My first boat, could use some advice

Hello everyone, first off I look forward to participating on this forum frequently now that I am moving towards boat ownership. I am 28 and looking to own my first boat. I wanted a family/wakeboarding boat so I was looking at a Sanger V215 and a Sea Ray Sundeck 220. One is slightly more geared towards wakeboarding and the other slightly more towards family of course but I wanted to get your take on this. Also, I have no idea the appropriate amount of hours a boat has to be considered "low hours" so if anyone can look at the boat below and let me know what you think of that price point that would help me considerably.

I am not too familiar with the mercruiser brand of engines but I am looking for reliability and resale value of these boats. From what I have read these two brands are top notch for that.

Here is the boat I am looking at:

$26,500

2006 Sanger V215
250 hours
Mercruiser 330HP Black Scorpion 5.7L V8
Pro-Flight wakeboard tower w/ wakeboard racks
tower mounted bimini top
Perfect Pass speed control and depth finder
bow filled ballast
Kenwood CD/Stereo w/ Ipod connection
4 tower mounted speakers and sub woofer under dash w/ amplifier
teak swim platform
custom tandem axle trailer w/ swing tongue, and surge brakes
onboard hot and cold water shower, heater
LED lighting throughout inside of boat
custom fit trailerable cover
New radial tires on trailer
Never in salt water

I really appreciate everyone's input on this!

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

Here is the boat:

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

That's a cool looking boat for sure. If you're looking to be doing watersports like 80% of the time, then that boat would seem like the way to go. If cruising and lounging are going to be your main activities, I'd go for the Sundeck. I don't ski or wakeboard so I'm a bit biased as I'd have zero interest in a boat like that. If you want us to be able to comment on the pricing, update your profile with your location as boat prices vary wildly across the country (although we can assume FL based on the boat's reg).

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

If you are addicted to skiing, wakeboarding and watersports, the Sanger will be great. If you plan on cruising, occasional rough water, and 30% watersports, then look elsewhere. Ski/Wakeboard boats are made just for that, and are not as versatile as a runabout.

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

I always think that this is the first and best question to ask: How much boating experience do you have?

Based on what you wrote you seem to have already put a bit of thought into this purchase. However, that's a lot of boat so my first and primary concern is about safety both for you and more importantly, the rest of us boating near you.

The other side of the coin is that if you're not a seasoned boater, you are planning to drop a lot of coin on something that I guarantee you will break within the first year or two.

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

I think you're smart to buy your first family boat only a couple years old so it's reliable, and you are fortunate to be able to. Nothing kills family fun like constant fix-this/fix that/got to cancel the trip. I deal with old cranky boats a lot and am used to it, and have spare boats available for that reason. Not a good place for a beginner.

A 6 year old boat with 250 hours is not old and not over-used. Unlike mileage in a car, the higher the use the better, within reason. For a Florida boat, I'd say that's really low--but not in a bad way.

As others said, that is a specialty boat. But (although I have no experience) I think the deck boats are heading the other from versatility--they wouldn't be as good for a lot of wake boarding. Not as bad as pontoon, for sure, but I'd steer more toward a standard hull. You will hear of people water skiing behind 26' cruisers, but that doesn't mean it's a good fit.

You have a good budget to work with; that is a real plus in this procees. So many people who don't end up, by necessity, pounding a square peg in a round hole, looking for a reliable first boat for a family of 8 for $2000--that will fit in the garage.

also, I would not focus on resale value. With some exceptions, the only time you come out OK financially is if you buy a boat that's only a few years old and sell it in great shape within 2-3 years. While shopping, notice the price drop after a couple years.

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

The Sanger is going to be a more athletic boat than the Sea Ray . . . probably can tell just by looking at it.

Mercruiser is a plus, they have stood the test of time.

250 hours is about average for that boat and its age. . . figure 50 hours a year is average, 25 hours per year would be 'low' hours.

NADA pricing puts it at around $23K then add the trailer. It cost around $40K new.

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

Depends on your boating experience... We see a lot of very nice expensive boats like this abused on the water and in the launch ramp. It's your dime, but you might want to get a "starter boat" to bang up first for a couple of years before tackling a boat like this. You don't have to buy a POS. Don't take this the wrong way. I think all of us have stories.

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

Thanks for the excellent responses guys, very helpful and I will try to answer some of the questions above to further help:

Location: Jacksonville, FL

Boating experience: my first owned boat but I was raised around lake boats since I was 4 and wakeboarded all through high school (12 years ago). As far as abusing it on the trailer, I am definitely more conservative when it comes to my property so you won't see me ramping the boat onto the trailer at 10 mph like I see some idiots doing.

Fuel economy: I am definitely looking at this because the sundeck is 2 feet longer and I believe like 800 lbs heavier so I can't imagine the gas would be as good on that compared to the smaller sanger when cruising (and not using ballasts). Gas is already $4/gallon here for regular though so I don't want something that is going to absolutely devour gas either.

How I plan on using it: this is tough because I have no idea but I honestly feel I will be doing a lot of tubing and wakeboarding, more recreational though not competitive or anything like that. It has a bimini top on it too so at least we can keep the family in the shade. It has ballasts though I will rarely use them.

Reliability/Resale: this is huge for me, I don't need the boat to be worth a lot when I sell it but I also don't want an off brand boat that I can't even sell 5-7 years from now if I want something different. Reliability is even bigger of course. I will do the yearly maintenance checks with Sanger but I don't really know what else is involved with it other than flushing the engine and washing the boat after taking it out. I am glad to hear mercruiser is a good brand though, I know a lot about car engines but not boat engines.

This may be a lot of boat for my first boat but looking at the cheaper boats I begin to worry about both reliability and size. The cheaper boats are almost too small, this has a larger area and we could fit two couples, ourselves, plus our 2 year old who I really want to get accustomed to boats.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/boa/2933165928.html this seems like a good deal too with only 87 hours on it. More of a cruiser but again I am not too sure what boat is best in this case.

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

Hopefully someone who knows more about dedicated wakeboard boats will chime in............. but to me, it sounds like you want a regular boat, like the SeaRay, for your usage. I don't think wakeboard boats are good for just cruising and may be less efficient? Sorry, I lack the specifics but to me the Sanger doesn't seem like a good fit for you. Might be some more info in this older comparison thread http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=232716

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

I've run on a couple of older inboard comp boats and found that I did like the ride. I haven't tried the newer ones. Wakeboard boats are built in order to dig into the water - make big waves for the boarder to hop and ride. If you're not going to use those ballast tanks much - go for something more like the cruiser. Tubing and water skiing works better with a boat that does the exact opposite of a wakeboard boat.

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

I am really leaning towards the Sanger wakeboarding boat. I love having a lot of friends out on a boat, when I am not with my wife and daughter, and have everyone wakeboarding and I think this is just more suited to me. I won't use the ballasts very much honestly but it is default even on the base model.

I looked at these boats in other states, such as California where they are built, and they are going for a lot more. I even got this guy to go down to $26k.

My question now is how should I go about getting this boat checked out? I have a friend who works on mercruiser engines, should I have him compression test it or something?

Re: My first boat, could use some advice

Google marine surveyor. There are certified surveyors that you can hire in your area to go on the sea trial and survey the boat.