First boat, what do I need?

[CTnewbie]

I’m searching for my first boat. Will use on lake in CT, mostly for cruising and will toss anchor and go for a swim. Might pull some kids on a tube, but not heavy water sports. Looking to spend under$12k. Have seen two boats I’m considering

1. 1998 Sea Ray 190 with V8 recently rebuilt (10 hrs on rebuilt)

2. 2004 Four Winns

 

[Scott Danforth]

Welcome aboard.

I myself loved my '02 SeaRay 190.

in either case, use the check list at the top of the forum.

 

[southkogs]

It all boils down to the condition of the boat. If it's in good condition, brand is a secondary (at least) consideration. If it's in lousy shape, doesn't matter what brand it is - move on.

Folks have done well with both Sea Ray and Four Winns.

:welcome:

 

[444]

I always question why anything freshly rebuilt is up for sale. Maybe he bought the boat with a bad engine, fixed it and decided it wasn't the boat for him. Maybe he bought it to flip or did a quick patch job to dump it. Either way I would be skeptical.

 

[CTnewbie]

First boat, unsure

Looking to buy first boat for use on lake. Mostly cruising, swimming off back. Limited water sports. Have looked recently at two boats that look good-

1. 1998 Sea Ray 190, newly rebuilt V8, expected cosmetic issues, but overall in decent shape

2. 2004 Four Winns 180 Horizon, Volvo V6, better condition and with swim platform

these are both at marina/brokers, Sea Ray listed for $9500 and Four Winns listed for $14000. Would aim to get Seay for for 8-8500 and Four Winns for 12000.

Condition being equal, any thoughts on which I’d a better boat/buy ?

Thank you !

 

[briangcc]

In your other post, https://forums.iboats.com/forum/gen...-not-engine-topics/10619724-first-boat-unsure, you mention the Four Winns is a Volvo V6.

Depending on where you are and the dealer support this *might* be an issue. For me, locating a Volvo dealer is becoming a challenge - both where I live AND where I vacation. Cost for repairs is more than a comparable Merc. Don't get me wrong, Volvo is ahead of Merc with the drive in terms of smoothness. Finding a dealer to actually work on my Volvo was the challenge and ultimately why its no longer a part of my fleet.

IF you have Volvo and Merc dealers you are comfortable with I would suggest taking them out for a sea trial to see which would suit your needs. IF on the other hand you have to travel a great distance to get to a Volvo dealer either get comfortable doing the work yourself OR pass.

 

[jkust]

Does the Four Winns have a fiberglass floor with snap in carpet? I assume the Sea Ray still has glued down carpet over plywood? Are either of them fuel injected or is one or both carbed?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Searay should have snap in carpet.

 

[southkogs]

Both feel a little high priced to me.

I'd probably lean toward the Sea Ray ... a little bigger and a little more engine.

 

[superbenk]

I have absolutely loved my 2008 Four Winns H200. The way they have built the hull with the step at the stern helps act like trim tabs in a way to create stability at low speeds & added lift to get on plane. Not sure if the Sea Ray has similar.

Build quality is nice & not having to worry about wood in the stringers, transom & floor is also nice.

My Horizon 200 does pretty well with the 5.0L carbed Marc. I assume the slightly smaller 180 would do fine with the V6 (did you mention if it was MPI?).

The Four Winns is newer & sounds like it’s a bit more of a sure thing but does cost more. I’ve never heard bad things about Sea Rays either so I’m not sure I’d find one brand better than the other.

Anyhow, my experience with Four Winns gives it a solid thumbs-up for what it’s worth. They do seem to hold value well based on what is saw on NADA for my boat. $14k seems highish but $12k doesn’t seem ridiculous.

 

[CTnewbie]

Agree, they both seem priced a bit high. Both have carbs and the Sea Ray carpets is glued down, not snap out. Four Winns is fiberglass with snap out.

Thanks so much for the thoughts. Think I'm going to make low offer on Four Winns and see what happens.

 

[Mischief Managed]

I would avoid any boat with glued-down carpet except a Donzi Classic (because I really like those and could live with it...). Snap-in carpet with a fiberglass liner is vastly superior. Good luck!

Four Winns offered that same boat for years and many were sold with 150HP outboards. In my opinion, that would be a much better option for an older used boat. Stern drives are pretty maintenance intensive, especially as they get up there in age and will tend to require a lot of repairs as well. While an older outboard will also require plenty of maintenance and repairs, its inherent simplicity will be a huge advantage and since it's totally exposed, it's much easier to work on.

 

[CTnewbie]

So I don’t think they’re going to accept my offer on the Four Winns. I was willing to go to 12k, but don’t think it’s gonna work. I found a new prospect—

2003 Hurricane Sun Deck 187. It has a Yamaha 150 outboard, but needs new upholstery. Price is 10k. Anyone have any experience with a hurricane? For what we’re going to use it for it seems like a good fit. And have heard more than once that a EFI outboard might be better experience for a first boat.

 

[southkogs]

I don't have anything scientific, just my experience, but I think outboards are easier to learn on. Not so much for repairs and maintenance, but more for operation. I think it's because it's easier to glance back and see how the drive is reacting to the helm, and hear the RPMs a little more clearly, but I think outboards have a slight advantage in the learning curve.

Otherwise, I've used a Hurricane down on the intercostal. It was a really nice boat. I can't recall exactly how big the one we used was (22' maybe), but it handled nicely and was a great boat for having a bunch of people aboard.

 

[Mohawkmtrs]

All good responses...however, if this is your first .foray into boating, take a safety course from USPS before you do anything

 

[garbageguy]

Besides all the above, consider the layout of the boat for what you want to do with it. For me, it;s find the design/layout I'm looking for, then it's condition, condition, condition

 

[frankthomas]

I just bought my second boat and learned a lesson on trailers. Don’t assume the trailer the boat is sitting on when you buy is set up right for the boat.
i bought from a guy who lived right on Lake Michigan and he rarely trailered the boat. I lived an hour away and on the drive home from buying it blew a tire. Replaced the tire with the same one.. first mistake and it wasn’t long before I blew another tire. Looked the title over and realized the boat and trailer were 3500lbs on a single axel. The pair of tire were rated for a total of 3520 lbs. not enough when traveling on the freeway for 45 minutes. So I was able to find radial tires rated at a little over 2000 lbs each and the trailer travels great now.

Another thing I never thought of was brakes. In Michigan trailers over 3000 lbs total need brakes. I did not know that. Even with good tires I was driving illegally. So I had to add brakes.

With the various tires bought and the brakes installed that was about a $1,500 lesson. Money I didn’t plan to spend and it was even on the boat!

 

[JASinIL2006]

All good responses...however, if this is your first .foray into boating, take a safety course from USPS before you do anything

The U.S. Postal Service offers boating classes? First they move into overnight delivery, now this? Wow! :lol::lol:

 

[Jeronimo21]

I've had 2 Hurricanes and Loved them! How bad is the upholstery?