What is the problem with Bayliner?

Makofanatic

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2002
Messages
24
I am a sales counselor for wellcraft,fishmaster,trophy,and bayliner,50% of my customers wont even look at the bayliner because they say that it is a bad boat,when i ask them what is so bad about it all anyone can say is (i just heard bad things about them)know one can say what exactly is so wrong with the brand.the other 50% dont have an opinion on the brand and when they look at the boat they tend to realy like the boat. all i can say is we have more repeat costomers with bayliner than with any other brand we cary.im not trying to give a sales pitch i just want to better understand the other 50% problem with this line. :cool:
 

Pursuit2150

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 3, 2001
Messages
553
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Makofanatic- Maybe you can shed some light on the subject for us. One thing I heard around the marinas, was that there "have been problems" at the seams beneath the rub rails of: coming apart, cracking, and just a poor construction in that area and the boat cannot take much pounding. (I have not seen the problem 1st hand)5 slips from me is an older Bayliner 30'. He keeps it looking good, one of his problems galley windows rattle & leak, and the entire bridge area seems flimsey. Just some hearsay, and observations.
 

alcan

Commander
Joined
Dec 14, 2001
Messages
2,505
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

I am not out to trash anyone's product. I've shopped Bayliner. Almost bought a new 26' Trophy out of desparation. The thing that bugs me is, Bayliner seems to try to be everybodies boat. They have all the features, more than most. Trouble is you can't use any of them. I was tring to replace a 1960 23' chris cavalier. The head in the Chris was useable. bayliners was under the bed. Ice box in the chris would hold ice and food for a week. bayliner just a six pac no ice. They just seem so Fordlike to me.I like my Fords to drive but I want more in a boat.
 

Chum Slick

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 7, 2001
Messages
116
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

I have a Mako and a Thunderbird so I'm a little biased, but, my son-in-law bought a 2000 25ft Bayliner Trophy Walkaround with twin 150 Mercs. Paid in the neighborhood of 55 thousand cash. This past summer he was on the Potomac River and got caught in some bad weather and had to run upriver in about 3 ft waves. He may have been running a little too fast for the water but both stringers cracked and Bayliner told him it will cost around 20 thousand to repair and his boat will be down until May. <br />I have run my 23 ft Mako WalkAround in a lot worse water and never got a squeak out of her. Bayliners are fairly good boats for the money but they just aren't built as good as some. My son-in-law is getting rid of his Bayliner and either getting a 26 ft Mako or Whaler.<br /><br />Keep the bait in the Slick......
 

SeaDawg

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 3, 2001
Messages
418
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Makofanatic, when I ride down the local "on the water" marina saltwater creeks in DE, I see about as many Bayliners as I see Makos, Grady Whites, Boston Whalers, etc. These are all older boats mostly, and they are all still floating at the end of the summer there too.<br /><br />If you want a "war story" from my crazy days, here goes. You will see that I must have had a death wish once you read this, I've since matured considerably.<br /><br />I owned a 1987 Bayliner Trophy CC, with the Force 125 on it, and I used it 5 and 6 days a week for close to two years commercial hook and line fishing. I typically used 25 to 35 gallons of fuel a night, I did not have an odometer on my depthfinder at the time. I also used one quart bottle of oil to 10 gallons of gas, and never fouled a plug.<br /><br />I got caught out in over a dozen 70 mph+/- high wind thunderstorms in it (DE Bay and coastal ocean), with 6 to 12 ft. seas at times, had the tackle boxes floating, but she would bob right back up and keep plowing.<br /><br />My Grady/Boston Whaler/Mako/etc. buddies would brag on it when we all made it in OK. But they still made fun of the "cheap boat". <br /><br />I punished it by driving 30 to 35 mph in 2 - 4 ft. chops, for 10 to 20 miles at a time. <br /><br />I had to replace the rivets that connected the outer and inner hulls together with screws, and also replace the rivets with screws that connected the CC to the deck. And, I had to repair the floor gelcoat in the two inner corners near the center console twice, because I did not like the gelcoat stars that developed there.<br /><br />I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE, AND ONLY MENTION IT TO SHOW THE COMPARISON.<br /><br />2 more cents worth...............
 

12Footer

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
8,217
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Makofanatc, do a search here for "Bayliner" and grab a cup of jo, relax and get an eyefull.<br />I own a 89Bliner 1650, and use it 2weeksends a month on average. I still get compliments at the ramp over it's lines. It is a very pretty boat..Now the Drawbacks are the fiberglass layup. There are areas of the hull that have bubbles in the laminate,because they didn't bother to roll it in.Absolutely horible work!<br /><br />I had to redeck her last year. The decking was not laminated,nor was the top half of the stringers. I'm sure the new ones use less wood, But unless they got off the wallet in the glass work, they are waisting thier time.<br />A "no wood" Bayliner would go far in restoring customer faith. A picture says a thousand words, so I'll post some pics of my Bro inlaw's 89 Bayliner Cobra bas rig. First will be some of the older pics before we started to realy dig-in.<br /><br />
cobra1581.jpg
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,417
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Makofanatic- my first suggestion would be to go crawl around a Grady or any of the other high end boats just see what kind of hardware and finish they use. I think you'll answer your own question. <br />My best friend was in the market for a new boat 2 years ago. I kept pushing him toward purchasing a Grady like mine but he ended up buying a 21'Trophy. He said that the Trophy was the "everything" boat and at a price he liked. I ragged on him awhile about getting a "cheap" boat and even pointed out things like using plastic thru hulls instead of the bronze and a few other items which I don't care for. Now that he has had the boat for 2 summers, he is finally admitting that maybe there is a difference in brands. Bayliners are good first time boats for weekend warriors, but they skimp on too many things to make me a beleiver.
 

Makofanatic

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2002
Messages
24
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

all of you are talking about old bayliners and you cant compare a grady to a bayliner the grady will cost you more than twice as much. i want to know what the problem is with the 2001, and 2002 bayliners, did you guys know that they now come with a life time warranty? does anyone also know that the old president of searay is know in charge of the bayliner manufacturing prosses?and do any of you also know that brunswick uses all the same materials for all there lines,such as Boston whaler,searay,maxum,baja,hatteras,and bayliner?you are all going back to the 80's this is the year 2002 bayliner deserves to be realvaluated. thanks
 

Makofanatic

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2002
Messages
24
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

I forgot one more tibit of info,this year trophy separated itself from bayliner they are now there own entity.check them out they are all composite this year and they are filled with foam :)
 

SS MAYFLOAT

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2001
Messages
6,372
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Hey Makofanatic, I purchased a 1977 27' Bayliner last spring. She sat for about 8 years in a yard with the elements exposed to her cabin. She was a mess. With hard work and alot of know how, she is back in the water. My only problem with her now is,,,,,I THINK SHE IS BIGGER THAN I NEEDED! While loading her on the trailer once, I pushed trailer and my E250 Van up the ramp about 2'! No damage, and seems pretty tough. I wouldn't use her to baja with. Its like anything, you don't use a Limo to go mud running, and you don't use a street bike to motocross with. Nothing lasts forever unless you pay out the ying yang for it. Boats is a good example. Bayliner would say equal Ford/Chevy, Grady Whites/Boston Whalers would equal Mercedes or the higher priced cars, So basically we need to have different brands with price lines to match the wallets of the consumers. In my opinion, Every Brand Has its Problems!
 

Mike M2

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 24, 2001
Messages
98
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Well, i've owned new and old. My 86 Capri was poorly biult, no doubt. I still loved it, but it was a crank em out as fast as you can biult boat! I now own a 94, which is the newer style, biult after the problems they had. I really just couldn't find another boat with all the features i wanted. The newer Bayliners are much better. They may not be as good as some of the other boats mentioned, but much much better than the old ones. Now i'm talking the Cierra's not the fishing boats. No visible wood, unlike the old ones. Completely self bailing, The boat really is solid. Bayliner had a whole lot of problems back in the day, but are turning into a better boat. They still have a ways to go, but right now you can't beat the boat for the money. Believe me, i looked at a lot of boats in my used price range, but none had what i wanted. Now the Trophy's may be different, i dunno.
 

12Footer

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
8,217
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Makofanatic, that is good to hear (about Bliner getting-over some of it's quality hurdles). There a gajillion Bliners out there, and many stll get a lot of use.<br />A bit of deck rot is not uncommon in a 12 year old hul. What is, is the chopper gun,no-roll layup in these 12year old hulls.<br />Foam can be a plus,or a minus. If the glass does not completely encapsule it, and encapsule it enough to withstand the threats of crackng the shell, foam is a big mistake.<br />It's worse than wood in such cases.<br />But I am still proud of the old Capri I own. <br />I will probably keep it for a few more years, and buy a new boat.But I can assure you,it will not be a bayliner,unless Brunswick buys out Starboard, and starts using it to frame-out and deck thier hulls.<br /> BTW, more pics comming of the Cobra, but need to take the and U/L them to my pic host.<br />In the meantime, check out my '89 Bliner Capri.. http://members.fishingworks.com/12Footer/ <br /><br />
Image003592.jpg
 

michaelsen

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Dec 20, 2001
Messages
94
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Hey 12footer who's the old guy behind you? :D :D
 

sandman

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
102
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

12footer:<br />It does my heart good to see a grandfather enjoy his grandson. Teach him well.<br />sandman :)
 

Lark40

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 29, 2001
Messages
793
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

I bought a 2001 Bayliner 1952, which is their economy cuddy cabin model.<br /><br />No problems - boat was a fantastic value - very good performer, handles waves, and great economy.<br /><br />Read hundreds of postings about Bayliner before I bought. Many horror stories. All involved boats built before about 1993. The late '80's were the worst. Fiberglass problems and wood stringer rot. My boat has no wood stringers.<br /><br />So, I think you only need to be concerned if your buying a Bayliner from that time period.
 

mbb

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 20, 2001
Messages
176
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Bayliner & Trophy will pay for the legacy they created for a long time. So will SeaFox(Renken)and a lot of others. And justly so. These are boats designed and marketed to entry level users, who dont really know what they want, and are sold on looks, shine, gimmicky features, and affordable pricing. What most knowledgeable people want is quality and performance. <br /><br /> It is a shame that so many people buy boats that they can barely afford, only to have them deteriorate into a pile of @#it.<br /><br />There are many types of boaters, some want to look good and never really put a boat the test, at the other end are the ones that want to use it hard and have it hold up at least until its paid for (15yrs?). <br /><br />I once had a 91 trophy 2002, best selling fishing boat there is probably. I didnt buy it to fish with, Im not that stupid, but just to fool around with with the family. I bought it used, kept it only till I could get rid of it, and sold it for about what I paid for it. I have noticed that the recent models have fixed some of what @ucked on that boat, but alot is still the same. Any 15yr old kid who has fished on a boat could design one better.What were my complaints? here goes:<br /><br />- Poor hull design/ center of balance. Hard to get on plane and would drop off suddenly at a fairly high speed (23 mph)<br />-Fishboxes uselessly undersized 70qt (flat and only~ 10" deep at deepest.! cant even put a bag of ice in and close lid).<br />-Baitwell uselessly undersized (4 gal)- (gimmick)<br />-Baitwell wouldnt prime <br />- deck scupper ABOVE fishbox level, so fishboxes ALWAYS filled with water - pump so small took~ 20 min to pump water out. <br />- fishbox pumpout thru 1/4" dia fitting -plug up with an dead bug.<br />-Stupid system with 2 fishboxes to one pump required plug in one not being pumped out.<br />-non-slip deck was not<br />- coulndt access bilge pump<br />- to access some things (seacock on livewell pickup) have to remove battery! (absolutely unnaceptable)<br />-small seats that go in rear woulndt stay in place - (crappy design)<br />- plastic side panels around helm cracked where fastended with screws (el cheapo)<br />- Hull had been holed above waterline by minor impact with dock. (very light construction)<br />- stress cracks all along forward part of chines - (flexed too much)<br />- VERY scary looking spider like cracks in gel coat on bottom of hull<br />- could dip its bow in a 2' sea (due to sleek stylish downward slant)<br />- cheap cover on anchor locker comes off - destined to be lost.<br />- Anchor compartment open to inside of cabin at top (deck). rinse off anchor and rope and you put water in cabin! (ridiculous design)<br />- Matched to a 150 Force motor - that was not adequate power, regardless of questionable durability. <br /><br />- On the positive side, I will say that the hardware, fit and finish, etc. was BETTER than many boats I compared mine too, including key west, seapro, and some other similar cheapo boats.
 

CROOSET

Cadet
Joined
Mar 13, 2002
Messages
15
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Hi all ..as everyone knows you pay for what you get, I own a Robalo 2160 in UK and wouldn't be afraid of putting that through a a bit of chop and swell(and have)..but I test drove a couple of 2502's last year. They gave me a distinct feeling of insecurity (centre of balance I presume). However a look at some of the 2000 2002 models had my head turning everytime at the features and overall (percieved) finish .. Once again I am looking at a Trophy 2460, cheap and has everything I want for annual two weeks use in Florida .. I think Trophy need to do some PR <br />and quick, everywhere I go there is a negative response and with out a doubt not always justified ....personally I am waiting for that Lottery Win release ! :p
 

CROOSET

Cadet
Joined
Mar 13, 2002
Messages
15
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Hi all ..as everyone knows you pay for what you get, I own a Robalo 2160 in UK and wouldn't be afraid of putting that through a a bit of chop and swell(and have)..but I test drove a couple of 2502's last year. They gave me a distinct feeling of insecurity (centre of balance I presume). However a look at some of the 2000 2002 models had my head turning everytime at the features and overall (percieved) finish .. Once again I am looking at a Trophy 2460, cheap and has everything I want for annual two weeks use in Florida .. I think Trophy need to do some PR <br />and quick, everywhere I go there is a negative response and with out a doubt not always justified ....personally I am waiting for that Lottery Win release ! :p
 

CROOSET

Cadet
Joined
Mar 13, 2002
Messages
15
Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?

Hi all ..as everyone knows you pay for what you get, I own a Robalo 2160 in UK and wouldn't be afraid of putting that through a a bit of chop and swell(and have)..but I test drove a couple of 2502's last year. They gave me a distinct feeling of insecurity (centre of balance I presume). However a look at some of the 2000 2002 models had my head turning everytime at the features and overall (percieved) finish .. Once again I am looking at a Trophy 2460, cheap and has everything I want for annual two weeks use in Florida .. I think Trophy need to do some PR <br />and quick, everywhere I go there is a negative response and with out a doubt not always justified ....personally I am waiting for that Lottery Win release ! :p
 
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