Pick a boat right for me please!

[Mhorn0817]

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[sailsmanship]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Pretty hard to make a reccomendation of style of boat not knowing you. What you are describing is an Express Cruiser, but what you like of your friends' is a Flybridge.Generally, newer Flybridges start at about 32' and will run more than 30K. Also, speaking generally, you will find a decent 8-10 year old Express Cruiser in the 26-27' range for that price depending on brand. I have had both. I currently have a Flybridge and love it. But I spend alot of time on the weekends on it, enjoy the bigger space, am older now (46) and don't care if I get there fast anymore. There are a lot of good brands out there, but my preference for a good boat with alot of standard features, decent price, and decent resale, is a Rinker. But there are alot of ones like it, and you could argue for days brand against brand. More important though I feel is the condition of the boat. I wouldn't limit your oldest year to 1997. I'll take a well taken care of older boat over a rough newer boat any day . I once looked at a three year old boat with 70hrs. on it that was in the condition of a boat you would expect to be about 10 years old. What a shame. But the most important thing to do on any boat you find that want to buy is HAVE IT SURVEYED !!
And if it's from a dealer don't use one they use, find one yourself. Some people don't believe that it necessary on a smaller boat, but it could be the best money spent. One last thing, If you can find a boat that has been used in freshwater as opposed to saltwater, you would generally be better off. It might be worth the drive....

 

[Mhorn0817]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

thanks for the response, yes i like flybridges,like being up higher and can see everything. i want something that i can spend the weekend on weather im sitting at the docks or acually going somewhere...i would like it to have some speed, but im more concerned about gas mileage then speed. ive been looking at rinkers,bayliners,sea rays,maxums....just not sure about quality and whatnt about the boats...i dont want to buy a known headache. im basically looking for a used boat because i want to stay under $30K...but someof the boats ivebeen looking at online just dont seem big enough...maybe its the pictures...any other ideas or comments?

 

[tommays]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

What is your idea of gas mileage ?

your getting down in the 2 MPG at best with that type of boat

Thee not easy or cheap to maintain saltwater is hard on outdrives

The motors tend to be cramed into many boats in this size to make the most cabin space so look at and see if can be serviced

many can even have a started motor changed

Tommays

 

[sailsmanship]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Flybridge is definitley going to give you the most space, but for under 30K you are looking at mid to early eighties models at best. Not a problem, but it is alot older than you are looking for. You are also looking at twin motors to push it. Go with straight inboards (most will be). The less hanging in the saltwater the better. The one major drawback to a Flybridge boat is that it is a b*#%h to manuver on a windy day.

 

[Mhorn0817]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

well it doesnt HAVE to be a flybridge, but i liked the feature...i like the bayliner cierra's too ... can i get decnt gas mileage with a cuddy cabin boat... what year range should i look for...only reason i went 10 years back is because im kinda weary with older boats, kinda like a car....problems,maintence,etc....anything else?

 

[sailsmanship]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Please don't be offended, but if you are really worried about gas mileage, maybe you shouldn't be buying a boat.Even though it is a concern, fuel is just a small part of the whole boat owning expediture. You will spend a whole lot more on: dockage,maintenance,storage,insurance,repairs,dues. etc.. Don't rely on my single voice as I have preferences. Talk to as many boat people as you can, but I do not like Bayliners at all. There is nothing wrong with their construction now. (there used to be). Problem is that their reputation of long ago has followed in their resale price of today. People do not forget easily. If you look around at a marina and see who owns them, it is usually a newbie. What attracts them is that they offer alot of options for a very attractive price. Problem is that the quality in the materials is not that of others, and veteran owners knows that and tend to stay away from them.. It is true that Brunswick owns Searay and Bayliner, but Toyota also owns Lexus and you ca't compare fit, finish and price between the cars. There is nothing wrong with either, but you get what you pay for. But with that said, playing devils' advocate: If you pay 100K for a new Searay and sell it 3 years later for 75K where you could buy the same size Bayliner new for 70K and sell it 3 years later for 48K. who is the fool? When it really comes down to it, the cost of ownership over the 3 years, the Bayliner is the better choice. Yeh, the resale is higher on the Searay, but compared to what?
Sorry to confuse you, but that is the nature of the beast. There is a lot of choices out there, and a lot of good boats out there. ( and a lot of bad too). You just have to take your time and look closely. I personally would stay away from Bayliners because of the long ago stigma..

 

[TikiTime]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

fuel is just a small part of the whole boat owning expediture. You will spend a whole lot more on: dockage,maintenance,storage,insurance,repairs,dues. etc..

Ain't that the truth! My fuel bills are nothing compared to the others you've mentioned. Mhorn, I see you're located in MD. If you're going to be boating on the Chesapeake you can get to a lot of places without burning too much fuel.

I would think you could find a express cruiser in the 28-32 foot range at $30K. And the 31 Mainship is worth looking into as well. It gives you space, amenities and economy. The trade off is a possibly older boat and a <10 knot cruising speed. Again, maybe not a big deal on the creeks and rivers of the Chesapeake.

 

[QC]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

I'm with sailsmanship and tiki on the fuel cost and I'm with tommays on usage. With twins, prolly 1 - 1.5, Single maybe 2. There are two types of fuel use to consider. There is gallons per hour (GPH) and miles per gallon (MPG). If you don't mind going 7 MPH we can get MPG up a lot, as GPH goes waaaaaay down. If you prefer to go 30 MPH and you burn 20 GPH, now then, we're back to 1.5

If your #1 priority is fuel, spend $100K and get a single diesel trawler and you might get 8 MPG @ 8 MPH using 1 GPH . . . $70K will buy a lot of gasoline though . . .

www dot boattest dot com/boats/592/test_results dot aspx

 

[Mhorn0817]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

well im not sayin fuel is a main issue because i know boats get crappy mpg gph, just like to get a boat that gets decent mpg gph for what it is....im thinking hthe express cruiser may be alittle much right now for me...what about a typical decent cuddy cabin?

 

[Mhorn0817]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

this is something that i like....just dont know anything about it,no nothing about the make,model or anything

http://www.boats.com/listing/boat_d...s=20&psdistance=100&so=2&pszipcode=21060&toPr

 

[sailsmanship]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Actually, that boat is what I would consider to be an Express Cruiser. That style is what I would probably reccomend for you. A Cuddy Cabin boat really has a smaller area underneath than that boat. They are really designed for getting out of the weather, not for overnight accomodations. Here is an article you might want to read on selecting a boat that fits your needs.

http://www.boats.com/news-reviews/articledetail.html?lid=10880

It has five parts to it you might have to click on different links.

That brand of boat in the ad is a good quality boat.

 

[sailsmanship]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Also you might want to look into this....

http://www.powerboatguide.com/index.html

It is pricey, but it will give you all the info in pictures and specs, on all brands of boats. It will also give you average prices for them. I have one, but it is from the year 2005.It has most boats 1980 - 2005. Prices are a little outdated, but it has 2000 pages of boats 27' and up. If you promise to send it back I would be happy to let you use it. If you want under 27' you would have to buy the Trailerable Boat Version.

 

[Mhorn0817]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

oh ok, i really appreachiate all the help and tips...just getting into the whole boating world and can use all the help i can get....now the boat in the d is a 88 for 10k ... do u think its a decent price and would anybody else be hesitant about buyin a older big boat like that?

 

[tommays]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Well liveing on Long Island we got a lot of boats

The problem is we got a LOT OF USED-Up boats around 15 years old and they all start to tank in value and at 20 they all get hard to sell

You get a nice Searay Hull with a 20 year old twin driveline NOBODY wants to spend the 35 to 40000 dollars to repower it becasue its only worth 10000 to 15000 dollars

Right now all the dealers have garage sales just to try and get rid of the old stuff because Joe Boat does not want to sink money into them


Tommays

 

[QC]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Mhorn,

Another fuel note. Whether it's a cuddy, an express or a bowrider, it doesn't matter what configuration, a planing hull above 25 ft. will never see 3 MPG unless you go diesel. If you stay at displcement speeds, around 6 - 7 MPH, you can improve on that. If you run at full speed it will come down to 1.5. It's just the way it is . . .

 

[sailsmanship]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

Here is my thought on buying older boats. I have no hesitation in considering an older boat, but I use this as a guide: If I am new at boat buying and am not experienced at working on them, I would never consider any older boat that is not in extremely good cosmetic condition. My reasoning is that even though a good cosmetic boat never is an accurate indicator of the mechanical and strucural condition, people who do not take care of the easy stuff, 98 percent of the time do not take care of the important stuff. People who own a boat that is very clean and in good shape tend to do all the right stuff in preventative maintenace and spending money when it should be, not just when it breaks.

Personally, I would never consider the boat in that ad. Look at all the chalking on the gelcoat, and look in the engine compartment. There is a glut of other boats out there in much better shape, you can afford to be picky.
The price is too high too. Look at the following link as a rough guide to value.

http://www.nadaguides.com/home.aspx

It lists an average value in good condition for that boat at about 8500.00.

Again, most important in any boat you consider is "Have It Surveyed" I can't stress it enough. Even on a cheap boat. Unless you can afford to throw it away when they find something major wrong that would cost more than it's worth to fix.

 

[Mhorn0817]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

ohhh ok i understand, that does make sense, most of the time if the outside and inside look pretty good for its age, usually the rest of the boat should be in decent shape...now what about motor hours...whats high,whats low,whats avg?

 

[sailsmanship]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

That's a hard one because alot has to do with how well it has been maintained. A well maintained engine should last about 2000 hrs. before rebuild, but a poorly maintained on will maybe last only half that. What kind of water it has been run in can have a big effect too on things like the exhaust manifolds. I run in freshwater and can get at least six years on a set. If I was in saltwater, I might be lucky to get three. If I were to tell you what I would look for as a guage, I would look for around 500 and under. That doesn't guarantee anything, but I think your odds are better. You can have someone do a compression check on one you might want and that will give you a better insight.

 

[Mhorn0817]

Re: Pick a boat right for me please!

oh ok, i really appreachiate all the help and information ... anybody here in MD?