Need guidance buying 1st boat

JoeGriff

Cadet
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Messages
6
Can anyone give me some guidance, I am looking to buy my first boat and I have about 3k to spend. Here is what I am wondering ... What makes to stay away from, in board or out board. I am looking at Searays, Bayliner, Citation. Looking to avoid any rookie mistakes. Thanks in advance !
 

TexMonty

Seaman
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
65
Welcome - well I will get er started, but this comes up a lot. There are so many things. What do you want boat for? What do you have to tow it? I have had lower end boats and upper end boats - it's all about how well they been kept and maintained. For $3K whatever you get have some reserve funds for repairs/accessories - after all it's a boat!
 

JoeGriff

Cadet
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Messages
6
I am looking to trailer it with my Tahoe, plan on using it for cruising and maybe a waterskier or tuber once in a while. I had a mechanic tell me to stay away from Bayliners and go with an inboard. I read the checklist posted here - awesome info! Thanks.
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
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Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,620
Welcome to iBoats. . .

Given your budget of $3K, it puts you in prime time for a boat with issues; either mechanical, structural or both. Brands won't really matter, as the probable age/upkeep of the boat will trump any brand reputation.

but maybe tell us a bit more on your intended use . . you mentioned water skiing. Also the number of folks in the boat will be important. Sterndrive (inboard/outboard) or Outboard preferences, etc.
 

JoeGriff

Cadet
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Messages
6
I see use towing my college aged kids once or twice a year either on skis or a tube, most likely 2 or 3 in the boat. I am looking at a 17ft Bayliner 1988 Capri but it only has an 85 horse outboard, there is also a 1989 Searay bowrider with a 115 hp Mercruiser, the owner said it would pull a skier with a 4 blade prop. The Bayliner was a one owner trade in to a dealer here in Pittsburgh, on the surface it looks very nice. but again, I don't know if 85 hp is sufficient. I am really in the dark.
 

thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
I bought my last boat (in the signature) for $2300. It served me well for 7 years with only normal maintenance needed. I sold it for $100 more than I paid. They are out there.
 

thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
the Sunrunner?
Yes. For water sports I prefer the inboard/outboard. With an outboard you have to get a bridle or some kind of stand that gets over the engine to hook the rope to. The 85 horse would probably work but maybe not get skiers up the fastest. If that is a 1989 sea ray with mercruiser it is most likely a 130hp unless someone changed the motor. They haven't made the 115hp mercruiser in a very long time.
 

southkogs

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Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,784
Condition over brand ... if ya' find a clean well kept and runnin' Bayliner vs. a Riva that's been neglected in a driveway uncovered for 5 years, go with the Bay. You're gonna' have to be patient to meet your price point, but you can do it. Like Thumpar, I bought my boat well below $3k.

The Bayliner you mention with the 85HP, I'd bet has an 85HP Force outboard. For a newbie, I may steer clear of that. They aren't necessarily bad outboards, but they've been outta' business for a while and you probably need to know what you're doing with 'em. The 85 would pull a skier, but it would work at it with the load you'd have on board.

Got a link to the Sea Ray?

Welcome aboard.
 

airshot

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
4,216
You may want to consider an aluminum hull boat, no hidden rot to deal with, less weight so less hp is needed, rivets are easy to repair..easier than glass. With alum boat you could go bigger and get same performance with a little smaller motor or even with a bigger motor you would save expensive fuel. I have owned boats for 55 years, one time I owned a glass boat for 10 years and that was the most work I ever put into a boat and I bought it new. Other than that one glass boat all the rest including my current 22' have been aluminum hulls with no regrets.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
With an outboard powered boat you would be wise to avoid obsolete engines such as Force which are no longer made. Not necessarily a bad engine but why buy something that parts may be getting hard to find. For I/O boats avoid anything with an OMC sterndrive. OMC went out of business years ago. Parts are getting very scarce and increasingly expensive. The advantage of an outboard powered boat is that if you love the boat but the engine goes sour, you can scrap the engine and replace it with virtually any outboard. If you love the engine but hate the boat, remove the engine, sell the boat and buy a different boat sans engine. With an I/o you are stuck. It is not a simple matter to swap from one engine type to another. You are simply stuck with what you have.
 

jbcurt00

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Staff member
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Oct 25, 2011
Messages
24,829
It's almost boating season, why no pix of the interior?

Again, it's almost boating season, if it's water ready and needs nothing, a running, water ready boat should be priced higher, IMO, esp if 75%+ of this is true:
Very clean! Outdrive rebuilt ,all new bellows and new impellar. Engine runs strong ,tops out at 42mph with one person.. this boat needs nothing.comes with mooring covers ,bimini top and full storage cover. Trailer has new tires.

NOT to say it's worth more then $2900, but given the nature of buying/selling via Craigs, I'd hope he isn't expecting it to sell for asking, even if his ad doesn't list Or Best Offer.
 

southkogs

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Staff member
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Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,784
The Sea Ray is worth a look. Any marine techs in the area you could pay a few bucks to and have 'em look it over for ya'?
 

KD4UPL

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
653
In my opinion your biggest mistake will be buying a boat in the $3,000 price class. Most any boat in this price range will be old and in need of lots of repair, upgrades, maintenance, etc.
Of any boat I would stay away from the 1988 Bayliner. '80s Bayliners are notorious for low quality. I ran an '89 for a couple years that needed numerous repairs to keep it going. The interior was shot and the exterior wasn't good.
I suspect most boats you'll look at won't really be inboards (propeller coming out of the bottom) but will be sterndrive or I/O boats. These look nicer in my opinion than outboard boats but they are much harder to repair and maintain due to the limited access to the engine. Believe me, with a $3,000 boat you will be getting really familiar with the engine.
Overall, a boat in good condition is more important than a brand name. They all use the same engines and drives anyway.
 

64osby

Admiral
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
6,799
My 21' Starcraft cost less than $3k. Took it up north 2 days after it was purchased for a week long vacation. Have used it for 4 years with no issues. Some minor comfort improvements have been made.

It did take 4 months of hard looking to find the right boat. Even with the hard work I consider myself lucky to have found a splash ready boat for what I paid.
 
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