Please help advise a boat purchase for a new boat owner

[BiffMalibu636]

I'm going to be brand new to boating, my subdivision has a 124 acre lake for boating. First and foremost I want to get something reliable as I won't have a lot of money left over for repairs. My budget is between $6-$10,000. Second, I have 4 kids, aged 15, 13, 10, and 6. All are normal or slim in weight for their ages. I don't anticipate us doing any water skiing but pulling a tube definitely. As an example I've pulled descriptions of two boats I'm strongly considering. Yamaha only because I respect the yamaha name for reliability and Sea Ray for basically the same reason. I'm the type of guy that would rather by something older that's reliable and has been well maintained than something new that is questionable. Thanks for any advice! Here are the two boat examples...

I should add that there are several rivers nearby that I would really like to explore--and I would actually prefer the privacy and solitude of river boating more than lake boating in a subdivision lake, so if any of you have any recommendations that would serve all purposes I would be interested in that as well. I was thinking of some sort of 16' to 18' river Jon with a jet that I could also use on the lake to pull tubes. Please advise!
here are 2 examples...
1)
1996 Sea Ray 175
18 ft Open Bow
3.0 liter Mercruiser inline 4 cylinder with a Alpha One Outdrive (135 HP)
Boat runs with 5 adults at approximately 40mph
18 gallon gas tank, Great on gas
Boat runs great
Tune-up in 04/2015 at xxxxxxx
Carbarators cleaned in 06/2015 at xxxxxxxx
New factory Aluminum 3 blade prop
New marine battery
New stainless steel skeg guard
New BOSS stereo with four speakers
2 year old Bimini Top
Snap cover and a winter cover
Boat is in excellent shape always stored in a garage.
Interior is clean and well maintained
All fiberglass was professionally waxed/buffed in April 2015
New carpet in 2016
New fuel filter and lines in 2016
Boat comes with all original owner manuals and all maintenance records since date of purchase.

Trailer:
Shore lander trailer with good tires. All lights work.

Asking $6,000.00. It will be hard to find a cleaner 1996 model boat.

Only reason we are selling is to get a bigger boat for our family.

2)
Twin 135HP engines for a total of 270HP Jet boat. Boat is in really good shape. Full fiberglass floor, Depth gauge, Bilge pump, New OEM Yamaha boat cover, bimini top. Serviced and winterized by xxxxxx Yamaha this past fall. Very fun, very fast, just don't have the time to use it with our kids summer sports schedules.

I'm also open to other suggestions such as pontoons but my wife says she doesn't want a pontoon and if mama ain't happy ain't no one happy.
Thanks for any help and I look forward to being a member here.
Thanks
Biff

 

[tpenfield]

Both brands are decent boats. However, there is no such thing as a 'reliable' boat, as even the better and best brands of boats will need their fair share of maintenance and repairs. Particularly at 10 years of age, which gets most good boats into your budget range. The engines/drives will tend to have things that need to be done, so just be prepared financially and emotionally to spend money each year.

The engines are all the same for the different brands of boats - with the Exception of the Yamaha - so you are relying on the reliability of Mercruiser (or Volvo Penta) versus SeaRay (or any other brand.

The Yamaha jet boats are a different animal than the stern drive boats, so maybe you want to search comments on the web about what owners think about them.

Chaparral or Cobalt may be other brands to add to the mix.

 

[fhhuber]

124 acres is kind of small... and for potential shallow running in rivers you want a boat that doesn't need much water.

$10k can set you up in a NEW aluminum boat with NEW 4 stroke. It might not tow the tubes fast on appx 25 hp, but it will be low maintenance and go just about anywhere you could want.
These new 4-strokes are great.

20 yr old boat with 20 yr old engine is repairs waiting to happen.

 

[redneck joe]

I grew up on a 90 acre lake. We had an old boat with a 75 hp which was the limit there. You will find you will be using the dock and making runs with just a couple folks on board. With that kind of budget dont restrict yourself to sea ray and yamaha because you think they will be reliable for you, at the age they will be when you buy them. I'd stack up my 35 year old evinrude to any yamaha of same age.

 

[redneck joe]

Oh, and welcome to the forum

 

[oldjeep]

The 175 is a tiny boat for 5 people to be in. Makes sure to test it with the full crew and think about where you would put any stuff you want with you.

Don't get too excited about brands on 20 year old boats, it is all about condition. I'd personally stay away from the jet ski powered boats.

 

[lprizman]

due diligence and sea trials prior to purchase,,,know every inch of the vessel and put it thru its paces,,,as mentioned thats a small lake

welcome aboard and best of luck!!
Lance

 

[thumpar]

The only thing that would steer me away from the Yamaha is that they have been know to abandon some of their equipment and parts are no longer available for those. I agree that a 17.5' is small for 5 people. I had 8 on my boat, 2 where small children. It is rated for 12 but that was cramped.

 

[R055]

There are bigger and newer i/o's in your budget range.

 

[BiffMalibu636]

Thanks very much for all the useful information. I'm happy to be aboard!
Biff

 

[airdvr1227]

Whatever you buy go with more HP than the 3.0L