Newbie buying my first boat

Hey all,
Newbie here in SE Wisconsin looking to trade my Honda VTX1800 for an 89 Wellcraft 190 Classic with the 4.3 Merc. Boats in really nice condition - one owner boat. I'm having it checked over by a local dealership.

Is this a decent boat for a runabout? Reliability and maintenance are my main concern. I don't want to have a "hole in the water". I will primarily be using it for my wife, 13 year old daughter and some tubing, skiing, just hanging out on the river and inland lakes and occasionally taking it on lake Michigan inside the breakwater.

Always been stored in a garage. Had the bellows/gimbel bearing replaced in 05. Only used a few times per year.

Any feedback, advice, etc would be appreciated. Here are a couple of pics.
Thanks,
Paul

Re: Newbie buying my first boat

Looks very nice! Should be very reliable and inexpensive to operate as long as regular maintenance and winterization is done.
The bellows will possibly need to be replaced (every 2-5yrs), the impeller for sure if it hasn't been done in the last year, probably the pump housing too if it has never been replaced. When the drive is off, lube the u-joints, check the alignment.
The gimbal should be OK as long as it was greased properly.

Anything with a hull and motor is a cash hole in the water.

B reak
O ut
A nother
T housand

Wish it weren't true but it is. You'll have the same amount of maintenance as any other single drive out there. You'll save a bunch of $ and time if you can do most of the work yourself. Lots of good how-to's here and elsewhere on the net.

Good luck with it!

Re: Newbie buying my first boat

Thanks for the info. Bilge pump and impeller were just replaced yesterday by the current owner. Mechanic is putting it in the water today to finish the inspection. I should know more later. I figure I'm either putting $1K into upgrade on my bike every summer or $1K into maintenance on the boat. So, I guess it will be a wash. I'm looking forward to getting out on the water.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Re: Newbie buying my first boat

Week one with my new boat has been a blast. Here are some additional pictures. I'm amazed at how clean it is for the age.