Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

mikereno1

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Jul 8, 2013
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I am looking to purchase my first boat in the next few weeks/months. I have had a 26ft sailboat with an outboard the last 15 yrs, but never a power boat or anything that needs true winterizing.

We want something that the family can use a little easier to get around the lake and do more activities. Would like to be able to wakeboard, ski, tube, etc. We live in Reno, NV and use Lake Tahoe frequently. Its freshwater with an elevation of about 6300ft. We will be keeping it on a buoy for the summer season and then removing for the winter and keeping under a carport.

I am looking to spend about $15k, would like something that will hold 6-7 people when necessary although most of the time would be 4-5 people. There seems to be a lot of bowrider Reinell, Regal, Bayliner, FourWinns boats around the lake in addition to many wakeboard boats. It seems the wakeboard boats may be out of my price range at the moment so will likely be going with a 5-10 year old bowrider.

Any bowriders better or worse for wakeboarding? Are there any brands to avoid? Any specific maintenance issues that I should be asking about? Is there an upper limit on how many hours I should be concerned about?

Im sure I will have numerous questions in the future as I try to narrow in on a specific boat. Thanks
 

tpenfield

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

Welcome to iBoats . . .

I went from a 22 foot sailboat to a 24 foot powerboat and had many of the same questions. It seems like you will be wanting something in the 22-24 foot range. You will have to decide if you want a true wakeboarding/ski boat or a bowrider. The brands that you mentioned are a good start. I would add Sea Ray, Chris-Craft and maybe Cobalt to that list.

I would do a search of boats in your area that meet these characteristics on the popular boat listing sites. You probably want to search for boats up to about $20K, as the sellers tend to over price their boats and may be flexible once they do not sell in a reasonable amount of time.

Depending on the age of the boats, structural issues and mechanical issues will be the top things to look at. Once you decide on a boat, you will probably want to do a sea trail and survey to validate the condition of the boat.
 

lx.crowell

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Jul 12, 2012
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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

I would try looking at an little bit older of age range, because you can find a nice boat with a good motor for less than what you will pay for something newer. Like my uncle wanted a boat to do bassically what you are looking to do and he ended up getting a 1989 Chris Craft scoripion. It is 22 ft, it has a closed bow but there are the same models with open bows, with a 350 mercrusier alpha one drive on it. He was able to pick it up for $6,000 and the boat is very clean, solid floors and a tight motor, that boat also handles better than a 2003 sea ray in rough waters, which we run it on Lake Erie so it can be real rough out there, that boat handles it like nothing. The older Chris Crafts are good boats and there are alot of them for cheaper than something newer and in my opinion are better than the newer Sea Rays. My uncles boat also can seat 10 people on it, with that much wieght it takes a while to plane.
 

mikereno1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

I'm a little worried about getting into a boat that is over 10 years old, just because the could be so much wrong over that time.

The is a 2005 Monterey 208 fire sale with low hours right now. I haven't seen that brand before. Are these decent boats? Anything to watch for? Anyone own one of these?
 

tpenfield

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

There are really no guarantees on a boat's condition versus its age. So, a 10 year rule may exclude you from some really good 12 year old boats. Maintenance its the key to reliability and value. So, look for boats in a wider range than you may be thinking, and focus on the ones that have been really well maintained . . . not just shiny, but maintained.
 

lx.crowell

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

There are really no guarantees on a boat's condition versus its age. So, a 10 year rule may exclude you from some really good 12 year old boats. Maintenance its the key to reliability and value. So, look for boats in a wider range than you may be thinking, and focus on the ones that have been really well maintained . . . not just shiny, but maintained.

I agree with tpenfield that a boats age isnt a guaratee because i own a 1963 lonestar fiberglass boat all original except the seats and it is in amazing shape, I would would say in better shape then some ten year old or younger boats. So the key to finding a good boat is to find one in your price range regardless of the year and go look at it and really crawl around in it, check out the floor and motor for any issues and you'll be able to tell if it was taken care of. Also note that if the seats are ripped, or dried out and the carpet is wet or falling apart you probablly should walk away if you dont want a big project. One last comment, check to see if the plug is in and if it is pull it and see if water comes out if water does comeout and their is alot, probablly means he didn't take care of it either.
 

mikereno1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

I am not truly set on a less than 10 yr old boat, however I figure the newer it is the less chance for it to be mistreated. If I can find a 15 r old boat with low hours ans well kept that would be fine.

Anyone know about Monterey boats?
 

emilsr

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

Monterey makes a decent boat in that size range.

What they're trying to tell you is correct. Even a 2-3 year old boat can be a mess if it wasn't cared for. By the same token there are some 20+ year old boats out there in like new condition. Age isn't nearly as much of a factor as condition....so don't assume newer is better.

Welcome to the "dark side", sailor. :)
 

Home Cookin'

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

"about $15k, ...will hold 6-7 people when necessary although most of the time would be 4-5 people. ...< 10 years old"

tough combination there
 

Bamaman1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

You can actually find Ski Nautique and Mastercraft inboard ski boats easily for $15K used. They'll handle 4 people, but not 6-7 people.

And leaving an older boat in the water all Summer would be a risk, especially it's an inboard outboard. The bellows can rot, and drip, drip, drip water can go into the hull. (I once had an inboard outboard with bad bellows sink, and I had to retrieve it from water up to the gunnels.) Bigger outboard boats that handle 6-7 riders are hard to find.

The only boat I'd feel safe leaving in the water would be a pontoon or tritoon boat.

One dilemma is that Lake Tahoe's altitude is so high that engines just don't perform efficiently at 5000'. You almost have to overpower boats to get them up to speed.

We rented condos on the water there for 10 years, and what an incredibly beautiful place.

I would suggest you get on Boattraders.com and see what boats are in your immediate retail market and over in Eastern California.
 
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Java Jack

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Jul 13, 2013
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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

I am in a similar position as you. I've been around boats my entire life but this is my first time buying one. My dream boat is a nice v drive wakeboard boat but those are crazy expensive as you will find when you are looking around, even boats around 15 years are still over 10k.

You can find good deals on the I/O (inboard/outboard or stern drive). Depending on how old and condition, you can get these for 1500 to 15k or higher. The deck boat could be a good choice as well as a deep v hull for recreational boating.

Direct drive boats are nice but expensive but I don't think they have a good layout for a family recreational boat, they target more the enthusiast skier. Having an engine right in the middle of the boat eats up a lot of space and by the time you add gear and an ice chest, there Is little space left. V drives are great but expensive as well and again target the enthusiast skier and wake boarder. Typically these are made by brands like Malibu, ski natique, master craft, Sanger, supra, etc. all are great brands and boats but you will pay a very pretty penny for one.

Brands, like anything have loyalist and haters. What I have found is in the i/o world, it is as much about how well the boat is cared for as it is about brand. From what I can tell, cobalt, sea ray, regal, chaparral tend to be the upper class brands but are also more expensive. Bay liner seems to be at the bottom of the stack and other brands sandwiched in between. This seems to be reflected in how well they hold their resale value.

However, it is about the care of the boat so, you can find a well cared for bay liner that is a better deal than a beat up sea ray.

Watch out for wood rot (soft spots on flooring). This can be an expensive and painful process to repair. Check the motor out, check hoses, belts, engine oil, etc. if you are comfortable around engines, check eng compression. Look at the hull for deep gashes, scratches to see if owner beached the boat regularly. While this wont necessarily hurt the boat, it does reflect how well the owner took care of it. Check the prop for dings, etc, again not a major thing by itself but reflects on overall care. Check for mildew on the carpet, check the gauges.

Lake test it. Boats can start and run fine when hooked up to a hose, but may show serious issues when placed under load on a lake. If they won't lake test, run, don't walk away.

See if owner has maint records.

Check the interior, any rips in the seating, cracking?

Check out the trailer, does it look like it was cared for, rust, etc. how re the tires, bearings, etc.

You really want to find a boat that has been well cared for as that will minimize your time in dry dock so you can have more fun on the water. Something that was properly winterized and stored.

I just committed to buying a 1998 20 foot Stingray for $5500. It had a v8 with low engine hours (129) and was in great shape. I think I got it for at least 1500 under market value. So , deals are out there, you just need to keep looking. Stingrays may not be the top brand but this was a much better deal than a 93 19 foot sea ray I looked at the week before, it only had a v6 and it was beat up, mismatching interior, deep scratches in hull, etc and the seller still wanted 4700 for it.

I saw a number of deals out there so don't stress if you miss out on one as there will be another along shortly. I think I missed out on 3 or 4 by just being too late to get over to look at it. Kept looking and within a day or 2 there was another to choose from.
 
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mikereno1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

That is basically what I have been finding so far in the classifieds. The direct/V drive ski boats are available for 10-15k, but are usually15 yra old with high miles. While they may have been well cared for, I still think i can find a newer I/O boat that has also been taken care of.

Is it really a problem to leave an I/O boat in the water all summer? There are boats all over Tahoe that are left in for the entire season and as far as I can tell seem to be doing well. The more I am looking I think a 20-22 ft I/O bowrider will work well for a first boat.

With the added elevation should I be looking for something with >200 hp so we can ski/wake behind it? Would a different prop help with the elevation?
 

mikereno1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

I'm going to look at that 2005 Monterey 208 as well as a 2005 Regal 1800 this week. Both with low hours. Anything specific to look at with these two models? Anyone own one of these and care to comment on your experience?
 

jsturvey

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Nov 30, 2012
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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

Both of those should be solid boats as far as build quality goes. Being a skier myself, I believe having enough horsepower is essential. Personally I wouldn't get a boat with anything less than a V8 for power.
 

Bamaman1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

Both of those should be solid boats as far as build quality goes. Being a skier myself, I believe having enough horsepower is essential. Personally I wouldn't get a boat with anything less than a V8 for power.

Yea, look what you're running--Mastercraft with the LT1 Corvette engine. You're spoiled to serious horsepower.

Like I said earlier, I once had a leaky bellows, and my marina wasn't watching the boats closely. Over a few weeks' time, my boat sunk to the gunnels. I had to slip a large tarp under the hull and pump the boat out, and have all the electrics and the carb rebuilt.

I would prefer to either have my boat in dry storage or on a trailer in a storage lot close by the lake. I've got no problem with leaving the boat in the water for a couple of weekend days, but not while I'm away at home in another city.

After 2 inboard outboards, a bass boat and many PWC's, I moved to an overpowered pontoon boat 27 years ago. I bought a new Bennington last year, and it will do anything I ask it to do--and run over 40 mph. I've just got to where I like the durability of big 4 stroke outboards. But there again, we're more of cruisers than water sports people.
 

jsturvey

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Nov 30, 2012
Messages
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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

Yes, but my previous boat was 18' with an OMC 5.0 V8. When shopping for that boat, I thought a V6 would be good enough power then, but boy was I wrong. Had to use every bit power that V8 had to get people out of the hole on a slalom ski. Can you blame me for buying the next boat with some serious hp?
 

mikereno1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

I looked at the monterey 208 this weekend, it definitely has some sun damage to the interior and done fading if the gel coat but no serious damage to the hull. The engine looked clean but the outboard portion looked oxidized or something. Here is a picture of it. What causes this and is it something to be concerned about?

1is6.jpg
 

tpenfield

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

Galvanic corrosion. . . Lack of anodes and improper maintenance of anodes is the major cause. I see no trim cylinder anodes in the picture. . .
 

mikereno1

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

Here is the other side. Is this something that can be fixed or reversed easily or a more serious problem that I should walk away from?

28wp.jpg
 

tpenfield

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Re: Looking to pick up a boat, need some advice

It is not something that you will want to pay top $$$ for. Further deterioration can be prevented with proper anodes, replaced on an annual schedule.

You will probably want to re-paint the outdrive and transom assembly. The really pitted areas can be faired out with epoxy & adhesive filler, then sanded smooth, etc. Zinc Chromate primer, then top-coat of VP color.

The outdrives on my boat had a bit of corrosion going on, even though it was fresh water, the anodes had not been changed in quite some time and were offering no protection. Here is a link to my web page about re-painting my outdrives.

Outdrives

If other aspects of the boat are positive and overall it is a good deal, then the outdrive is not a show stopper.
 
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