Wanting a new boat

[nut1605]

My wife and I are currently thinking about getting a boat in the near future. I grew up using a boat that my parents had, but got away from boating when I moved away for college so I have lost touch with the boating industry. The type we are looking for is a sport boat/sport cruiser

What are good brands of boats these days? I love the way Baja's look, however not sure if they are worth the money or if you just pay for the name. I also like the way Chaparral and Sea Ray's look and some Crownlines. However, I don't just want to get a boat based on looks if the quality isn't there so I thought I would ask the experts.

Some criteria we have for the new boat are:

* Would like it to be around 24 ft.
* Open bow
* Large swim deck on the stern
* Speakers/radio
* It will be used to tow skiers/tubers/wakeboarders however this will not be it's main use so a tower is not necessary.
* Inboard/outboard or true inboard.
* Possibly a single large bench seat that goes across the stern.
* Seat 6 - 8 comfortably.
* Obviously have the power to do whatever we want


I'm sure there are other things we haven't thought about yet, but here's a good start.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Wingnutt]

Re: Wanting a new boat

If you have been out of touch with the industry for a few years you had better prepare for a good case of sticker shock if you are looking at new boats. Large boats still ain't moving much, BUT sales of 16-24'ers are picking up so that means that they are bringing top dollar.

Now to answer your question, IMHO, Chaparral and Sea Ray's still rate pretty high on the quality scale. Bayliner has really stepped up their game in the last few years and their pricing reflects this. HOWEVER, a BL is still a "value" boat company, and although well built, still lack some features that other brands have. Again, IMHO Regal makes a darn good product, they are towards the upper end price wise, but you get what you pay for.

An open bow is a very versatile boat, but you really have to watch the weather if you venture out onto the bays and ocean. Power wise, I don't think you can go wrong with a 7.4L (454) or 8.1L (501?) combined with either a Duo Prop or Bravo III stern drive. A 24' boat loaded with a few adults, kids, toys and a few coolers can get heavy in a hurry...believe me there is no such thing as to much power (within reason) in a boat.

Good luck, and enjoy your search!

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Wanting a new boat

Sounds like you're looking for a deck boat.

 

[Subliminal]

Re: Wanting a new boat

Sounds like any boat USA!

Just go look until you find the fit and price you want. Maybe check out a few deck boats...they've swim platforms in the front AND the back.

I'm partial to Monterey, so I'd throw that into your list, too. ;-)

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Wanting a new boat

Regarding a million posters on here that say Bayliner is a value boat, don't let that lead you away from them.

If you're at all handy, you can score some major savings by doing the upgrades youself. Case in point (these are estimates):

Factory Installed You Install
Trim Tabs $1000 $350
Sound System $1500 $600
LED lighting $2000 $500+
Swim Platform $1500 $400
Bimini Top $600 $250

You get the idea...

**sorry about the messed up text. It looked better before uploading**

 

[lumberjack0070]

Re: Wanting a new boat

My wife and I are currently thinking about getting a boat in the near future. I grew up using a boat that my parents had, but got away from boating when I moved away for college so I have lost touch with the boating industry. The type we are looking for is a sport boat/sport cruiser

What are good brands of boats these days? I love the way Baja's look, however not sure if they are worth the money or if you just pay for the name. I also like the way Chaparral and Sea Ray's look and some Crownlines. However, I don't just want to get a boat based on looks if the quality isn't there so I thought I would ask the experts.

Some criteria we have for the new boat are:

* Would like it to be around 24 ft.
* Open bow
* Large swim deck on the stern
* Speakers/radio
* It will be used to tow skiers/tubers/wakeboarders however this will not be it's main use so a tower is not necessary.
* Inboard/outboard or true inboard.
* Possibly a single large bench seat that goes across the stern.
* Seat 6 - 8 comfortably.
* Obviously have the power to do whatever we want


I'm sure there are other things we haven't thought about yet, but here's a good start.

Thanks in advance for the help.

I love my 2002 chaparral sunesta 242 deck boat so much that iam buying a 2008 sunesta 264. It has everything you are looking for and is in mint condition with only 112 hrs. I will be selling it soon when i get my new one.
Just had a 1200 dollar stereo system intalled. has tandem alum trailer with 4 brand new tires. you can email me at kashy@dougashy.com if interested. I live in louisiana.

 

[nut1605]

Re: Wanting a new boat

You aren't kidding about the sticker shock. My wife and I sat down and went through quite a few boat websites last night and kept getting drawn to Chaparral. We really like the Sunesta 244 in yellow. How is that boat on quality, power, comfort, etc? We love the looks of the boat but don't want to get something that lacks in certain areas just because it looks good. Of course the $64,000 price tag is up there though. We also looked at Crownline, Four Winns, and Sea Ray, but didn't see something we liked as much as the Chaparral. I think we will look at Tige and Malibu tonight, although I think those are geared more toward wakeboarding.

 

[wingmastr23]

Re: Wanting a new boat

Sounds like you're looking for a deck boat.

Exactly what I was thinking.....A deck boat would be PERFECT!

 

[642mx]

Re: Wanting a new boat

I love the way Baja's look, however not sure if they are worth the money or if you just pay for the name.

Actually, Baja's are on the cheaper side of performance boats. If you look at the comparable boats, Checkmate, Nordic, Sonic's, etc... they all have similar power, controls, tabs, etc... But the Baja's will always have a lower price tag.

After owning 2 Baja's... the only other boat I would consider is a Nordic (based on purely looks).

If your looking for a bow rider that can hold a lot of people, check out the 242 Islanders. You can pick up one with low hours in the $30-40K range.... most have a 375 horse 496 that will put you in the low 60's even loaded.

And your right.... nothing looks like a Baja!

 

[Philster]

Re: Wanting a new boat

Checkmate. Skip many frills, make a fantastic hull and hold value. Offer wide array of hull types. Heck, best offerings of O/B options! I know you said, I/O, but read my signature. Just throwing one out there.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Wanting a new boat

Any 24' runabout should be able to hold 6-8 comfortably without stepping all over each other too much. Deck boat or true-V is of little consequence unless you are just looking for the more open layout. I/O will most likely be the powerplant. If I were you, I would find a 2-3 year old used boat instead of buying new. You can get a nicer boat for less money and save on the rediculous depreciation of a new boat.

 

[ripler]

Re: Wanting a new boat

I just bought a 21' Yamaha SX210 and love it, the room is amazing I have had 8 people on it with out crowding, there is tons of storage, the swim deck is what sold the boat for me, I never considered a Yamaha when I was looking for a new boat, but after seeing it I knew it was the boat for me. You might want to check out their AR240 high output, MSRP is under 44K and they are offering 2.9% financing for the life of the loan

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/boat/products/modelhome/631/0/home.aspx

 

[dsiekman]

Re: Wanting a new boat

I would agree with the concept of looking at a boat that is a couple years old. That way someone else can take the major depreciation hit!

The Yamaha might not be a bad idea. I believe that is a twin engine boat, which will help with close quarters navigating and docking. Docking a mid 20 foot boat with a I/O single can be a bear if you've got a tight slip...and haven't driven a boat for awhile.

You might also look at an 05 (I think) Cobalt 24SX. They only made that model for a year or two because of poor sales. I tested one in 06 and it was awesome. Most came with the 320hp volvo 5.7. Plenty of speed, good sized head compartment for a deck boat, etc. You should be able to find one for less than the new chap you were looking at.