat in the 5 year old range.
Check the transom. Jump up and down on it. It shouldn't budge ANY. If it does, walk away as it is probably rotted. Even alot of the fiberglass boats still used wood transoms.
Check the bilge pump operation, the exhaust blower (if I/O), all the ancillary lights, etc. All these little auxiliary items add up if they need to be replaced. Check the engine for any signs of being opened. Lots of owners don't winterize properly and end up cracking intakes, heads, blocks etc. I've also seen general car parts thrown onto a marine engine. Won't last and aren't safe (A fuel pump leak in a boat is much more serious than in a car).
If purely skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, get a bowrider walkthru. Still lots of room for seating, typically in the 18' to 20' range, usually I/O. Go for Mercruiser first, OMC next and Volvo last. Just from my experience, the Volvo Pentas were a pain in the a$$ and unreliable.
If you want a party boat, go for a deck boat. That was our latest purchase. 23' V-hull but has the interior layout of a pontoon with plenty of seating, bathroom (we don't use), sink, et al. Runs in the 45 mph range and can easily pull skiers and tubers. Not quite as responsive in steering, but still good.
If you want troublefree, get a pontoon. Easy to maintain, no gelcoat worries, no waxing or cleaning hulls other than a seasonal acid wash if you keep it in the lake. Go for mercury or Johnny-rude (Johnson or Evinrude) two strokes or a Yamaha four stroke. I don't personally like the Honda engines.
Fishing, go for a typical fishing boat or a center console. All fiberglass to make cleaning easier.
AVOID carpeted boats if you can. They hold water, are difficult to clean and tend to promote rot in the flooring underneath. Our deckboat is all fiberglass and cleanup is a snap (boat has its own water pump and sprayer).
AVOID Cuddy cabins (IMHO). The are clausterphobic, you rarely use them, and they usually smell musty. Waste of space IMHO.
Do as much research on makes/models. Many manufacturers have stood the test of time but even then their quality has varied through the years. You couldn't get me to buy a bayliner from the 80's early 90's, but the 2000 model we bought has been very solid. The marquee names like mastercraft, chapparel will always command a premium but you can find just as nice boats with as many features in the 'lesser' names like four winds, bayliner, etc.
If you are planning on trailering the boat to/from the lake pay attention to the quality of the trailer. Make sure the bearings on the wheels are still good. If a heavy boat, go for four wheels w/ brakes. Try to stay with galvanized vs painted steel. The drive on trailers with rollers are much easier to manage than the carpeted bumper style. The bumper style tend to rot and need periodic replacing and re-carpeting. Check the wiring harness/lights. These are usually frayed, rusted, broken, etc.
Lastly, even though you may be mechanically inclined as most of us are (we own buicks afterall) still befriend a good boat mechanic. When the buick breaks your family's not on your case to get it back on the road. When the boat breaks, and it will, they will be anxious to get her running again.
Buy Used. Depreciation on a boat is a killer. Look for a well cared for boat in the 5 year old range.
Check the transom. Jump up and down on it. It shouldn't budge ANY. If it does, walk away as it is probably rotted. Even alot of the fiberglass boats still used wood transoms.
Check the bilge pump operation, the exhaust blower (if I/O), all the ancillary lights, etc. All these little auxiliary items add up if they need to be replaced. Check the engine for any signs of being opened. Lots of owners don't winterize properly and end up cracking intakes, heads, blocks etc. I've also seen general car parts thrown onto a marine engine. Won't last and aren't safe (A fuel pump leak in a boat is much more serious than in a car).
If purely skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, get a bowrider walkthru. Still lots of room for seating, typically in the 18' to 20' range, usually I/O. Go for Mercruiser first, OMC next and Volvo last. Just from my experience, the Volvo Pentas were a pain in the a$$ and unreliable.
If you want a party boat, go for a deck boat. That was our latest purchase. 23' V-hull but has the interior layout of a pontoon with plenty of seating, bathroom (we don't use), sink, et al. Runs in the 45 mph range and can easily pull skiers and tubers. Not quite as responsive in steering, but still good.
If you want troublefree, get a pontoon. Easy to maintain, no gelcoat worries, no waxing or cleaning hulls other than a seasonal acid wash if you keep it in the lake. Go for mercury or Johnny-rude (Johnson or Evinrude) two strokes or a Yamaha four stroke. I don't personally like the Honda engines.
Fishing, go for a typical fishing boat or a center console. All fiberglass to make cleaning easier.
AVOID carpeted boats if you can. They hold water, are difficult to clean and tend to promote rot in the flooring underneath. Our deckboat is all fiberglass and cleanup is a snap (boat has its own water pump and sprayer).
AVOID Cuddy cabins (IMHO). The are clausterphobic, you rarely use them, and they usually smell musty. Waste of space IMHO.
Do as much research on makes/models. Many manufacturers have stood the test of time but even then their quality has varied through the years. You couldn't get me to buy a bayliner from the 80's early 90's, but the 2000 model we bought has been very solid. The marquee names like mastercraft, chapparel will always command a premium but you can find just as nice boats with as many features in the 'lesser' names like four winds, bayliner, etc.
If you are planning on trailering the boat to/from the lake pay attention to the quality of the trailer. Make sure the bearings on the wheels are still good. If a heavy boat, go for four wheels w/ brakes. Try to stay with galvanized vs painted steel. The drive on trailers with rollers are much easier to manage than the carpeted bumper style. The bumper style tend to rot and need periodic replacing and re-carpeting. Check the wiring harness/lights. These are usually frayed, rusted, broken, etc.
Lastly, even though you may be mechanically inclined as most of us are (we own buicks afterall) still befriend a good boat mechanic. When the buick breaks your family's not on your case to get it back on the road. When the boat breaks, and it will, they will be anxious to get her running again.
