First post - newbie question

Hi all, new to the site - and very impressed at that!

I have a bit of a conundrum insofar that I am stumped as to what kind of boat to buy. I am from Canada and we have a lot of smaller lakes where I am from so I don't need a huge cabin cruiser or anything like that. I am thinking of a runabout or bowrider in the 18-19ft range.

There are a lot of different manufacturers of boats (Tahoe, Campion, Larson, Maxum) to name a few. So how does one physically choose the boat they want and what motor I/O or outboard etc.

I have a dollar amount in mind, but aside from taking all the "good" looking ones out for a test drive and finding out what I like best, is there any other advice?

Thanks in advance and I hope to be spending more time on this forum!

Re: First post - newbie question

The best thing you CAN and SHOULD do is take everything you are interested in for an on water test. This is especially true if buying used and absolutely essential if buying from a private party. Recognizing that is not always possible, try to find test reports on-line for that particular boat. If you are undecided on I/O vs outboard you need to get that done first. One is not necessarily better than the other but -- an I/O is much harder to work on since it is buried inside the boat. Labor for repairs will eat you alive if you have to have even routine service done by someone else. Winterizing is more complex and since you are in Canada, failure to do this correctly can cost you an engine. Outboard require very little effort and money to winterize. You work on them standing up. More room in an outboard since the engine is outside the boat rather than inside. Hate the motor but love the boat you can keep the boat, sell the motor and install whatever you like. Can't do that with an I/O. Once you have this taken care of then you can decide on make and model. The boats you mention are all good boats.