Help a newbie pick a boat?

drummerdaveb

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Joined
Apr 25, 2017
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10
So I now live on a 200 acre lake, and decided it's time to get a boat. I have never owned a boat, so this is all new to me, but I am a car guy, so I know my way around vehicles in general.

Im looking at bowriders in the 18-21ft range.

At this point, I have 2 that I am interested in, because they fit my budget (everything else in the 2000s and up with the 4.3 or larger within a 4 hour drive from me are all at least $9k), seem to be in good condition, and have the size/engine combos that i want.

Boat #1) 2001 VIP Valiant. 19' 4.3 EFI engine (a Big Plus). 156 hours. Price $7000 (final, not negotiable). Mostly garage kept, but sounds like not so the last year. It is on its 3rd owner, the current guy owning it only a year. He has no maint records, but says he changed the oil prior to winterizing it, and replaced the starter, but has done nothing else. This worries me, since who knows what has or has not been done. But with very low hours, maybe its not as big a deal? .... I'd say at a minimum, before I run this boat I would want to replace the gimble, impeller and lower unit oil. Would you agree?
Cosmetically, it appears to be in very good condition, except for a couple small cracks (2) in the rear bench seat bottom, and a few (3ish) moderate on one side of the seat back. They seem to be pretty repairable. Also the gauge surround plastic is cracked by the screws, so either someone has fixed something w/ the gauges and got ham-fisted or just crappy plastic was used for that piece. Construction appears to be composite floors, not wood. Big plus. Is this boat too big a gamble?

Boat #2) 2000 Bayliner Capri 2050. 20' 5.7 V8. List Price $8000. This boat is one I have less info on. But Im seriously considering it, because it looks mint, the owner also says it is mint w/ "very low hours". Original owner. Garage kept since new. He says it was used 1 week per year. He's not good at communicating via email, so Im trying to talk to him more to get better details regarding maint and whatnot. My understanding is it will have wood floors, which is not a plus, since it will be outdoors (though probably covered when not used. And given that it is a Bayliner, it's built to a lower price-point, which will mean lower quality hardware and


My use:
It will be stored in the water through the summer, on my lake, and garaged the rest of the year.


What do you guys think?
 

Sprig

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 2, 2016
Messages
571
A 200 acre lake is a pretty small lake. I think the boats that you suggest are too big for that lake. You'll only be able to go wot for a minute or two before you run out of room. What exactly do you want the boat for. Fishing, cruising, skiing? If for fishing, cruising with family and friends you are probably better off with a smaller boat or maybe pontoon/patio boat.
 

drummerdaveb

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Apr 25, 2017
Messages
10
We'll be hanging out, and watersports mostly. Tubing, wakeboarding, skiing.
There's also a 1100 acre lake 1 mile away I could take it to if I want to do WOT runs.
 

Starcraft5834

Lieutenant Commander
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Jun 2, 2013
Messages
1,677
Welcome aboard... older boats are all about condition and not so much make.... ie- Bayliner cared for well vs a Crownline left in a farmers field uncovered.... do your homework, check engine compression, test runs... remember size matters in the boat world... an extra foot in a boat is a lot....good luck
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Jul 23, 2011
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I would be looking at a 16' with an outboard on a 200 acre lake.... or a pontoon boat.

I grew up skiing and fishing on a small lake like that with my grandparent cottage. It would take less than 90 seconds to go around the lake on skiis and about 10 minutes putting around in a pontoon or 20 minutes in a canoe

there were two dedicated ski boats on the lake, however most were outboards
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
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Aug 2, 2008
Messages
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200 acres is a relative puddle and 21 feet of bowrider would be overkill. I might be inclined to go 18 feet just to be a little more comfortable with a full load of people vs something smaller. Also, don't confuse the older efi system of that VIP with the more modern MPI system that came on the market on small block v8's and v6's in model year 2002 for which you would likely not pay any more money for if you were to get a 2002 model with the updated MPI system that was used for another 13+ years.
 

drummerdaveb

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Apr 25, 2017
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200 acres is a relative puddle and 21 feet of bowrider would be overkill. I might be inclined to go 18 feet just to be a little more comfortable with a full load of people vs something smaller. Also, don't confuse the older efi system of that VIP with the more modern MPI system that came on the market on small block v8's and v6's in model year 2002 for which you would likely not pay any more money for if you were to get a 2002 model with the updated MPI system that was used for another 13+ years.

Im mostly only looking at a 21 footer, as it is significantly cheaper than most 18s on Craigslist right now, and we can have a crew on there at the same time. With my family of 3, and another group of friends (a family of 5), 21 doesnt sound so big.
I know our lake isnt big, but I do want something I can wakeboard behind that isnt struggling to pull me (or my bigger friends) up. I never see v6s in 17 footers, and that's why Im looking at the sizes I am. I honestly am not even interested in "cruising" or high speed runs, other than occasional WOT for out of town company..



Very good to know. I wasnt aware of the differences in Injection systems.
 

Sprig

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May 2, 2016
Messages
571
I used wot only as an example to illustrate on a small lake a larger powerful boat may not be a good idea. Even skiing and tubing on that small of a lake may not be a great idea. You barely get going and you will have to make sharp turns to avoid hitting theshore. To do that safely you need an experienced boat driver and experienced skillful skier, wake boarder, tuber. In that confined area it is quite easy during sharp turns to slam the person you are pulling into shore with major injurious consequences. If there is another boat or two on the lake while you are pulling skiers the odds of an accident just went way up. I think if you get either of the two boats mentioned you'd be better off and safer to just use it on the 1100 acre lake not the 200 acre lake.
 

Maclin

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May 27, 2007
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Most small lakes like that have speed limits, can ony go in one direction, rules about how to keep from eroding the shores, things like that. Is it a totally private lake? Or a City or County lake?
 

drummerdaveb

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Apr 25, 2017
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I used wot only as an example to illustrate on a small lake a larger powerful boat may not be a good idea. Even skiing and tubing on that small of a lake may not be a great idea. You barely get going and you will have to make sharp turns to avoid hitting theshore. To do that safely you need an experienced boat driver and experienced skillful skier, wake boarder, tuber. In that confined area it is quite easy during sharp turns to slam the person you are pulling into shore with major injurious consequences. If there is another boat or two on the lake while you are pulling skiers the odds of an accident just went way up. I think if you get either of the two boats mentioned you'd be better off and safer to just use it on the 1100 acre lake not the 200 acre lake.

Its not that small.
People tube, ski, etc on it all the time.
It's not hard to avoid the shore, experienced or not. Given, the bigger lake is much easier, but a lot of boat traffic on that lake too [no surprise there].
Yes, you do turn fairly frequently, but there is plenty of room.
 

drummerdaveb

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Apr 25, 2017
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Most small lakes like that have speed limits, can ony go in one direction, rules about how to keep from eroding the shores, things like that. Is it a totally private lake? Or a City or County lake?

[edit] I just checked. There are no rules. Its a free for all.
 

jkust

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We are about two blocks off of a 200 acre lake at our main residence and before we owned a lake house, we'd boat on that lake once in a while back when we had an 18 foot boat. What makes a very small lake usable in this case is that everyone has to go the same direction but still gets dicey when there's just a few boats skiing on it. The thing is that a 200 acre lake in the middle of a neighborhood that is deep, and has good fishing with a public ramp....it's a luxury to have it available no matter that it is tiny. I suppose the extra couple feet of loa isn't going to be a big deal if you are getting a good deal on it.
 

briangcc

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Jul 10, 2012
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With that many people aboard, (8), you may want to reconsider your V6 option. A V8 will have the power and reserve to get you up skiing behind it with a full boat load of watchers. I'm not all that confident you can do that with a V6. Definitely test drive it with your intended load of people to make sure it has the power you need to perform the tasks requested.

I can say my V8 powered Four Winns had plenty of power....a full boat load of people and I could still pull 55mph on the lake. I've yet to have my new boat out with the V6 4.3 so I can't confirm that the performance is similar - dealer says it should be at close to 50mph. New boat is 1000lbs less so it may very well perform similarly.

Also you may want to check for any restrictions on the proposed lake. Around my neck of the woods, smaller lakes DO have HP restrictions and *some* even have length requirements. I'd hate to see you purchase something you couldn't use on the lake you desire.
 

Maranvin

Seaman Apprentice
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Jan 29, 2017
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41
Even though it's a small lake take a safety course if ur new to boating.
 

REN3G8

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Mar 13, 2017
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Just remember nothing is ever "non-negotiable" people will always budge eventually, if not to you then to someone else. :)

I've learned this from a long time of dealing with Kijiji (canada's craiglist), and forum buy and sells.
 

hal2814

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Feb 22, 2006
Messages
92
While it's possible an owner could take care of the cosmetic while ignoring other maintenance and care, in my experience boats that look mint are well cared for. Given those two options and without knowing anything else I'd personally lean towards the Bayliner, especially since it's a bigger boat and has a 350 instead of the 4.3L.

That being said, with stated goals of hanging out and water sports, I'd look for an older ski boat. These days $7,000-$8,000 around here can get you an early 90's inboard that's going to be way better at watersports and just as good at hanging out. Plus they're so much easier to work on than an I/O, especially from a car background.
 

Blind Date

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Mar 5, 2014
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462
The beauty of being one the lake is that you don't have to cart a bunch of people around with you. Which to me is annoying when doing water sports whether I'm driving the boat or at the end of the line. Let them hang out on the dock. I'd go 18' and would not recommend an inboard because my experience is they are a lot more problematic than an I/O. They also are a lot tougher to drive around the dock and a lot less forgiving if you bump the bottom of the lake with the prop. Not a good choice for a new boat owner IMHO.

BTW my first cabin was on a 140 acre lake in northern WI & was excellent for water sports. Much better than the 3500 acre lake I'm on now. I used my CVX18 on it all the time.
 

jkust

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The beauty of being one the lake is that you don't have to cart a bunch of people around with you. Which to me is annoying when doing water sports whether I'm driving the boat or at the end of the line. Let them hang out on the dock. I'd go 18' and would not recommend an inboard because my experience is they are a lot more problematic than an I/O. They also are a lot tougher to drive around the dock and a lot less forgiving if you bump the bottom of the lake with the prop. Not a good choice for a new boat owner IMHO.

BTW my first cabin was on a 140 acre lake in northern WI & was excellent for water sports. Much better than the 3500 acre lake I'm on now. I used my CVX18 on it all the time.
I agree on tow sports boats except that on my large lake, the over $100k tow sports boat (that's just about the entry price of new now and all of these boats are new) are overtaking bowriders for popularity. They are beautiful boats with beautiful lines and new technology but I don't get the allure if it is your only boat. I'll tell you what, we found that we use our waverunner ten times more than our bowrider and plan to get a second one this season. People sit on the dock, you drive the waverunner, a spotter sits behind you and all is well then pick up a cheap boat for fishing....Just a thought. Personally I like having a bowrider for the evening cruises but...
 

drummerdaveb

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Apr 25, 2017
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10
So I got off the phone w/ the Bayliner owner.
I have some new info that might help.

Here's what he said:

He is actually the 2nd owner (owned it over 10 years now). He bought it from a friend who never really used it - it sat for 5 years unused in his garage.
He has several boats, and really only uses this boat on average a week per year. He estimates he's put only about 50 hours on it in the last 10 years.
He says the interior vinyl/carpet is perfect. The boat is in "near new" condition [there are "a couple really small scratches on the hull". It was kept covered always, both in the garage and when used for that week.
He winterizes it himself and changes the oil and outdrive oil every fall. HOWEVER, he has never changed the impeller, ujoints, etc. So, even with really low hours, I'd assume I should drop it off at the shop and have all that done before even bringing it home. Would you agree? I'd be looking at a couple hundred for that, right?

It sounds like a really nice, really low hours boat, but as such, Im thinking may need belts/fuel lines/etc too due to age.
Oh, and he says he is pretty firm on the price (I could maybe get him down a few hundred, but that's it. ). He basically said "If you cant afford the asking price, don't bother coming down."

Is this a boat you would buy?
 
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