Possible purchase advice 2001 Crownline 262 CR

[Wellarmedlamb]

So my wife and I just bought our first house. We now live 20 minutes from lake Raystown (a 26 mile lake in PA). We've been looking at used boats under $20k. Requirements being: fun as a powerboat, relatively maneuverable, capable of pulling a tube etc, roomy for standing and sitting topside, enclosed and pump-able head, comfortably weekend at the lake.

After much looking we've decided the 2000 - 2003 Crownline 242 CR or 262 CR are strong contender as there are a handful for sale within 200 miles, well priced and in good shape.

The 2000, 242 has a 5.7L mercruiser.
The 2001, 262 has a 6.2L Mercruiser.
The 2002, 262 CR has a 5.7L Volvo Penta.

Questions:
1. Thoughts on the boat itself for the intended uses? I have no experience with these.
2. 242 vs 262... Seemingly small size difference. No Price difference. Bigger is better?
3. In the 262's, which powertrain? 6.2L Mercruiser or 5.7L Volvo Penta? What drives are behind these two engines? Bravo lll?


Just trying to learn as much as possible before what I consider a big purchase.

Thank you!

Jesse

 

[NHGuy]

A 5.7 isn't very much oomph for that much boat. It will plane but it will only get into the low 40's MPH. The 6.2 is worth the difference. Plus bigger is better with boats.
Have you owned a boat before? If not get a day out on one, maybe mooch a ride or get a demo ride.
They are fun, but require active ownership. Whether you will do your own care or pay, boats are needy things.

I know a few folks that have CrownLines they like them very much.

 

[Wellarmedlamb]

A 5.7 isn't very much oomph for that much boat. It will plane but it will only get into the low 40's MPH. The 6.2 is worth the difference. Plus bigger is better with boats.
Have you owned a boat before? If not get a day out on one, maybe mooch a ride or get a demo ride.
They are fun, but require active ownership. Whether you will do your own care or pay, boats are needy things.

I know a few folks that have CrownLines they like them very much.

I have but nothing this big. The largest being a 4.3l OMC Cobra in an 18' bowrider. I generally do any required work myself regardless of the machine.

Thanks for the input on engine size. More power is often better but I figured I'd ask.

 

[tpenfield]

Bigger is better in terms of having enough boat for people and activities. So, you should plan on the 262.

The engines are the same manufacturer (GM), it is the outdrives that are different. Go with the Mercruiser as they are better supported than the Volvo Penta. You will have to see if the Merc boat(s) have the Bravo 3 or just the Bravo 1 outdrive. The B3 would be better with those power options.

All those boats are perhaps adequately powered, but not overly powered. The 6.2 would be better. If it does not have enough get-up-and-go for water sports, you could always go down in the propeller pitch to compensate.

Since the boats are In the 15 year old range, and I believe that Crownlines have a far amount of wood in the hull structure, you should check for signs of moisture or structural rot. Having a marine surveyor inspect the boat as a pre-purchase contingency would be a good idea. The boat won't be perfect, but you will know of any potential show stoppers.

 

[jkust]

Skip the 2001 because the new Mercruiser engines (small block v8's and v6's) that made the 2001 and previous obsolete came out for model year 2002. Just make sure any 2002 doesn't have a left over 2001 engne in it which wasn't uncommon. 2001 was the last year of the old school EFI engine versus the 2002 and newer MPI engine which for a 5.7 liter added 40 additional HP. EFI 5.7 = 260hp and MPI 5.7 starting in 2002 is 300hp. In boat engine world 40hp is a gigantic amount of HP. The MPI engines are now just finally phasing out as the next generation of Mercruisers has taken over meanin that 2002 engine lasted until just a couple years ago.
The only way to get a 'modern' MPI engine prior to 2002 was to get a big block v8 which had the MPI for several years prior to 2002.
I automatically won't consider a pre 2002 boat because of the engine switch which is why I bought a 2002 last year. Crownlines are decent boats but I like that they kept the same hull style and didn't overstylize them like some other manufacturers did in the late-mid 2000s so an old one is harder to distinguish from a much newer one and with an MPI engine, you also have the state of the art engine up until just a couple years back. People can't tell that your boat is old.

I forgot to mention that the 6.2 is only an MPI engine so it may have gotten a repower if it is a 2001 as you see old efi's in 2002's but not vice versa coming off the factory floor. I see that your subject boat is 7500lbs dry weight and single 300 or 320 hp is just way to little for anything resembling acceptable performance. I'd need twins or a big block for that. Oh and I second all of the condition focus on a boat this old that could have been babied as it was an expensive boat in its day or neglected for any number of reasons.

 

[Wellarmedlamb]

Great info jkust! I'm currently viewing 3 different 2001 Crownline 262 CR's. All 3 have single MX 6.2L MPI engines mated to Bravo lll's. Perhaps they were late 2001 production and got the 6.2 from the factory?

I'm not at all interested in running twin engines. Mainly due to the increased maintenance, decreased engine bay room(I do all my own work and I'm a big guy) increased potential for parts cost and so on.

I'm a pretty mechanically inclined "car guy". I've built and rebuilt many engines(including retrofitting and tuning efi systems) and even a few transmissions but I know this automotive experience doesn't directly translate to boat experience. IF I do end up with an MX 6.2L MPI is there much capability for power adding upgrades/computer tuning,etc?

I'm also looking at 1998 Monterrey 262 with 7.4L MPI w/ Bravo ll. Problem is this boat is $3k more, 3 years older and not in nearly as nice shape.

I haven't had a chance to look further into the two engines but I've noticed that the 6.2 MPI - Bravo 3 is rated at 320hp at the prop while the 7.4 MPI - Bravo 2 is rated at 310hp. I assume the torque is higher on the big block and probably at a lower RPM range. Also, doesn't the Bravo 3 help with holeshot and getting on plane faster?

This boat will spend most of it's time anchored out either drinking, fishing or weekending. Secondary use will simply be cruising across the lake to find a spot, which doesn't need to be done at 50mph. Bottom on the list will be pulling a tube.

Performance wise I'm more concerned with hole-shot/getting on plane than I am with top speed. I understand this won't be anything like a 20' runabout with a 5.7 but that's not it's purpose.

​

 

[Blind Date]

Performance wise I'm more concerned with hole-shot/getting on plane than I am with top speed. I understand this won't be anything like a 20' runabout with a 5.7 but that's not it's purpose.

Exactly! I'm not sure why people are commenting about top speeds when talking cruisers. What sealed the deal for me w/my Sundancer during the test drive is how effortlessly it got on plane. TBI non vortec 5.7 mated to a B3. It's the B3 or VP DP that makes the big difference. I wouldn't advise anyone to not buy a cruiser because it doesn't have a MPI/Vortec engine. It's a very small performance improvement where it really doesn't matter with a cruiser. Meaning it will pull harder once the boat is up on plane and give another 1 or 2 MPH on the top end but hole shot will be virtually identical. If the boats your looking at got it great, but I sure wouldn't cross one off the list because it doesn't. Just make sure it's got a B3 or VP DP and your good to go.

 

[four winns 214]

I'm also looking at 1998 Monterrey 262 with 7.4L MPI w/ Bravo ll. Problem is this boat is $3k more, 3 years older and not in nearly as nice shape.

​

I was looking for a pocket cruiser and looked at both. Crownline is a better boat overall than Monterrey.

 

[jkust]

Exactly! I'm not sure why people are commenting about top speeds when talking cruisers. What sealed the deal for me w/my Sundancer during the test drive is how effortlessly it got on plane. TBI non vortec 5.7 mated to a B3. It's the B3 or VP DP that makes the big difference. I wouldn't advise anyone to not buy a cruiser because it doesn't have a MPI/Vortec engine. It's a very small performance improvement where it really doesn't matter with a cruiser. Meaning it will pull harder once the boat is up on plane and give another 1 or 2 MPH on the top end but hole shot will be virtually identical. If the boats your looking at got it great, but I sure wouldn't cross one off the list because it doesn't. Just make sure it's got a B3 or VP DP and your good to go.

It's not just the HP and TQ differences but that the EFI is simply an obsolete system replace literally days after 2001. Sounds like all of his 2001's have 2002 model year engines in them with MPI anyway. I will say that for whatever reason, I see more smaller crownlines in the early days of MPI than any other brand of of boat. In other words when the MPI upgrade would have been a huge percentage of the overall cost on say an 18 or 19 footer, I still see them in Crownlines in 2002 on up when it is a rare sight in other brands. In the used boat world, the world is your oyester and there is no need to settle for old tech when you can get newer tech for no more money when negotiating is taken into consideration. Same reason I wouldn't buy a carbed boat.

 

[Wellarmedlamb]

I was looking for a pocket cruiser and looked at both. Crownline is a better boat overall than Monterrey.

Good to know!

 

[Scotvl]

It's not just the HP and TQ differences but that the EFI is simply an obsolete system replace literally days after 2001. Sounds like all of his 2001's have 2002 model year engines in them with MPI anyway. I will say that for whatever reason, I see more smaller crownlines in the early days of MPI than any other brand of of boat. In other words when the MPI upgrade would have been a huge percentage of the overall cost on say an 18 or 19 footer, I still see them in Crownlines in 2002 on up when it is a rare sight in other brands. In the used boat world, the world is your oyester and there is no need to settle for old tech when you can get newer tech for no more money when negotiating is taken into consideration. Same reason I wouldn't buy a carbed boat.

It must have been the way crownline sold their boats in the late 90s early 2000s. My 99 225ccr came with a 350 mag mpi and bravo 3 with the caged drop down bolster seats, kinda rare for a 99 and one of the reasons we bought her 4 years ago.

 

[wrvond]

Since the main function appears to be entertaining and weekend "camping", I suggest going bigger than 29 feet. Thirty and thirty two foot boats generally have more beam than their shorter kin. A wider beam will net you more cubic feet of space than a longer LOA. Nothing wrong with a big block carbed engine either.
As long as water tight integrity hasn't been compromised, it doesn't matter if your fiberglass hull is 5 years old or 50. Styles have changed over the decades, but some boat styles carry their age better than others. One thing you will have to do is re-bed hardware. Places where screws and such penetrate the fiberglass need to be resealed periodically to keep water from getting to the balsa wood beneath. This, in my opinion, is the single most neglected area of any power boat.

 

[jkust]

It must have been the way crownline sold their boats in the late 90s early 2000s. My 99 225ccr came with a 350 mag mpi and bravo 3 with the caged drop down bolster seats, kinda rare for a 99 and one of the reasons we bought her 4 years ago.

Must've been repowered. They had 350mag efi but not mpi unless it was a big block and they had that for along time. The mpi small blocks came out for engine model year 2002 which meant early 02's and apparently late 01's had the mpi small block. Only for a brief time would you see a 350 mag mpi and 350 mag efi overlap which would be on 2001 and 2002.

 

[Wellarmedlamb]

Since the main function appears to be entertaining and weekend "camping", I suggest going bigger than 29 feet. Thirty and thirty two foot boats generally have more beam than their shorter kin. A wider beam will net you more cubic feet of space than a longer LOA. Nothing wrong with a big block carbed engine either.
As long as water tight integrity hasn't been compromised, it doesn't matter if your fiberglass hull is 5 years old or 50. Styles have changed over the decades, but some boat styles carry their age better than others. One thing you will have to do is re-bed hardware. Places where screws and such penetrate the fiberglass need to be resealed periodically to keep water from getting to the balsa wood beneath. This, in my opinion, is the single most neglected area of any power boat.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm intent on staying below a 10' beam as I want the capability to trailer it. My pickup is good to 10k# and my in-laws have a lake cottage in Maine which we love to visit. I don't have a commercial license or massive truck so must stay at or under 10k# including trailer. Construction zones around here(and maybe everywhere) often dictate nothing wider than 10' so while I wont trailer that often, I want the capability.

Right now, using the limitations of:

-Greater than 24' length.
-Less than 10' beam.
-Less than 10,000 pounds with Trailer.
-Enclosed, pump-out head.
-Single engine.
-Nothing smaller than a 6.2 MPI.
-Mercruiser only(for parts and info availability around here).
-Reasonable cabin w/galley(galley mostly for the second home tax deduction).
-Nominal max price range of $20k(maybe $25k for the perfect boat).
-Maybe no radar tower due to height while trailering?
-Never been in salt water? How big a deal is this considering I never intend to have my boat in salt water?

I've come up with 8 boats:

-3 x 2001 Crownline 262 CR's, 6.2MPI, 26', 26' 7"OAL, 8'6" Beam, 7,600lbs ($14,999, $17,500, $17,997)
-2 x 2000 Sea Ray 270's, 7.4MPI, 27', 29' 9"OAL, 9' 1" Beam, 7,000lbs ($15,000, $27,000)
-3 x (2000, 2001, 2002) Bayliner 2855 Ciera's, 7.4MPI, 28', 29' 3"OAL, 9' 9"Beam, 7,185lbs ($15,500, $19,900, $25,000)

The Crownlines are all in about the same shape. No tower. They look very nice and I'd have probably already pursued one if it had the 7.4 and maybe a slightly wider beam.
The Cheaper Sea Ray is dirty, the hull is black near the fuel cap and the seats are mildewed, no tower. The more expensive one is immaculate and has a metal tube tower.
The Bayliners are all pretty similar give or take visible wear and tear. All have towers.

 

[Wellarmedlamb]

One more question:

I stumbled across information pertaining to the smartcraft system and there seems to be a lot of variability around the 2000-2002 year ranges as to whether a boat is or isn't smartcraft equipped.

Is the pictured gauge a smartcraft display? It looks a lot like the aftermarket mercury smartcraft displays.



Thanks

 

[Wellarmedlamb]

Relating to my previous post about not wanting a radar tower... I've just been told by a couple of people that radar is a really good idea on the lake as most of the accidents happen at night due to idiots running WOT with minimal lighting. So I guess I won't cancel out a boat just because it has a tower.

 

[jkust]

One more question:

I stumbled across information pertaining to the smartcraft system and there seems to be a lot of variability around the 2000-2002 year ranges as to whether a boat is or isn't smartcraft equipped.

Is the pictured gauge a smartcraft display? It looks a lot like the aftermarket mercury smartcraft displays.



Thanks

Smartcraft is a function of MPI for small blocks v8's and v6's which came out for model year 2002. I'm not discussing the big blocks at the moment. Smartcraft, where I/o's are concerned, work with 2002 and newer MPI engines starting after a certain serial number. One of the many improvements over the 2001 and previous EFI engines was SmartCraft. Outboards use it too and the considerations are very different. That picture almost looks like a depth finder to me.

 

[wrvond]

It looks like a depth finder to me, too.
Some radar arches are designed to fold down to provide clearance, so you might look into that.
Salt water use can be a really big deal. Especially if the engine and cooling system are not properly flushed after each use. Of course, approach the claim of "fresh water use only" with some skepticism.
No offence intended, but I would avoid the Bayliners completely. Those prices would have to be reduced significantly for me to consider looking at one.
Speaking of prices - there is often a huge difference between the advertised (asking) price of a boat and it's actual selling price. I paid $10,000.00 less than the asking price of my boat, and I am far from what you would call a wheeler-dealer.

 

[Wellarmedlamb]

No offense taken, this is why I'm on here asking questions. I know next to nothing as to the qualities of the different makes. I'll take any advice I can get!

 

[Whiskey31]

Wellarmed...What boat did you end up getting? I'm in the same place you describe, I have a new Bayliner 185 that the wife and I like but we are thinking of moving to something that you were looking at. ..either a 262 or 242...Id be interested in what you chose and why