Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

[Old Yeller Boater]

I've heard people say to stay away from bayliners when considering a new boat. Is there ever a GOOD bayliner? Can anyone enlighten me as to what is "bad" about them? I've heard they are cheaply made, but what does that really mean? I'm a novice when it comes to boats. prices of bayliners are certainly attractive, but want to understand better what their weaknesses are.

I should probably clarify here too. I'm thinking of modern boats, something more recent than 2000. Seems the 2000 to 2004 area is priced in my range from 8k to 10k. Don't want to discount going older though for some of the higher end brands.

...and please...I'm not trying to offend any bayliner owners. just trying to get a good idea of them.

 

[emoney]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

Sure are lots of happy Trophy owners. The thing about any economically priced product (if there is such a thing in the boating world) is that by mass-producing them, there are a LOT more owners of said product. This math alone leads to more "problems". And, there's no arguing that there are better built boats on the water, however, that can be said about ANY make. The majority of the issues, in my opinion, is a LOT of people that knew nothing about boats or boating, purchased Bayliners. Normally, that means there was no maintenance done, or at least not as much as a boat that has a more "loyal" following. Any boat, and I don't care if it's handcrafted by the Pope, will break down with no attention paid to it. You'll always "get what you pay for", regardless of who built it. I, for one, have known several Bayliner owners that loved their boat. Yes, lots of them broke down, but from a percentage standpoint of boats sold, probably not much more than any other boat built. You see more for sale because they produce a lot of "entry-priced" boats. For those that are captured by this past time, that means that it's soon time to trade (which applies to some of us, regardless of who made it). Are you looking for a new boat or a used one?

 

[MWBoatFan]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

You will get a lot of different answers. There are some haters out there that swear that Bayliner is the worst boat ever made.

Realistically, they are - like any boat - a product of their care and handling. They (the older Bayliners) are made with less desirable materials, lower quality components and what not. It's my understanding that the new(er) Bayliners 2002-present are a MUCH higher quality build and that the difference would be in the "feel" of the interior, the fit and finish etc. They simply are THE entry level boat. You get what you pay for is always true.

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

My friend has a 1987 21 ft Trophy and he loves it (great hull). It's a great fishing machine. Been going strong for 25 years. Like anything, if you take care of it....it's going to last.

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

given the state of my situation with my 87 Larson, I'm looking at jumping up to a newish/modern boat. My thought it to find a good, not too old, used one that I can maintain to my own standards and keep for a long time. I don't leave my boat in the water for more than the weekend while I'm at the lake. I don't put it in the water if the forecast it for rain since we won't be out in it anyway. When I pull it, my boat is always drained and covered to keep water/elements out. I've learned with the two boats I've had so far that maintaining them and winterizing is very important. I'm somewhat used to that with motorcycles anyway, so don't mind spending small $ to avoid big $ problems later.

I'm not overly concerned with fit/finish of things, just that they are built to stand up to use. it doesn't have to be the prettiest boat on the water, but dependability is critical to me.

At this point, I'm looking for something in the 8k to 10k range. I don't mind the idea of something that is late 90s, but am figuring the newer the boat the better off I'll be. I've seen some advertised that have been kept in dry dock when not used, etc. thinking those would be good alternatives as far as wood/hull is concerned. mechanical stuff I'm comfortable checking, now that I've spent 3 years learning what to look for.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

You will get a lot of different answers. There are some haters out there that swear that Bayliner is the worst boat ever made.

Realistically, they are - like any boat - a product of their care and handling. They (the older Bayliners) are made with less desirable materials, lower quality components and what not. It's my understanding that the new(er) Bayliners 2002-present are a MUCH higher quality build and that the difference would be in the "feel" of the interior, the fit and finish etc. They simply are THE entry level boat. You get what you pay for is always true.

Please bear with me, as I am absolutely not trying to offend any Bayliner owners. I have seen good and horrible ones. I, personally, never liked the design, with one exception, the "Eagle". It all depends on how one maintains it. I am convinced that most Bayliners are entry level boats for a given size / type and most that buy them are on a budget, buying the biggest boat that will fit in thier budget and maintenance seems to suffer due to that, since little funds are left over for maintenance after the payments..

And Once AMF took over, seems as though quality went South. AMF makes great bowling balls, but to "value engineer" a boat like a bowling ball is just wrong.

 

[Old Yeller Boater]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

Oh, by the way....I'm looking for a bowrider. 18 feet would be absolute minimum, but 19 or 20 would be great.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

Bayliners quality is not related (normally) to the powerplant, as most modern boats all use the same GM engines from Volvo or Mercruiser. The Force motors and L-Drive junk is another story. It's the difference in hull thicknesses, gelcoat quality, fasteners, and deck hardware. The fit and finish will also be "budget" vinyls which is more prone to tears and rips. Lots of plastic handles and cheap hardware that breaks easily regardless of the care an owner gives to the boat in general. In addition, Bayliner will likely put an underpowered engine as the base engine for each boat model in order to meet the price point they wish to sell it at. This ends up detracting from the value/quality of a Bayliner as well.

Now, that being said, Bayliners being built/sold at the lowest price point of a given market means that people with less money tend tp purchase them. Those people generally are new to boating, and aren't likely to have the knowledge about the required maintenance of a boat, and many times, the finances to keep up with that maintenance. Eventually, you end up with a high volume of Bayliners that have been run hard, beat up, and poorly maintained. All that on top of being made of lesser quality means that the boats are typically much worse for the wear after 10 years than a comprable Cobalt, Formula, Four Winns, Chapparal, etc.

It doesn't mean that a Bayliner can't be a good boat, it just means there are likely to be far more examples of ragged Bayliners than there are of the pristine Bayliners.

 

[Rentaltux]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

I say buy what your budget allows and don't look back. I have a Tahoe which is also entry level. It has never let me down. I truely believe any boat has potential to fail from a $1000 boat to $100000 boat. Maintain it and enjoy it. The smiles on my kids faces being dragged behind the boat are every bit as big as the guy with a $80000 Cobalt and I don't feel like throwing up when I bump the dock...

R

 

[89Donzi]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

I recently bought a 2006 Bayliner BR175 with 141hrs on it for $6700 with trailer. Boat has been garage kept all its life and it shows...extremely clean inside and out. I've put a little over 10hrs on it so far and love it...especially for the money paid. And coming from a 1989 Donzi Ragazza it's a nice step up into a more modern looking boat.

My daughters were giving the boat a thorough inspection after I brought it home

Edit: BTW...with me,wife and both daughters and gear for the day she does 46mph GPS verified in a slight chop. Haven't had it out on a "glass" like day yet...so for even having the "base" engine (which is the Mercruiser 3.0) she runs pretty good all the while sipping on the fuel.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

Yes; there are lots of good Bayliners. Perhaps that's the reason they sell so many. Number one selling brand? My 1996 Bayliner passes as a 2 year old boat. It has obviously been taken care of. That's a 2011 photo.

 

[saxrulez]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

I wouldn't even worry what brand a boat is when looking for them used. Find the boat that has been garage kept it's whole life with owners that were sticklers for maintenance. I would take a garage kept bayliner every day of the week over a boat 5 years newer that has sat in the sun and rain with little care taken of it.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

You may be okay in the year range you're interested in. One thing you cannot ague is that they are still in business, so they must be doing something right. However a couple decades ago they were clearly trying to be the low cost boat brand. When the outboard market was (for OMC, Merc) using oil injected motors, Bayliner was putting in old technology Force outboards they were premix and they were very undersized. It was to hit a low advertised price. Stands to reason that build quality was also suspect. Always be wary when you contemplate purchasing any item fighting to be the cheapest price. That probalby set the bad reputation that this brand has with so many folks.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

Bayliners are entry level, budget built boats assembled and maintained by humans. as many stated, look for a boat that has been garage kept. one reason that bayliners have issues is because they are entry level and budget built. that means that many people bought them, and stored them outside....bow down...no cover....with plug in....

however if your looking in the early 2000's there are many really nice boats.

my observation is the higher quality brands have a better chance of having been garage kept and properly maintained.

happy hunting.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

I had a '96 Trophy and it was one of the best boats I've ever owned. Care and maintenance are the most important thing. Stay with a well cared for newer model and you should be good.

That being said, look at the math. If Brand X sells only 10,000 boats and only 1,000 have issues, that's a simple 10%. If Bayliner sells 500,000 boats and a whopping 50,000 have issues, that's 50x the number of complaints, but still only 10% of the market.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

A friend of mine just bought an 05 245 (or maybe 249)? bowrider.
He liked the cockpit depth, deckboat like layout and deep V. It has a 5.0MPI so an upgrade.

Yes I notice some subpar hardware, some things I didnt care for and would turn me off however for his needs it's a beautiful boat and was worth the money. I really feel they are improved over the 90's versions.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

As a Bayliner owner, I thank you guys for not bashing the brand, and making very valid points about the owners of entry-level boats, etc.

That being said, the build quality from 1987 to maybe the early 90s was sub-par, with a particular problem with properly sealing the wood (ask me how I know this).

 

[danoutbard]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

Nice kit! 89Donzi

 

[Shortbuss]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

First season with my 05 bayliner 195cl. Had some engine problems not related to the boat. But other than that I am more than happy with mine.

 

[89Donzi]

Re: Is there ever a GOOD bayliner?

Nice kit! 89Donzi

Thank you! We are enjoying the boat and that is afterall why I bought it