Re: Help! New to boating! Which one?
I feel your pain. It is easy to be overwhelmed when looking at used boats.
The stingray looks like a nice boat. Again check the floor carefully and get a good understanding of the maintenance history. The GM 3.0 liter engine is a good one. It isn't the most powerful engine, but it may be the most common engine is runabouts this size. You can tube with them and pull a single recreational skier without a problem. In this size boat, 35 to maybe 40 mph at WOT (wide open throttle).
In the picture, it looks like a mercruiser outdrive, but you will want to confirm that. Also it looks like the skeg (bottom part of the outdrive may have a little damage. Probably nothing to be concerned about, but take a close look. Usually this is simply the result of wear from rubbing against something.
I wouldn't go with anything smaller than a 17' bow rider for your needs. If you look at a 19' boat, I would start looking for the next step up in engine size (4.3 liter v6) which is also a very good engine.
Deck boats give you a lot of room, but they weigh more and require bigger engines, trailers, and more towing capacity in your tow vehicle. Some of the older deck boats had a lot of wood in them (like a pontoon as you noted) and didn't have the best build quality. Look it over carefully and make sure the condition is good.
$3500 for the Stingray may be a fair price if it is in good condition. At least it is in the range.
That Ebko doesn't sound great for the money.
Regarding test drives....If you can talk the seller into, do it. Unless you know what you are looking for, it can be hard to tell how it runs on the lake by just running it in the driveway. Like the suggestion above, work out a deal where you will buy it contingent on a test drive with the seller if there is a body of water near by. You can't register a boat until you buy it. If it isn't registered, you may have to just roll the dice and risk a quick run on the lake.
A mechanic will normally charge their hourly rate to check out an engine. A good alternative is to bring a friend that has owned and knows boats to look it over with you.
It is a great time to buy a boat. There are a lot on the market and you are in control. In the $3000-5000 range, you should have many to choose from and it doesn't make sense to get one with known problems. As you are doing, look for a boat that is well cared for, but the owner lost interest for one reason or another.
Good luck,
Dan