Re: What is the problem with Bayliner?
Wow! This has got to be the oldest thread I've ever seen. It needs to be renamed the "never dying Bayliner" thread!!!
Sorry for beating this dead horse, but I'll chime in anyway.
I use to own two bayliners (yes, go ahead and bash me
) and now own a 1969 OMC runabout. I don't know snot about this old OMC boat, but it surely has seen better days. Anyway, back to Bayliner. I bought both boats brand new, the first one back in 1994. As soon as I gave the check to the salesman that SOB at the dealership just couldn't wait to get me out the door! I asked the rep what things do I need to do to keep my new boat in good shape. He did say to flush the motor after use in saltwater, other than that, he didn't even say anything about caring for the hull or covering the boat when it rains nor did he say anything about repacking the trailer bearings at least once a year.
I used that boat for a couple of years, fishing for salmon off the coast of Northern California. We caught our share of fish on that boat and had no problems with it whenever we went fishing. Eventually, a wheel bearing blew up and caused a wheel to shudder violently. A few years later, after a downpour, when I drained the boat I noticed the water to be dark brown. It wasn't until years later that I'd learned that letting fresh water sit in the hull eventually will rot the stringers. The more I read about what not to do with boats, the more I realized that a lot of problems that I hear about bayliners, whether built today or twenty years ago, has a lot to do with the lack of information the bayliner dealerships gave to their clients. Shame on Bayliner and it's utter disregard for customer service!
With regards to my second boat, it was a 20 foot Trophy that I also bought brand new. I had that boat for twelve years, have taken it out to forty miles offshore, in some instances pounding our way back to shore through eight foot seas. That boat had it's quality issues, like some instruments malfunctioning after the first month, to one side panel in the cuddy coming loose due to the tiny screws used to secure it. However, having used that boat in heavy seas for several years, I've never experienced a problem with the 150 HP Merc (other than the usual cold-starting problem that Mercs seem to have) nor did the hull suffer any structural problems. On a couple of occasions, I did remove that loose panel and took a peek below deck and did note that the stringers were fully encapsulated by glass. Not that that in itself is really reassuring, as I've read some articles from BoatUS magazine and also have seen video on Youtube of other brands of boats having osmosis blisters on fully encapsulated stringers. It turns out that any and all boats are susceptible to these blisters and rot.
To sum it all up. If I had the money and had to do it all over, I personnally would opt for a higher end boat such as GW and the like. However, I also must emphasize that under the circumstances regarding my purhcase of Bayliner boats, a little perspective needs to be in place: My very first boat was an old 1961 15 foot Dorsett. When I use to take that fishing offshore, the hull would flex so much that it felt like I was driving an inflatable through the waves. The hull just would flap and vibrate away! When I bought that first Bayliner, the hull was not only nice to look at, but it was by every means more rigid and seaworthy than what I had previously owned. Sure, it wasn't a Boston Whaler, but then again, it was better than the old Dorsett that I was driving.
Peace
