My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

I am new to boating. My uncle has a Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986 that he wants to sell me since he got a newer Bayliner. I realize it is not a new boat and must have upkeep and such. I am willing to get my hands dirty to do some repairs and such. He replaced the floorboards... the back has a bit of water dam on one of the side compartment floor sections adjacent to the engine. There are 3 screw holes in the hull that hull and also a small scrape from the front bolt on the trailer which was too high - he said he fixed the inside when he put new floorboards but has not fixed the outside because it is inaccessible when the boat is on the trailer. He said it works great.

He wants to sell it to me for $500 - here are some pics of it:


What considerations should I think of before deciding whether to get it or not?

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Welcome to iboats!! That a nice looking boat there, and if its in running order $500 is a steal! Id be worried about the damage in the back that you mentioned, the transom wood might be rotten.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Here are a couple more pics of the vessel:

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Value in a boat that age is all about condition. The cosmetics are pretty rough from the pictures, so its up to you to judge the mechanicals. Do you trust your uncle? Does he take care of his toys? (the pictures cast doubt). I would say if really "works great", $500 is a fair price.

Do some checking around the restoration forum about stringer and transom replacement. If the floor was replaced and there is current water damage this might be in the next owners future.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Welcome to iboats!

That boat is in rough shape if the upholstery is any indication. Replacing the sole (a.k.a. "deck" or "floor") is all well and good, but if the stringers are bad as is often the case, there's a lot more work to be done.

That also looks to be an '87. Are you sure of the year? Check the last two digits of the HIN.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Looks like my '86 except mines an outboard. The windows alone will probably get you $500

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Thanks everyone for the welcome and helpful posts.

My uncle is an honest guy but he is a mechanic and his place looks like a junkyard... I would assume the engine is really well taken care of. Cosmetically it is very dirty and dusty and has some some sun damage... evident on the plastic parts and also on the driver console (can that be stabilized or fixed... painted or anything?) He bought it in 2005 and had it reupholstered.

He said it does take on a bit of water but thinks that it is from a couple of small holes that need to be patched from the outside which he showed me... 1 is a set of 3 screw holes and one is a hole from a bolt in the trailer (i put a pic of it earlier).

This has a huge engine and if I have to replace the transom myself it would be a pain to lift the engine since I don't have a tack and... engine lifter thingy. He said it runs well but i have 2 small kids and need to make sure it is safe....

Is there a way to test the stringers and transom so that I can be sure whether I will need to replace these? I surely do not want to be fishing in the middle of a lake and have the back of the boat fall off!

What can I test for to determine the level of work I need to be willing to commit to this project?

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

$500 is not a bad price for the boat, and it is worth more than that in parts. The question is is money pit worth your time and effort. As for Instrument panel, that style of gauge is dificult ti find. You are Looking at a minimum of $2000 if you want to restore the interior like new condition. After your project is complete How much will the boat be worth. If you are looking for a couple of years of trying boating for An attractive price this may work out. If you plan to gut and restore, I would look for somthing newer. Remember OMC cobra parts are hard to find.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Hey breoghan, welcome to iBoats.

Were you looking for a boat (had a budget & knew what you were looking for), or did your uncle suggest selling you the boat and you thought, "hey! Cool idea?"

Here's why I ask: If it's the first (you had a budget and knew kinda' what you were looking for), this boat isn't as much of a deal. $3k - $5k would likely put you on the water in a nicer boat in better condition with a better drive system. If it's the second (it just kinda' popped up), then $500 might be a cheap education in boat owning and get you on the water to try it out for a season or two. You could learn maintenance, operation and safety on this boat ... save your pocket change, and get something nicer in a couple of years.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

well.....500 for a running b-liner on a trailer is a steal.

my suggestion is to buy it....put some lip stick on it.....run it for two seasons and part that puppy out.....

then buy a working boat with a merc or volvo pkg.

that boat will cost 3k to get pristene if if you want to diy.

3 k is exactally how much that boat will sell for in your area if it was mint. so you are throwing away the 2 month labour needed to make the full gut repair that it needs

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

walk away,,,that would be good money spent after bad

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Not sure how it is possible that the upholstery was replaced. Looks terrible.

As is mentioned on this site over and over look around at the boats surroundings as an indicator as to how well the boat was maintained which also on this site is the number one concern. The surroundings of this boat look terrible and the debris in boat are an indicator of a poorly maintained boat.

That is a very small engine in the boat world and is very easy to take out. This is the least of your problems.

Take an ice pick and poke at the transom from the inside under the drive mount. It should be very solid. These boats are famous for transom rot and the rotted transom will flex while under way and let water in.

The three screw holes are prolly from a transducer mount that was removed.

I know how strong the drive is to own this boat and get it on the water but with little kids it needs to be safe. A rotten floor and bad seats and an ugly dash are all "who cares/in the eyes of the beholder" while you are on the water having fun. But a leaking transom and an incorrectly maintained drive are HUGE safety issues that need to be considered before a kid steps on that boat.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Sorry, but that boat is a wreck from the interior photos and your mention of holes in the hull however small they may be. I think that the engine/outdrive may be the only thing of any value on that boat, and it's really just the outdrive. I would give him $250 for it if it was running properly. Once you clean it up, I'd sell it for double that or more and put the money towards something better. The floor/carpet looks shot to hell, as does every bit of upholstery. You cold probably get some good plastic paint and revitalize the dash parts.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

I'd run. The transom is rotting, and the boat is sinking.....

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

For free maybe. I wouldn't pay for it. OMC is obsolete and there's surely some rot going on in that hull and that's expensive and time consuming to repair if you want a safe boat.

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Hey thanks everyone... I'll pass on this one! The last thing I need is a rusty, unsafe money pit crowding my driveway. That said, I think it would be AWESOME to have a nice little boat now.

What is a good starter boat?

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Oh man. I think your uncle is really mad at you or something. Did you mess up his house when he had you over for the holidays or something? You shoot his cat with a bb gun?

Yah, I have to agree with EZ, free is the only way I'd take that boat. Then I'd accidentally "lose" it somewhere and sell the trailer for new boat seed money.

Welcome to iboats!

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

breoghan said:

What is a good starter boat?

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May I suggest an aluminum Starcraft

Or, aluminum anything really

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

Bubba1235 said:

Just one guys take, do NOT do business with a relative!

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I forgot to mention that as well ^^^^. Totally agree with Bubba! I have seen money do very "interesting" things to family members. Bad things.

Now, if he was "gifting" it to you that would be a little different.

Well, if you feel a rotted out glasser is a gift. Kinda like a sharp stick in the eye or a big kick right in the junk would be a "gift".


(for my glass buddies out there)

Re: My uncle wants to sell me this Bayliner Capri 3.0 1986

breoghan said:

What is a good starter boat?

Click to expand...

Obviously I'm biased. However I do truly believe that the best way to get on the water cheaply, with least chance of financial ruin, is with an aluminum hull with an outboard. Aluminum boats still often have wooden transoms and decks but they are easy to replace if rotten compared to a fiberglass boat. They have aluminum stringers, which is key.

Something like this would be ideal:



These types of boats are very common in the mid-west but may be a little tougher to find in your area. Next best would be a fiberglass boat that has a self-bailing hull such as this on http://www.allmandboats.com/html/center_console_boats/13cc_files/400a.jpg because they tend to hold up better left exposed to the elements than a "sofa boat" like that Bayliner.