Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

[jonathaninsc]

There are 4 boats I'm looking at and this will be my first boat so my knowledge level is low. I'd love to have some input from those of you with more knowledge. I know the information below is minimal and I haven't seen all of the boats in person yet, so I don't know what their general level of repair/disrepair is. I guess I'd like to know which one you would have bought 20 years ago when they were new? and why? We will be using the boat to do some exploring around the Charleston area. Day trips in fresh and saltwater, maybe a little offshore. Fuel economy is important.
Below are the pictures and text from the craigslist ads. Thanks!

Boats:
NO LONGER AVAILABLE: 1991 17'6" Chris Craft - $2000
1991 17'6" Chris Craft with 90h Johnson motor and trailer. Runs good. Walk through windshield. New steering cable and helm. Upholstery in not so good shape. Asking price is some what negotiable.

1988 Stingray - $2500
I have a red and white 1988 Stingray SVB 176 that I hate to part with. It has been a very good boat for our first boat. However, we found an slightly newer and larger Stingray that will fit our needs a little better. The boat is in over all great shape. The interior is not destroyed, but could stand to be refinished. I started redoing the upholstry in the front. The rear seating we bought used from a boat that was in a automobile accident but I do have the original seats that are under covers that NEED to be redone. The motor, which is a 3.0 GM Mercruiser and Alpha One drive with a stainless prop run great. There is no hour meter on this boat so I have no idea how many are on the motor. I have replaced the exhaust and u-joint bellows, gimble bearing, tires on the trailer and the bow winch. It has the original Bonnet that snaps to the windshield. It's in great shape. I bought a new zipper for the boot that goes with it, just haven't sewed it in yet. There is also a bimini top that is red to match the boat with a boot. I would not hesitate to take this boat anywhere.

1989 Sunbird SPL 170 16.5 ft Ski Boat - $2000
1989 Sunbird SPL 170 16.5 ft with 1989 88 SPL Evinrude outboard motor. Seats 8 people. Has radio, ladder, and anchors included with sale. Boat, motor, and trailer are in very good condition. Engine starts on a dime and the trailer has new tires, jack and winch. The seats could use reupholstering due to some cracking. Everything else is in great shape right down to the carpet. The price is $2000 FIRM. This is a great deal on this boat due to it's condition!

1988 sports craft 19? 185 XL Ski King - $2100
I had the boat tuned up in the spring new plugs, battery, point?s dist cap condenser, etc. I replaced the rollers and bearings on the EZ loader this spring and I have two new tires. Stainless steel power prop on the boat. 4.3L Mercruiser with an Alpha One.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Which used boat would you buy?

Re: Which used boat would you buy?

Chriscraft or stingray both might be half way decent boats to start off with, And might make good starter boats. The stingray owner seems more sincere about his boat, just the way he talks tells me that he has takencare of her to the best of his ability, But still give them a good thorough going over and try to get a sea trial if possable. those two IMO would be the first two out of the 4 that I would look at first

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I personally would go with the '88 Stingray.A 17 footer 3.0 ltr with the right prop will leap out of the hole and have decent top end with fuel economy.

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

From a resale point of view the Chris Craft is probably a better investment and I like OB's since they are easy to repower and update but that Stingray looks like its in the best shape and the owner sounds like a person I would buy from (older and honest and takes care of his equipment) the other two don't do anything for me even though they might be better deals in person.

It really comes down to an in person look through, a bad transom on any of them would eliminate them from the hunt. Amazing to see such nice boats for so cheap, those same boats here would be $5000-6000.

My gut tells me the Stingray is the one to look at first and the Chris Craft second, it would come down to if you want a OB or IB, the IB would be the faster more comfortable one of the two...but a 200hp OB on that Chris Craft would be a screamer!

My guess is a reasonable person would buy the Stingray and drive it as delivered and fix the seats up...me I would probably buy the Chris Craft and sell the 90 HP and find a deal on a used 200 HP OB and fly with it!

But thats how I am wired, I could care less about mileage and really it should be the last thing on your mind...if you can't afford the fuel...you can't afford the boat.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

Actually the order you have them listed in follows my order of preference.

We need to know what motor/drive is in the last one. Also Sunbirds don't have a great reputation. They, like the earlier Bayliners, are notorious for rot. I'd be concerned about one that obviously has spent some of its life outside uncovered.

 

[bigbad 4cyl x2]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

the one in the last picture looks like it has Vaseline on its hull , i wouldn't bother with that one

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I'd go with the newest body style. Upholstery can be redone. But, the Ski King boat (last one) has some cool lines about it.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

Actually the order you have them listed in follows my order of preference.

Same here.

The trailer of the last boat looks too short, appears as if the last roller is sitting 2-3' from the transom. Not good as it could cause damage to the hull.

 

[oceansbreeze]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I like the chriscraft myself... I had a chriscraft before, and it had an i/o - with leak aroudn the bellows.... and due to that reason, I don't like the stingray with the i/o - the chriscraft is a nice looker, with a solid transom, no bellows to worry about.. and the outboard is easy to work on.... you can spend $500+ on the upholstery and I think you'd come out ahead.... good luck, and let us know what you buy!

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

Same here.

The trailer of the last boat looks too short, appears as if the last roller is sitting 2-3' from the transom. Not good as it could cause damage to the hull.

yea whats the deal with that...its a dual axle though so it has to be rated for a decent sized boat....looks like the bow stop is mounted way way back. would definitely need adjusting....maybe the guy launched on some weird home made ramp or someting and had it set up like that?

 

[mthieme]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

If the Cris Craft had an I/O, the order in which they are posted would have been my preference. So, the Stingray would be my first choice. Redoing upholstery is not a cheap thing either. If you have it done and done right, it can cost more than the boat.
Although the lounge seats in the Stingray can be replaced for $160 each.

 

[jonathaninsc]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I appreciate all of your imput so far. I should be able to see/test all the boats in person in the next couple of weeks.

The Chris Craft would be my first choice, but I'm completely unfamiliar with outboard engines as far as working on them. Is it a steep learning curve? Are parts more difficult/expensive to find? I assume that year outboard would be a two-stroke. How much louder will it be than the inboard on the Stingray? I prefer a quieter ride.

Also, the Stingray's current owner knows the previous owners going back to the original purchaser and it sounds like the boat has been well maintained throughout its life.

I'd like the extra foot and a half of the Sport-Craft, but its net weight slightly exceeds the towing capacity of my Subaru Outback. It has a 4.3L by the way. The boat, not the Outback.

 

[jonathaninsc]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

We need to know what motor/drive is in the last one.

The Sport-Craft has a 4.3L Mercruiser with an Alpha One.

 

[QC]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

Both I/Os will be very quiet.

 

[DavidW2009]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I also, have noticed some low prices on boats in S.C..

I looked at (16) boats before buying the 1996 Bayliner 1700.

What I have noticed about these used boats with low prices is, most of them will yield a pretty picture for the 'net. Some even look nice from the road. But the majority are neglected junk or overpriced project boats. This is from my recent experience. Most were so bad they could not be lake tested.

I looked at one Bayline Capri, advertised as "excellent". It had no fewer than eight crudely patched holes in the hull, below the water line. That's not excellent.

Watch for poor maintenance, bad lower ends, rotted wood, and hull blistering.

My $.02.

Looking at the pics, The Chris Craft would be my choice. If there's anything wrong with it, and you still want the boat, and can fix it, I'd say $1,500 or less.

The only other thing I'd say is, keep lookin' and be patient until you find the boat that's right.

BTW, I got my boat thru a local trader magazine, the first day it hit the stands.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I'm with EZ on that, go with the order you have them in.
#2 is a nice boat but its also a 6 or 6.5' wide one where as the chris craft is
8' wide and is more stable.

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I appreciate all of your imput so far. I should be able to see/test all the boats in person in the next couple of weeks.

The Chris Craft would be my first choice, but I'm completely unfamiliar with outboard engines as far as working on them. Is it a steep learning curve? Are parts more difficult/expensive to find? I assume that year outboard would be a two-stroke. How much louder will it be than the inboard on the Stingray? I prefer a quieter ride.

Also, the Stingray's current owner knows the previous owners going back to the original purchaser and it sounds like the boat has been well maintained throughout its life.

I'd like the extra foot and a half of the Sport-Craft, but its net weight slightly exceeds the towing capacity of my Subaru Outback. It has a 4.3L by the way. The boat, not the Outback.

If you can fix a I/O a O/B is even easier, parts are cheaper for OB's here but that might be different in your part of the US.

As for noise the I/B will be the quietest of the two types, but it really depends on the year of the O/B to compare noise between two strokes. My uncle owns a I/B and he was impressed at how quiet my Merc is, Having been in his boat I was thinking he would think it is loud...its a different kind of noise when you compare I/B to O/B's.

I think the stern width thing is a crucial factor to consider, I don't care for narrow boats and extra wide is more modern looking from a sale-ability/comfort point of view.

Still can't believe you can get a boat like that for under $2000! Maybe I will travel south to buy my next boat!

 

[jonathaninsc]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

I've researched the specs and have determined the beam on the Stingray is 9" less than the Chris Craft. It doesn't seem like much of a difference to me, but then I don't know much either. Stingray - 7' Chris Craft - 7'9"

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

Given the tow capacity limitations and the brackish and salt water around there, your only viable options, IMHO, are the outboards.

 

[jonathaninsc]

Re: Which used boat would you buy? (Pics included!)

There are 4 boats I'm looking at and this will be my first boat so my knowledge level is low. I'd love to have some input from those of you with more knowledge. I know the information below is minimal and I haven't seen all of the boats in person yet, so I don't know what their general level of repair/disrepair is. I guess I'd like to know which one you would have bought 20 years ago when they were new? and why? We will be using the boat to do some exploring around the Charleston area. Day trips in fresh and saltwater, maybe a little offshore. Fuel economy is important.
Below are the pictures and text from the craigslist ads. Thanks!


1988 Stingray - $2500
I have a red and white 1988 Stingray SVB 176 that I hate to part with. It has been a very good boat for our first boat. However, we found an slightly newer and larger Stingray that will fit our needs a little better. The boat is in over all great shape. The interior is not destroyed, but could stand to be refinished. I started redoing the upholstry in the front. The rear seating we bought used from a boat that was in a automobile accident but I do have the original seats that are under covers that NEED to be redone. The motor, which is a 3.0 GM Mercruiser and Alpha One drive with a stainless prop run great. There is no hour meter on this boat so I have no idea how many are on the motor. I have replaced the exhaust and u-joint bellows, gimble bearing, tires on the trailer and the bow winch. It has the original Bonnet that snaps to the windshield. It's in great shape. I bought a new zipper for the boot that goes with it, just haven't sewed it in yet. There is also a bimini top that is red to match the boat with a boot. I would not hesitate to take this boat anywhere.

I looked at the Stingray this weekend. The 3L Mercruiser looks very clean. It started right up(on muffs) and read 150-155psi on all 4 cylinders. The drive and prop aren't missing any paint and appear to be tip-top. The trim/tilt pump is new. Owners say the drive oil was changed earlier in the season, and has never shown any signs of water infiltration. I didn't have time to take it out on the water, but mechanically it seems to be in good shape. They say it tops out at about 38mph at 4k rpm with 4 larger adults. Uses about 10gph while cruising at 32mph. It has a plastic hydrofoil on it and they say it gets up on plane right away. Electric components all operate as they should.

The deck feels solid, but overall the interior is pretty beat up. None of the seats are original or bolted down. The doghouse needs to be reupholstered. The bow cushions have been cheaply recovered. It comes with the original bonnet that is in great shape and a low-quality bimini. Unfortunately it's on a painted steel box beam trailer that'll be seeing a lot of saltwater if I use it. It has been recently rewired, relighted and has new tires.

They're asking $2500. What is a reasonable offer?