I have been wanting a boat for many, many years, specifically a cuddy as I am not a huge fan of bow riders. That being said I may have the opportunity to acquire an older Bayliner Capri for next to nothing. Near as I can tell from the engine and sterndrive it is either a 1985 or a 1986. It has a Volvo 2.3L AQ125 and I want to say the plate on the actual out drive says 270 but I can't remember so that may not be correct (forgot to write it down). At any rate the hull itself seems to be in fairly sound condition with no glaring issues with the gelcoat. I poked around in the engine bay, and the engine itself looks fairly clean and in good condition for its age. I did not see any oil or any staining that would indicate any exhaust leaks or water leaks. Other than the entire boat being filthy nothing obvious jumped out at me, granted I am a complete noob when it comes to boat inspection, but I do have a little knowledge as to what to look for as far as damage.
On the upside? The boat has been garaged for at least the last 15 or so years, the registration sticker is from 93 and I know it has not been out since then. Inspection of the interior, well the portions I could get to, revealed the only real problem areas seem to be the floor, sole?, and the seats and bolsters/pads etc, the vinyl everywhere is shot, very dry, brittle and cracked. The floor/sole is pretty soft in spots, even though it has been garaged it has been uncovered so every thing is in dire need of a good thorough cleaning as it is beyond filthy. I have not yet been able to look in the cabin but my guess it it too is in dire need of either gut and rebuild or at the least a serious face lift.
I know that boats are a big hole in the water you pour wheelbarrows of cash into but I don't care.
My thinking is thus, since I may be able to get it for next to nothing and I am well aware I will be chucking large amounts of cash at it to fix what is broken, in need of repair, or recovering, or rebuilding if need be. Motor problems don't really scare me all that much since I have learned it is in essence a standard B2300 car engine parts are plentiful and is an engine am very familiar with having driven Volvos for many years.
So I ask this question,
Is a boat of that vintage worth fixing up? I have read several posts about these older Bayliners and it seems to me from my reading that the mid 80's before they were bought out, Bayliner was making really decent strong seaworthy hulls.
So besides cosmetic things and the stuff I already mentioned what should I be looking for that may be a non-fixable issue.
Thanks for your time and sorry for the novel of a post.
I quit reading after the years of storage statement, seriously do yourself a favor and keep looking, this thing was a low end boat to begin with, it will nickel and dime you to death. Don't walk away, run away.
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1st you need to decide what you want to use it for, fishing, cruising, or water sports.
2nd how many people adults, children you want on board of the average outing.
3rd outboard, inboard-outboard, or inboard power plant.
4th Budget, what you want to pay, and what you are willing to pay, when you find
Exactly what you want.
You can hire a marine surveyor, to inspect the boat, or you can do it yourself.
You are mainly looking for soft spots in the deck, transom, cracks, all signs of a rotten, under frame. You walk all over the deck, that a mallot, or hammer with wooden handle, using handle, tap all over the transom, a shape rap is good solid base, a thud, is questionable base.
The motor should be clean, no spots where the paint is discolored, or pealing from heat, having run hot. (This part for outboard motors Compression should be atleast 100psi, and within 10% of each other,)
Spark on all cylinders, good pee stream, check lower unit for water in oil.
The overall condition of the boat will tell you a lot, as to how it has been maintained.
boat motor combo, A 30 year old may be in better condition, than a 3 year old.
we all need to support iboats marine store when ever possible. you get, competitive prices. fast shipping, top notch customer service. also it provides us, this great FREE forum.
From the original post, it sounds like the gelcoat is good, and everything else is in need or repair/replacement.
Soft floors and seatbases = rotten stringers(this is the frame for a boat) and lots of work and money on a boat that still won't be worth much in good condition.
If you really want a project look for something that will at least have some value after the repairs.
Or take all that money you plan to spend on repairs and get one that is in decent shape now.
If you want a nice cuddy cabin, look for a Bayliner 222. They are classified as cruisers but I think of it as a cuddy you can stand up in with full dinette and head. A very cool little cruiser/cuddy. They are around, just start looking.
Bayliner wouldn't be my first choice for a project like this.
However, it seems like you know what is ahead of you. Only you can decide if a boat of this caliber is worth all of the blood, sweat and tears that you will put into it. Not to mention the thousands of dollars.
Depending on the pace at which you work I would guess you have at least 6 months worth of work before you have a useable boat.
Projects like this can be rewarding...however, if you bite off more than you can chew you will be out a lot of time and even more money. You will never sell a partially finished project boat for what you have into it. For that matter, you will never sell a completed project boat for what you have into it.
That being said I may have the opportunity to acquire an older Bayliner Capri for next to nothing.
It will only cost you about $500 to have that boat taken to the dump. That's pretty cheap, then you can go buy the boat you really want - less the money you wasted on this one.
It's worth nothing. It will be several hundred hours work and maybe $3k+ to get it useable again.
Don't ask how some of us know what a problem you'd be in for with that boat - just slowly turn and walk away ........
I have had pretty much the same boat/motor combo for a couple of years,
assuming you're looking at a 19 footer. Mine is in very good condition, all
around.
So, the pros are mainly its cruising/cuddy features with superb gas mileage.
It has a smooth ride and is a fine pleasure boat.
Cons - while the vp4 is an outstanding engine capable of pulling skiers and
boarders, it does not have the "hole shot" power that many want nowadays.
It will get anybody up, but not quite as fast as a bigger motor will.
The boat is actually designed to take off in 2 stages to planing, instead of
"right now".
If cool cruising is your main activity for usage, and you have a thing for vp
engines, this may be a worthwhile project for you.
If cool cruising is your main activity for usage, and you have a thing for vp
engines, this may be a worthwhile project for you.
Yes that is exactly whatI am looking for in a boat. I may have breached proper forum protocol but I also posted my original post in the bayliner forum:
Potential new boat owner..
1985 Bayliner 1600 Capri Cuddy, 1965 MFG Niagara Custom. 
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