New guy here, advice needed

520YOTA

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Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
29
Hello! Recently last year I purchased my first boat, a 1994 Chaparral with the 3.0/alpha one for $3500. Its been a great boat, aside from it just being too slow. I tried replacing the prop, but sadly with 4 plus people in the boat it really struggles to get up on plane, let alone pull a tube or wakeboard (has a tower).

SO, on a whim last week I purchased a 1990 Bayliner 2050 with a healthy 4.3 v6/alpha one. I know the bayliner horror stories, but from my initial impression of the boat it looked pretty solid. The seats could use a re-cover, has a few knicks in the gelcoat, and the keel needs re-gel coated. Once i got it back home, i did find a small rot spot in the raised storage area in the rear of the boat, next to the engine. From what i can tell, this is the only spot. The floor feels very solid.

I still have both boats.. did I screw up buying the Bayliner? I love the Chaparral, it's been fantastic.. but everything I've read, pointed me away from a repower. I'll likely upgrade to a newer boat in 3 years or so.
 

tpenfield

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Jul 18, 2011
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:welcome:

There is no way for 'us' to tell if you made a mistake buying the Bayliner without more information (pictures, etc.) of the soft spot. However, a 23 year old boat (Chappy) and a 27 year old boat (Bayliner) will tend to have some issues.

It would have been a bit pricey to re-power the Chappy . . . on a do-over you may have wanted to sell the Chappy and get a newer boat with a 5.0 or 5.7 V8

After you have 3 posts under your belt you can start to post some pictures. You will want to reduce them to 640 x 480 size before adding them to your posts.
 

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 18, 2009
Messages
10,201
Welcome to the forum


if you have a ski locker or can see the edge of the floor in at the engine compartment look to see if there has been a second layer of plywood layed down that is usually the quick 'fix' seller pull off, or thu ignorance think that solves problems
 

520YOTA

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Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
29
Thanks for the warm welcome. I tried posting pictures, didn't realize i had to have 3 posts first. I'll look for the second layer of wood, it does have a ski compartment. It has, from comparing online pictures, the original interior which is surprisingly well kept for being so old. The hour meter only reads 167 hrs...but i looked at the back of the guage and one wire had pulled out from the solderless connector...who knows how long it's been like that!

I just want a fun, reliable boat to get me through a couple seasons until I can afford something fancier.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Jul 23, 2011
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47,310
welcome aboard

boats rot from the keel up. and late 80's / early 90's bayliners were not known for their proper manufacturing process which leads to rot more quickly than other brands

good luck with your boat.
 

Maclin

Admiral
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
Were you able to do a test run in the Bayliner? Just thinking you went to a bigger engine but in a larger boat, that may be a wash, no real performance advantage.
 

520YOTA

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Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
29
I didn't take it for a test run, the closest lake is 1.5hrs away. Having a bit of an issue with my computer resizing these pictures. I get the feeling i screwed up, and jumped the gun with the bayliner. The only rot i have found is on the left of the engine. There appears to only be one layer of wood around the ski locker. Near the engine, there appears to be 3 layers, but they look factory, as they're is glass and resin on them also. This is the factory interior from what I can tell. Thanks for the input, I will get these pics uploaded momentarily.
 

520YOTA

Cadet
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
29
Got it figured out. OK, the last photo also shows a leaking riser...shoot. There is a couple pictures of the Chaparral in there, I love that boat..it's just sooo slow.
 

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jkust

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Aug 2, 2008
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Boats tend to rot from the stringers up to the floor...meaning if there is floor rot, there is a high probability of hidden rot that you can't get to or see without some deconstruction. My take on old boats is do you want to be a project doer or do you want to be a boater. Life it too short and there is far too little free time to spend on a project when you aren't rehabbing some sort of classic I'd have moved to that newer used boat now that is in pristine shape and not look back.

Ok I saw the pics you posted. The bayliner just looks like it has lived its intended lifespan. As for the Chap, i can't believe there is a tower on that boat. It must weigh what a full grown man must weigh adding to the struggle that poor 3 liter has to overcome.
 
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redneck joe

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Mar 18, 2009
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ok you may have some rot, but it does look all factory. They way to tell, which i'm sure you've read up on, is to drill some test holes and see what kind of wood comes out. Obviously in the one that looks like a locker of some sort the shin was thin and now broken. The rot may be just on the floor portion and **if** the stringer was glassed in prior to all that, then you may be good. I had that scenario on a Bayliner of mine and was able to just replace small stuff without tearing into the boat.

The carpet looks original, looks in good shape you might have won.


I had the 2070 which is the exact boat other than mine had a L-Drive. If you don't know what that is don't worry just know it was evil. Great concept, crap execution. I loved the space, the open bow is not huge like on some so you have good space in the cockpit. Plus with everything a bit more forward you have more weight up front to assist getting on plane. The ride is awesome, even in some chop - just a great hull design imo and i could (if I remember i had mine many, many years ago) could stay on plane at 16 mph even though I didn't have any tabs, just trimmed down. I loved that boat - when it was running. You say it has a 4.3, if I remember that was base and it came with 5.0 and 5.7 option. On the 5.7 if I remember the sales lit would push 53 or so MPH
 

TyeeMan

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Feb 27, 2006
Messages
849
I would say take care of that leaking riser before next season, , before it turns into a leaking riser leaking water into the cylinders.:embarassed:
 

520YOTA

Cadet
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
29
Thanks for the reassurance. I hope i lucked out and she just has been neglected the last couple years. I do enjoy projects, but i sure as hell am not going to rip the stringers out of an old bayliner, lol. Going to drill some test holes, fix cut out the one damaged area, fix the leaking riser, and hopefully enjoy it for a couple seasons. Interestingly , I've read on this forum of a guy with the 3.0 in a 2050. That engine shouldn't be in anything but fishing boats IMO. The tower on my Chap is steel too, super heavy!

Thanks again, will update with some better pics/ progress!
 

southkogs

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Have you run the Chap without the tower mounted? My boat's not quite as big as your Chap, but the 3.0 pushes it well enough.
 

airshot

Rear Admiral
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Jul 22, 2008
Messages
4,222
Next time try an aluminum hull boat, no rot to deal with and much lighter weight. Neighbor bought a 22' sylvan with the 140hp 3.0 and she does 40 mph and a decent hole shot, enough to pop a skier up without a problem. I have the Islander model in 22' with the 140 hp 3.0 and she does 34mph with 4 adults but 400lbs more weight than neighbors boat. Much better fuel economy on the aluminum hull...
 

QBhoy

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Mar 10, 2016
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Horses for courses....as my old lecturer used to say.
Bayliners are plenty popular over here in the uk because they are so much cheaper than the usual high quality brands made here.
Perfectly fine for inland lakes and good value for money.
Would I have one on the sea on the west coast of Scotland....most certainly not, wouldn?t be suitable at all and they don?t fair well in such a harsh environment.
Not sure the chaperal would be much better though.
All boats have their good and bad points. I suppose it?s a matter of compromise and intended use....and above all enjoyment and safe boating !
 

520YOTA

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Nov 10, 2017
Messages
29
Have you run the Chap without the tower mounted? My boat's not quite as big as your Chap, but the 3.0 pushes it well enough.

Yes, and it was marginally better. But it has the 115hp non-Lx version of the 3.0. The Bayliner has the 200hp 4.3, nearly twice the power on a boat that weighs the same. Found a buyer for the Chap... time to clean up the old Bay!
 

Blind Date

Chief Petty Officer
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Mar 5, 2014
Messages
462
I wouldn't worry if it has little rot. With a sterndrive you don't really have problems until:

The transom gets so bad that it starts leaking around the transom assembly seal.
The stringers are so bad that the motor mounts start sinking causing your motor and drive to go out of alignment.

If the floor is generally solid doesn't mean there isn't rot in the stringers, because there probably is. But again doesn't mean you can't go out and enjoy the boat for number of years. Watch the hull for stress cracking around the strakes. Don't pound the boat over waves if you don't have to.
 
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