First Boat

[jbcurt00]

This isnt an I/O vs OB topic, LittleBoatGuy. Besides that discussion leads to a never ending circular argument that is utterly unproductive.

Good luck RoadBlock, or have you found your new to you boat already?

 

[Roadblock007]

Not yet jbcurt00. I have 2 more to look at today, then I move on to a final 2 or 3 that I like and we go for a test on the water. I made it clear to all the owners that this was my process. So I will be buying 2nd or 3rd week of June.

 

[Roadblock007]

I have been searching around and have lots of information on de winterizing a boat. Since I will buy used and maintenance will be based mostly on the honour system is there anything else besides a standard de winterizing that I should do to the engine to get it ready for this season? Looks like 90% chance I will be getting an I/O, 50/50 on a mercruiser 470(4 cyl chev) and a OMC cobra(4 cyl Ford).

 

[R055]

For most people dewinterizing just means hooking the boat up to muffs and turning it on to see if everything is still good.

 

[ondarvr]

If you can work on the motor that's great, but do you know how to work with fiberglass? Most boats from that era will have rotten wood, some a great deal of it, and it's not always easy to spot, if the one you pick does have a rotten transom or other things it will mean you probably won't be on the water this year.

​Check out the restoration section here and look at the threads, they frequently start something like, "I found a small soft spot in the floor", or " there's a crack on the transom, how do I fix it". This is followed by 10 pages of them doing a total gut and rebuild and hoping to be on the water by next year.

 

[fishin98]

I agree with previous posters....Look for a boat year 2000 or better.....There a lot of 17-18 ft bowriders with 3.0 or 4.3 Mercruiser engines and outdrives. The trick is to find one that has been taken care of. Look for a Bayliner/SeaRay 175 or 185...2000 or newer..easy to maintain,good riding boats.
Steer away from ANY OMC, The 470 Mercruiser was a POS, Be wary of Volvo's, Since you are a 1st time buyer get the newest boat you can afford with a Mercruiser engine and outdrive. You are making a purchase to get out on the water and enjoy boating. Buying a CHEAP out of date boat means you will spend a lot of time and money working on it.

 

[Roadblock007]

When I do purchase used, I am confused about the requirements here in Ontario. I don't have to register the boat. I can just just licence it and my bill of sale is my proof of ownership. So what does the previous owner need to supply me with document wise? Just a bill of sale and his previous registration or licence on that particular boat?

 

[JASinIL2006]

As a new noat owner, you will be amazed at the amount and expense of basic maintenance in an IO. (Fortunately, they are pretty easy to work on, even with minimal mechanical experience.)

Buying either an OMC outdrive or a 470, though, as a new boater, is just nuts. There is a reason you are finding boats with that engine and outdrive priced so reasonably, and it's not because you got lucky and found a steal....

 

[Roadblock007]

I definitely appreciate all of the advice and I do take it seriously. You people know a lot more than I know and it will take me a long time to amass that kind of knowledge so I am grateful.

I look at this as A, a relatively cheap investment, and B, a learning experience. I was only 2 years away from obtaining my class A licence out of highschool so I am not intimidated at all by this experience. I look at it like my first car. It will cost me but I will learn.

This is my first forray into boating and I expect that this will help me gage my needs in the future. Do I need a boat just for fishing? Downrigging? family waterskiing? Or a combination? This will help me decide. After 2 to 3 years I fully expect to figure out what I need and buy new, or relatively close, and sell the boat that I buy. I am not in this for profit but to learn.

 

[roffey]

Hey Roadblock, I am in Ontario and you have to register your boat. Just check out the transportation Canada web page. All you need is the bill of sale from the previous owner. You don't have to insure it but I highly recommend you do.

My last boat had the 3.7 470 motor. It was a high performance motor (180 hp) and they are prone to over heating. The 470 will not have a alternator but has a stator, water cooled and a closed system so it is very easy to winterize.

 

[Roadblock007]

Hey Roadblock, I am in Ontario and you have to register your boat. Just check out the transportation Canada web page. All you need is the bill of sale from the previous owner. You don't have to insure it but I highly recommend you do.

My last boat had the 3.7 470 motor. It was a high performance motor (180 hp) and they are prone to over heating. The 470 will not have a alternator but has a stator, water cooled and a closed system so it is very easy to winterize.

I am in Brantford. I saw on the ministry web site that you only have to register a boat over 15 tonnes so to make sure that it was right I called. The official told me that you don't need to register anything under 15 tonnes unless you wish to use it for mortgage purposes or as collateral for a lien. all you need to do is licence it which transfers the marking numbers on the hull to you. i was just unsure as to what I needed to get from the previous owner. I think that all I need is their copy of the licence filled out on the backside to transfer it to me and the bill of sale. I just wanted to make sure I was right and got everything I needed.

Absolutely will be insuring btw.

 

[roffey]

yup you are 100% right. I was mixing up registering and licence. To switch over the numbers is easy you have 90 days and just drop the completed form in the mail (correct me if I'm wrong, lol) if you do get the 470 motor let us know as I have a web site just for the motor with spare parts. I broke a connecting rod on mine and was told it would be very expensive to fix but you being mechanical might just work out for you. FYI, I had a 18 foot Thundercraft and could just touch 54 mph on the GPS.

 

[Roadblock007]

I also have access to a full electrical, hydraulic, and fab shop for free and have a background in hydraulics, pneumatics and metallurgy as well. Like I said, not really intimidated.

 

[roffey]

Roadblock, you are my new best friend, lol.