boat recommendations please

panteramatt

Recruit
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
4
Im in the market for a boat. Looking for a bowrider 18-22ft in the mid 90's up.with about a $5000 budget. Could you guys recommend some god makes to look at and what to steer clear of? Im finding a lot of sea rays for decent deals and I really like the looks of those boats.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,469
Could you guys recommend some god makes to look at and what to steer clear of?

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... In the range yer lookin' in, it's more 'bout Condition, then Brand Names,.....

Check for rotten structural wood, 'n decks,.... rotten transoms,....

Hit yer local craigslist, 'n bring a digital camera when ya go look at a barge,....
the camera will put yer eyes, where yer head won't fit,..... ;)
 

joe009

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
100
two things you should look for ,a splash well in the back,is needed for a following sea.and high sides keep people in side the boat
 

JoshOnt

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
487
As Bondo mentioned for that age it is about condition more than anything. So don't rule out late 80's if they are in good condition. Camera will help you a lot. Find a soft spot on the deck you should run from that boat. Look at how the boat is stored when you go to look as that will give you an idea of how the PO kept it. Look over the hull for any possible repair jobs. Make sure you test drive it and if you are not good with motors bring someone along to have a look. Chances are you are looking at I/O motors which are very similar to car motors so even someone who knows cars should be able to help you out. Also if there is places you can look inside of do. Take pictures of as much as you can and when you have narrowed it down to 1 or 2 boats post the images here and someone will be able to look for possible issues.
 

ERock82

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
230
The other responders are right. It's more about condition than brand. If you are using Craig's List, here are a couple things to pay attention to when inspecting the boat. This would've saved me a great deal of trouble.

1.) Does the carpet (if applicable) look original? Look at how good the seams and edges line up. Carpet is usually replaced if the deck is redone or if the seller is hiding something. If you can, lift up the seats and inspect the bases (if they are box style ones). If the seat bottoms or bases have any rot, steer clear. That means the deck prob does too. There's hardly ever just "1" soft spot so stay clear again if you see one or the seller brings it up.

2.) Are the seats all ripped up? You may be okay with replacing them but it might mean that the boat sat uncovered for a long time or was not taken care of.

3.) Does the trailer seem to go with that exact boat? If it was a boat that was junked and fixed up, the seller may have had to find a trailer for it. Not sure why a good boat from the 90's would have a different trailer than the original.

Often times the hull itself will be in great shape while the inside is full of rot if it's a fiberglass boat.

4.) How is the wiring? A good boat should not have the wiring all jerry rigged together. There should be clean connections for the most part.

I had all of this happen to me bc I knew nothing about boats but had $2500 to spend. It looked good from a distance and ran great at first. A new deck, carpet, seat bases, trailer axl straightening and rewiring, new lights and now soon to be motor later I'm still hitting my head. Hopefully by the end of the year I will have a good boat.
 

southkogs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,785
Welcome aboard:

Sea Ray isn't a bad brand ... call it a mid-level brand, maybe? I've seen quite a few that I like. But as everyone has been saying it's all about condition. As you climb more toward the 22' range, pay attention to power. An 18' with a 4cyl will do okay, but a 22' without some muscle may feel kinda' sluggish for ya' depending on what you want to do with it.

Some real good stuff HERE for ya' to look through.
 
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