Please accept my input for how it is intended. My only desire is to help you. I'm a very long time boat owner having continuously owning at least one boat, sometimes more than one at the same time since 1990. Like you as a young guy my first boat I wanted something to get out on the lake with my young family, cruise and play. I found a 1985 Ebbtide Dynatrak 176SS fish and ski boat and kept it for 14 years. It was a great boat. This is what you need to always remember. Used boats can be a treasure or a curse. Shop and buy very carefully. I don't know used boat values in your area but $6K for a 1984 Bayliner would be way, way too much money for my area. In my opinion you can get a better brand (not wanting to start a war but most honest people will admit that Bayliner, especially that era were low cost price leader type boats without premium components or build quality). A 1984 Bayliner would be very suspect for rot problems in the wood structure. While you could do worse in the motor choice a 1994 Merc 2.5 2 stroke likely would be a ticking grenade. I'm just being honest with you. Look for a better brand later model boat. Stick with a Sea Ray, Ebbtide, Chaparral, Four Winns, Crownline, the list goes on. If possible get a (4) four stroke outboard. With the current economy being a buyers market $6K should go a lot further than what you are looking at. Whatever you find since you are new to boats please take my advice and spend a little money getting a reputable marine service dealer to check out the hull and the engine. Trust me, it would be money well spent.
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