Help with Picking a Boat

Guday Everyone,
I just wanted to get some help picking a boat.

i have been wanting a Boat for a while although i have never owned a boat.
I have been looking at a Few Cruisers and have came to the top 3 that i wanted everyones help based on your experience and Knolidge. These are the boats with the prices.

Crownline 280 Brand new they go for about 140000
Bayliner 285 Brand NEw they go for about 150000
And glastron 289 They go for about 145000

Can everyone Please suggest which is better made in terms of Quality & Proformance.

Thanks

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

I dont own a cruiser but of the three you listed (Best-less best), Crownline, Glastron and then bayliner If they are brand New.

If this is your first boat i suggest you buy a used one to get your learning curves out on, that way you wont be upset if you scratch a new boat.

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

Yes, I would agree with the Crownline, Glastron, Bayliner sequencing. Also to buy used as a first boat is a good idea. You will take a 50% depreciation hit in the first couple of years with a new boat.

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

That is a large "starter" boat. I'd suggest a rental a few times or better yet an experienced boater along with you the 1st few trips. I'd agree with Crownline at the top of the list. Glastron has an edge over Bayliner too based on reputation at least.

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

Have to agree those are large starter boats. Not only that, they are large "single engine" starter boats. Makes manouvering around docks and slips a challenge, especially when there is a wind blowing.

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

I agree on the order of "quality" listed above. Having owned two cruisers myself, I would not pick any of those three for that kind of money.
I would look at a used Monterey 280SCR,FourWinns V278/V268, Cruisers 280Cxi, Regal 2860. all better overall quality and sea keeping than
the 3 listed.

But, having said that. I would not recommend a 28ft.+ cruiser for your first boat.

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

I have a new Bayliner 255. The list was about 100K on it and I paid I think low 70's. The 285 that I also looked at I think the list was about 150K and the dealer was asking 90Kish. The bayliner is OK but you do see where they cut corners to save money. I am not thrilled with the amount of plywood in the boat or the balsa core hull that it has. If I had to do it again I would still have gotten the bayliner but that was mostly due to my budgit. I think I would have gotten the 285 instead though. The 255 is really kinda small and has no storage. The 285 has a nice rear cabin with lockers and a door that shuts which is nice if you plan on having company on the boat often.

The other thing to consider and I don't know about the two other boats is the bayliner 280 only has a single motor. Pro is you are only feeding one motor, you only have one outdrive and motor to work on and maintain con is if it goes out then you are getting towed in. Seatow is about $160 a year which is still cheaper than paying to run two motors.

As for a starter boat, I don't see the point in spending money on something to learn on to spend money again on something that you really wanted in the first place. You are going to be dead for a long time so get what you want while you can

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

Oh yeah if you are buying new and can afford it I would get a generator. I have a portable one that I put on the swim platform. I wish I had a built in one.

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

Sorry to post again. One thing to consider is that bayliner is getting out of the cruiser business. They have huge amount of inventory to keep them going for a few years. The speculation is that they are not getting out of the cruiser business as much as they made a tonne of cruiser boats to keep inventory up for the next few years while the shifs operations to Brazil. Who knows what they are really doing though. Even if they are getting out of the cruiser business I dobut it will last. They always made cruisers, if anything I think they will change their mind sooner or later. Great value though.

Re: Help with Picking a Boat

I wouldn't go with bayliner. You get what you paid for.